Welcome back WormholeRiders dedicated to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.!
This reviewer is ecstatic! Why?
All in all, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is one of my most favorite series of all time!
And can there be any doubt that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “Director” Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) IS the “Secret Agent Man” of 2014 that Johnny Rivers sang about some 58 years ago?
Made famous in 1966 during the beloved era of James Bond, The Avengers, I Spy, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.! , and a 1967 series inspired by the song, The Prisoner, “Secret Agent Man” is therefore a perfect analog to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., a truly epic series of our time!
Another “Secret Agent Man” within the great Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. team is none other than industry veteran Drew Z. Greenberg of Warehouse 13, Caprica, and Arrow (pictured left). Greenberg joined Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Executive Producer and has brought his considerable skill and injected levity into the series character development as evidenced in the fourth episode “Face My Enemy”, nicely setting up “A Fractured House” ably directed by Ron Underwood.
Greenberg is an excellent addition in the age old classic tale of espionage, good versus evil, brought to our screens in a new and exciting form! As such, this reviewer is hopeful, in fact, convinced, that the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series will be on the air for many years to come!
All of the “Secret Agent Man” seeds that were planted at the end of season one, and seen during the first five episodes of season two, blossomed delightfully in the sixth superb episode, “A Fractured House”!
What more could anyone desire? Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has an alien conspiracy, secret alien happenings, government corruption dovetailing real life, horrifically evil bad guys (Hydra), and of course, the good guys (the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)!
Perhaps most intriguing of all, is that we have yet to learn about the “secret wall carving hobby” of Phil Coulson!
Revealed has been “The Plan” of Melinda May (MingNa Wen) to save Coulson before he loses it to the alien writing invading his half cybernetic soul.
Then there is this seasons wild card, the fully frakkin crazed father (Kyle MacLachlan) of our burgeoning and beautiful young agent Skye (Chloe Bennet).
Poor Skye will have to ultimately learn deal with dear old Dad, who is obviously about to sell out to Hydra and has already black-mailed Raina (Ruth Negga) in previous episodes.
Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge), who, in the second season has been observed as an hallucination in the mind of Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), who suffered brain damage and was nearly killed by evil Hydra Agent Ward (Brett Dalton), lead to poignant sequences that are a nice vehicle depicting a difficult interpersonal circumstance, with realistic emotional portrayals from both actors.
Admirers of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. breathed a sigh of relief when Jemma was found to be loyal to the team. Recently returned from a dangerous, deep under cover assignment with the hideously evil Hydra, who like other vast criminal enterprises, is out to dominate and enslave the Earth as we know it!
Simmons is saved by secret Agent Bobbi Morse (Adrianne Palicki) who is often observed in a enjoyable series of hilarious arguments with ex husband Lance Hunter portrayed by Nick Blood!
We will learn in this episode that wicked Ward is about to be traded to his brother Senator Christian Ward (Tim DeKay) for political favors via “a wink and a nod” hands off policy from Brigadier General Glenn Talbot (Adrian Pasdar).
Talbot, who was perceived as an enemy of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., that is until until the conclusion of “A Fractured House”, does a turn-about that lays a solid foundation for the unfolding adventures we look forward to in season two of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.!
Meanwhile, our two newest members, Antoine Triplett (B.J. Britt) and Alphonso ‘Mac’ Mackenzie (Henry Simmons) are settling in nicely.
Both are building trust relationships with our Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. team and have shared light hearted moments including hilarious comments about Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter, this after Melinda May informs them they are ex husband and wife in the previous episode!
The humorous hijinks, surrounding the good natured banter between the Morse and Hunter characters is quite enjoyable, as is the action the characters bring to the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Leveraging quick quips and comebacks that only a divorced couple who still love each other could deliver, the writers have added a new element to the story arc mix that could lead in many directions. This reviewer is hopeful the pair stay with the SHIELD team to offer more levity in the future of the series.
Also great fun were several arse kicking scenes near the end of the episode. We all love Melinda May when she kicks arse, however in this episode, we are treated to Bobbi Morse kicking some “A” as well!
