Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: A Hen in the Wolf House

October 21, 2014 8:41 PM - Season 2, Episode 5

Simmons continues her work undercover, but things are getting dangerous as Hydra's Security Chief begins an investigation. Meanwhile, the mystery of Coulson's strange carvings deepens and Raina, Whitehall and Skye's father wrestle over the possession of the obelisk.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (22 comments total)

Nice episode!

This was a good one for serial continuity, even without a true central "hook" as in the last few. We got a little to a lot of movement on all the storylines from this year and last: Skye's dad and her possible nonhuman (Inhuman?) status, Simmons undercover, Whitehall and the Obelisk, Fitz's brain issues, and Coulson's hypergraphia. And we even got some new things to boot, with Bobbi Morse and her connection to Hunter.

I was slightly underwhelmed by Kyle MacLachlan's first appearance a couple of episodes ago, but he really turned up the crazy for this one, and it's working. He's genuinely unsettling, and the slight twinges of vulnerability that MacLachlan gives it (the way he flinches when Coulson stares him down through the CCTV camera) make me want to know more about this guy. It also looks like the old photo that Skye found in his hideout is a slightly doctored Twin Peaks-era photo that ABC had lying around in their graphics department.

Oh, and does anybody want to take bets on how soon it is before the internet sees its first Simmons/Morse slashfic, based on the giant cartoon hearts in Simmons' eyes through the whole rescue and beyond? Not that I'm specifically asking for one, or that I even read those...um...well...

I've said too much.
posted by Strange Interlude at 9:12 PM on October 21, 2014 [8 favorites]

Just glad I'm not the only one who saw the immediate Simmons/Morse ship setting sail.

Great ep!
posted by nubs at 9:31 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]

Palicki looked towering next to Henstridge which I suppose was intentional. She was briefly cast as Wonder Woman in a series that didn't get picked up, wasn't she?
posted by Justinian at 12:51 AM on October 22, 2014

When Kyle MacLachlan's character was starting to get angry, there was a slight green tone in the lighting. Marvel nerds, could he be a second Hulk, who at some point got subjected to the same gamma radiation that Bruce Banner did?

Oh, and does anybody want to take bets on how soon it is before the internet sees its first Simmons/Morse slashfic

I'm betting on Fitz/Mack slashfic first.
posted by jbickers at 5:25 AM on October 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

Yes, there was also a nudge at a Fitz/Mac pairing. I don't know if it's just because I have been hanging out in places where commenting on such things is more common and hence noticing them more or if shows are just becoming more overt about doing them? Maybe both. In any case, it's interesting to see how much of it is going on.

I too was wondering about the Hulk like feel that seems to be around Skye's dad. But not sure that would explain why the alien serum didn't affect her the way it did Coulson and Garett. But it's a comic book universe, so they can do whatever they want.
posted by nubs at 6:25 AM on October 22, 2014

Palicki looked towering next to Henstridge which I suppose was intentional. She was briefly cast as Wonder Woman in a series that didn't get picked up, wasn't she

That she was. The pilot was supposed to be pretty terrible, but not because of her. I just realized that this episode finally gave her a chance to fly around in a cool invisible jet...
posted by Strange Interlude at 6:30 AM on October 22, 2014 [2 favorites]

Recap is up! The show is impressive for well, just about everything at this point. It all clicks, the acting, writing, direction, plotting, pacing, character development etc. And no repeats yet! It's one of my favorite shows to watch this season, hope the Peggy Carter series follows in these footsteps.

But not sure that would explain why the alien serum didn't affect her the way it did Coulson and Garett.

Probably because she's part alien, along with Raina? I'm guessing the device was designed to only be used members of that race.

Marvel nerds, could he be a second Hulk, who at some point got subjected to the same gamma radiation that Bruce Banner did?

No idea, not up on that aspect of the Marvel Universe, but those scenes did have a Hulk like feel. I'm assuming the obelisk, Skye, SkyeDad and Raina are related to the Inhumans, but it's not clear how at this point and I no little of the history in the comics. Not that it matters, since the Bobbi Morse is/was married to Hawkeye in the books, but in Winter Soldier, she was wearing a necklace with an arrow.

But Bobbie and Hunter as exes works out just fine for AoS.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:40 AM on October 22, 2014

Oh, and does anybody want to take bets on how soon it is before the internet sees its first Simmons/Morse slashfic, based on the giant cartoon hearts in Simmons' eyes through the whole rescue and beyond?

Bobbi Morse/Jemma Simmons (First fic posted October 4)

I'm betting on Fitz/Mack slashfic first.

Leo Fitz/Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie (First fic posted October 1)

Enjoy! :D
posted by Jacqueline at 7:51 AM on October 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

Marvel nerds, could he be a second Hulk, who at some point got subjected to the same gamma radiation that Bruce Banner did?

