Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. 1.04 Eye-Spy **** SPOILERS ****

Television, Movies Games and Books Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
#1

Episode Summary from en.wikipedia.org:

There have been a series of thefts throughout the world that are almost impossibly premeditated. Coulson and his team investigates and he uncovers the identity of the thief: his former protégé, Akela Amadour (Pascale Armand). Coulson had presumed her dead and does not believe she is capable of turning on S.H.I.E.L.D., despite May’s argument that she is nothing more than a weapon. The team nearly catches up to her, but she manages to evade them. They soon find out she is being controlled through a camera in her eye (with X-Ray backscatter functions) which has a fail-safe bomb in case she defects. Coulson takes her to the Bus and hijacks her feed so Ward can take over her new mission while they take out the bomb. Coulson catches up to who he thinks is the mastermind behind Akela’s thefts, but the man is quickly killed through a similar device to Akela’s. Akela is taken away by S.H.I.E.L.D. officers, though May promises her she will have a fair trial. Before she goes, Akela tells May something seems different about Coulson. Afterwards, Fitz is playing blackjack with Ward and taunts him as they play. What Ward doesn’t realize is that Skye is about to use the glasses he used to simulate Akela’s vision until Skye tells Fitz she’ll see him without clothes and he leaves. She turns them on anyway to check out Ward.

Please use this thread to discuss the series’ fourth overall and first season fourth episode Eye-Spy. Rule: Please keep spoilers limited to those revealed during the series up to this episode only.

#2

I definitely got a Clark Kent vibe from Ward during his infiltration of the facility. And a big laugh out of “Seduce Him” :wink:

#3

Ratings are just in for this week. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. earned a 7.68 rating for this episode, down slightly from last week’s 7.87 but leveling off from the drop following the premiere episode’s 12.12 rating.

#4

This was a pretty good episode. Seems like the show might start to settle into a grove.

#5

Totally agree on both points.

This was probably my favourite episode so far. A bit more gritty with the theft, and lots of unanswered questions about who was the organization pulling the strings with tech ten-years ahead of S.H.I.E.L.D., and what the alien tech on the white-board was.

Skye dropping the clip out of the pistol was a groaner, as the set up in the discussion about her (lack) of proficiency in handguns was waaaay too blunt and predictable.

I think I liked the overall “spy-fi” vibe of this episode with the infiltration of the facility. It we’re not going to get supers duking it out, or at least S.H.I.E.L.D. taking down supers (next episode from the looks of it), then high-tech spying is all good.

#6

I missed that. Must have been right at the beginning.

EDIT: Oh, I heard the reference, but I thought you meant it actually happened on screen.

#7

Skye fumbled with a handgun when Akela was driving towards the van with her and Fitz & Simmons in it and she ejected the clip right before the van ploughed into them.

#8

Two bits of the Coulson mystery to note in this episode. They made a big point of the whole concept of muscle memory in this episode, while constantly showing that Coulson’s muscle memory with regards to handling the handgun was gone

Also, Akela said “what did they do to him”. Now, she had back scatter X-ray and likely would have been able to tell right away if he was an android aka LMD. If that was the case I think she would have said “what IS he”.

I’m changing my vote on the Coulson mystery to clone. Heck, Tahiti is a magical place…

#9

Oh yes. Definitely Clark Kent vs Georgi La Forge on the glasses. They telegraphed the “seduce him” through the no help comments. I feel like they could have done more with it, but it was good for a chuckle.

#10

Adjusted ratings hold Agents Of Shield at 7.85 - only down .02 from last week.

#11

Yup - I was liking the mix of story arc, background and mission of the week.

#12

I’ll echo the questions about the organization. Is it the same organization that we saw in the pilot episode or a different one? The ten-year advanced tech is shudderingly scary to me. But the equation leaves me wanting to find a nice, safe planet in some over galaxy. I’m not liking that possibility at all.

Skye’s character is someone who never wanted to resort to violence. Prior to her training she probably never held a gun. In a high-stress environment I’m not gonna fault her for not getting it right. But she is starting to learn. We’ll see if her training lasts beyond next episode though.

