Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - The Things We Bury - Review

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., “The Things We Bury,” was written by DJ Doyle and directed by Milan Cheylov. This was a packed episode and featured terrific performances from Kyle MacLachlan (the Doctor), Brett Dalton (Ward), and Clark Gregg (Coulson). I particularly liked how the title resonated throughout the entire episode. There were some terrific reveals in this episode, but some of the answers point toward more things that need to be unearthed.

  The episode features a series of flashbacks to Agent Carter (Hayley Atwell) and Werner Reinhardt – or as we know him, Daniel Whitehall (Reed Diamond). We see that Whitehall has actually dialed back the creepy from when he was Reinhardt. In the first flashback, we see him experimenting with the obelisk. He’s found no discernable pattern as to whom the obelisk kills. And then he discovers a woman (Dichen Lachman) who can touch it – just like Raina (Ruth Negga) could.

The scene between Carter and Reinhardt is excellent. I love Reinhardt being convinced that the pen was a test. Carter says it was, but I’m not entirely sure that it was. Is he much more suspicious than she is devious? Reinhardt tries to save himself by offering intelligence. Carter says she’s not interested – and talks about a girl who was caged up – and I’m assuming that was the girl from the first scene. Reinhardt then goes on to talk about the power of the obelisk and a myth from the east about a star that fell from the heavens and blue angels – clearly an alien spaceship and what we now know – it’s been leaked! – are the kree. They are reported to be carrying a gift for mankind, but Reinhardt says they didn’t come to save the world but to conquer it. And of course, the Doctor informs Whitehall in the present that he’s wrong and they didn’t want to merely conquer, they wanted to end mankind.

Carter tells Reinhardt that she wants nothing to do with him and she’s going to bury him and all his research and objects. Carter tells him he may be right and the skies may open up one day, but he’s not the one she’d want at her side. And we know the one she’d really want at her side is Captain America (Chris Evans). And luckily, he was able to be there – even if it wasn’t at her side. Clearly, there’s more sky opening coming in Age of Ultron too! For his part Reinhardt says that nothing stays buried forever – and he’s right about himself and Cap. I loved the special effects of the time lapse of the 44 years he spends in prison. He finally gets a pardon in 1989 and of course a HYDRA agent is waiting to rescue him and help him pick up his work right where it left off – with the woman he’d found all those years ago.

Unlike Reinhardt, the woman has not aged. He goes to work because “Discover requires experimentation.” After a horrific sequence in which he cuts her up, apparently slowly, he dumps her body. Whatever he is able to take from her body to inject in himself, seems to reverse the aging process, and that’s why Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) immediately recognizes Reinhardt as Whitehall. Who didn’t love Simmons fangirling over Agent Carter – and pointing out that she too was British! The final flashback picks up the story of the woman, and we see the Doctor discover her because of course, she’s Skye’s (Chloe Bennet) mother! Great casting because there really does seem to be a family resemblance. Another instance of terrific CGI on the de-aging of the Doctor. Is it possible that Raina is related to Skye? It seems unlikely that the Doctor has alien blood because he has aged. We’ve begun to unearth Skye’s family tree, but there still seem to be some roots still buried!

Once again, the team is split up in this episode. Surprisingly, Coulson has left May (Ming-Na Wen) in charge of the base while he, Skye, Trip (BJ Britt), and Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) fly to Hawaii – and then on to Australia. Now that he’s no longer under the alien blood’s compulsion, Coulson appears to be more clear headed, and he tells Skye that he wants to emulate Fury (Samuel L Jackson) more. He says Fury always saw five steps ahead – “Pretty impressive for a one-eyed man!” He’s determined to find the city and be waiting for HYDRA when they figure it out. One of the really interesting things in this episode is to watch the fallout from Coulson’s recent episode. Mac (Henry Simmons) expresses concerns about Coulson and his fitness to lead to Hunter (Nick Blood), who refuses to take the bait. Trip, meanwhile, is Coulson’s staunchest supporter. He says that through all the crazy stuff that’s been thrown at them, “Coulson’s been our anchor. He may seem lost sometimes, but he’s always got a plan.” I’ve heard it floated that Mac could be a HYDRA plant, but it also seems logical that Mac might wonder what he’s gotten himself into after last week. So is he trying to raise doubts about Coulson to weaken his leadership or is this just normal concern and a red herring?

