Agents of SHIELD - Love in the Time of Hydra - Review

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., “Love in the Time of Hydra,” was written by Brent Fletcher and directed by Jesse Bochco. The episode marks the return of Brett Dalton as Ward. We also finally find out what Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki) and Mack (Henry Simmons) have been up to. This was another terrific episode. Ming-Na Wen does a fantastic job pulling double duty as May and as Agent 33. Chloe Bennet also does double duty in this episode as Agent 33 in addition to Skye, perfectly mimicking the mannerisms that Wen brings to her performance.

The episode opens with a delightful homage to the famous diner scene in Pulp Fiction. We see that Agent 33 is so damaged that she can’t even decide on dinner. She is responsible for saving Ward’s life, so now he feels obligated to restore hers. For her part, she tries to offer him Skye once her face is fixed and she can assume any identity – though she can never take the mask off. Ward kisses her for long enough to make us doubt his declaration that he’s over Skye.

Ward sees something of himself in Agent 33. He too had his identity wiped and re-programed – in his case by his family and Garrett. He knows exactly what she needs – revenge on Bakshi (Simon Kassianides). It’s a great twist at the end when the two are now brainwashing Bakshi. It’s a testament to the success of Ward that Agent 33 finally shows him her real face and calls herself Carol.

Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) is trying to make Skye more comfortable. Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) continues to be Skye’s biggest supporter, suggesting that the stress fractures are more like growing pains as she adjusts to her powers. He suggests that she’s like Captain America now. Simmons disagrees, suggesting she’s much more like the Hulk – out of control. Fitz, however, insists that the Hulk helped save the world last time he checked. Simmons suggests that if Bruce Banner could cure himself he’d jump at the chance – and of course, she’s quite right. De Caestecker is once again terrific in this scene. He carries his hands much the same way Skye is holding hers, like they are broken. And we know that since his accident, they are broken.

We find out that Simmons has designed a set of gloves that “dampens” Skye’s powers. They are not without side effects, but we don’t learn what those are in this episode. Fitz is concerned that Skye has been sent away and locked up somewhere. He confronts Simmons once again about her part in it. She insists she’s just trying to cure Skye. Fitz asks when she became so afraid. He says “You’re afraid of what happened to me and Skye. The scariest change is you.” And it’s true. Simmons has changed from the agent we met last year.

Even May is now worried about Skye and her unpredictability, insisting that Coulson (Clark Gregg) take her off active duty. Coulson continues to object to treating Skye like a simple member of the Index when she’s a part of their team. In the end, Coulson has to concede, however, and takes Skye to a safe haven – safe for her to learn about her new powers. I loved the scenes between Gregg and Bennet, particularly the one on the plane. It’s hilarious when Coulson tells her they’re going away and she says she feels like Old Yeller. We also learn that Fitz now wants a dog instead of a monkey – he’s lowered his expectations.

Last week Coulson brought Skye grilled cheese, this week it’s Twizzlers. He tells Skye the story of his own father. He was a car guy. Coulson resented being forced to help his dad work on a junker while all his friends were out together. In the end, however, Coulson realized that the junker was a beautiful 62 red corvette – just like Lola. The car had taught him how to be patient and build something out of nothing and it gave him quality time to spend with his dad. Skye quickly realizes that she is Lola. Coulson tells her, even though Lola can fly, at her core, she’s that 62 red corvette.

When they get to the cabin, Skye begs Coulson to just be her friend. She accepts Coulson pulling her from active duty. Coulson once again expresses his belief in her, telling her she can do it, she can master her powers. He also tells her she’s one of the very few people he knows he can trust. He leaves her, telling her she can video call the bunker at all times and that May will be dropping by every few days.

The sequence with Talbot (Adrian Pasdar) is great. Pasdar is always hilarious and delivers again in this episode. I loved him stating that the one thing he cannot stand is a spy in his house and then the scene cuts immediately to Mack returning to the bunker. May questions where he’s been and where Bobbi and Hunter (Nick Blood) are. We learn – to my relief – that May and Coulson are on to him.

Coulson and May are still not really on the same page about Skye. Coulson expressed regret at having sent her away, asking May whether she ever felt like she’d mishandled something important. She confesses she felt that way when she left Andrew.

Hunter has the “real” S.H.I.E.L.D. revealed to him by Mack. Edward James Olmos joins the cast as Robert Gonzales. He’s spearheading a faction that wants total transparency – except that it’s operating in the shadows. They are against the secrecy employed by Fury and passed to Coulson and they’re particularly suspicious of the effect the alien blood has had on Coulson. Rounding out the new members of the team are Kirk Acevedo as Agent Calderon – lucky for him 12 Monkeys is only 13 episodes, freeing him for the second half of the season to be on S.H.I.E.L.D. – and Christine Adams as Agent Weaver.

Blood has some great scenes here, particularly with Palicki. Hunter rightly resents Bobbi for keeping him completely in the dark. He vehemently denies she could have been involved right up until she walks in. Hunter gets the best line of the episode: “Perhaps we could have discussed this alone without all of Hufflepuff looking on.” It’s hilarious, and how did Hunter know exactly which house from Harry Potter to pick?

Bobbi maintains that she simply brought Hunter in to back up Hartley (Lucy Lawless) and had no idea Hunter would stick around. We also learn that Gonzales owed his life to Hartley and that Bobbi and Gonzales went through a lot together. When push comes to shove, Bobbi insists that Coulson has been compromised and offers to take care of him. Bobbi also insists that everything she felt for Hunter was real, but he points out she always has a hidden agenda – again, not much on the transparency side. In the end, she says that she won’t stop Hunter from leaving, but the others will… only they don’t, and he gets away. Will he wash his hands of the whole operation or will he warn Coulson?

What did you think of the episode? I have to admit that I’m a little disappointed to be re-visiting spies in their midst and yet another splintering of S.H.I.E.L.D. I quite like both Bobbi and Mack, but it seems unlikely that either can come out of this on team Coulson. 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.