Enter a mysterious SHIELD badge with even more mysterious numbers which led to an even more mysterious place and you pretty much have the summation of last night’s Agents of Shield episode, “Providence”.
But don’t worry, while it may not have been as action-packed as last week’s episode in which it was unveiled who the mysterious Clairvoyant really was – SHIELD Agent John Garrett played by the always sci-fi genre-friendly Bill Paxton, last night’s episode still ended up having some goodies and even foreshadowed some possible, larger things to come.
Throughout this first season of this show, Jarid and I have always talked about how it started off slow. In fact, some aspects of the first few episodes even seemed to be laid out in a manner which would have one think the audience was watching a ABC Family Show like Sky High. I may take some heat for that one from the “massive” number of Sky High fans out there but so be it.
But then it happened…
The show started getting better. We started to see more of the Marvel Universe and even more, started to see how the show served as the glue in the Marvel cinematic universe, much the way Agent Coulson himself did before Agents of SHIELD even existed.
I know it’s hard to believe but the show really is getting much better folks. I mean hey, even Hydra just showed up! So if you tuned out before the first 12 episodes were on, it might be time to jump back on the Marvel TV ship.
Back to the task at hand!
So to quickly recap last night’s episode, the beginning begins with the Agents still unaware of Ward’s betrayal and more importantly, what they’re going to do now that Hyrda has completely run SHIELD into the ground. They do get a message from Col. Glen Talbott who indicates SHIELD is basically done and he’s in charge of the country’s defense.
Before I dive into the scenes involving Garrett and Ward and how they tie in with the title of today’s review, I’m going to talk about the scenes with the Agents first. The reason being I’m saving the best for last. If you we’re paying attention to what’s going on and have seen the new Captain America: The Winter Soldier movie then you may have caught it as well.
The Mysterious Badge with Mysterious “Lost” like lottery numb…I mean “coordinates”
I wasn’t quite sure what to think about Coulson’s badge when it suddenly started displaying numbers like it did. Maybe it was meant to play homage to something Fury did in a past comic issue? regardless, what does Coulson do when he discovers the numbers? He assumes they were sent by Nick Fury while the rest of the team remains skeptical, makes Skye wipe all agents information completely off the grid, and then the crew takes off in their plane, headed to wherever the mysterious coordinates take them.
To be honest, I would think most fans were on Coulson’s side on this one. I think everyone knew the message had been sent by Fury. It was pretty obvious actually considering how against the rest of the agents were to following up on them. At one point, Agent Mae even tries to relieve Coulson of his weapon. who refuses to back down and doesn’t give it up. And even though Agent Mae could have easily taken it from him using force, she doesn’t.
There’s Nothing There and then Patton Oswalt Shows up?
So after finally arriving at the coordinates and checking everything out Coulson gets angry, throws his bade in the air and all of the sudden, it gets blasted by a sentry gun. After taking cover, Coulson then believes the weapon could be SHIELD, stands up and then walks out into the range of the weapon. A voice is then heard asking for identification and upon hearing it’s Coulson, the automated sentry gun backs down and a door opens to a hidden facility. As they enter inside, they’re quickly greeted by Level 6 SHIELD Agent Eric Koenig played by actor and comic book enthusiast Patton Oswalt. He tells them the facility is called “Providence.”
Koenig lets the team know Fury is in fact dead only later to pull Coulson aside and tell him Fury is actually alive and that he lied because he doesn’t know Coulson’s team. Koenig doesn’t shy away from admitting he lied to Coulson’s team either, even after Coulson uses a strong tone with him and seems upset about it.
To wrap up the episode, Ward (still an undercover Hydra agent) returns to the group. Throughout the episode himself and John Garett are up to no good. They break the girl with the flower dress out of prison ask her to begin investigating the serum which revived Coulson and Skye while they go raid the Fridge, a SHIELD facility containing a number of resources ranging from weapons to magical objects.
Later, Ian Quinn returns and begins going berserk on Garrett for imprisoning him. And then Garrett shows him the gravitonium.
Enter Gravitron?
Only time will tell…
Marvel Cinematic Universe Tie-In
As you saw in our FB post last night, there were mentions of both Romanoff and the Griffin in last night’s Agents of Shield episode. We also saw a scene in which Coulson and his team watched the final events of what happened in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
THE BIG THING TO TAKE AWAY!
In the extra scene at the end of Captain America: The Winter Solider in which we see Baron Struecker has Loki’s scepter and we’re also unveiled to Quicksilver and The Scarlet Witch, everyone I know had the same question after seeing this scene: How did Struecker get Loki’s scepter?
Well guess what folks now we know! Ward and John Garrett raided the Fridge and took TONS of items, including magical items. Garrett plainly states the facility had Asgardian objects in it.
One of the Best Scenes
When Coulson gives his speech about about the badge.
“Nick Fury gave me this bad. When he did, I swore an oath. We all did. To serve when everything else fails. To be humanity’s last line of defense. To be the The Shield. These coordinates mean something, I am sure of it. Fure also gave me this Plane. If anyone wants off, chutes are in the bay. Help yourself.”
– Agent Phil Coulson
SO What does it all mean?
Everything seems to be finally coming together with the show. All the sub-plots which left us wondering earlier in the season are beginning to tie in nicely. Even more, we’re soon set to see the arrival of Nick Fury himself in one of the final episodes!