I loved watching the away team as Coulson gives them their seemingly random and bizarre assignments. We go in blind the same way they do with no idea of what Coulson is actually up to. Of course in the end, the entire plan comes together beautifully – with the exception of Trip getting shot – which seems particularly unfair given Trip’s unfailing belief in Coulson. I loved Coulson giving the watch to Skye and telling her that if it starts to leak fluid to drop it and run and then telling Trip not to put the button in his pocket if he ever wants to have children! Gregg, as always, delivers the lines perfectly. And then there’s the random blue tie that he got from Audrey and spilled poi on! So the dry cleaner is good at his job as well as being a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative – makes sense, better cover if you’re actually good at it! – and Coulson has been to a luau!

Coulson is respecting and supporting Fitz’s desire to get back in the field by assigning him to install a transceiver in the field under pressure. Fitz points out that he only has one hand that works well, so Coulson tells him that’s why he needs to practice over and over – to make it a muscle memory. He tells Fitz, “Don’t think about the action, let the action help you think.” This is excellent advice. If you’ve ever participated in a sport, that’s how you get better at it – actions and reactions have to be automatic in order to be quick. We see Fitz get frustrated and wonder if Coulson is just testing him. I had to wonder if some part of Coulson isn’t testing all of the team. Is he trying to find a mole? Is he trying to see if he still has their trust and confidence? Trip is convinced that Coulson wouldn’t do it – “Coulson doesn’t roll that way.” Once again, Trip is the one to automatically accept that if Coulson is keeping them in the dark, it’s for a reason. When Trip tells Fitz that he could do it in his sleep, Fitz replies, “Yes. In my sleep, I’m quite good at it. Problem is, I’m awake.” Fitz is still trying to dig up the skills he once had that are now buried. Coulson displays complete confidence in Fitz’s ability, telling him, “you can do it!”

I loved the big reveal – the watch went to one guy and the button to another who were meeting at a government facility. Once the two were in close proximity the two would act as an EMP to take down the satellite feed at that station, allowing the team to infiltrate another station, less well guarded, in Australia, letting them hack the feed to map the world and get a fix on the city identified by the map. As they get ready to leave, Coulson asks if Fitz is ready. Fitz says he has it down to 7 minutes 20 seconds. Coulson looks concerned and says that’s not good enough to which Fitz responds that’s with his bad hand and he can definitely do it! I loved the look on Trip’s face as he smiles fondly at Fitz teasing Coulson. I also loved Skye with the “Geek Squad” – technical support at Best Buy reference! – tracking the EMP devices by labeling them Paddington (clearly a clever reference to Paddington Bear who is known for his duffle coat with their distinctive buttons) and Time Lord (a reference to the watch, clearly, but also a reference to Dr Who).

Of course, it’s an ambush and Trip is shot and the Doctor shows up, willing to help. The scene between MacLachlan and Gregg is nothing short of electric. MacLachlan is simply brilliant throughout the episode. I loved him being brought to Whitehall and not very successfully trying to contain his contempt for Whitehall. He tells Whitehall that he’s been pawing at the Diviner “like a monkey” – anybody else worry this might be the monkey Fitz ends up with?! LOL. He then says Whitehall’s thinking the Diviner is simply a weapon is small minded… for someone with such a “big” mind. Whitehall is a little concerned that the Doctor’s “temper” might return, but he assures Whitehall that he is completely under control – we only see that really break when Coulson calls the Doctor’s daughter Skye. So what IS his temper? He may not be the same type of alien as his wife, but is he fully human?

We have a lot of information about the Diviner dug up for us. We learn that there’s a place and if one of the special people take the Diviner to that special place, it won’t just kill, it will do something “much cooler.” I loved when the Doctor slips and calls Coulson, Phil. Both MacLachlan and Gregg register the slip subtly but the Doctor knows they both know. He’s been setting about digging out the bullet while Coulson has been urging him just to stabilize the wound. Once discovered, the Doctor cuts Trip’s artery. Coulson immediately uses Skye to try to save Trip – she wouldn’t want her friend to die. The Doctor is not happy that Coulson uses her in that way, but then the Doctor is happy to use Trip’s life to make his getaway.

        However, MacLachlan is fabulous as he clearly treads that fine line between sanity and in sanity. It’s mentions of Skye – and Coulson horning in on the Doctor’s fatherly claims that send the Doctor over the edge. I loved when Coulson presses if what’s inside the Diviner is Tessarack-level power. The Doctor replies, “Sure.” Then there’s a beat and “I don’t know what that is.” Coulson tries to impress upon Doctor the stakes: “We’re talking life and death here.” That simply excites the Doctor. Of course, we know that the Doctor’s end game is to be reunited with his entire family in the afterlife. Coulson promises the Doctor that they’ll find him and they’ll finish their conversation.

