Warning: Spoiler Alert
Tonight’s episode begins with a flashback to the day SHIELD fell. Mack is on his knees along with others in a destroyed room. A Hydra soldier is demanding to know who the engineer is, that would be Mack. One of (I assume) Mack’s guys tried to fall on the grenade, figuratively speaking, but Mack wouldn’t allow it. The other SHIELD agent was killed immediately Then Bobbi kicks in the door and takes everyone out, except the guy who starting this to begin with. He’s taken out by Hartley. Mack is clearly affected by the smaller guy that the Hydra agent took out. Maybe that’s some insight into his relationship with Fitz. Then Hartley says something that changes the attitude towards Mack and Bobbi (for the moment).
Mack: What’s the plan? What are you even doing here?
Hartley: Fury left us orders.
Mack: To do what?
Bobbi: To save SHIELD.
On the bus, Coulson lets Mack look under Lola’s hood. Supervised of course. Bobbi shows up with a lazy “no sign of Hunter” comment. This would all be fine and good except, Coulson started suspecting them of something treacherous long before now. After leaving the belly of the bus, Bobbi eludes the security cameras to insert a usb drive into what looks like the inner workings of a main frame computer.
While under the hood, Coulson gradually and verbally walks Mack into a corner. Coulson wants Mack to come clean on who he’s working for. The problem is, that Coulson is phrasing the questions wrong. So when Coulson asks, “Who are you working for” Mack isn’t lying when he says, “SHIELD”. In Coulson’s eyes, Mack prefers the hard way. Then everyone else in the belly of the bus pulls a gun and points it on Mack.
Meanwhile, Bobbi is in Coulson’s office stealing Fury’s ‘toolbox’ from within Coulson’s desk. Before she can get away, May pulls a gun on Bobbi. I sense a big fight sequence. Bobbi tries to explain that she works for SHIELD but May does not. Bobbi even gets away, but May catches up. Bobbi triggers some sort of EMP which allows her and Mack to escape.
Another flashback reveals that Fury’s prime objective with their ‘orders’ was to get Gonzalez (Edward James Olmos) out.
At the cabin, Skye decides to test drive Simmons’ glove prototypes. The internet connection seems to be lost, but Skye is able to leave Simmons a voice mail asking if the gloves are supposed to be as tight as they are. Then troubleshooting the connection issue Skye stumbles upon something. Behind the wood paneling is that honeycomb stuff that lines the bus’ holding cell. She peels away another plank to see what looks like the imprint of the Hulk’s fist. Then she hears the sound of an intruder. After she sees nothing, there is a knock at the door. It’s Gordon. The eyeless man.
She lets him in and he begins to put her at ease with his conversational tone and body language that suggests he’s not there to harm her. He even starts in on his own story. Conveniently leaving out that his ‘guide’ was her mother before asking what the first thing was that SHIELD did upon learning she was different. He eventually offers her a safe place to learn how to manage her powers with others like her. He leaves it as an open invitation before he leaves.
On the bus, Simmons is arming herself when Bobbi appears. They both lie to each other, not to incite anything further. Simmons tries feverishly to find something she’s looking for while Bobbi gets more and more anxious. Simmons puts a small item in her hand. Then finds what she’s looking for and presses it. Sending a signal to the small thing in Bobbi’s hand, knocking her out instantly.
Fitz tries to figure out what is preventing the bus from regaining its power. He discovers the usb drive just as Mack shows up. Mack approaches slowly and claims he has no intention of hurting Fitz. And only asks that Fitz trust him right then. Meanwhile, May goes through Bobbi’s locker and discovers a secret compartment. Inside is a gas mask. Which is precisely the moment the smoke begins to billow in from the air ducts. As the smoke moves through the bus, Fitz backs up. Knowing what comes next Mack pleads with Fitz to get away from the wall. When he doesn’t, Mack charges and tackles Fitz to the floor just before the wall explodes.
Following the explosion, Gonzalez and the ‘real SHIELD’ descend quickly. Everyone is restrained, including Coulson. The next move is to hopefully, retrieve Skye. In the cabin, Skye begins to slowly see the truth in Gordon’s claim that everything vibrates and she could learn to channel that. Baby steps. She’s manipulating the water running out of the faucet in a zig zag sort of way.
Coulson is escorted to his own office where Agent Gonzalez is waiting to question him. Coulson’s resurrection is the beginning of this questioning. The bigger issue is that this SHIELD doesn’t believe they should operate in the shadows. And they want to find all that do to ascertain whether or not they are a threat. That starts with Gonzalez asking Coulson to open the ‘toolbox’.
May calls Skye to warn her. Tells her how to disable the laser fence, but the power is cut before she can do so.
In another beautifully shot flashback, Bobbi decides to reject Fury’s orders and take back the ship. Regardless of the sensitive cargo it may have. Gonzalez, Hartley, Bobbi, Mack and another unidentified agent fought valiantly against steep odds to in fact, take back the ship.
Gonzalez continues his questioning but to no avail. Coulson insists that all he had to do was come talk. Gonzalez endangered Coulson’s team. Gonzalez hopes that Fitz or Simmons might figure out how to open the toolbox. Coulson questions why his team would help their captors. Gonzalez claims they as SHIELD agents can decide for themselves who to side with. Then a guard falls before May shoots Gonzalez with an icer.
May cuts Coulson free and rushes him to a corner of the room. A couple of hand movements and the brick wall opens. May pushes Coulson in it suggesting he should be safe for a few days.
Couslon: What about FitzSimmons?
May: I’ll take care of them. Without you there is no SHIELD. They know about Skye, Phil. Find her.
Gonzalez’ team including Bobbi set out to the retreat to retrieve Skye. Before she can disable the laser fence, she disposes of an agent in the conventional way. Then when Bobbi and Calderon converge, Bobbi yells out to Skye. Calderon fires a shot. Skye is able to channel her powers to stop the bullet. Instead, she knocks them back a considerable distance and leveled the immediate area of foliage. With a subtle whisper of Gordon’s name, he arrives to whisk her away. “Would you like to go home?” She gestures in the affirmative.
Coulson walks up to a bar on a beach. I’m really hoping it’s not Tahiti. As he’s about to sip from a very feminine drink when Hunter walks up. He apologizes for his tardiness. Then grabs a napkin and signs it.
Coulson: What is that?
Hunter: You offered me a permanent position. Consider that, my contract. So, what’s the plan boss?
