Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 Episode 5 Review: A Hen in the Wolf House

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Simmons' cover was blown this week on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 Episode 5, but her reunion was Fitz was a bit anticlimactic. I was expecting the tears to flow but nada.

The introduction of Bobbie Morse was great and her fight style had a certain "Black Widow" quality about it. Hilarious that she turned out to be Hunter's she-devil ex-wife. I loved that.

Yep Skye's father is a monster and now she knows it too. I can't wait to learn more, feels like this story arc is one of the most drawn out of the series.

"A Hen In the Wolf House" kicks off with HYDRA poisoning the guests at a navy wedding. I wondered why this particular couple was targeted but we're told the dead were part of an anti-HYDRA unit.

Skye spotting the alien writing on Coulson's desk surprised me. However, the way she questioned him was pretty aggressive. Almost like rebellious Agents of SHIELD Season 1 Skye.

You know keeping her in the dark won't end well.

May

Up to now Skye's father was a total mystery. Raina interrupts the Doc while he's stitching up a sketchy character. Is that all there is to why his hands were a bloody mess in last year's finale? I haven't quite figured that bit out yet. If you have, please enlighten me.

Since HYDRA gave Raina a 48 hour window to return the obelisk she asks him to return it temporarily. Interesting that the Doc is the one who found Raina as a youngster. They've been searching for Skye that long. The Doc appears to be losing it like Garrett did, and Raina calls him out on it. He refuses to turn the obelisk over to Whitehall. Will we learn Skye's real name soon since her father knows it?

At HYDRA headquarters we catch up with Simmons and it shocked me that Whitehall knew Simmons by name. The wedding attacked turns out to be a test run, nothing more. We learn that Whitehall's waited his whole life to get his hands on the obelisk. Apparently, the goal is to weaponize the artifact in the same way the Red Skull did with the Tesseract. Does this make the obelisk an Infinity Stone as well?

When Simmons showed concern that by weaponizing the thing HYDRA could kill billions, I knew her time undercover was over. The question then became how will Director Coulson extract her? Enter Bobbi Morse, also undercover at HYDRA. Did that surprise anyone else?

Fitz admitting that imaginary-Simmons wasn't real also meant the flesh and blood Jemma Simmons would be returning to S.H.I.E.L.D. soon. While these conversations were fun, they were a bit played out. I'm ready for Fitz and Simmons to begin working on their relationship. Whether or not it evolves into something more romantic.

Simmons: Fitz this is a good thing. You've got friends now, real friends you don't need me anymore.
Fitz: Yeah but I miss you. I mean, I still miss her.

I've now decided, I like Lance Hunter. He's got some great one-liners and he's bonded well with the team. When Hunter tells Skye to dig deeper into the Coulson mystery and mentions her HYDRA boyfriend downstairs, I was excited about another Skye-Ward meeting. Does anyone else find themselves really looking forward to these Silence of the Lambs moments?

Anyway, once again Ward assures her that he will never lie to her again. Raina mentioning her father later confirms this. Coulson is keeping secrets, I'm telling you this is ultimately what's going to get Ward out of his cell. He's been slowing eating away at Skye's hatred, the guy is good no question about that.

Ward tells Skye that Garrett began etching the alien writing on glass and asks if she's doing the same. I'd say Skye's visit with Ward this week was productive for her on a personal level. She now knows Coulson is unstable and we know the GH formula did not affect her.

To be honest I was almost relieved when SHIELD put him down. The Garrett I knew was long gone since the writing started. And whatever took his place, I don't think it was meant to survive.

Ward

Since Skye didn't have a negative reaction like Garrett and Coulson did, it appears her 0-8-4 status actually means she's an alien. An InHuman perhaps?

Skye: Hold on are you saying that I am an alien?
Coulson: It's a theory.
Skye: No a theory is what scientists use to prove things in nature. This is you telling me that I might be an alien. That is not something you just say like it's no big deal.
Coulson: I was trying not to rattle you.
Skye: Guess what? Epic fail.

It was pretty obvious Raina spotting Simmons at HYDRA was her play against Coulson. I never expected the Director to allow that timer to expire though, revealing their spy to all of HYDRA. That was insane but such a cool sequence. Man, these writers can still surprise us can't they?

Bobbie Morse appears and the search for a mole is on! Right away she singles Simmons out. Though she plants the S.H.I.E.L.D. flex screen in her lab partners desk, Simmons' expression was a dead giveaway. If Morse had not been S.H.I.E.L.D. Simmons would've been seriously busted.

I loved the way all those chicken shit HYDRA agents cleared the way as Simmons made a run for it. Yeah the Bobbie Morse baton choreography was excellent, I'm going to like her. Simmons must have been freaking out jumping off that building. Cloaked Quinn Jet FTW!

Skye temporarily reverts to her silly Rising Tide ways and abandons her post. Unfortunately her wacko father had cleared out, leaving only dead bodies behind. The Doc was watching from his tablet and Coulson figures that out. Whatever meeting with his daughter he imagined, I'm sure he didn't expect it to go down like this.

So Bobbie is officially part of the team. Is this permanent or more of a Lucy Lawless type addition? I'm hoping she sticks around, we'll see. Plus she's Hunter's she-devil ex-wife, so things are going to get real fun.

I mentioned the Fitz-Simmons reunion was anticlimactic. Not sure what I was expecting, perhaps a hug? Who knows but I guess it's going to take them some time.

I liked that Coulson opened up to Skye, that's something Nick Fury never did for him.

Coulson: I don't know how else to explain it but it needs to be carved.
Skye: Does it just appear in your mind like some sort of vision?
Coulson: No, it just kinda happens. Which is really frustrating because no matter how much I carve it still means nothing to me. I don't even have a theory.
Skye: I do. It's a map.

Anyone else surprised Skye's father showed up in Whitehall's office? Guess he's chosen a side after all. He brings the obelisk (or "The Diviner") with him. Sounds like Director Coulson is in big trouble.

What did you think of this installment? Are you glad Simmons is back where she belongs? What did you think of Bobbi Morse? The fact Skye knows the alien writing is a map? Is HYDRA coming for Coulson soon? Your turn guys, hit the comments below and let's discuss this installment. Keep an eye out for our Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. round table coming later this week!

Remember, if you ever need to catch up you can watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. online right here via TV Fanatic.

A Hen in the Wolf House Review

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 Episode 5 Quotes

Simmons: Fitz this is a good thing. You've got friends now, real friends you don't need me anymore.
Fitz: Yeah but I miss you. I mean, I still miss her.

You know keeping her in the dark won't end well.

May