Aftershocks - Agents of SHIELD Mini-Review and Recap

So, 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' is back from its hiatus. Which means we have to say farewell to 'Agent Carter', unfortunately. But anyway, this episode is a slow one. Skye spends most of her time locked up in a quarantine cell as the team tries to determine if she's unchanged after the events in the Kree City. Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) finds out that she isn't, but keeps the secret from the rest of the team. Caestecker has been a standout this season after the brain damage that hit his character. Here it lets him sympathize with both Mack (Henry Simmons) and Skye.

Speaking of Henry Simmons, he gives a good performance as a man mind-controlled into killing a friend, and having to deal with the aftermath.

Clark Gregg continues to portray a leaner, meaner Coulson who is willing to do whatever it takes to win. This time out he sets up the Hydra council to wipe each other out.

The episode seemed like the kind of introspection when an actor dies. But the guy who played Trip is still alive. According to the interviews, Trip's death will continue to rip the team apart, so we'll see what happens.

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1983

Gordon teleports randomly around his cell. Jiaying--Skye's mother--and her assistant Yat-Sen come in but Gordon doesn't notice them. Yat-Sen explains that Gordon was underwent terrigenesis 14 hours ago and he's very emotional. Jiaying dismisses Yat-Sen and talks to Gordon, whose eyes have grown over. He asks what has happened to him, and Jiaying offers her hand to him. Gordon stumbles over, focusing on her voice, and manages to reach her. Once he does, she says that she'll show him the way. Gordon tries to cry but says that he can't.

Later, Jiaying and Yat-Sen watch Gordon in his cell. Jiaying points out that every cell in the boy has changed, but notes that he's young enough to adapt and old enough to understand. Yat-Sen says that it's a blessing that Jiaying ages so slowly, letting her counsel so many through the change. Without her, the transformed would be lost.

Now

Scientists examine Skye in the quarantine lab. Later, she doses off and dreams of Trip dying in the Inhuman city. She wakes up and finds Coulson waiting with her outside. He reminds her that she and Trip went down to stop Hydra from setting off a cataclysm. The obelisk set off a massive earthquake, and Coulson points out that it would have been much worse if Trip hadn't destroyed the obelisk. He assures Skye that Trip was a hero, and says that once Medical clears her, Skye will be out with the rest of them.



Melinda is hitting a bag while Mack works on equipment with Fitz helping him. Bobby is packing away Trip's things while Lance drinks.

Coulson admits that sometimes he wants to run away and avoid the grief, and Skye says that she couldn't do it even if she tried. She asks about Jemma, and Coulson explains that she took a team into the city to document the tunnels.

In the city, a worker takes out the pieces of Trip while Jemma assesses the structural integrity.

Coulson tells Skye that Jemma will flood the city if necessary, and explains that the temple collapsed on itself. He admits that they haven't found Raina's body yet, and Skye says that they failed because of her. She reminds Coulson that if she hadn't gone down there then they could have destroyed the city safely. Coulson insists that Trip prevented a disaster and Whitehall is dead, and promises to crush Hydra once and for all. He says that he'll make somebody pay and walks off.

Octavian Bloom hosts a meeting of Hydra's secret council of bankers, sheikhs, and royalty. They share a toast to Whitehall's demise, and one of the councilmen, Dr. List, points out that there's a management vacancy that needs filling.  He suggests that Sunil take over, and Bloom says that he's probably been captured by S.H.I.E.L.D.. List figures that S.H.I.E.L.D. will emerge now that they have "won," and the person who removes them permanently will win Whitehall's position. Meanwhile, he'll find out if Whitehall produced something with his research.

In the Kree city, something grabs one of the workers and pulls him off to the shadows. After a moment, the transformed Raina emerges. Meanwhile, Jemma and her people confirm that the walls rely on electromagnetic energy to support themselves. She figures that they've found out everything that they can and gives the order to two worker to wrap up. Once she leaves, Raina emerges from the shadows and kills them, and then stares at her reflection in one of their helmets. Jemma returns and shoots at her, and Raina rides the elevator up and makes good her escape.



Bobby brings Skye a bag with things to get her through quarantine. The agent says that she's been in quarantine before and knows what Skye is going through. She assures Skye that she did good and walks away.

