100 Days of Marvel: Road to Infinity War - Day 22: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (S2, E1-5)

Season 2 of Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. packs a wallop in only the first five episodes of the show. SO much has happened, and is happening, and the stakes are pretty high. Though the tension is not at the same cinematic place it was at during the finale, it is still wrapped up pretty tight.

So, what have we learned so far? FitzSimmons is the story that I care the MOST about in these five episodes. Probably not the focus of these 5, but I just feel so much WANT for these two characters. When I see Fitz struggle to complete his sentences due to his brain issue from season 1, I FEEL his pain, and I desperately watch waiting to see what he will do to overcome it. And Simmons? Well, being a spy was already pretty intense. Being a spy on a spy agency for another spy agency (Double Agent) is even more insane. The idea that she is so close to Hydra is horrifying, and she keeps *almost getting caught. But, like Brandy sings, almost doesn't count. She does finally get caught though, albeit not due to her own actions.

I'm not sure how I feel about the new cast yet. We don't really know them all that well enough yet, but I like the chemistry they have internally, and they really help with the development we are getting for Fitz right now. Also, I am happy we get two black characters. Now, ABC, give them MORE to do so that I can learn their names. If they stay in the background, the show still remains pretty homogenous save for Melinda.

I would love to see more Patton Oswalt. I think his character is really funny and is always a breath of fresh air when he is on the screen. I would like to see him deal with the loss of his ...twin? I am still unsure of the relationship.

But objectively the driving factors of the season are Hydra, Skye's father, and the resurrection of S.H.I.E.L.D. Through this, we get the Coulson-may-be-going-crazy plot, and then Skye might be an alien plot, but S.H.I.E.L.D.'s restoration, to me, is much more exciting. In episode 1 when we come back and there are new agents, and we learn that they are doing much better and have a long way to go - it was really promising. The struggle between the old and the new was also a new dichotomy that the show hasn't played too much with, though it has, and I suspect it will more. 

I am still interested to learn more about the characters. My friends tell me to keep an eye on Skye because she "gets better," but as it stands, I am still not really feeling her personality. She still hasn't decided if she is, in her heart, S.H.I.E.L.D. or not, outside of name only. I mean, yes they treat her like a family, and she clings to that, however, she complains about protocols and decisions, and verbally disagrees with her superiors, and that frustrates me given the balance needed in such an organization. Granted, Agent Carter also rejected orders to get shit done, I just feel when Skye does it, it rarely helps. It usually helps when the others FACTOR her behavior in, like the time in season 1 when May determines she "would work better off the ship." 

I love the May-Coulson dynamic in this. The two actors work really well together, and they have a good camaraderie. I am excited to see more of these two, and the remaining cast as we get deeper into this season!