'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Recap: 'You Dove Through a Hole in the Universe for Me.'
Warning: This recap for the “Many Heads, One Tale” episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. contains spoilers.
Sure, this episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. revealed a millenia-old history for Hydra and plans to send Andrew back through the portal and also one of the year’s best action sequences on television period — but the real story of this episode is The Kiss.
The Plot
Gideon and Ward’s tete a tete turns into a brawl and a race to get to a secret Hydra base, where Gideon reveals the true reason for the group’s existence and their plans to send Andrew/Lash through the monolith shards to bring back the demon from the other side. Meanwhile, Coulson sends Bobbi and Hunter to infiltrate the A.T.C.U. and everybody — including Rosalind — discovers that they’ve actually been exposing people to Terrigen. And back at S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ, Fitz and Simmons kiss. Then kiss again to the sound of thousands of shippers screaming with joy.
A Love Story for the Ages
There are those who believe that putting any fan-favorite characters together on a show like this is lazy writing, but the Fitz and Simmons pairing is definitely one that has been earned, not forced. At times, it’s felt “cursed” like Fitz says — especially when Simmons got dragged into the monolith at the end of last season — but it’s never felt like the writers were being cruel or capricious. Jemma has legitimate feelings for the guy (who we will continue to refer to as Hogface Astronaut) that she was stranded with on a hostile alien planet, but that line, “You dove through a hole in the universe for me,” is a clear and heartfelt demonstration that her love is stronger for Fitz and now he knows it. Even if they’re dragged apart once again, they — and we — know they will, in the end, be together.
A Love/Hate/Love Story for the Ages
So Rosalind was working for Hydra, but she didn’t know she was working for Hydra, which is a nice way to spin last week’s revelation while still keeping her in Coulson’s orbit. #Coulsalind are great together and it would be wonderful to see her stay around as part of the main team. Hopefully, they don’t kill her off just for plot purposes like they did with Gonzales last year.
“I’m Gonna Need That Briefcase”
It’s always great to see Bobbi kicking ass, but add bracelets that basically make her batons into a mini version of Thor’s hammer and an Inhuman telekinetic? That is a recipe for pure action bliss, and it’s the sweet spot between a superpower show and a spy show that only S.H.I.E.L.D. can manage. If the Bobbi and Hunter spin-off actually happens, this is what it should be like every week.
Hydra’s Second Head
Ward’s single-minded devotion to revenge has been charming to watch, but his rebooting of Hydra never felt like a great fit. It’s like dismantling a classic Camaro and rebuilding it into something smaller and sportier: You’re throwing away the parts of the car that make it distinctive. But if Ward does actually merge his vendetta with Hydra’s plan to bring back an unstoppable Inhuman … well, then things get real interesting.
Inside Comics Moment
This Hydra history appears to veer somewhat from the comic book version. There, Hydra dates back to ancient Egypt, where it arose in response to an attack by the alien species known as the Brood. They fought side-by-side with Apocalypse, a character to be featured in the next X-Men movie. It’s a shame because the demon Hydra serves on the other side of the portal sounds a lot like him and it would be a great way to introduce an enormous, Avengers-class villain to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Of course, they still may be doing just that – but there aren’t many other bad guys out there that fit that bill. Do you think what comes back through the portal will be an existing villain or an original creation of the show?
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.