Softer aspects of the episode are;
Bobbi’s estranged ex-husband saves her life for the second time this season! Does this mean reconciliation is not too far in the future for the ex husband and wife?
More importantly, will the two lovers reconcile, only to have one or both be sacrificed this season while saving Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. from Hydra? We shall see!
The growing respect between Skye and Melinda May is most enjoyable and important to the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. story arc.
Is there any do doubt this is because both of these fine women characters were bamboozled by the psychopath Agent Ward whom Skye is assigned to extract information from? This reviewer is certain the bond between the two central characters will blossom over the course of the second season.
Both actresses are doing a fabulous job as witnessed when seeing the look of love on May’s face for her young protégé and the tears in Skye’s eyes as she fully realizes that her former friend and would be lover, Ward, is a complete Hydra minion, who, in fact, is a human dirt bag who should be imprisoned forever!
And Speaking of Ward, although he was in a special SHIELD “hotel room”, imprisoned in the bowels of the basement of the undisclosed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. location, this episode ups the ante when “Agent Dirt Bag” escapes!
A Fractured House:
The episode begins at United Nations Headquarters in New York City with General Talbot.
Soon to be converted as an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. supporter at episodes end, at this point in the story, despite several efforts by Coulson, Talbot is talking trash about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to a group of United Nations diplomats.
Suddenly, a group of what appears to be S.H.I.E.L.D. agents enters the briefing room.
Screams of sheer panic ensue as the high level government leaders from around the world begin to disintegrate from what are no doubt sinister Hydra splinter bombs!
The fake, so called Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are yelling that “S.H.I.E.L.D. is done hiding!”, terrorizing the surviving dignitaries.
Talbot and the leading nations of the world are now certain that S.H.I.E.L.D. is evil and must be destroyed. General Talbot is injured in the merciless attack. The brainchild of the ruthless Hydra attack is malevolent Marcus Scarlotti (Falk Hentschel).
Scarlotti is an assassin who leads a group of mercenaries under the control of our new villain, Daniel Whitehall (Reed Diamond).
Whitehall has somehow survived without aging since 1945 when we witnessed him as a Nazi captured by Agent Carter (Hayley Atwell) at the start of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season two episode one “Shadows”.
We learn later that the United Nations victims disintegrate from use of a horrible weapon Simmons found out about while she was working in a Hydra lab undercover.
Created by demolitions expert Toshiro Mori (Brian Tee), the story takes Bobbi Morse, who was a team leader at Hydra undercover for an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to Mori’s lab in Okinawa.
Coulson quickly follows up on the intelligence by dispatching an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. team including ex husband and wife Lance Hunter and Bobbi Morse, who continue their good natured banter.
Melinda May and Chloe are of course the chaperone to keep the two lovers from killing each other. May and Bobbi share some ex wife barbs as we learn that Melinda May appears to be an ex wife herself!
We learn more back story. Powerful senator Christian Ward (yes Hydra agent Ward’s brother), plans on burying the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and using General Talbot, who has received a large government appropriation (bribe), as his prime operative to eliminate Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. once and for all!
Coulson is studying a world map of the remaining uncompromised Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. locations.
The map illustrates just how few have remained loyal to the cause which could become a disaster if he cannot convince TPTB differently, knows such a proposal will be devastating if it comes to fruition.
Coulson contacts top Agent Noel Walters (Melanie Cruz) in the Netherlands. He orders her and her people to “go dark”..
In the meantime, Skye has been utilized to extract intelligence from traitor Agent Ward. He instructs Skye to focus on Ward’s family, specifically the Senator and what happened between them in the past.
Skye appears to be still drawn to Agent Ward, despite his dastardly dealings with Hydra. During the current session, Coulson turns the barrier opaque when Skye appears to be weakening to seductive powers of Agent Ward.