In the mess room, Fitz is examining Skye's watch, which was damaged in the cave-in. Mack comes in and Fitz explains that it recorded Skye's body readings. However, he admits that he's having trouble concentrating. Mack offers to get him an electronic kit, and refuses to discuss what happened to him when he was possessed. Fitz says that he knows what he's going through, trapped in a body without being able to control it. Mack apologizes for snapping at him and glances over at Skye in the quarantine lab. He then asks Fitz to bring up the schematics of the base to make sure that no one else is taken over by the alien substance.

Jemma calls in what happened and says that Rains was covered in thorns when she saw her. She has gathered some blood that Raina left behind and is ready to flood the city. However, she wants to come back to the base to check on Skye and analyze the samples. Coulson and Melinda figure that Raina was transformed the same way that Skye was, and Coulson tells Jemma to come home. He then tells Melinda to gather everyone because they're going after Hydra.

Later, the team meets in the lab and Coulson tells them team that they're going to use Sunil as bait to get at the people responsible for Trip's death. Mack snaps and wonders if they led Hydra to the city, and blames Coulson and Skye for obsessing over the alien messages. Coulson says that he shouldn't have to ask any of them to save one of their own, and Mack accuses him of just ordering them no matter his mental state. The team starts arguing and Skye, listening, tells them to stop. They don't hear her, and a can starts to shake. As Skye grabs it and the vibrations stop, Coulson says that if Trip as there then he'd be gearing up to do what needs to be done. He tells everyone to be ready by morning and walks off.



Later, Coulson and Melinda go to Sunil's cell. They have Talbot on webcam and the general is happy to take him in return for providing S.H.I.E.L.D. with help mopping up the remaining Hydra forces. Once he signs off, they take Sunil to a SUV and drive off. As Melinda drives, Coulson figures that she agrees with others. She objects to them contacting the U.S. government and worries that Talbot has leaks in his organization. A truck rams the SUV, shoving it into a nearby warehouse, and Hydra soldiers open fire. Melinda and Coulson return fire and then toss explosive grenades at them. They take out all but four of them, and Melinda then leaps out and shoots the others. She warns that more will be coming, and Coulson gets Sunil out of the SUV. A Hydra soldier runs up and shoots Melinda, killing her. Coulson tries to shoot back but the soldier kills him as well and then tells Sunil to get into the van and they'll use it to escape.

As they drive away, the soldier--Lance--confirms that Whitehall is dead and that he takes orders from Sunil now.

Back at the warehouse, Coulson, Melinda, and the fake Hydra soldiers get up. Bobby is among them and takes a motorcycle after the SUV.

Fitz is examining Skye's watch when Mack comes over and tells him that Coulson's plan worked. He notes that Fitz's hands are getting better, and Fitz admits that he's totally confused by what he's seeing. The scientist explains that the watch was crushed from the inside out, but he won't be able to decipher it until Jemma gets back. As they talk, Jemma arrives by plane.



Sunil makes contact with Bloom and informs him that he's free. He says that he's a few hours out and will soon be there. Once Sunil cuts off, Lance draws his gun and says that he has orders to take him out once he makes contact. Sunil offers him triple what his employers are paying, assuring him that money is no object. He assures Lance that it's his chance to get in good with Hydra, and Lance agrees.

As a technician takes a blood sample, Jemma tells Skye how Raina transformed. They've separated her DNA and determined that it now contains extra macromolecules. Jemma insists that they need to make sure that Skye isn't infected for fear of an epidemic. Skye assures her that there was nothing she could do, but Jemma says that she let her curiosity get the better of her when she should have terminated it. She points out all of the alien horrors that have been unleashed as more people have gotten powers. Jemma finally breaks into tears and says that Trip is dead, and promises that it ends with him. She then goes to analyze Skye's blood.

