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

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D: Season 2, Episode 8 “Things We Bury” (B+)

Is there any denying the maniacal brilliance of Kyle MacLachlan? There’s something about his delivery that just can’t be matched, from his introduction as a doctor to his emotionless review of the fact that he shouldn’t have given himself away by calling Coulson by his first name. It’s very interesting to learn that he’s not just allying himself with Whitehall, but instead positioning him for a painful death as revenge for torturing and killing Skye’s mother. I love the casting of Dichen Lachman, best known for her work on “Dollhouse,” as the woman who managed to touch the obelisk without being destroyed and who didn’t age in the decades of Reinhardt’s incarceration. Seeing the transformation of Reinhardt into Whitehall was informative and worthwhile, and this latest flashback to Agent Carter, coupled with ads on the bottom of the screen for her show’s premiere, make the 1950s post-Hydra world seem like an intriguing place to visit. I enjoyed Coulson giving Skye and Triplett ridiculous errands to do in Hawaii without cracking a smile, and it’s good to see Bobbi and Hunter letting off some steam by jumping back into bed together, a decision they’ll surely regret. Ward’s time spent digging for the well with his brother was unsettling, and though Christian died an offscreen and unglamorous death (is he really dead?), it’s clear that Ward doesn’t possess much emotion and is simply concerned with whatever the best and most logical business deal presented to him is. He’s the perfect ally for Whitehall and a formidable enemy for S.H.I.E.L.D.