Agents of SHIELD Round Table: Double Shot of May
Henry A. Otero
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Ming-Na Wen was without a doubt the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 Episode 4 MVP!
Join TV Fanatics Jim Garner, Allison Nichols, Kathleen Wiedel, Christine Orlando and Henry A. Otero - plus Andy Behbakht of the Helicarrier Podcast - as we chat about everything from Agent May's one-liners... to her facing off against herself... to Fitz bonding with the team and plenty more.
Ready join in? Let's do this!
Share your thoughts on Agent May this week. Favorite one-liners, the May-on-May fight sequence etc...
Jim: I thought they did a great job visually with her fighting herself. I will have to say the tiny knuckle crack she did as she made a fist was a nice touch. I'm kind of surprise they didn't take one of the two HYDRA agents with them (for questioning), especially Agent 33. I guess she's beyond saving.
Allison: It was great to see a different side of May. She was just so different, and it was hilarious. I also loved everyone's reactions to May being un-May-like. Undercover work brings out a different side of people.
Kathleen: May was absolutely on fire this week - especially in the May-on-(not)May fight! And that bit with her laughing while undercover... Oh, yeah. Fun times. Though I agree with Jim - why in the name of sanity did they leave Agent 33 behind and alive?! She has critical information on SHIELD, after all, not least of which being who's in charge!
Christine: "Currently about five feet from kicking your ass." I loved that line but what I really enjoyed was her and Coulson. They make a great team. Having them in the field together was wonderful. Watching them dance was the icing on the cake.
Andy: This was one of Wen's best episodes of the whole series as she got to show multiple layers of May that we haven't seen a lot of. Even though it was undercover, she got to laugh, flirt, mingle and all that and that made me so happy. The fight between her and Agent 33 was some of the best fights I have ever seen on the show and in fact, after having seen this week's Arrow (which I enjoyed), I think the action we got this week on this show was better than Arrow's and that's not something I say a lot when comparing the action on both those shows.
Hank: The laughter bit and Skye asking what that noise was cracked me up Kathleen, loved that. The dual May fight sequence was fantastic, very well done. I wouldn't compare it to Arrow's choreography since that show consistently delivers kick ass fight scenes. However, Ming-Na nailed all her stuff this week. As Andy mentioned seeing her laugh, flirt, dance and do more than just scowl was long overdue.
Do you think Coulson will go the way of Garrett or does he somehow have more control over the effects of the GH.325?
Jim: Garrett was crazy before he took the GH.325, I'm pretty sure it has a different effect on each person so Coulson shouldn't worry too much about being like Garrett.
Allison: I just have so many questions. Why did Garrett show signs sooner than Coulson did? Maybe Jim is right and that it affects each person different, but they all end up drawing the same weird symbols. Should we start to be concerned about Skye?
Kathleen: Did Garrett ever actually understand the connection between the alien symbols and the GH-325? I wouldn't go so far as to call Garrett out-and-out crazy before he took the stuff, but it's reasonable to say that it fed his egomania afterwards. Coulson, on the other hand, is far more aware of what's going on. Whether that gives him an advantage in the sanity department remains to be seen. Allison also raises a good question about Skye. Will she start carving mysterious alien symbols on the wall at some point? Or did her currently unknown nature as an 0-8-4 somehow affect how the GH-325 worked on her?
Christine: I think he'll start to skirt the edge of crazy, just to keep things interesting and keep May on her toes. But I'm intrigued by what Allison and Kathleen are saying about Skye. I wonder if there is a connection between her lack of symptoms and her mysterious origin.
Andy: Not necessarily. I'm not liking that Coulson is having "episodes" because I think that man has suffered enough (looking at you, T.A.H.I.T.I.) already. The problem here is that unlike Skye and Garrett, Coulson wasn't only saved by the GH 325, they also did things to his brain because of the trauma he went through. I think those brain modifications are now interfering with the GH 325. I hope that he overcomes it because Coulson is one of my favorite heroes and I want him to overcome his inner problems.
Hank: That's what I was thinking as well Andy. Fury messing with Coulson's memories (and brain) has probably allowed him more control than Garrett had. As far as Skye, she walked away from the GH.325 treatment seemingly unaffected... zero brain mod too. I believe her 0-8-4 origins definitely have something to do with that blue alien.
Fitz bonded with the team this week and imaginary-Simmons vanished. Do you think he's starting to get better?
Jim: Well, she vanished again, she's come back a few times now. Though I am glad to see Fitz bonding with the team, I'm just not sure where they are going with his story line. Apparently he must have told Simmons how he felt and she didn't feel the same. Ouch!