Meanwhile, Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki) is locked in conversation with Bakshi (Simon Kassianides). I liked that Simmons was hoping for a little more than talking for Bakshi. Henstridge is doing an excellent job showing how Simmons has changed, become harder due to all she’s been through.Both Kassianides and Palicki deserve a shout out for their performances in this cat and mouse between the two in which what’s really buried shows on their faces even more than in their words. Just a tightening around Palicki’s mouth indicates when Bakshi makes a hit. I also really liked the scenes between Hunter and Bobbi. He finds her “twirling” as she attempts to dig up what Bakshi sees in Whitehall. She has him pegged perfectly. But then, he knows her too – remember them working together to uncover the “mole” back at HYDRA. Bakshi attempts to turn the tables on Bobbi during the interrogation by threatening to reveal the things she did to become a HYDRA agent and to protect her cover. Hunter confronts her after Bakshi takes the cyanide. She knew that Whitehall’s approval was Bakshi’s prime motivator and that her threat of exposing Bakshi as a traitor would be devastating.

Hunter suspects her of pushing him too hard because he was about to expose something Bobbi wanted to stay hidden. He says she’s always working an angle. Bobbi insists that she’s always been honest with him and that she’s never worked an angle on him. Hunter says he doesn’t care and that he’ll have her back. We don’t see who actually starts it – and hence puts the brakes on their heart to heart chat – but they end up in an SUV…

Meanwhile, Ward has his own family reunion. I hope everyone is enjoying Brett Dalton as much as I am this season. He is superb as a sociopath! I also loved how they played off the confrontation between Ward and the Senator (Tim DeKay). It’s impossible to know who is telling the truth. Has Ward been lying to himself? We get clues, however, like seeing the Senator blowing off his wife Anne on the phone to arrange a tryst with his mistress just before Ward tears him out of the car. Then the Senator lies and says he’s on his way to meet his wife – liar, liar, pants about to be set on fire!

Of course, the title is a direct reference to these scenes between Ward and his big brother as he forces the Senator to dig up the subject of their argument – the well itself. That deep, dark secret. The Senator finally confesses. Ward seems content, slinging his arm around his brother and taking him home. Of course the next thing we see is Ward in Whitehall’s office, offering his services to Whitehall, and Whitehall showing us the news footage of the fire and murder/suicide of Ward’s family. But we don’t see the bodies. Maybe it’s a set up? Unlikely, given all that we know about how determined the Senator is to advance his own interests. He’d hardly risk his political career by going into hiding or airing his dirty secret about their brother Thomas and their parents.

        So what game IS Ward playing? I did love the echo of what Bobbi had found out about Bakshi, when Whitehall says to Ward, “Everyone deserves a second chance, but few are willing to do what it takes to deserve one.” We’ve seen a lot of characters search for that second chance – Fitz for instance in this episode. But is Ward seeking a second chance with Whitehall or with Coulson’s team? Only time will tell, but I lean towards believing that Ward is still trying to make it back onto the team.

The final scene between Ward, the Doctor, and Whitehall is brilliant. Here are all our villains together and seemingly united against S.H.I.E.L.D. But what is each of these characters keeping buried from the other? MacLachlan and Dalton are especially good in this scene. Diamond is creepy because he always seems to come off as relatively normal and sane. Ward knows exactly who the Doctor is and makes a point of letting him know that he was on Coulson’s team and that they were like family to him. Given the Doctor’s super possessiveness towards Skye, it’s a wonder that statement didn’t elicit a bigger reaction, but then maybe he doesn’t think Ward knows who he is. Ward gives his condolences about Coulson crossing paths with the Doctor. The Doctor says, “It wasn’t a complete loss. It’s always good to look your enemy right in the eye” and the Doctor has locked eyes with Whitehall as he says this – both smile with understanding. It’s a relationship of convenience only.

In the final scene with the S.H.I.E.L.D. team, Skye tells Coulson that he’s “acting like you saw the devil out there.” Coulson is interrupted by them finding the location of the city before he can answer. Will he tell Skye about her father or will he bury it? I thought this was a particularly well written and acted episode. It raced right along for me, even though it wasn’t as action-packed as some other episodes. What did you think of the episode? Who do you think still has buried secrets? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

About the Author - Lisa Macklem

I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Forever, Defiance, Bitten, Glee, and a few others! Highlights of this past year include covering San Diego Comic Con as press and a set visit to Bitten. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.