Coulson drops Amador, now wearing an eye patch, off with SHIELD, while assuring her that he intends to make sure she gets a fair trial.  As May escorts her away, however, Amador turns to her and asks “What did they do to him?”  He’s obviously different to her, though we don’t find out exactly how, as May evades the question and hands her over.  Coulson again finds Skye hiding in the SHIELD SUV, though she insists on calling him “AC”, saying that it’s cool, and that he’s cool.  They talk about second chances, which they both are currently living out.  As Coulson says that he likes how peaceful it is where Skye is hiding, we get a last glimpse of Amador, finally able to shut her eyes and find peace, even if she’s in a SHIELD jail cell.

Tonight’s post-credit scene gives us Fitz munching loudly on pretzels while playing cards with Ward.  Ward makes a big bet, but Fitz claims he knows Ward’s tell.  But it turns out that he has Skye on the other end of his earpiece, ready to put on the x-ray glasses in order to cheat and read Ward’s cards.  Before she does, however, she reminds Fitz that if she does it she’ll also be able to see him without his clothes on, which causes Fitz to fold and walk away embarrassed.  Skye laughs, and then puts on the glasses anyway, giving an approving sort of look as she apparently check out what Ward looks like under his clothes.

Tonight’s episode gave us a bigger taste of the mythology of the show, with a shadowy organization that SHIELD still knows little about.  We got some good scenes between Skye and “AC”, while also getting a better sense of how the group dynamic works.  While Coulson is in charge, he seems to be leaving the day-to-day running of the group to Ward.  This is interesting considering how much Ward was opposed to working on a team at all, but perhaps this is Coulson’s way of maneuvering him in with the group.  Melinda May is still struggling to find her place in the group, and whether or not she can completely trust Coulson, although it seems like she took another small step in that direction this week.  Another solid episode, and SHIELD seems to be settling into a nice routine.  I think there’s more drama to come, but they don’t want to get too deep into things and risk alienating new viewers.  It’s a common theme among first seasons of Joss Whedon shows.

  S.H.I.E.L.D. Thoughts

So far we’ve had one person with superpowers, one piece of mysterious technology, one science related threat and now a rogue agent.  it looks like we’ll be getting our second superpowered individual next week, as the case seems to revolve around a man with the ability to control fire.  I imagine the general TV audience is probably expecting a fair number of superhero/villain related episodes, given SHIELD’s connection to The Avengers.  Hopefully next week’s show will satisfy that craving for a little while.  It’s nice to see that sort of storyline, but I wouldn’t want them to rely on it every week.

However, next week’s superpowered person seems to be a result of some sort of scientific manipulation, either genetic or through some device or procedure.  ABC may not actually be able to use the word “mutant” due to Marvel’s licensing deal with Fox for the X-Men franchise, so they may have to keep coming up with a variety of explanations for the appearance of superpowers.  We’ll see how this shakes out in the episodes ahead, as it could be a hinderance or a blessing in disguise.

It seems like the internal drama of our group will also be heating up next week, as Skye was shown in the preview being handcuffed.  I would imagine that something about Skye’s dual loyalty to SHIELD and the Rising Tide is discovered.  Considering the sweet moments between Skye and Coulson this week, this will probably feel like a much bigger betrayal than it would have before tonight’s episode.

Everything Coulson says in each episode feels at this point like it’s supposed to be a clue to the mystery of his resurrection.  I’m sure I’m starting to overanalyze things, but it’s the one big mystery that the show has going for it at the moment so I feel a stronger need to solve it than I probably would otherwise.

Let’s not forget the mysterious group that’s been behind events lately.  I can’t say for sure, but I don’t believe tonight’s secret agency was definitively linked to the one from the pilot episode which created the Centipede program.  I feel like we’re supposed to assume they’re the same group, and it would help the show further define its “Big Bad” for the season if they are, but there didn’t seem to be any definitive word on that tonight.  At this point in the season it’s still early, so there isn’t a need for a huge enemy for SHIELD to face, as the episodes are still focused on bringing the characters together, but the pilot and this episode ended with the same sort of hints at something bigger out there, so I’m inclined to connect the two.

Don’t let me forget a few last thoughts about the show!

1. Agents of SHIELD was officially picked up for a back half of season 1!  That’s definitely good news for fans, even if it’s not on the level of a season 2 pickup.  At least we know that we’ll get to see what the cast and crew can do with a full slate of episodes to tell a bigger story.
2. I love the recurring gag of Coulson trying to make small talk with May in the cockpit of the Bus.  I like the way he refuses to give up on trying to get her to open up a bit and relax, and that she seems to enjoy shooting him down.  Coulson’s little “ok” as he left had the air of someone who will wait and try again later.
3. Every week I keep waiting for the show to have opening credits and a theme song.  Joss’s other shows each had very distinctive openings, with Buffy’s energetic Nerf Herder song, Angel’s mournful and dark intro, Dollhouse’s mysterious vocal track and Firefly’s absolutely perfect anthem.  I’m not saying that I think SHIELD should have an opening song, but for some reason I keep waiting for it.  It’s probably time to let that go, however, as most new shows don’t have prolonged intros.
4. I think I’m sold on the “post-credits scenes” at the end of each episode.  Considering how famous the ones from the Marvel Cinematic Universe are (shawarma!), it’s a great way to tie the show to the movies.  We’ve gotten mysterious teasers as well as standalone comedic punchlines and big name cameos.  I don’t know that they can keep it up for a full season, but I do think that it’s clever and different from other things we see on TV.  Even if it’s a bit silly that they have to put a reminder before the final commercial break so that people don’t change the channel.

What do you think?  Did you enjoy “Eye-Spy”?  What’d you think of the considerably upped gross-out factor?  Do you think the mysterious group from the pilot episode was behind the events we saw tonight?  Are you excited to see more superpowers next week?  Aren’t we all glad that SHIELD got picked up for the rest of the season?  Am I the only one who still expects an opening credits song?  What do you think of the post credits scenes?  Let me know in the comments!