Allison: I agree with Jim. Simmons comes and goes. We have seen Fitz before when Simmons wasn't present. I hope Fitz is getting better. He managed to break my heart even when he was just lurking in the background. What I find curious is that the newest team members are better with Fitz than the old ones are. There haven't really been scenes where Skye, May, Coulson, or even Trip check in on Fitz. Okay, they may have each had one since the season started, but come on, shouldn't they be reaching out more to Fitz?
Kathleen: I think of imaginary-Simmons as a mental crutch - the less he needs her, the less present she'll be. Notice that she disappears at the end as he starts bonding with the team, and he can banish her when he wants her gone, as well.
Christine: Allison, I think that's because it's more difficult for the people close to Fitz to see him struggling with such limitations. They don't quite know what to say so they keep their distance as where the new people only know him as he is now. It somehow makes it easier. But Fitz broke my heart when he said he told her how she felt and she disappeared on him. He must be both hurt and very angry. I can't wait for their eventual reunion some time this season to see how all of those emotions play out.
Andy: He is definitely getting better, the minute he is embraced by the team, a part inside of him started to let go of Simmons. I think now that the other members know how to work with him a bit better, they along with Mack will be able to help Fitz to improve and he will heal on his own.
Hank: Fitz told Simmons how he felt while they were trapped underwater Jim, remember? Kathleen nailed it, imaginary-Simmons is a crutch. As Fitz begins to feel more useful and gains confidence we'll see less of her. Allison, I feel the same way as Christine. It's far easier for the newbies to accept Fitz because they didn't know him before. The original team has been struggling with this damaged Fitz (off-camera) for months. They need to keep moving forward, doesn't mean they don't care about Fitz. Iain De Caestecker is blowing my mind this season by the way.
So, the painting was 500 years old, but the writing was new. Is the person responsible someone we've met? Any theories on who it might be?
Jim: I doubt it is someone we've met, though I'm not sure why Coulson would use huge walls and someone else would use the back of a painting. That just seems odd to me (at this point anyway).
Allison: I can't decide if it would be cooler if someone we know wrote on the painting or if this introduces a new character. It is really weird as to why the back of a painting would be used. Was it the only thing handy or does the painting mean something?
Kathleen: My first thought was that the new carvings were done by Skye's Dear Old Dad, who seems to be the only one (so far) who apparently understands the writing.
Christine: Yes, that time frame really confused me. I expected it to be something ancient but the writing is new. Perhaps Kathleen is right and it's Skye's father trying to lure her in.
Andy: I don't think we have met the person who wrote it on the painting, but I do think it's someone that fans of the Marvel Universe will recognize once we learn who it is. Who might it be? I have no idea sadly, but I do think it's a character that will play a big role in the alien writing this season.
Hank: I also thought of Skye's father right away Kathleen. Still, as Jim and Allison point out why the back of a painting? Why that particular painting? I like Andy's comment that it's someone from the Marvel Universe fans will recognize. I can't wait to learn more.
Agent May's contingency plan for Coulson was great, but do you think she would be able to kill him?
Jim: I want to say yes, as this is May after all. But, part of me thinks Coulson might actually be her kryptonite, that he might be the one person she can't kill.
Allison: I think that if Coulson was putting the team in danger, May would pull the trigger. This doesn't mean that May will stop hoping and looking for a cure though. Killing Coulson is the last resort, I think, in May's mind.
Kathleen: I'm with Jim: May is definitely compromised where Coulson is concerned. However detached and logical she likes to be, her contingency was to hide him out in the Australian Outback rather than kill him - not exactly the safest option for SHIELD or the world at large if Coulson loses his grip on reality. I'm certain that May will do everything in her power to find something to help him - and he's far more likely to put a bullet in his own brain than she is to shoot him.
Christine: I think she will try everything possible not to, but if it needs to be done and he's putting lives in danger…if she truly can't find another way to stop it then yes, I think she'll do what needs to be done and it will scar her forever.
Andy: You know what, I don't think she would be able to. Melinda May is capable of a lot of things as we saw in this episode, but don't be surprised if having to kill Coulson would be the one thing that she wouldn't be able to do. There is a big history between these two, I'm pretty certain a part of her sees Coulson more as just a fellow and close agent. But it's a great question indeed and I think we will find out sooner or later if she would actually be able to pull off the trigger and kill him, if needed.
Hank: I agree with everyone, doubt that May would be able to kill Coulson. Though as Allison and Christine point out if lives are at risk I'd like to think May could take him down. In reality, we all know Coulson's not going anywhere. Still it should be fun to see how things play out.
You're up, fellow Agents! Hit the comment section and share YOUR thoughts on this week's episode. If we missed anything, feel free to bring it up and we'll make sure to reply below. See everyone right back here next week for #5.
