‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Episode 2.3 “Making Friends and Influencing People” (8 out of 10) Created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen; Starring Clark Gregg, Chloe Bennet, Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton; Tuesdays on ABC.
While “Agents of SHIELD” still isn’t a perfect show, I have to admit that it’s taken a risky new direction with its second season. We’re seeing the fresh-faced, bushy-tailed SHIELD agents that were introduced during season one gradually getting stripped down to their emotional cores, and, frankly, it’s kind of awesome.
As always, here there be spoilers.
So That’s Where Jemma Went
Jemma Simmons has been officially MIA during season two—except for that slightly heartbreaking reveal in which we see that Fitz is actually talking to a figment of his imagination. When we see a bouncy montage that shows her getting ready for what appears to be a normal day at the office, it was honestly a bit of a relief; like maybe she left SHIELD in order to lead a normal life. But then she goes to work. And there’s a big HYDRA symbol on the wall. It’s not much of a surprise to learn that Simmons is actually working as a plant for SHIELD—until we start thinking about Simmons’s character so far in the show. As Skye points out later in the episode, Simmons isn’t exactly the best liar on the team. It’s an interesting observation coming from Skye, who, based on her character from season one, wouldn’t peg me as the best sharpshooter on the team—but it’s Skye’s newfound skills as a gunslinger and Simmons’s recently discovered gift for subterfuge that have made this season interesting. The characters that were always a bit too naïve to be taken seriously—namely Skye, Simmons, and Fitz—have undergone a severe loss of innocence in the wake of SHIELD’s demise, and it’s definitely showing this season. I mean, Fitz…in this episode…I think his performance tonight should get its own section:
Fitz Goes Crazy
Up to this point, Fitz’s teammates have considered his brain damage with a kind of benign pity that wasn’t doing his character any favors—he was pitiful enough as the tongue-tied nerd who harbored some misplaced hero worship towards Agent Ward during season one. In this episode however, that part of his character gets completely obliterated. Not only does he disobey a direct order by heading below decks to figure out who Skye has been talking to, but once he realizes that it’s Ward, Fitz proceeds to drain the oxygen from Ward’s cell. Something about his stuttering and nervous tics during this scene make him appear less pathetic and more…apathetic—a scary moment considering the fact that he’s always been a bit of a boy scout. That jock-worshipping nerd from season one has been officially murdered, bringing Fitz one step closer to a potential career at super villainy.
Now, if you’ve read my reviews at all, it’s no secret that I have a deep and utter loathing for Agent Ward. I didn’t really like him when he was a good guy, and I downright hated him for his traitorous lap-doggery towards Garrett. So far, whenever Skye has gone down to play Clarice Starling to his Hannibal Lecter, I’ve been screaming for her to just blow him out of the airlock and be done with his stupid, bearded face. But dammit if the showrunners didn’t add just the right amount of nuance to his character to make me…kind of…start liking him? There was something about the way he explained his relationship with Garrett that reminded me of Colin Sullivan in “The Departed.” Just like Frank Costello, Garrett saw a lost child in need of some structure and molded him into a two-faced mole. Granted, I wouldn’t mind seeing Mark Wahlberg show up and put a few slugs into Ward’s gut for good measure, but I can’t help but feel bad for the dude.
Verdict
Story-wise, tonight’s episode was fairly average. Donnie Gill (Dylan Minnette), the freezy-dude from season one, occupied both SHIELD’s and HYDRA’s time as a potential recruit, with both teams using Simmons’s previous relationship with him as a negotiating strategy. As it laid the groundwork for some ballsy character development with four characters that desperately needed it, however, tonight’s episode was one of the series highlights.