Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Round Table: The Inhumans Are Coming
Henry A. Otero
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Agent Carter returned for some truly illuminating flashbacks on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 Episode 8. Did you ever imagine Whitehall/Reinhardt played such a pivotal role in the events that altered Skye's life forever?
Join TV Fanatic staff writers Allison Nichols, Christine Orlando, Jim Garner, Kathleen Wiedel, and Henry A. Otero - plus the Helicarrier Podcast's Andy Behbakht as we discuss Whitehall, that mysterious ancient city and plenty more in this week's round table.
Share your thoughts on the 1945 flashbacks with Agent Carter and Reinhardt. Did you like the way they tied into the story?
Allison: I enjoyed the flashbacks. It was a great way to bring Agent Carter into the story. The flashbacks allowed us to uncover what the team pieces together in the episode - Whitehall's backstory. Plus, the flashback ends up introducing viewers to Skye's mother.
Christine: I'm really looking forward to Agent Carter so I was happy to see her introduced here. I like that she was the one to lock Whitehall away. If only she had thrown away the key.
Jim: I'm with Christine, I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with Agent Carter and having her in flashbacks now just ties the whole thing together so well!
Kathleen: I think the flashbacks worked well, especially with the upcoming Agent Carter series that will air in Agents of SHIELD's mid-season hiatus, as Christine mentioned. It's good to keep those larger connections to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And, as Allison said, we got to meet Skye's mother, played by Dichen Lachman. If only Daniel Whitehall knew that Skye's father's true goal is to wreak bloody revenge on him.
Andy: I really enjoyed the flashbacks because up until this point, Whitehall/Reinhardt, our main antagonist of the season, hasn't had a big effect on me. Great tie-in with Agent Carter for sure and it makes me wonder if we might actually see Reed Diamond show up in Agent Carter at some point before he got arrested. Very cool that a Whedon actress got to be the woman that was, before Reinhardt got her, Skye's mother.
Hank: Andy I was feeling the same way, not terribly impressed with Whitehall until this episode. The 1945 flashbacks really helped solidify his place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It would be phenomenal if Reinhardt appeared on Agent Carter. Of course, seeing Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter is always a thrill for me. Wasn't expecting to meet Skye's mother at all, that was an excellent twist.
Did the truth behind Whitehall's youth shock you? Any theories on what makes Skye's parents "special?" Are they Inhumans?
Allison: I don't think that Skye's father is special, at least I have never gotten that impression. He is definitely insane, but I never thought that he had any special skills. He might, but the writers just haven't really shown that. I know nothing about Inhumans, so I can't comment on that. Skye's mom definitely has skills.
Christine: What he did to Skye's mom was horrifying. Both of her parents are definitely different. Did the mom's death push Skye's father towards insanity or did he already have issues? I don't know. Inhumans? Maybe. They're obviously not like any of us.
Jim: Well, they have both touched or handled "The Deviner", so they could be Inhumans. Given the push Marvel is getting ready to do that direction cinematically, it makes a great story hook. I'm just disappointed that after shouting "That's not her name" Skye's father didn't correct Coulson further by saying her "real" name.
Kathleen: As Allison said, Skye's father is clearly nuts. I haven't read the comics, but from what I do know about Inhumans, I suspect there's a very good possibility that there's something to that theory there.
Andy: I was almost convinced that the source of his youth was going to be The Infinity Formula, but I guess they are saving it for something else. At this point, anyone who is special and so on, is a hint that they could be an Inhuman.
Hank: Reinhardt/Whitehall's backstory was not only a surprise, but just like that the character became infinitely more interesting. I sound like a broken record, but Skye's parents, Raina, as well as Skye herself must be Inhumans. The question is, has the Doctor not unlocked his mutation? Is that what makes him a deranged killer? Will Skye evolve once she reaches that city? If so, into what?
Grant forced Senator Ward to confess. Was it a true confession or was he afraid of being dropped in the well. Do you think Ward killed his family?
Allison: I think it was a true confession. There was serious emotion there. I really hope Ward didn't kill his family. I would love to see Christian again, and it is hard to redeem Ward if he just murdered even more people. Ward is hard to understand. It is unclear what he is up to. It's getting confusing.
Christine: The confession sounded real to me and I thought Tim DeKay did a great job in that role. I went from thinking the guy was a sleazy politician to actually caring about him in that moment. As for Ward, if he didn't kill his family then who did? It certainly appears that he got what he needed and then got rid of the rest of his family. He just might be insane enough that it's true.
Jim: I'm with Allison and Christine on this one, the confession sounded real to me too. I wondered if the news article was a plant to help get Ward back in with Hydra and his brother is actually just in hiding at the moment. At least, that is what I'm hoping if Ward is going to be redeemable at all!
