What I’m Watching: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Season Finale)

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D: Season 2, Episodes 21 and 22 “S.O.S.” (B)

Now, this was a season finale. This double-decker episode demonstrated that this show doesn’t need “The Avengers” to define where it goes and what plotlines it features since it has more than enough going on in its own world that deserves plenty of focus. What these two hours did more than anything was to redefine a few of our characters and who they really are. After Cal turned into what would best be described as the monster from “Young Frankenstein,” Coulson managed to talk him down and convince him that he’s never been the monster but that it was the Jiaying that he rebuilt after Whitehall destroyed her who turned him into that, who continuously urged him to wreak havoc and destruction on innocents to further her goals. Seeing him end up with his memory wiped as a happy-go-lucky vet was extremely sweet, and it’s nice to see one positive outcome of everything. Gordon, who seemed just as angelic at times as Jiaying, was also recast as a villain, one whose death was almost celebrated by Mack and Fitz. When Ward set the death trap for Bobbi and Hunter, he revealed himself not to be just a mercenary but someone obsessive who couldn’t let things go, cowardly firing a few bullets into the woman he thought was May but was actually his beloved Kara. I’m not sure what his plan with his team involves, but it looks like he’ll be focused more on Hydra than on S.H.I.E.L.D. for the moment, which is good. Fitz asking Gemma out to dinner was wondrously awkward but equally wonderful, and it’s just a shame that Gemma appears to have been swallowed up by the Kree stone. That mist-ified fish oil is definitely going to be trouble too. I can’t say that this season has been spectacularly consistent, but I think I’ll be back to check out season three next year.

Season grade: B
Season MVP: Nick Blood as Hunter and Adrianne Palicki as Bobbi