The prevailing theory amongst the nerds seems to be that Skye's father is Hyde, which would make Skye Quake. But even if that's true, given how much the TV series is mixing things up from the comic books, the origin story for his powers and what Skye's powers might be (or if she has any at all) on Earth-199999 could be significantly changed from Earth-616.
posted by Jacqueline at 7:57 AM on October 22, 2014

Not that it matters, since the Bobbi Morse is/was married to Hawkeye in the books, but in Winter Soldier, she was wearing a necklace with an arrow.

Clarification: Natasha Romanov/Black Widow was the one wearing the arrow necklace in the Winter Soldier. Last night was the first appearance of Bobbi Morse/Mockingbird in the MCU 'verse.
posted by Jacqueline at 7:59 AM on October 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

You're right, I goofed, thanks for the clarification!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:23 AM on October 22, 2014

Glad to see the series is really hitting its stride. I am worried with the increasingly larger ensemble cast, because I'm enjoying pretty much all of them. There's too many, however, to give them all something to do or give them strong plotlines, and I'm fearing that means a cull is coming. I'm suspecting at least one of Hunter/Tripp/Mack won't survive the season, that we could possibly get another Very Special Moment with Fitz before he's written out, leading up to the big Skye reveal followed immediately by her death/disappearance. And I suspect there's no way Morse becomes a regular in this, unless it's as some sort of May replacement (which would be dumb).

I love the random speculation about Skye's parentage. Everything from High Evolutionary, Maximus, Spider-Woman... Kyle McLaughlin as Maximus the Mad would be quite fun. Oh, I wish the Fantastic Four were a Marvel Studios property. It just feels so wrong to me to have Inhumans in the MCU without the F4.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 12:48 PM on October 22, 2014

I was happy to see that Shield is in fact larger than the core team. Until this episode, Coulson as director was no different than Coulson as team leader. Now we have a him that more is happening off screen.

I expect some of these new characters will be relegated to the B Team, while one or two stick around with what's remains of last season's cast. And Coulson finally learns to stay out of the field.
posted by 2ht at 2:15 PM on October 22, 2014

Green and alien? Kyle MacLachlan is Skrull, right?

Or can they not use Skrulls because lawyers.
posted by davros42 at 9:09 PM on October 22, 2014

Correct, the Skrulls belong to the Fantastic Four.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:14 AM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]

Apparently HYDRA has a file on Bessie aka Hellcow and some fresh milk samples, which means that there's a vampire cow on the loose in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
posted by elgilito at 8:21 AM on October 23, 2014 [3 favorites]

I feel slightly "plot boyish" for this, but the way that SHIELD as a criminal organization suddenly, apparently, has tons of money to pay agents, bribe restaurants, and do all the other stuff bugs me. I would really appreciate some explaintion even if it's a drop off line like "you don't think Fury didnt know how to set up a Swiss Bank account?"

Part of this is I was hoping for a Heist episode on a Hydra armored car or secret vault.
posted by bswinburn at 10:20 AM on October 23, 2014 [2 favorites]

I would imagine that there's all sorts of information, such as Swiss Bank Accounts or some such, in The Toolbox.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:28 PM on October 23, 2014

My favorite thing about this show is Raina's adeptly weaponized feminity. She is a perfect baddie to convert into a SHIELD asset, looking forward to next week!
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 6:25 AM on October 24, 2014

I was totally thrown by Kyle MacLachlan dressed up as Bruce Banner, shot with green light while having anger and rage issues. Don't do that in a Marvel comic book adaptation, it's just going to confuse everyone. Use yellow instead, or red, or anything but green. I like the idea of a Mister Hyde riff better, thanks for the references Jacqueline.

I like Raina in this episode, it's interesting to see a woman portrayed vulnerable and scared, yet still in control of her own fate.
posted by Nelson at 8:57 AM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]

It also looks like the old photo that Skye found in his hideout is a slightly doctored Twin Peaks-era photo that ABC had lying around in their graphics department.

It does at that, but then again I have often wondered why more productions do no not make better use of the back catalogue of performers' publicity stills. It seems all too common in movies and TV to clumsily alter current photos. If a movie comes out in a year where Sean Penn plays a colonel and they need a picture of him as a young ROTC grad, it seems more common that fifty-something Penn will be photoshopped a whole bunch instead of just digging up a publicity shot from Taps. I assume lawyers are involved.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:24 PM on October 24, 2014

Enjoyed the episode, particularly MacLachlan's remorse when he realized that Skye was seeing his bloody work (the result of that rage) and determining that one of the two people she has striven to find for years is a monster was excellent. Also, "One theory is that you might be an alien..." It's great that Coulson lives in a world where telling someone they might be an alien or that you're considering they might be alien isn't necessarily the strangest thing you have done lately or will do that day.

The nod between May and Morse was a nice touch, as was the complete dismissal of Hunter when he began to complain about her presence to her hair. Given their two personalities, it's rather surprising that they were ever involved.
posted by Atreides at 7:36 AM on October 27, 2014