"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Season Three Talkback (Spoilers)

[The Penguin]

We're going to convert to a season talkback to bring it in line with most of our other TV threads. So keep it right here all season for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The season three premiere is tonight at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

We are meeting up with our heroes (and villains) three months after the events of the season two finale. Has anyone seen Jemma?

Please note, this thread may contain spoilers and references to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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"Laws of Nature" - Season Premiere
Tuesday, September 29, 2015 @ 9 p.m. ET/8 CT on ABC
Coulson and the team have an encounter with another organization seeking powered people.

#2.21-22: "S.O.S."

ABC.com - Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

This Week in Marvel Podcasts
3x1 Chloe Bennet
3x2 Ian De Caestecker
3x3 Luke Mitchell
3x4 Nick Blood
3x5 Elizabeth Hendstridge

 

[Gold Guy]

Once again really happy to see Skye use her powers more. She seems quite formidable now, which means we'll need stronger villains.

Poor Fitz. The final scene with him screaming at the stone was sad.

I have to admit, I never thought we'd see a space scene in this show. Now time for speculation. I don't think its the Moon...

My only negative is that I am not interested in the slightest in Bobbi/Hunter. Bleh, too much melodrama.

 

[RoryWilliams]

Hey I think this is our first official LGBT character in the MCU. Whoo!

 

[Yojimbo]

"Laws of Nature"

Not a betting man, but something tells me the season 3 finale will be titled "Laws of Man"

But, that aside, I thought it was a well done and strong season premiere. It had to be really to show the series still had some steam.

On the opening scene. Liked the subtle hints it took place in Seattle - Banks stated Joey was surrounded on Fifth between Pike and Union, one of the license plates visibly has 'Washington' on it, on Joey's file Coulson looks at mentions King County, and in the news flash where the man describes Joey, the banner has Seattle on it. Liquefying metal. Neat choice of an ability. Speaking of, great to see Skye use her powers right off the bat. Then we're treated to new tech - the white module and Zephyr One. If you recall the season 2 finale, the Zephyr's schematics were what Coulson was looking at in his office at the end. But it looks freakin' awesome. Definitely next gen from the Bus and Helicarrier.

Bobbi trying to take Simmons' place in the lab was an interesting development. The Biology Degree line was even a nice nod to her character in the comics. But enough with the Bobbi and Hunter angst!!! Who likes that subplot?! When Bobbi met Joey, her Facebook answer was hilarious. Probably a follow up to I think it was Coulson and May commenting social media was doing all the work for them.

It's a relief that HYDRA was only talked about. It would have been a crowded episode if they appeared in whatever form. Plus, I've started to feel HYDRA-fatigue. Not that S.H.I.E.L.D. facing another rival agency was any better but pro-con. But I have a feeling they haven't gone silent, they've gone underground and Hunter's probably right to shift to his sources. To a degree, it was probably a right move to also leave both Ward and May out of the episode.

On Rosalind Price, that scene in Coulson's office that showed 4 other aliases cemented my idea she's a Marvel character but we don't know her real name yet. Anyway, the four files shown on the big screen gave a really nice timeline of Rosalind from 2008-2015. Sarah Russell at the CIA. Jane Thompson with NASA. Margaret Campbell with MI6. Samantha Potter with CDC. The two notes of interest is in 2010-2013 she worked for NASA and chaired a Project Valhalla, a short lived initiative to nab potentially useful of hazardous alien assets before they enter Earth's atmosphere. She left NASA when the project lost its funding shortly after <drum roll> the Battle of New York. Second, around 2013 when she returned to London, she was moved to a joint MI5/MI6 task force looking into recent extraterrestrial radio transmissions. One year later, she went off grid while in Peru's Nazca Desert. So far, I like Rosalind. She looks to be a better rival/foil to Coulson than Hand or Talbot, imo. When she shows her hand and reveals she knows he died and utters the Tahiti line. Hoo hoo. But you know, a lady this experienced and well traveled in the intelligence community... I would assume Fury knows who she is.

Fitz. Goes without saying he had a really strong showing in this episode. Fooling a Middle Eastern crook with fake Splinter Bombs. That last scene yelling at the Monolith. Brutal. Iain really acted the heck out of that scene. A relief but cruel that his dark matter theory appears to be the correct one. So I guess when the Monolith detects an Inhuman or someone with the gene, it decompresses and transports the target to an undeveloped and harsh Kree prison planet somewhere in the universe.

