Agents of SHIELD: Season 2 (Spoilers!)

[Eternal_Freedom]

If the trailer for the next episode is accurate, things haven't been going well for her.

[Gaidin]

I wonder if the heavy SFX is something they are using to make a big splash with the opening episodes of the season. The makers of the show do not have a great deal of time to work on SFX so I can see trying to up the WOW factor on the episodes they had the most time to work on. Maybe future episodes will be a little less SFX heavy and the story will be stronger. The gap where Agent Carter will run should also allow them time to spiff up the last part of the season as well.

Don't get too impressed by the FX in these two episodes. They're effects that have been figured out for either movies or previous episodes scaled appropriately for the episode. The cloaking and the virtual display. Now the new one, possibly, is the bad guy, and they've taken him out after two episodes though they've left a hook to possibly bring him back in later. Are we back in the realm of traditional investigation with more "small scale effects"? Likely.

But how much of the budget did it really eat up do you think?

[Lord Revan]

the "cloak effect" looked like the same they used for the Helicarrier in the Avengers just applied to different mesh, that said I assume they'll have effects heavy episodes at the start and end of the season and then have low key episodes in the middle.

[Gaidin]

Middle is a bad word. Middle is where you drop off with a season "ender" to try to hook people on at the beginning of december to keep people interested until the beginning of february. You areally don't want the low tech episodes then. The low tech episodes are for late october and mid november. And the same general area for spring. If that idea makes sense. Think of what BSG did on sci-fi channel for their mid-enders(did I just invent a term?).

[Batman]

The effects didn't look all that impressive to me really. Basic live-action Marvel cloaking, as, as Revan pointed out, seen in Avengers.

[Tsyroc]

The effects didn't look all that impressive to me really. Basic live-action Marvel cloaking, as, as Revan pointed out, seen in Avengers.

I wouldn't have made any sort of deal about it except that during some of the commentaries for season 1 there was a lot of praise for what the SFX team does in so little time. It wasn't something that really popped into my mind while watching the episodes. I also hadn't considered how much of what they were using should be established enough from last year or other sources to make it a bit easier to bring in.

[B5B7]

Now that the army has Creel back, I expect that he will be in a cage and the guards then notice he is not there, and instead of informing an officer, will unlock the cage to have a look inside. OR miracle of miracles, will the military have learnt from their last mistake and behave as real military would?!
Here's a hint for the Army - don't give the sentries the key to the secure cage.

[Tsyroc]

Now that the army has Creel back, I expect that he will be in a cage and the guards then notice he is not there, and instead of informing an officer, will unlock the cage to have a look inside. OR miracle of miracles, will the military have learnt from their last mistake and behave as real military would?!
Here's a hint for the Army - don't give the sentries the key to the secure cage.

If they can't keep Creel locked up it does make me wonder how they've managed to keep Blonsky imprisoned for so long? I guess nobody has been willing to take a risk on him. I mean, what would his personality actually be like? Would he be the dutiful soldier like he was before the super soldier serum, or would he be full on Abomination like when he fought Banner in Harlem? It's almost amazing that he wasn't accidentally set loose during the Hydra uprising. I'm not really sure who is guarding him. The Consultant made it sound like the U.S. Army had him, but Coulson threatened to have Ward assigned to the night shift guarding Blonsky in Barrow, Alaska in the first season of Agents of SHIELD. If he had been held in any base Garrett was involved in raiding I bet he would have sprung Blonsky just for kicks.

[LadyTevar]

Well, now we know where Simmons is, and boy did Coulson drop her into the deep end of the pool. At least she's being totally honest: She's dedicated not to Hydra, but to SCIENCE... Hydra is just a means to an end. Something that Hydra can understand.

[Batman]

Assuming it was Coulson's idea. I can absolutely see Simmons demanding that assignment so she could get even with HYDRA for what Ward did to Fitz.

[LadyTevar]

Well, Fitz did get a bit of his own back. "It's called Hypoxia, the brain cells die first"

Still, Simmons got out of the lower levels, and now she's going to have to be very careful what she does. We saw how Hydra's brainwashing works, and we see it got Agent 33. They've had a while to perfect that little trick. I have to think that it will become very important by the end of this season.

[RogueIce]

Has Agent 33 been seen before, or is she just some random SHIELD agent that got snatched up?

[RogueIce]

Just to be clear, I'm not asking for Agent 33's comics history, because A) I'm sure she has one and B) I don't really care. Only about her appearances, if any, in the MCU.

[LadyTevar]

Isn't 33 the one who had the false eye and was being used by Hydra/Extremis last season?

[Gaidin]

Different actress at least. Pretty sure she had a name back then as well, can't remember what right now. At the least she was Coulson's protege so he was throwing it around the plane.

[LadyTevar]

WHY WAS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THE FACE MASK?! Seriously?!

Is it just me, or is the thing Whitehall used on Raina an upgrade from the Sonic Paralyzation Device from the first IronMan?

[LadyTevar]

Ok, all caught up. Missed the last two, due to Real Life, but now I can discuss.

As in my last post: Whitehall and Hydra has made SERIOUS upgrades in SHIELD-tech. Disguise technology based on biology of victim and voice pattern, Paralyzation devices that keep a party from leaving a conversation, and a self-uploading virus that wrecks SHIELD-tech. Nasty shit there.
However, we see SHIELD has a way of dropping off messages, simply by voice dictation and yet more disguise-tech (thrown away food wrapper). They really got a big raise in CGI budget, didn't they?

