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Kareem Ali 4.5

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

 

  • The good

    New characters are impressive and memorable. Fascinating twist to the markings and Skye potentially being an alien. Operations are multi-faceted now.

  • The bad

    Fitz's medical diagnosis is somewhat perplexing at times. Limited action overall

  • The ugly

    • Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: A Hen in the Wolf House is the 5th episode in the season and has Skye’s father raising the stakes to get her back while Hydra coordinates another attack. It opens up at a wedding reception filled with military personnel belonging to an anti-Hydra unit with the best man preparing to give his speech about the bride and groom. The ceremonial champagne is distributed and when some guests drink for the toast they go into convulsions with 8 dying and their mouths and faces becoming horribly disfigured. The servers, working for Hydra, escape and report the results to Bakshi, who is disappointed that everyone at the wedding didn’t die in this attempt to replicate the effects of the obelisk. S.H.I.E.L.D. brings the results of their investigation of this incident to Coulson but it’s difficult considering they don’t have any contacts within the Navy high enough up to give them classified information. Triplett suggests reaching out to Simmons since she’s infiltrated Hydra’s ranks but Coulson states that he hasn’t heard from her either. However Skye notices the strange markings scratched into Coulson’s desk and questions him about it. He states that they’re just sketches in attempts to figure out what they mean since they’re connected to the obelisk. But when she questions him about the identity of his source in front of others he pulls rank on her and states it’s classified and not to question his authority. But answers might be closer than they seem when Raina goes to Skye’s father begging for help. She tells him that Daniel Whitehall has threatened her if she doesn’t bring the obelisk to him. Angry at her empty promises to bring Skye to him, he refuses stating the Obelisk is the only way Skye will understand him. But without Raina to help him maintain control, how far will he go to get Skye back?

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    I haven’t posted a review for the past 2 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episodes but not because I haven’t been watching it or enjoying it but because of scheduling with NYCC and I was under the weather for a while. However I did enjoy the stories, the action (nothing was better than Agent May fighting in lingerie) and also the character progression, which of course includes Coulson and May. I was impressed with Fitz’s story line and how he finally opened up with the new team and joined them but I admit his medical diagnosis is still perplexing to me in terms of him somehow getting better. And the mystery behind the markings Coulson has been writing and carving has been fascinating to me. And last but not least, it’s been somewhat ironic that S.H.I.E.L.D. has felt more like an organization this season since it’s been disbanded than last season when they were officially a large organization. However that’s due to the expanded cast, the great writing, and no longer being limited to the plane. And I love how prominent Hydra has been in these episodes considering how much I called last season for an enemy or enemies who were formidable. And so the start of this episode with them not only attempting to replicate the destructive powers of the obelisk but effectively being able to target members of an anti-Hydra unit was pretty impressive. So was Skye’s father being in the forefront when Raina would come to him with the bad news.

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    But it’s not just the enemies that have been more imposing that made this episode so enjoyable but the grays in the story line in terms of the decisions being made and in the character development. Raina, whose character I love, was the only one operating in between Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. last season so her story lines were more flexible. However, this episode would demonstrate how S.H.I.E.L.D.’s operations are more complex now, and as a result everything isn’t as black and white. So Raina, who made Skye’s father seem even more terrifying with her apparent fear of him throughout this episode, would resort to blackmail once she learned Simmons was working for Hydra but still sending messages to S.H.I.E.L.D.. This would call into question Coulson’s decision-making considering his carvings, May’s backing of him, and also the theory posed early to Skye that she might actually be an alien seeing she hasn’t had any negative responses to the alien DNA from last season. So this operation would be intense and actually surprising. And it would fit perfectly with the introduction of a new character, Bobbi Morse aka Mockingbird. She would be an addition that makes the cast even more versatile, and I admit gives me even more confidence that Ward won’t go back to being the relatively simplistic character as a member of the team due to the way cast members have been utilized.

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    There would be action in this episode and it was very entertaining by giving a little bit of everything from hand to hand combat to high-flying escapades. There was as much action as a couple of other episodes this season but the story progression more than made up for that. Some revelations are less than what one would expect from a really good build up so I’m glad that I can say the build up regarding the markings doesn’t lead to a letdown this episode. From the truth about Skye’s origins to the new alliances being formed, it’s been so good. And with everything that has already been introduced in the Marvel cinematic universe some of these story lines can become as big as the cosmos while still remaining engrossing on a personal level. And personally, I’m enjoying this season even more than last.

     

    SUMMARY

     

    Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: A Hen in the Wolf House is an exciting episode that brings together the various story threads in an enjoyable way while introducing new characters who make a strong first impression. Mockingbird adds a new dynamic to S.H.I.E.L.D. in terms of her infiltration skills, and Skye’s father is a very imposing figure and the only thing that’s comparable to his anger is intriguing reality of his true nature. The mystery behind the carvings takes a fascinating turn as Skye has to start accepting the truth of her origins. This season S.H.I.E.L.D. has felt more like an organization than before considering the current situation, and the fact the operations aren’t so black and white anymore has made the various situations more engrossing. And now I can’t wait to see how the revelations and new alliances will play out as the season continues to unfold.

  • Rating ( 9.1 )
  • Total score 9.1

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