TV Review: Agents of SHIELD "Turn, Turn, Turn" 1x17
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If you're looking for the gamebreaking episode of Agents of SHIELD...this is it. I will warn you now -- if you have not seen Captain America: The Winter Soldier, this review will be spoiler-filled, and for that I apologize.
But there is very little I can do about that. This weeks Agents of SHIELD episode -- Turn, Turn, Turn -- is so reliant on the events of The Winter Soldier that it's something I have to talk about.
So from this point on...if you haven't seen Captain America: The Winter Soldier and/or this weeks episode Turn, Turn, Turn, I suggest you turn back now.
You have been warned. Coming off of last weeks thrilling moment between Agent Coulson and Melinda May, Turn, Turn, Turn picks up right where things are left off.
The SHIELD plane (or the Bus as they call it, I don't know) has been hijacked by Agent Victoria Hand (Saffron Burrows) and May has been caught by Coulson for having a secure line calling out to someone.
In the air, Agent John Garrett (Bill Paxton) is flying high and relaxing, listening to "Don't Fear The Reaper" before a couple of drones begin to attack him -- SHIELD drones.
On the bus, Coulson is trying to figure out who May has been talking to and where the Bus is going but she truly has no clue. May tells Coulson the line was a direct connection to Director Fury.
At The Hub, Simmons finds herself in a lab conducting her own personal research when Agent Antoine Triplett (B.J Britt) walks in and tries to figure out what she's up to.
She confides in Triplett, letting him know that she's trying to figure out what was in Skye's blood and she plans on contacting Agent Weaver (Christine Adams) at SHIELD Academy for help.
On The Bus, Skye and Fitz try to get into SHIELD communications but all they hear is white noise on every communication channel.
Agent Garrett breaks through due to him being close by and requests Coulson's help in escaping the drones -- so Coulson shoots May (with an ice gun so she's only knocked out) and Fitz helps Coulson get the weapons system back online.
Garrett is able to maneuver around and brings the enemy drones towards the Bus and Coulson takes them out with the Bus' weapons.
The Hub, Agent Hand watches what's going on in the sky and sees Garrett has boarded The Bus with Coulson. The plan remains the same -- once the plane lands, take out the whole crew except for Coulson. Garrett talks with Coulson, Skye, and Fitz and they let Garrett know that they believe Hand is The Clairvoyant. Skye is able to crack the encoded message only to discover a horrifying truth: Out Of The Shadows and Into The Light -- Hydra.
At The Hub, Simmons and Triplett remain clueless as to what is happening around them. Simmons is able to contact Agent Weaver at SHIELD Academy, only for Weaver to warn her that SHIELD is under siege and that Hydra has taken control of SHIELD. She ends with these words, "Don't. Trust. Anyone."
Coulson retrieves May and has her call Fury only to be told that Nick Fury is dead. At that moment, The Bus is attacked by Hydra agents, with no one seriously hurt. May gets shot in the arm but it's not bad.
Coulson looks after May and demands to know what she was up to. May was to call Fury and let him know if Coulson was going through physical or mental deterioration...even knowing about Tahiti.
To make matters worse for Coulson, he finds out May set up his small team and gave the suggestions to Fury who gave them Coulson.
What was needed? "Someone who could repair your body (Simmons), a technician who could reprogram your brain (Fitz), and a specialist to help me put you down if it had to be done (Ward)."
When sneaking out of The Bus and entering The Hub, Coulson's main priority is retrieving Agent Simmons and Agent Triplett while Ward and Skye go out to blow up the their systems. Agent Hand has Simmons and Triplett, letting them know Hydra has taken over SHIELD and she gives them a choice -- Hail Hydra or share the same fate as the now dead Nick Fury.
Triplett attacks one of the members, showing his loyalty to SHIELD -- allowing him and Simmons to live. Victoria Hand winds up not being a part of Hydra, but she believes someone else is -- Agent Phil Coulson.
Garrett, Simmons, May, and Coulson find their way to security and try to find Simmons, wherever she may be. Simmons tries to defend Coulson against Hand but when all of Coulson's previous crimes are listed one after the other...you can understand why she's suspicious. Skye and Ward sneak through vents and shafts to get close to the processing center.
Ward decides he's going to take on all 12 guys out there to try make sure the mission is completed. In a shocking development, Skye and Ward have a, somewhat forced, but still touching heart-to-heart moment ending in what almost seems like a goodbye kiss.
And for the first time all series, Ward is actually interesting -- kicking the ass of all 12 Hydra soldiers in impressive fashion.
Garrett's suggestion to get to Simmons -- find Agent Hand and shoot her, no questions asked. Garrett goes on about everything Hand has done as The Clairvoyant -- shooting Skye, burning Mike Peterson alive, torturing Coulson using the machine that brainwashed Raina (Girl in the Flower Dress). There's no way to describe the look on Coulson's face after hearing that...except shock...disbelief. He never told Garrett that last detail before.
To the surprise and disbelief of Coulson...The Clairvoyant is Agent Garrett. Hail Hydra.
Garrett decides that he, unfortunately, has to kill both Coulson and May.
Agent Fitz though..there's a place for him at the top of the Hydra tech division. At that moment, the bomb in the processing center goes off and everything goes to hell.
Coulson and Garrett go at it while May takes out Garrett's lackies and Simmons cowers under a desk with a gun, shooting when the moment seems opportune for him. Coulson is able to get the upper hand over Garrett before Agent Hand storms in with her men. Hand knows Coulson isn't Hydra, and arrests Garrett and all other Hydra agents.
Hand and Coulson talk, attempting to figure out how what to do next. SHIELD has fallen, Hydra has taken over a couple of SHIELD factions.
Hand plans to take Garrett to The Fridge, and Ward requests to go along for the trip to put Garrett away for a long, long time.
On the plane flying Garrett to The Fridge, Agent Hand suggests that The Fridge may be a little too comfortable. Maybe he should be put deeper underground. Hand gives Ward the chance to redeem himself after shooting the wrong Clairvoyant by shooting the right one.
Ward takes the gun from hand and shoots -- shoots the two SHIELD agents sitting on each side of Garrett.
Then shoots Agent Hand three times. In the final scene, Garrett is rambling on in the background as the camera focuses on Ward...who looks truly terrifying.
I don't know if Ward is actually Hydra -- I have my theories. I believe he could be a double agent still working with SHIELD. I believe it's he didn't want to leave Garrett, the man who trained him, out to dry on his own and instead chose to help him. Or maybe he is just evil and has been this whole time. What it all comes down to is this -- SHIELD, these guys we've been following all season, they have no actual mission anymore. All they can do is survive and try to figure out where to go next.
But I'm sure they won't take too kindly to Ward if he is actually hailing Hydra with Garrett. Keep in mind though -- where Garrett and Ward are going, The Fridge, there are a few other people locked away in there.
One of them being Franklin Hall (who in the comics becomes Graviton).
Hall has been sitting in Gravitonium for some time now so if he's set free...who knows what'll happen. But if these final few episodes of Agents of SHIELD are any indication...we're in for an explosive finish.