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The good
Raina's back. Coulson and May's' relationship making Coulson's condition more interesting and not frustrating. Sets the stage for some big developments this season.
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The bad
Fitz's condition turns other characters into his translators and makes his prior work too important.
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The ugly
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Heavy Is the Head is the second episode of the season and has the team tracking the whereabouts of Carl Creel in order to retrieve the Obelisk before Hydra can acquire it. It opens up with Lance Hunter trapped in the overturned SUV realizing the other occupants are dead. When Agent May comes she tries to help him get out but the authorities are on their way and this is the last place she’ll want to be. Lance also tells her that Creel has taken the obelisk so it’s vital that she pursues him, which she does, before soldiers come and detain Lance. However, there’s not much May can do while pursuing Creel on this busy intersection since she doesn’t have any back up and she would just put innocent lives in danger to engage him at that point. And Coulson believes it’s best to let him get away so they can try to see who he’s working with and what they want with the obelisk. Also since Lance has been captured, the team has a bigger problem considering General Talbot wants to capture Coulson no matter the cost, and there’s no telling what this merc might give up for the right price. But considering the team’s resources are already relatively low what options do they have to establish a new base at this point when they still have to stop Creel before he can succeed with his plans for the obelisk? And how is any of this connected to Coulson’s episodes?
I really enjoyed last episode and felt the intensity was on the level of a season finale with a shocking ending. It took me a minute to accept that Izzy Hartley was actually killed off after one episode but I guess that’s why her character was made to be more memorable than the other mercenaries. It was a pretty bold move and this episode picking up immediately following that maintained most of that intensity with May initially following Creel on a motorcycle, going back and forth with Coulson about engaging him. And Lance, whose name I didn’t know until this episode, being captured would lead to his character being developed with some of his past being revealed during his interactions with General Talbot. Talbot’s motivation would remain the same and he would attempt to recruit Lance to help capture Coulson despite Coulson’s recent insistence that S.H.I.E.L.D., or at least those under him, are the good guys. I like the inclusion of Talbot in the story lines because of what it means to the greater Marvel universe but I was actually pleasantly surprised about Lance’s development as an interesting character. However, I was somewhat mixed about Fitz’s development considering the new characters working on different projects, and the role he currently plays. While others are working on creating a working cloaking device he attempts to help but suffers when he can’t express his thoughts and piece them together properly. He left in frustration knowing he could’ve helped solve the issue with the cloaking. It would be stated to him fairly early this episode by one of the new characters that he’s talking to no one, i.e. his imaginary Simmons, so it’s not that I had a problem with that since the story line is still being developed. But I would have a problem with Fitz’s prior work playing such a prominent role when the team is dealing with issues and characters who were previously classified.
The obelisk became more intriguing this episode too due to Skye telling Coulson that the markings on it are similar to what she’s been researching all this time, and also the effect it was having on Creel, who was unable to heal the part of his body damaged by it. And knowing that Hydra has been part of S.H.I.E.L.D. all this time means Hydra could’ve been working on it since Peggy Carter originally found it so the threat was very real. So a glimpse into Hydra’s current organization became possible due to Creel just being the delivery man of this dangerous device and as a result being unable to control his own powers. This would bring Raina, one of the most interesting characters from last season, back into play for her own reasons making the situation more complex. And the pacing of these 2 episodes implies that the focus is on the overarching story line(s) because when the big action sequence would start it would be very enjoyable but not treated as the final climax of this episode. That gave me confidence that the story that’s being built up this season has all the markings of a monumental development, and since cosmic forces have been introduced in the Marvel cinematic universe the sky isn’t even the limit on what could happen. The CGI has improved remarkably from last season so the special effects can be even better and making more possible. However the only concern would be the potential direction taken with the character development, which would dictate much about the story developments this season. I already enjoy May and Coulson’s relationship and this episode only reaffirmed that even more. And I’m anxious for answers about Coulson’s condition. Skye’s origins were mentioned last season and the truth about her is now about more than just her backstory but a huge part of this season and is affecting others.
This episode did a great job in setting the stage for events down the line and hopefully the pay off is worth it. And when the characters are in more dynamic situations the improvement shows in the story lines.
SUMMARY
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Heavy Is the Head is a solid follow-up to the season premiere and sets the stage for a potentially interesting series of events this season. It’s not just the obelisk and what is revealed about it but the players set in motion and their respective plans so it’s not all in black and white. I’m glad Raina was re-introduced because her love of a “higher” calling and knowledge of the universe makes her a versatile character as her allegiances is to not to Hydra or S.H.I.E.L.D.. I’m still not sure about Fitz’s situation but next week’s episode will undoubtedly address that in an even bigger way. However I do hope that doesn’t mean everything will go back to the status quo from the beginning of last season in terms of the team’s structure and operations, and instead, the bolder tone of the series remains. The CGI and action with the Absorbing Man makes me excited for additional villains this season. And I’m looking forward to what’s in store next for the team.
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Rating ( 8.8 )
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Total score 8.8
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