This week’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. functioned more like a Part 2 then a separate episode. Personally I don’t know why the two episodes weren’t aired together in a 2 hour special – something ABC does quite often. Regardless, the season is now fully set up and all sides are accounted for. Illusions of control fade and chaos is slowly taking over, so let’s take a closer look at some of the plot points, revelations and Easter Eggs in “Heavy is the Head”.

Agent Carter Reference #2:

We know that Agent Carter will air during Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. winter hiatus; but it seems as though it will play a much more vital role than just ‘stop gap’ for ABC’s Marvel line-up. During last episode, we saw an entire opening with Peggy; but this time around we saw Coulson looking through Fury’s ‘box to rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D.’ and stopped to look at a file on Agent Carter.

 All these little references seem to be leading to something. Agent Carter won’t just be a mini series to keep people watching; but appears to play a pivitol role in the Season 2 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. much like how Captain America: The Winter Soldier played in Season 1.

New Agents in Focus (Part 1) – Lance Hunter’s Allegiance:

One of the focuses of this episode was getting to know our two new S.H.I.E.L.D. recruits – or at least starting too. With Hartley and ‘Idaho’ dead, we start to see where Lance Hunter’s allegiances lie. Turns out Lance was quite the decorated soldier until he left and became a mercenary – I mean ‘private contractor’. Though it wasn’t initially the allure of money that caused the change; but a woman. This woman was Hartley’s sister, which explains why he showed such loyalty to Hartley.

 Once picked up by Talbot, Lance’s mission was to turn over Coulson and his team for $2 million as well as a proper burial for Hartley with no mention of her joining the “rogue” agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D.. This plan was put on pause for a bit while Lance tried to settle a score with Creel – aka Absorbing Man -; but sadly found himself incredibly outmatched. Though despite his ‘turn’, Coulson still invites him to become a permanent S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent so that he can ‘fight the battles Coulson no longer can’. Was this Hunter’s last betrayal, or will it happen again? Either way, May is “savoring” the vendetta she now has against him – Note to self: Never shoot Melinda May.

New Agents in Focus (Part 2) – Mack Tells It Like It Is:

As we learned last time, Fitz’s brain damage was more extensive than first thought. Although this time around he finds a friend in newcomer/engineer Mack. Seeing the juxtaposition of Mack – real life person – and the ghost of Simmons’ really helped put Fitz’s situation in perspective. Though unlike the others on the team, Mack doesn’t coddle Fitz. He tells it like it is and that seems to be good for Fitz. Though I can’t help but wonder what else there is to Mack’s story.

Despite him getting more screen time this episode, we still don’t know who he is or where he came from. All we do know is that he seems to be asking quite a few questions. Now this could just be him getting to know the team; but after the fallout that was Hydra, it seems that allegiances are hard to trust these days. What are Mack’s real motivations? Who knows; but I hope they’re good because he seems like a great new character.

S.H.I.E.L.D. – A Shell Of Its Former Self:

We all know that S.H.I.E.L.D. was left in ruins by Hydra and Coulson is having to painstakingly rebuild it one brick at a time; but we sometimes forget just HOW much they’ve fallen. We were remind of this towards the end of the episode when Coulson quipped that the team should get going before the BUS runs out of fuel. Sure the BUS is operational once again; but it doesn’t run on an Arc Reactor. It’ll need to be constantly refueled and that requires funds that the team just doesn’t have right now.

Thankfully the new ‘understanding’ with the military might open some new options to Coulson’s S.H.I.E.L.D.; but its still has a long way to go to be a serious force. They’ll need every bit of help they can get – and hopefully some Stark Tech along the way. *crosses fingers for Maria Hill to make another visit*

Heavy Is The Head:

With Talbot still chasing S.H.I.E.L.D., the absorbing man getting away with the Obelisk and two agents down, Coulson has a lot on his plate. Thankfully Coulson’s little bluff with Talbot worked and now the military will give S.H.I.E.L.D. some breather room. So now Coulson should be able to rest a little easier and focus more on finding the Obelisk right? Wrong.