Bobbi Morse goes to Japan and uses her Hydra identity as cover to obtain leaked from Hydra weapons manufacturer Toshiro. It is obvious Bobbi has been a lover with Toshiro when they passionately kiss. Could this be at the root of the breakup between Bobbi and Lance Hunter? Spying as a secret agent has a price as we all learn.
Bobbi Morse uses her feminine abilities to some of the splinter bombs. Unfortunately, an incoming Hydra message reveals to Tohiro that Bobbi is a traitor to the Hydra organization.
Ex hubby Lance Hunter saves his ex-wife’s life blasting a guard before he can kill Bobbi.
Naturally the good natured banter continues after this when spunky Bobbi tells Lance “I had everything under control”.
Divorce humor is apparently still politically correct these days, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. does a great job with these antics of post marital levity.
Agent Coulson sneaks in to Capitol Hill for a surprise visit with Senator Ward. The Senator is startled. However, being a politician, he listens to what Coulson has to say. In fact the Senator has no choice. Coulson has sabotaged the phone and security systems!
Coulson reveals to the Senator that he has his brother captive. Senator Ward informs Coulson that his younger brother is the malevolent person in the family. It becomes obvious that the two will make a deal to protect S.H.I.E.L.D. and have General Talbot work with Coulson’s team.
Skye pays her final visit to the traitor Ward who attempts to manipulate her bringing up the subject of Skye’s father again. A bind person could ascertain that Ward is simply trying to arrange his escape by promising to take Skye to her father. Skype does not fall for the ruse knowing that Dirt Bag Ward is being transferred to his brother, Senator Ward, confirming that Coulson struck a deal.
Segue to Simmons. She feels terribly guilty about how she left Fitz. Asking for his help repairing the hard drive they stole from Hydra’s lab, Simmons is trying to atone for what has happened when she accepted her undercover assignment with Hydra.
We all feel with the emotions when Fitz asks Simmons exactly why she left? Simmons, still under orders cannot address Fitz directly.
However, this reviewer hopes that one day, perhaps when he fully recovers from his brain damage, that Fitz will be allowed to learn the truth.
We move to Belgium. Foreign Affairs Minister, Julien Beckers is descendant of the Hydra splinter bombs. In the lab, Fitz, Simmons and Mack also find out that Vincent Beckers, Julien’s grandfather, is a Hydra agent.
Coulson realizes that the team has been duped! Beckers arrives at the Belgium safe house where Agent Walters resides and instructs Scarlotti to kill her and everyone at the safe house.
Lance Hunter, Bobbi and Melinda May arrive in Belgium stop Hydra. They are too late. The ladies simply kick arse and take names. Bobbi and ex-hubby Hunter kill a number of Hydra operatives while Melinda May kicks Scarlotti’s butt. As the melee ends they find out that six S.H.I.E.L.D. agents have been killed.
In a private meeting Simmons informs Fitiz’s friend Mac about the reason she left; her presence makes mental Fitz condition get worse. Mac can see that Simmons loves Fitz. We are hopeful that Mac will help these two reconcile their estrangement in the future.
General Talbot offers May condolences for the team members that were lost as he takes Scarlotti into custody.
In Washington, Senator Christian Ward makes a speech telling the world that his younger brother was a member of Hydra.
He does this as Dirt Bag Grant Ward is supposedly being transferred into his custody. This is something that will not be happening in the near term as Ward breaks free from his constraints in the transport vehicle.
In the final sequence, the alien influence reemerges. We are at an unknown tattoo parlor in the evening. Based on the tattoo artist’s demeanor, the visitor has been in the parlor previously.
The visitor shows the tattoo artist a piece of paper, stating “Tonight we finish it.” The visitor to the parlor removes his shirt. To our surprise, his entire body is covered with alien writing, the same type that Coulson has been working on in his office!
As we end the episode, viewers are left to wonder, how does this all fit together?
Who is the visitor in the tattoo parlor?
What in the heck does the alien writing mean?
I do not know about you, but this reviewer cannot wait for the next exciting episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.; “The Writing on the Wall”!
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Thank you. 
Best Regards,
Kenn