At the docks in San Juan, Cal pays off a man and says that he'll stay low. Raina finds him and says that she knew she'd find her there. She then grabs Cal, revealing that she's been transformed into an animal-like humanoid, and demands to know what she's become. Raina wonders why she's a freak of nature instead of the angel that her grandmother promised, and blames Cal. Cal says that she's the one who wanted it, but Raina said that Skye was there and came out unchanged. He's shocked to hear that Skye is alive, and then throws Raina to the ground. He rants about how Coulson robbed him of his revenge against Whitehall, but figures that now is his chance to reunite with Skye once Coulson puts her on the index. Raina says that Skye will never love him, but Cal figures that he can contact the people on the index and remind Skye that she belongs with him. When Raina begs him to help, Cal says that she's on her own now and says that she now has her lifelong dream. Raina says that she can't live as a repulsive creature, and Cal tells hers not to and turns away. After a moment, Raina draws her hood up and walks away.


Sunil has Lance drive him to Bloom's manor and goes inside. Bobby gets in and says that she's canvassed the area, and now they have to wait. Lance points out that she and Mack are still keeping their secret, and doesn't believe Bobby's denial. After a moment, she explains that they're in a support group. Lance bursts into laughter, and his ex-wife says that they needed help coping after the organization that they belonged to turned against them. He says that it's actually healthy and assures Bobby that he's glad to hear it.

At the base, Mack tells Coulson that the ventilation system is secure. He apologizes for his earlier outburst and admits that losing Trip brought up some bad memories. Jemma suggests that if they have to kill Raina, it will prevent infection. As they go, they're unaware that Skye is listening in.

Inside the manor, Bloom and Sunil call List. Sunil passes on what Lance said, assuming that it's the other Hydra members turning against them. They warn List and promise to smooth things over. Once List hangs up, Bloom goes to send word. Sunil suggests that they kill Lance.

Raina goes to a bridge and prepares to step out into traffic, killing herself.

Skye is listening to her headphones when she sees Fitz outside the quarantine cell. He says that he fixed the watch and checked her vitals, and notes that her heart was going at 100 BPM. As he starts to panic as he describes how they found Skye, unharmed, the bottles in the lab start to vibrate.


Raina steps forward onto the road.

Fitz figures that Skye survived the destruction because she caused it. Skye clutches at her head and the lamp in the lab explodes. Fitz runs out in a panic as Skye stares after him. As she tries to clean up the glass, cutting her hand, Melinda comes in and asks if she's doing okay. Skye says that she's feeling like a caged animal and says that she's never seen Coulson so ruthless before.

Coulson goes to Trip's mother and breaks the news about her son's death. She breaks into tears and Coulson hugs her.

Bloom sends a coded message to three of his men, all close to the other Hydra council members.

Hydra agents surround the SUV and open fire. The SUV is bulletproof, and Lance activates the hidden weaponry to gun them down. He then smashes through the gate.

Each of the assassins kills their target council member.

Lance and Bobby enter the manor and kill Bloom and his guards. Sunil realizes that Coulson set the whole thing up so that they'd kill each other. Bobby assures him that he's safe and leads him off.

Melinda notices the blood on Skye's hand, just as Jemma comes in and says that they should be able to release Skye as soon as the DNA results come back. They ask what happened, and Fitz comes in and says that he knocked over the lamp and broke the glass. He shows them Skye's DNA results, which confirm that she's normal. As Melinda leaves to call Coulson, Fitz suggests that Jemma get Skye some clean sheets. He enters the quarantine cell and says that he switcher her blood results with her old samples. Fitz says that until everyone calms down, they should keep Skye safe until they figure it out. Touched, Skye hugs her friend and breaks into tears. She blames herself and says that there's something wrong with her, and Fitz assures her that she's just different and there's nothing wrong with that.



Raina walks out among the passing cars, but S.H.I.E.L.D. agents pull up. They say that they're not there to harm her, but Raina says that they either kill her or she'll make them. Gordon suddenly teleports in, surrounding Raina with a force field, and says that he'll show her the way as he teleports away with her.

In Coulson's office, the RC model of Lola comes to life and scans the room. It finds a compartment in the desk.

In the mess room, the team is relaxing and telling stories about Trip. Mack is making some food in the kitchen. When Bobby comes in, Mack tells her that he's confirmed that Fury's toolbox is in Coulson's office. He says that they're almost good to go, and Bobby says that she'll make contact soon. They go back in and Skye says that they're going to laugh a lot less now that Trip is gone.