Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.O.S. :: Art of Evolution
Season 2, Episodes 21 and 22 Preview

5/08/2015

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"I'm sorry, May. You're not welcome here."
—Skye

Updated June 11, 2020.

Excuse me, Skye? Do you suddenly not remember everything S.H.I.E.L.D. has done for you? Girl, you better be doing that to protect her. Though, doing your Jedi force push on her isn't how you should be treating a friend even if it's for their own good. I never understood the Skye hate before. She was new to all this and she was still figuring out where her loyalties lay. It took a while to forge strong friendships, to feel like she could have a family here. Skye was still in a vulnerable, infirm place when her father found her. The bond with her team, with Coulson in particular, was not nearly what it's like now (she says writing from six seasons in the future). Considering all that, I still wanted to slap some sense into her for putting Coulson through that and not seeing how he cared for her. Hopefully, by the end of "S.O.S., Part 2," she'll discover what her mother did (and she did in a big way). Then I can put my slapping hand away.

I just want Skye to have a reunion with Coulson. Poor guy has the saddest eyes when she leaves. His job never allowed him to settle down. The one woman he loved thinks he's dead. Skye is the closest person to him. There are some rough patches and tremendous losses over the 7-year life of the series, but it always trends toward this beautiful father-daughter relationship.

By the way, I heard it from Clark and Chloe last night that there will be a next season!


So, the first thing I did when I woke up? Bought S.O.S. - Part Two , which has sad-eyed Coulson, and The Dirty Half Dozen. Unfortunately, I waited so long that Aftershocks was no longer available. I needed to see all of them before deciding. Oh, well, at least I have a copy of the pic for my desktop wallpaper. I always knew I would want at least two of these: one for me, one for my brother. The first time around, I bought two for myself without even thinking to tell him these beautiful limited edition prints existed, then I gave him "The End of the Beginning" while I kept "Providence," which was my favorite episode because of Coulson's emotionally charged "Agents of Nothing" speech. I was also going to get Melinda, which was a devastator of an episode, but have to think about the space on my wall. I won't have any left. So, I went with the two that had more characters.

"The Dirty Half Dozen" was an incredible episode, as many of them are. It got the original team back together in a fun and truly awkward way, because, you know, Ward is a psychopath that betrayed them all. My favorite moment was when Ward was admitting his regret over destroying the bond they shared in being a team, a family, and then Skye said she was happy she shot him, Jemma chiming in that it should have been in the face and May agreeing. It was hilarious. Despite that animosity, they worked well together, like they always had. And at the very end of the episode, Grant showed a bit of his old self, leaving Kara in the hands of S.H.I.E.L.D. because he loves her, saying that there's not enough good left in him to fix her. "Aww, there's at least some good in you," I thought. But after "Scars," we all know how that turned out. Wow. I was taken in by Ward's charm again. So manipulative. Fool me twice, shame on me. Jemma was right, that Skye should have shot him in the face.

But I already talked about "The Dirty Half Dozen" before. I should be sharing thoughts the subjects of today's prints, the two-part finale to air next Tuesday. S.O.S. - Part 1 has a wonderful comic book cover style featuring the lovely FitzSimmons. If one of them doesn't survive this time, I will cry all summer. I was almost tempted to get this one. It's beautifully done, the way the light plays on Jemma's hair and Leo's face. But what I immediately fell in love with was S.O.S. - Part 2. It has that wonderful strip of color from blue to red with the S.H.I.E.L.D, "real S.H.I.E.L.D." and Hydra logos...and Coulson! If I'm only buying one for myself, I need Coulson. I watched the show in the first place because of him, and I adore how much heart Clark Gregg brings to the character. For more about these final two prints, check out Entertainment Weekly's interviews with executive producer Jeff Bell [1, 2]. And don't forget that these are limited to 100 each, so you may be disappointed if you wait.

While we're waiting for the final episodes, why don't we also talk about what just happened this week? I already mentioned Ward. I knew what he was capable of, but I hoped he wasn't lying about his intentions. Still, wasn't too much of a surprise that it was one hundred percent an act. He will never feel guilty about what he did. What I didn't see coming was Jiaying. I knew she had to be angry and vengeful about what Hydra and Whitehall did to her, but she had kept such a cool head about everything so far, just trying to protect her people. But she is ruthless.

S.H.I.E.L.D. going in there to talk about putting her people on the index was the worst possible idea. Imagine being monitored because you may one day possibly be a threat. I can see an argument for it being voluntary, and mandatory only for those who commit crimes using their powers. Most people would just want to live in peace, but S.H.I.E.L.D. is too afraid of what could happen. I'm reminded of Cap in Winter Soldier saying, "This isn't freedom. This is fear." He was talking about the Helicarriers being able to stop wars before they start by "holding a gun to everyone on Earth," but it's similar on a smaller scale. The index is likely to make even the good Inhumans more wary, untrusting, and likely to lash out, creating more enemies.

But I hope that Skye can figure out that, while she may feel that she belongs with other Inhumans and her parents love her, they have changed drastically from the people they once were. Maybe they could get back there, but it will be a journey. For now it seems they will hurt good people as their first defense rather than talk. Skye needs to remember that her best memories have been on the Bus. She needs to discover that her mother is the kind of person who can calmly smile at you before, during, and after killing you. I hope she remembers that, while S.H.I.E.L.D. may be going about things in the wrong way, they are good people, as she said not long ago in "Scars."
I did not expect that Raina would be the one to tell the truth since everything about her is tinged with a slippery, snake-like demeanor. It always seems like she's twisting every word to her own ends. There's no way anyone can be sure she isn't about to stab them in the back. And that was the mistake Gordon made. Because he knows and trusts Jiaying, he guaranteed a war by letting her know what Raina was planning.

RIP Gonzales. I guess I won't get to know you better in the spin-off. I really miss Edward James Olmos on my TV.

My favorite moment of the episode comes from the always wonderfully dramatic and off-kilter Cal.

"I will personally rip out Raina's little, tainted rat heart!"

If you missed the preview for next week's final two episodes...


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