Lincoln. Guess it was obvious there would be conflict and he wouldn't just roll over and join S.H.I.E.L.D. between seasons. Aw, but when he pulls the curtain and sees Daisy. Hilarious. Nice dynamic to see Daisy and Lincoln have traded opinions vs. themselves in season 2. I suppose it was also for the best that he didn't leave with them in this episode either.

Lash. Cool villain. What his agenda should be interesting. Is he playing cleaner for those Elders mentioned on and off last season and is tasked with fixing the mess caused by Jiaying? Is he an agent of a different group of Inhumans trying to do 'crowd control' so they stay hidden? Is he just some rogue Inhuman that's off his rocker? It's obvious hardline Inhumans won't like these new ones manifesting like weeds and bypassing the indoctrination tradition and what not. It's natural they would want to wipe them out. But Lash also went after Lincoln. Who to other Inhumans is a traitor and liability.

After various mentions on the show, very rad of President Ellis to make an appearance. Definite gut punch to learn he sanctioned the ATCU. Coulson's in a difficult place dealing with them. Reminds me of back on Justice League Unlimited when it was clear the President knew of Cadmus and Waller answered to him. All in all, great to have both AOS and MCU references throughout the episode. The Pym Tech disaster was a nice way to confirm season 3 is after Ant-Man. Favorite one was Coulson now has the axe Mack used to hack his hand off on a mantle in his office.

 

[RoryWilliams]

I've been really impressed with how much Fitz's actor has grown as the show has progressed. I really thought he was annoying as hell in the first season but he's made Fitz one of my favorite characters now.

 

[Yojimbo]

It was interesting to hear a real world reference, I think. When Fitz meets with Yusef, Fitz saws Yusef's 'extremist buddies ransacked Mosul's Central Museum this year.' In reality, ISIS sacked it back in January of this year.

 

[Magmaster12]

You'd think Iron Man's brief presence would scare Isis away.

 

[The Penguin]

"Purpose in the Machine" October 6, 2015

New S.H.I.E.L.D. Tonight at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

"Purpose in the Machine"
Tuesday, October 6, 2015 @ 9 p.m. ET/8 CT on ABC
The team asks an Asgardian for help unlocking the secrets of the monolith that swallowed Simmons.

 

[Yojimbo]

Purpose in the Machine

Glad to see Dr. Garner will continue to appear and has been "helping" with the Secret Warriors and Inhumans. Always the voice of reason. I don't think they directly stated where the Playground is located yet and Garner mentioned his flight was transcontinental and he's based in Culver on the east coast... but rad to watch as he pointed out Daisy was becoming a leader. And to boot, she wants to improve upon Jiaying's work. Though the banter with Daisy telling Coulson and Bobbi what he said about them was priceless. But great. He's in danger.

The Monolith has had quite an interesting history on Earth to say the least - Germanic tribes, France during the Hundreds Year War, Gloucestershire then buried in the Yucatan. Unearthed in 1916. Held by S.H.I.E.L.D. on a carrier. Figures a sand particulate would be the most important clue. It's a portal to a world a billion years older than Earth. Huh. I admit when I heard Fitz request someone who was an expert on quantum mechanics and the Einstein-Rosen Bridge Theory, I half-expected a surprise cameo or mention of Dr. Selvig or Foster. Still, nice move to tie it back to Daisy as the solution. Glad to see the opening mystery was solved within 2 episodes this season unlike the alien writing in season 2.

Despite what happened to Bobbi and all the history with Ward, I'm still a little surprised that Coulson gave Hunter carte blanche to go after Ward. I would think there's a long list of agents that want to put Ward down, too. But I guess this will be an excuse to set up a cliche story arc for Hunter and May to see how dark they will go to kill Ward. Garner's line to Daisy about how the Secret Warriors and even the non-Inhuman team have the potential to be monsters seals that.

I'm not the biggest supporter of more HYDRA but it is intriguing to see Ward rebuild it with young blood. Rad to see another Marvel character show up with Werner Von Strucker. Smart of Ward to bend the legacies to his plans. Can only wonder who else will appear in these next gen and legacies. Chuckled at Ward writing up Baron's death in Age of Ultron as meaningless. So meta.

