MARVEL’S AGENTS OF SHIELD: Episode 3 Review

What did MARVEL’S Agents of SHIELD do this week to top last week’s Colonel Fury spot?  In my opinion, they came out with a solid episode that did not disappoint.  You can’t have Samuel L Jackson every week, but the solid character development continued and we may have seen the creation of a super-villain.  So all-in-all a pretty good showing for Episode 3 of  SHIELD.

This week’s episode, “The Asset” opened with a mysterious truck heist.  The goal of the caper was a living man…the scientist Dr. Franklin Hall, played by English actor Ian Hart (Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s’ Stone and Michael Collins).   The good doctor is nabbed by his old colleague, rich man Ian Quinn (played by Pittsburgh-born actor David Conrad), and taken to Malta; a place where SHIELD has no jurisdiction.  SHIELD tracks the Doc via a cowboy and the money trail (classic Whedon/Firefly theme).  The team has to get the kidnapped doctor back without causing a political uproar and decided to use Skye (the gorgeous Chloe Bennet) to be their lady on the inside.  After some training (and budding ‘moments’) with Agent Ward (Brett Dalton) Skye is sent in to unlock the gate for the two-man team of Agent Coulson and Agent Ward.  Trouble ensues and Skye’s loyalty is tested (which is going to be an ongoing theme until she finally does betray the team).  In the end, Coulson gets to the captured scientist who really doesn’t want to leave.  Franklin is happy where he is and believes he needs to destroy (no matter the cost) the energy he has been given to work with.  After a struggle, Doctor Hall is dropped into the device he activated and is apparently killed…but wait – as the credits close a hand can be seen reaching from the ball of gravitonium the doc fell into.  Pretty solid and the possible set-up of a new super-nemesis is very interesting.

In addition, another little clue is dropped regarding Coulson’s demise in The Avengers.  Agent May, played mysteriously by Ming-Na Wen, comments to Coulson after he announces his intention to go in the field,

And you died.”

So maybe May is telling us something…that Coulson did die; that something happened to bring him back.  Agent Coulson’s rustiness is mentioned quite a few times in Episode 3 as well.  So more teasers but nothing concrete to work with.  Nothing more was explained about Agent May’s shadowy origins or why her nickname is The Calvary.  Although, I have a feeling this will change as Ming-Na’s character requests combat duty from Coulson; presumably to watch his back.

Three episodes in and I just want more.  Has Coulson created an archenemy for himself and his team?  When (not if) will Skye betray the team for the Rising Tide?  Who the hell is Agent May?  And is Coulson a robot, or a reincarnation or even Vision?  The options are unlimited and it is so hard to prognosticate how this show will move forward; Whedon is a hard man to predict.  Once you think you know what he is doing, everything changes.  One thing you can count on is this show getting better and better every week.  And more mysteries and hopefully a few answers we can puzzle out.  Until next week fanboys and girls.