What I’m Watching: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D: Season 2, Episode 3 “Making Friends and Influencing People” (B-)

Now I’m conflicted. I was ready to drop this show last week, which shouldn’t have been hard given the fact that Tuesday nights are getting awfully crowded. But I guess I’m a sucker for mythology, or maybe just for sticking around. I still don’t feel that the characters are all that well-defined or that the story is presented in the most compelling manner. But I do feel like it’s headed somewhere, and not at a slow pace. Seeing Dylan Minnette’s Donnie back as someone who uses his abilities to deadly effect simply because he doesn’t want to be bothered underscores what this show is supposed to be about even if all its primary characters are the ones without powers. Introducing Reed Diamond’s mysteriously alive Daniel Whitehall last week paved for the way him to chew some scenery with a few lengthy speeches in this episode, and it may be well the strongest role that Diamond has had in a while (sorry, “Franklin and Bash”). It’s reassuring to learn that Simmons didn’t go AWOL and that she’s actually undercover for Coulson, though I do question both her ability to lie, as May pointed out, and the durability of her cover story given that Hydra is fully aware of her past with S.H.I.E.L.D. With Simmons firmly away, it’s good to see Fitz getting back to reality, even if that means nearly killing Ward to express his anguish. Speaking of Ward, now that Skye knows her father is still alive, when can we see Kyle Machlachlan again?