Now, within three episodes they go from Simmons as a Spy, to Simmons as on the list of 'up-and-coming', to Simmons back on the Team (no thanks to Raina). We find that Raina knew Skye's Dad because he mentored her, which fully explains her belief in the Supernatural/ExtraTerrestrial. When your mentor is not human, it tends to work that way. However, Raina is more scared of Whitehall than of Daddy-Dearest, which says volumes about who's the real monster, imho. Raina is now a loose end for all three parties, as Coulson wanted to use her, Whitehall wants her dead, and Daddy just threw her to the wolves.

As for Daddy-Dearest? He's a murderer when he loses control of himself, almost 'Hulking Out'. He's seen her for the first time since she was a baby, and was obviously upset that Skye treated Coulson as a father-figure. I'm hoping we'll get more information on who he is, what he is, where he came from, and why Skye's mom is dead.**

Whitehall is going to out-monster the monster, tho. Unlike Daddy, Whitehall is in complete control of himself. Anything he does is a conscious decision, made with a clear idea of what he's doing and why. I haven't decided if he enjoys hurting people, or if that is just part of the task. Either way, Daddy-dear is going to find this was a devil's bargain.

But now Skye knows what her Daddy looks like, and what he's capable of. She's also finally got Coulson opening to her.
We also now know why Hunter was going on and on about his Ex-Wife. Hello Bobbie. You're really good with batons. Glad to have you on-board, don't get us too distracted/annoyed by the tension with Hunter.

I leave you with one last thought:
**(Maybe she's like SkyLord, a half-breed, and he came to get her? ....... DUDE, MIND BLOWN, What is she is SkyLord's HALF-SISTER?! The Marauders did say SkyLord's dad was an asshole. Maybe he went back to Earth to try again? SkyLord's in his 30s, Skye's only early 20s, right?)

[The Romulan Republic]

Its Star Lord if you're referring to the protagonist of Guardians of the Galaxy.

And that would be an interesting way to connect that film to Agents of SHIELD.

Anyway, apparently a teaser for Age of Ultron will be playing during Agents of SHIELD on the 28th.

[Batman]

I loved the Phil/Raina scene in the restaurant, with Raina starting out all confident...and losing it as Coulson continues to not give a damn, because he already has a plan to get Simmons out. Also, Fitzsimmons reunited with Headsimmons apparently gone, let's see where they go with that.
And is it me or is that Bobby woman really tall?

[LadyTevar]

Not sure who, but someone had already 'sold out' Simmons with that bit of paper. Either that, or Bobby was the contact picking it up, and decided to use it as an excuse to be near Simmons to extract her. And yes, Bats, Bobby is a very tall woman compared to the other ladies. Probably just right at 6ft.

I think Raina was not wanting/meaning to turn over Simmons right then and there. She set it up to trigger, in case she needed it in an emergency, but she truly thought that Coulson would bargain to save a life. When her bluff was called, she folded fast. Raina has always been the seductress, the one with the thing you want, for a price. Now, she's got nothing to bargain with, nowhere to run. Whitehall won't have her back, Daddy-dearest has abandoned her, and Coulson only wants her as Bait.
Which might explain why she was in a Plain Dress, not a Flower to be seen.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that there's another person running around with Writing in their heads. The symbols were freshly carved, possibly before the church fire started, or soon after it was over. Before anyone asks about why the painting was on wood, many pre-1700s paintings were done on wooden planks, which were far more available than stretched canvas. Either way, someone was there in the church carving the images at the time of the fire. The painting did not survive because of 'divine providence', it was protected by the carver, and then left behind for whatever reason.

[GuppyShark]

As in my last post: Whitehall and Hydra has made SERIOUS upgrades in SHIELD-tech. Disguise technology based on biology of victim and voice pattern, Paralyzation devices that keep a party from leaving a conversation, and a self-uploading virus that wrecks SHIELD-tech. Nasty shit there.

The disguise masks were introduced in Winter Soldier.
It's implied that what Raina got hit by was just a tracker injection. As he stings her with it, Lance says, "Track-and-tail it is, then."
I don't remember a virus?

[LadyTevar]

As in my last post: Whitehall and Hydra has made SERIOUS upgrades in SHIELD-tech. Disguise technology based on biology of victim and voice pattern, Paralyzation devices that keep a party from leaving a conversation, and a self-uploading virus that wrecks SHIELD-tech. Nasty shit there.

The disguise masks were introduced in Winter Soldier.
It's implied that what Raina got hit by was just a tracker injection. As he stings her with it, Lance says, "Track-and-tail it is, then."
I don't remember a virus?

Same episode as the FaceMasks: the 'teaser' at the end of the show has Whitehall having a little chat with Raina. As she tries to start her little seduction games, the man with him puts a coin-sized device on Raina's hand, and Whitehall pushes a button. Suddenly Raina is clutching the car wheel, unable to move, shivering like she's been tazered, but Perfectly Awake and Aware. Whitehall gives his 48hr Ultamatum, and only turns off the device as he leaves. Raina's left terrified in her car, her whole body shuddering from the after-effects.
I was compairing it to the little sonic device his uncle had

[GuppyShark]

Same episode as the FaceMasks: the 'teaser' at the end of the show has Whitehall having a little chat with Raina. As she tries to start her little seduction games, the man with him puts a coin-sized device on Raina's hand, and Whitehall pushes a button. Suddenly Raina is clutching the car wheel, unable to move, shivering like she's been tazered, but Perfectly Awake and Aware. Whitehall gives his 48hr Ultamatum, and only turns off the device as he leaves. Raina's left terrified in her car, her whole body shuddering from the after-effects.
I was compairing it to the little sonic device his uncle had

Ahh. I read that as an electrical device. Electrical currents cause the muscles to seize up, she may not have been able to let go of the wheel even if she thought she'd be able to flee.

[2000AD]

What's the going odds on either Bobby or Simmons being brainwashed sleepers?

[Gaidin]

Betting on Simmons. Drama.