TV Review: Agents of SHIELD "Providence" 1x18

Agents of SHIELD is becoming the show we've all wanted it to be. It may have taken far longer than anyone would have liked but all that matters is this is the show we've been waiting for.

While still not perfect, last weeks episode "Turn, Turn, Turn" really brought the show to new heights. The best part is I genuinely don't know what will come next, especially after last weeks twist ending.

I assume if you're reading this you've watched last weeks episode and are aware of what took place during Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but for those who haven't -- be warned, there will be spoilers.

So...Hydra has infiltrated SHIELD and has control of several SHIELD outposts throughout the world. Agent Garrett is a part of Hydra and Ward, accompanying Victoria Hand to bring Garrett to The Fridge, has shown his true colors as well killing Hand and the other SHIELD agents on board the plane. So now, what we have is Garrett and Ward together heading to a place that holds several not so good guys such as The Abomination, aka Emil Blonsky and Dr.

Franklin Hall who is currently drowning in gravitonium.

While I'm typing this not knowing if there's any mention or appearance by these characters, it's important to keep that in mind that The Fridge, while a SHIELD facility, is holding big hitters who could potentially create a lot of havoc throughout the globe.

Coming to Reina's rescue in a prison somewhere is Ward, who greets her with a present -- her signature red dress. At The Hub, Coulson watches the news footage of everything that's gone in D.C. (which we see in Captain America: The Winter Soldier) which leads to the fall of SHIELD. Skye comes in to bring in some wonderful news -- it's assumed that only three SHIELD bases throughout the world are secure. Now in Havana, Cuba at a Barber's Shop, Ward and Reina meet up with The Clairvoyant -- Agent John Garrett.

Garrett admits to never having any special gifts -- just a high security clearance...almost to the disappointment of Reina. He sits Reina down in a seat, pulls a lever on the chair and says to her, "Welcome to Hydra." And then she's lowered down into...well...we don't really know right now.

Coulson receives a transmission coming in from Colonel Glenn Talbot (Adrian Pasdar), U.S. Air Force who plans on giving sending a "Peace-Keeping Force" to take over The Hub, just to ask a few questions. Coulson, not buying the act, figures he has to get the hell out of The Hub as soon as possible.

On The Bus -- I should mention before I forget, Agent Triplett has joined the team at the recommendation of Simmons -- back to what I was saying, Coulson goes around doing a check in on things and all he's getting is bad news. But internet is still working -- yay! Skye asks Coulson about Ward and if he's heard anything, showing that he doesn't know quite yet what's been happening with him and Garrett. Skye calls up Ward to figure out where he is and the two get to talking a bit but that's nothing important. What's important is what comes next with Garrett and Ward catching up -- Ward has been compromised with his identity once before and has been with Hydra since joining Coulson's team.

He also had a problem with the shooting of Skye which leaves me concerned about the next few episodes. Garrett walks over to Reina, letting her know the Centipede Project is up and running again.

Ward gives her a little present as well...the hard drive that Skye backed up all of FitzSimmons research as well as any special object the Agents picked up on while flying around.

Including Simmons research on the sample of Skye's and Coulson's miracle drug. Garrett and Ward leave Reina behind to do her research as they go to raid The Fridge.

Skye collects all of the Agents badges on The Bus and hands them to Coulson, who takes his badge as well and puts them in his safe...but before he closes it some coordinates show up on the bottom. Coulson seems to know who it is, and it's "just his style." Coulson believes Fury sent the coordinates and he's alive, but the coordinates are somewhere in the Canadian wilderness. Garrett and Ward make it to entrance The Fridge and Ward puts on a convincing act as he brings Garrett in as his "prisoner." Once inside, he kills the two SHIELD agents and the two men go down into The Fridge.

The two of them make it into The Fridge easily and they head to the "toy store." Garrett and Ward are playing around with some of the new toys while breaking out some of the prisoners.

Ward decides to dig a bit deeper on the bottom floor, leaving Garrett confused but once Ward finds what he's looking for (by shooting a hole with a laser through the floor), all Garrett can say is, "Well hello gorgeous." There's only one thing this can be and I won't say what it is.

The Bus is parked in an open terrain which forces the team to have to walk in the cold and snow the rest of the way. The team is walking through the woods and it just seems like nothing is there. Coulson tries to do his best to show them the badge, being Agents of SHIELD still means something...after everything that's gone on he doesn't let his confidence in SHIELD waver.

Coulson, finally angry, throws his badge away -- only for a turret to pop out of the ground and shoot it.

While taking cover behind some large rocks to avoid being shot, Coulson stands up in sight of the turret. Coulson identifies himself to the turret, and a rock opens up as a door showing a secret SHIELD facility.

At Garrett's new Hydra headquarters, Reina lets him know there's a complication with the hard drive -- only Skye can unlock it and if it's hacked all the data will be released. Coulson, at the secret base, is greeted by a man, Agent Eric Koenig (Patton Oswalt), level 6 and he shows them what he likes to call Providence...although the base doesn't have a name due to it being secret. Coulson asks Koenig about Fury, letting him know that Fury didn't make it out alive. Koenig also lets Coulson know that The Fridge has been taken over...and Skye goes off to give Ward a call. Koenig and Coulson go off into his office and lets Coulson know that Fury actually is alive, he just can't tell the team.

Back to Ward and Garrett, Skye basically tells Ward there's a secret base. Garrett gives Ward a mission: get the password from Skye or after 24 hours just take her.

There's a slight reveal that Garrett has had some robotic work done as well.

Ward heads over to the secret SHIELD base, bloodied and bruised up. Greeted by Skye, she welcomes him in to help him get healed up and "maybe get that drink."

At Garrett's base again, Reina brings down Ian Quinn, who has been locked in a cell at The Fridge. Quinn, tries to act like a hard ass to Garrett but Garrett has a special gift for Quinn -- the gravitonium.

Still, no one has any idea about Dr. Hall just...hanging around in there.

If next weeks clips are any indication, the show is going to keep on getting better, especially with the addition of Phil Coulson's former girlfriend known as The Cellist (played by Amy Acker). Providence was another solid entry, giving some more back story into some of these characters as well as giving us a chance to see Coulson, who is usually a rock, in a more vulnerable place. It's not easy to continue doing your job when you don't know who or what you're doing it for, and Agents of SHIELD has done a great job to tap into the emotions and vulnerabilities of these characters and seeing just how fragile this idea of trust and loyalty is. My one fear (and it may not be a fear anymore) is if Ward's progress as a villain is interrupted because of Skye.

If Ward continues on his path, then we should be in for a very interesting set up for the future. My concern was that his "feelings" for Skye would get in the way.

But seeing him play off the act so well...I have no my fears or concerns.

Agents of SHIELD is turning into one of the most enjoyable shows on television, and with four episodes left, I'm excited to see how this season will end.