Kathleen: I agree, Tim DeKay was fantastic in the role. It's still so shocking because I'm used to seeing him as the kind, if stern, FBI Agent Burke from USA's White Collar. I'm leaning towards it being an honest confession; no one else was there for him to pretend for, after all. As for whether Ward killed his family, I'd say it's a 50-50 chance that the bodies in the burned house are actually Christian and his parents. Fire does a lot to destroy evidence, after all, and it might make it really hard to get a DNA match.
Andy: At this point, I don't know if he was telling the truth or not, but I honestly felt really sorry for Christian while my ability to love to hate Grant just increased more. Grant did most likely kill his family because, well, he is cuckoo for cocoa puffs with some bad milk.
Hank: While the confession felt honest, at the end of that scene I still wasn't sure who's been lying. Both brother's were obviously so messed up by that one event, they're a mess. I will agree with Jim the news story is easy enough to fake and if the writers plan to redeem Ward then killing his family is a major no no. Of course, if the plan is to make Ward a proper villain then this was a step in the right direction.
Coulson has the coordinates to the mysterious ancient city and the team ventures there in the next episode. What will they find in that temple?
Allison: I have no idea. Is the city abandoned or are there still people lurking around? Will there be a clear spot to drop the obelisk so it does it's magical thing? I can come up with some random theories, but I don't know.
Christine: I don't know but I can't wait to find out. I love that it's an ancient hidden city. Where is it? Why is it hidden and what does it mean? It's a great mystery and I'm looking forward to solving it.
Jim: I'll beat Henry to the punch and say Attilan. If they are moving towards including the Inhumans into the lime-light (and all indications point that way), it is really the only city it could be. But, I will also mention that Marvel is pretty good at pitching the fans a curve ball and going in a direction we didn't expect!
Kathleen: This is another case of "I have no clue." I am, however, hoping that it's really cool! I suspect it will be some sort of link or teaser for the upcoming Inhumans movie Marvel confirmed in October for 2018. Though 2018 is still relatively far off, Marvel is well-known for teasing future movies in prior ones!
Andy: I'm not really sure what they will find in there but they will definitely unravel another piece to the puzzle and I think Skye is going to be the one who plays a big role in those two upcoming episodes. I'm hoping that the word "Inhumans" will be said in at least one of these two episodes.
Hank: Nice Jim! Yup I'm an uber-geek and have started reading up on the Inhumans. If the city is Attilan, my guess is the temple houses the Terrigen Crystals. It's the Terrigen Mist (vapors) that basically alter Inhuman biology, unlocking latent superpowers. So far, all signs point to the Inhumans in this story arc so that would be amazingly cool I think.
It's clear Skye's father wants vengeance, but What is Ward up to? Is he back with HYDRA or working to help S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Allison: I would like to hope that Ward is working an angle. He has stated that he was never loyal to HYDRA, so it does not make sense for him to re-up his membership just to be a part of a team. There has to something else motivating Ward, and it is a good bet that it has to do with Skye.
Christine: Ward seems to be working his own agenda but I've yet to figure out what that is. I want to believe there's still good in him but with every episode that gets harder and harder to believe.
Jim: Agreed Christine, Ward is working for Ward, and it seems that no matter it will turn out to be, it is going to involve Skye in some way. I really hope that he didn't kill his brother (and family) and that there is some good in him to save.
Kathleen: I've said this before, but Ward is completely nuts. I think Allison's right that whatever Ward's up to has to do with Skye. Talk about creepy stalker ex-boyfriend type, though! Yikes. Daniel Whitehall is definitely going to regret letting Ward anywhere near HYDRA, because Ward is just as likely to burn down the building with them inside as he is to actually be of use to them.
Andy: I wouldn't be surprised if we actually see Ward playing double agent again, only this time he will actually try to take Hydra down. There was that moment when he and Skye's daddy gave each other this intriguing look that could hint at them working together to take Whitehall down.
Hank: As Allison said, Ward has stated again and again he was never loyal to HYDRA only to Garrett. Then suddenly he wants back on team evil? It simply doesn't make sense unless he's got another agenda. That look of mutual understanding between Ward and the Doctor was very telling Andy. It does seem those two will team up to take HYDRA down. I'm not sure he's doing any of this for S.H.I.E.L.D. though, it's all about Skye.
We'd love to hear YOUR thoughts on the topics we touched on or anything else that's on your mind. Hit the comments my friends!
Don't miss Marvel's Agent Carter premiering Tuesday, January 6, 2015 during the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. winter hiatus.
