Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – Season 1, Episode 7: “The Hub”

Coulson in a gray suit/blue shirt!  Have we seen him in anything other than black and white before?

If I was going to pick between Fitz and Simmons to go on a mission, I wouldn’t have picked Fitz.  I know the reason was his skillset but, up until now, field work hasn’t been his strong point.  Who could have known how things would turn out?  Fitz is the one who wants to be in the field but she froze up when confronted with a minor obstacle in a situation that was far from dangerous.  Simmons, on the other hand, rose to the occasion when his and Ward’s lives were in danger.  Whether their reactions are residual effects from Fitz nearly dying remains to be seen.

I did not like Victoria Hand until the end of the episode and even then my opinion only improved marginally.  I understand that she knew Coulson would figure out a way to save his men, but why did she keep secrets?  Why not tell Coulson that there was no extraction team for Ward and Simmons?  What if Skye hadn’t been suspicious and started digging?  Would Hand have told Coulson?  Maybe she just wanted to see Coulson get extremely angry.

Ward can be a bit stiff at times but he’s really starting to soften as he becomes more attached to the group.  Brett Dalton did a really good job this episode, conveying Ward’s emotions using only facial expressions.  The looks on Ward’s face when, first, he realized there was no extraction team coming for them and then, when Simmons refused to leave him, were perfect.

I want more of May’s back story.  It’s apparent that she’s trying to keep her distance from the rest of the team emotionally though, occasionally, there’s a slight crack in the armor.  What happened to her?

When Coulson was talking to Skye about the redacted file, I knew he was keeping something from her.  I thought maybe May was the agent who had dropped her off at the orphanage.  Apparently, it’s something bigger and tragic, but what?  Even on pause, I couldn’t quite make out what was in that picture.  It almost looked like a burned body.  Did S.H.I.E.L.D kill her parents?  Were her parents agents?

S.H.I.E.L.D. is trying so hard to protect Coulson from something but they are being pretty stupid about it.  Denying him access to his file just sends up HUGE red flags.  Why didn’t they dummy up a fake file to give him?

Favorite Lines:

• “I don’t mean to alarm you, but I think you may have a mold problem.” — Coulson
• “Ok, maybe we’ll both stay here.” — Ward

Photo Credit:  Get Glue and ABC

Related:

http://weminoredinfilm.com/2013/11/13/tv-review-agents-of-shield-hub-s1ep7/