As we noticed last episode – and Skye brought up this episode – Coulson has been acting very distant. May referenced last episode that he was supposed to check in with her every few days, yet nothing. May knows something and Skye knows she does; but what. Well its no surprise that the episode title “Heavy is the Head” refers to Coulson’s continuing Hypographia.

As we learned last season, Hypographia – the intense need to write – was one of the side effects of GH 325; and Coulson has been dealing with it all this time. The reason Coulson had been so on edge is because the entire time he’s been trying to mentally suppress it; and it is literally draining him. Going 18 days without an episode isn’t standard, in fact it’s LONG over due. Does this mean its happening every few days or so? Coulson might be keeping this a secret; but if he doesn’t tell Skye soon … who knows what can happen.

Skye – Life After S.H.I.E.L.D. ?

As I said, Skye knows something is up with Coulson. When she brought up the runes on the Obelisk, Coulson quickly changed the subject. Considering he’s trying to suppress the thought of those runes – and thus the Hypographia -, this makes sense. Though if Coulson keeps lying to Skye, her allegiances to S.H.I.E.L.D. might start to weaken. Lance warned her about it this episode and said she’d need an exit strategy.

 Now I personally hope the ‘exit strategy’ is that Skye becomes Miss Marvel – and Coulson Captain Marvel. Considering both characters are either Kree or have Kree DNA in them, it is possible. Either way, hopefully Skye becomes something ‘good’ in the end. Though right now, it seems like the family she once knew as S.H.I.E.L.D. is keeping more and more secrets than it did before.

Skye and Coulson began to agree last season that ‘compartmentalization’ was a bad thing. So to see Coulson become the one ‘compartmentalizing’ is REALLY a turn off for her. With all this growing friction between her and her ‘father-figure’, the stage is set for the return of Skye’s actual father, which could/will have DIRE consequences on the fate of the team.

Skye’s Father Appears:

With Raina’s return this episode, we have a new side to this story. There’s S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, and now ‘Skye’s Father’. It seems like this man is always cleaning blood off his hands when we see him. Though when Raina came to him in the end we saw a brief shot of medical instruments. So is he a Doctor or are these for more . . . devious purposes. Either way, Kyle MacLachlan has made his debut as Skye’s mysterious dad and the suspense is killing us.

 With the Obelisk in hand, one can only wonder at what he has planed; but it’s sure to do with his daughter. In the end, it’s hard to know what the bigger threat is – Hydra or Skye’s “Monster” father. Why did the Obelisk not kill Raina? It’s almost as though he commanded it or knew how it worked. Was he the reason Raina got her hands on the rare carbide that is 3 times stronger than diamond and absorbs energy? Makes you wonder when/if that will pop up again. Further more, what else does ‘Team Pappa Skye’ have at its disposal? With one question solved, more appear.

 Carl’s Training With Hydra:

So remember when we saw that Carl Creel was losing control and the Obelisk was slowly overpowering him; but then he ‘remembered his training’ and pulled it together? This wasn’t just a little ‘believe in yourself’ moment; but actually set up for next episode where we’ll see Whitehall aka The Kraken do his thing – bring out someone’s potential.

From the previews we can see that Simmons is working with Hydra; but was this to go undercover or was she ‘persuaded; by Whitehall. Whether by black mail, torture or mind games Whitehall always gets his person. Though regardless of what happened to Simmons, Whitehall and Hydra will be chasing down another ‘gifted’ individual, Donnie Gill aka Blizzard – whom you might remember from the Season 1 episode “Seeds” when Fit and Simmons visited their old academy.

Will Whitehall get to him first and make him follow the same path as Creel; or will Donnie help the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents? Whatever Whitehall does, it ensures 2 things: allegiance and improved power control. A blizzard is coming to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ; but will our heroes be ready to face it?