I like that term: “spy-fi.” Did you just coin it or did you get it from somewhere. Either way, NICE. I’m liking it so far, but also know that the real of the value of the show is in Coulson and he values people more than any of his technology or collectibles. You have to admire him for that.

#13

Wasn’t the muscle memory last episode and not this episode?

I’m wondering why Akela didn’t follow up with May. Was it just covering his back because he saved her and was watching her back or something else?

#14

So I totally didn’t see the handler being handled until Coulson was standing right in front of him. But I give Coulson credit for more than that. He should have seen it and not attempted to approach him. He doesn’t seem like the type of Agent to throw away possibilities like that, especially after his agent was safe.

Akela’s abilities only still don’t explain how the diamonds where located in the last heist. There is still a leak there to determine the methodology.

It is a coincidence that the opening scene heist takes place in Stockholm. Home of the “Stockholm Syndrome” phenomenology a.k.a. Akela?

For two super geniuses and a expert hacker Fitz-Simmons and Skye were sure slow on the uptake that the encrypted signal was watching them.

Notable Quotes:

Coulson: “I live outside the box.”

Coulson: "It’s amazing. Every year this part of our job gets easier. Between Facebook Instagram and Flickr people are surveilling themselves.

Coulson to May: “There are only a few women in the world who could pull off something so impossible. Since you were on the bus, I thought it had to be her.”

May: “Bus to Short Bus.”
Ward: “Go for Short Bus.”
Coulson: “Next time I’ll decide what we call ourselves, okay?”

Skye to Coulson: “You value really old stuff. And you value me. You’re the first person to do that in a long time. So I happen to believe you’re an excellent judge of character. If you think this women deserves a second chance, we should give it to her.”

Akela: “Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me? Where is the ‘I told you so?’”
Coulson: “That’s not me anymore. I’m just glad you’re alive.”

Ward: “I’ve come this far. I’ll finish. Whatever it takes.”
Handler: “Seduce him.”
Ward: “Help”

Akela: “What happened to Agent Coulson. He’s different.”
May: “He’s loosened up a bit. He nearly died before the Battle Of New York.”
Akela: “But what did they do to him?”
May: “I’m sorry.”
Akela: "Nevermind

Off-topic but cool as heck:

Did anyone catch the Verizon Kevlar Motorola Droid commercial at the first commercial break?

#15

I can’t take the credit for that one. I’ve heard it a few places, but I think they use it a lot on the SciFi Diner Podcast. Yeah, it’s a great term for the more sci fi secret agent genre :slight_smile:

Hmmm, might have been. I may have watched these episodes closely together.

Yup. Still not entirely behind these two characters. Again, I like the ongoing discussions on the Legends 'cast that Whedon is setting up one of them as a sacrificial lamb.

#16

  1. Yes I yelled at my TV as well when the geeks could not figure out that it was their van in the video feed. It was obvious to me, but I suppose possibly… That being used to sitting safely in a lab and not being out in the field, they were not used to being vulnerable, or considering themselves as potential targets. Maybe…

  2. I too rolled my eyes when Skye’s magazine ejected from her firearm. I feared that the off-hand comment earlier in the program was foreshadowing, and indeed it was. Or, would that be considered a set-up? And the latter a SPIKE? :shifty:

#17

In retrospect I think I can safely state that Skye is far from being an operative when she join’s Coulson’s team. She’s just an average girl who happens to have some computer skills and a drive to find out the truth. So while she is quickly picking things up I can see her ineptness with weapons. The magazine release on a standard Glock is at the tip of the thumb and if you hold the grip too tight you could eject the magazine. I can see that and I can see her doing it. And saying “Bang” instead of firing the gun was kind of cute.

But I also acknowledge if the magazine is ejected there is still one round in the chamber. She could have attempted to get one shot off I guess.

In any event I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of Skye training to become an agent with Ward and such less-than-rookie mistakes will become fewer and farther between. Think of it like Chuck Bartowski. It took him years before you would think about sending him out into the field by himself.