Happy to learn more about May and her family. Bummer her parents are divorced but hardly a surprise. His observation about chopping and silence was awesome. Learning May was into ice skating and her admission about Dorothy Hamill led to her switching to martial arts. Dad's "and you could hit people" --

I love Professor Randolph. It was blast to finally have him back on the show. Guess he didn't stick around in Portland, lol. Equally hilarious he chose to stay in a jail cell to protect himself. And the laughs keep coming. Pulling off the door and blaming it on Coulson. "To the plane! I can say that, right?" was a favorite line. As was his "Great. Now, I'll have to check." Oh but when Randolph was shocked to learn Daisy was an Inhuman... I wonder if that's who the Berserker Army was sent to Earth to fight way back when.

 

[BlackoutCreature]

So it seemed to me a little too easy how they got Simmons back. I'm working on a theory here, just tossing it out there -

Spoiler

http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Space_Phantom_(Earth-616)

 

[Yojimbo]

Alex Hyde-White who played Lord Thornally in the cold open played Reed Richards in that unreleased 1994 Fantastic Four movie.

Upon rewatch, noticed a nice nod to Randolph's former job as a stonemason on Asgard. At the castle, he remembers back in 1853 he was admiring the stonework during the party when he saw the Maveth carvings.

 

[Gold Guy]

I really liked May's sub-plot. I thought it would drag, but I like seeing this side of her, and the conversations between her and her dad were pretty interesting.

Ugh, I hate Ward - but Strucker's son looks like a potentially interesting character. Interested in seeing where his arc goes.

I'm still wondering how Simmons survived on te planet. What did she eat? I hope they explain this later.

 

[Yojimbo]

Ugh, I hate Ward - but Strucker's son looks like a potentially interesting character. Interested in seeing where his arc goes.

I hear you. I'm over Ward. I'm kind of hoping the tie-in to Civil War is one of Ward's recruits betrays and kills him and takes over HYDRA -- Helmut Zemo.

 

[The Penguin]

"A Wanted (Inhu)man" October 13, 2015

New S.H.I.E.L.D. Tonight at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

"A Wanted (Inhu)man"
Tuesday, October 13, 2015 @ 9 p.m. ET/8 CT on ABC
Mack, Daisy and Coulson race to keep Lincoln safe; Hunter will do whatever it takes to get revenge.

 

[Gold Guy]

Very intense episode on all fronts.

Lincoln can't catch a break. It's a wonder he hasn't gone crazy yet; being chased by government wackos, becoming America's Most Wanted, and now accidentally killing his only real friend. Oh, and that whole thing with Daisy (Ward/Daisy shippers, beware!)

Hunter and May make for an interesting pair. Loved how May took down those thugs, and in a surprisingly discreet way.

The dialogue between Coulson and that other lady (why did I forget her name) was really good. Apparently, she has her own version of Lola.

Gee, Simmons! Fitz just brought you back, but now you want to return to that desolate planet?

 

[reflection01]

A "Lost" actor and somewhat of a "Lost" reference in this episode.

 

[Yojimbo]

A Wanted (Inhu)man

Lincoln. How things just get worse and worse.

Poor Simmons. Between Fitz screaming at the Monolith and here with Simmons crying in the restaurant, serious acting chops in the mix. Didn't expect her to state she had to go back. Either she discovered some Kree facility or there are other humans stuck on that planet I would wager.

Issuing an APB, ATCU? Dumb. But meeting #2 between Rosalind and Coulson was worth the price of admission. From her car, 'eyes up here,' the car's a he, and her unleashing the arm puns -- I'm enjoying Constance Zimmer. Smart of Coulson (and the crew) to speed past another dumb grudge war and agreeing to school the ATCU on Inhumans.

Subtitles for Hunter and Spud talking English in the bar. Hilarious! As was when the referee goes 'Nope' and Hunter is clocked. Good to see May is still in fighting form.

Points for sending Daisy to Chicago where Chloe Bennet is from.

Only negative in this episode for was Mack, he was such a tool.

 

[dmxx116]

Now that Marvel & Fox are on good working terms right now, I hope AOS can use the word mutant later in the season.

 

[The Penguin]

"Devils You Know" October 20, 2015

Better than the ones you don't?! Tonight at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

"Devils You Know"
Tuesday, October 20, 2015 @ 9 p.m. ET/8 CT on ABC
Coulson and the team search for the Inhuman who is killing other Inhumans.

 

[RoryWilliams]

That death at the end was a fake out if I ever saw one.