* Spoilers Ahead *
Agents of SHIELD continues the shows tradition of tying into the silver screen this week with an episode that leads directly into the new Avengers movie opening the same week. Bringing back the original team members from season one, Coulson looks to infiltrate a Hydra base that is doing experiments on powered individuals. In order to accomplish the mission, Coulson must team up with both friends and enemies while running his own end game.
The show picks up where last week's episode left off with Coulson surrendering to Bobbi and Mack. This leads to a toe to toe matching of the wits between Agent Gonzales and Coulson. Coulson needs resources to take down the Hydra base and he uses his only ace to accomplish this, Fury's toolbox. With the promise of Fury's toolbox being opened Gonzales agrees to allow Coulson to take a small team to destroy the Hydra base.
Back at Afterlife Raina has a vision of Deathlok and Lincoln being tortured by Hyrda and Skye coming to their rescue. She tells Gordon of her vision and Skye comes to him for assistance after her mom refuses to send anyone after Lincoln, claiming doing so would put everyone at risk. After hearing Raina's dream Gordon takes Skye to the Bus in time to join the rest of Coulson's team on the rescue mission against Hydra.
As a sort of nod to the shows beginnings the team Coulson selects consist of the original team from the first episodes. Ward is receiving inside intelligence from Bakshi, whome be and Agent 33 brainwashed into following their orders just like Hydra done 33. We get a lot of back and forth between the team and Ward expressing their wishes that Skye had killed him but they successfully infiltrate the facility.
After successfully infiltrating the base and rescuing both Deathlok and Lincoln, Coulson goes on his own mission downloading data in secret. During this time, Simmons follows Ward and corners him with the intent of killing him with a grenade. Bakshi intervenes and saves Ward at the cost of his own life, Ward draws his gun on Simmons but leaves her alive telling her he is disappointed in how she has changed. The team leaves the base and SHIELD planes level the base while the team returns back the their headquarters.
Once back Agent Gonzales tells Bobbi he intends to lock both Skye, Deathlok, and Bakshi up. Bobbi seems disheartened with this revelation and the rift between her and new SHIELD widens. Gonzales demands the toolbox from Coulson once the team is back and Coulson tells him he can have it, at least untill Fury gets there to retrieve it. The episode ends with Coulson receiving a call from Maria Hill and they both agree it's time to call in the Avengers.
Recap:
This episode finally brought the team together as a whole again, at least for a little while. It was nice to see Skye using her powers in the field under control, and Ward's comments towards Puerto Rico was a nice reminder of how things once were between them. Skye is getting pushed further and further into a position where she may have to decide if she is an agent or an Inhuman first in the next two episodes. Also Cal and Jiaying are reconnecting a little and Cal gets an extended stay offer at the Afterlife.
Hunter and Mack make amends it would seem during the middle of the episode. Mack shows real pain for doing what he done and along with Bobbi's mixed feelings over who to side with, we could see them standing with Coulson in the end. Hunter and Bobbi still haven't spoken but most comic book fans know she eventually marries Hawkeye anyways. Ward ask Coulson to help Agent 33 become SHIELD again and with her ability to change her face it won't be hard to find her a spot in the organization.
The end of the show could have the biggest impact on the series, Nick Fury was hinted at and he may be returning to the forefront of SHIELD. Also Maria Hill is still involve with SHIELD even though she is working for Stark. The show may move back to its original form with Coulson taking orders from Fury and getting to be more the golden boy than he has this season. With only one episode left before the season finale the next couple weeks will be far from boring