Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Recap: Hunter and the Hunted

That said, there's still a lot to like about "Heavy Is the Head", an episode that ramps up the tension by spending a lot of time focusing on the new agents: or rather, one agent and one mercenary-turned-agent. Lance Hunter (Nick Blood) just barely survived the encounter with "The Crusher" known as Creel last week. However, while he managed to get away safely, Agent Hartley (Lucy Lawless) wasn't so lucky, and her death has left him utterly broken up. The implication is that he initially joined S.H.I.E.L.D. out of love for Hartley, whom he met through his ex-wife. But her death has left him reconsidering his allegiances, particularly since Coulson (Clark Gregg) seems to have no intention of actually capturing Creel, whose actions resulted in Hartley's death. Instead, Coulson is far more focused in following Creel and monitoring him to ascertain whom he's working for, and what that person wants. Hunter disagrees with the approach, and it isn't long before he finds himself faced with a way to get what he wants, as Brigadier General Talbot (Adrian Pasdar) agrees to pay Hunter $2 million and arrange a proper burial for Hartley -- provided he can bring them Coulson. It's an interesting conflict of interest that might have carried a bit more weight if we knew Hunter a little better than not at all. His choice doesn't have the meaning it should because we don't know him nor do we really have an appreciation for how deep his connection with Hartley was that he would compromise whatever loose morality he has in order to see her get a proper burial. That said, Hunter's story still works because, at its basic level, the character beats work.

Credit: ABC

Ultimately, Hunter chooses to come to Coulson with information of Talbot's offer, to allow the S.H.I.E.L.D. Director to match the terms. He can't pay him the same amount of money, but he can see to Hartley's burial. However, Hunter isn't entirely satisfied, since Coulson remains intent on following Creel instead of killing him. This approach grows more problematic when Creel accidentally kills a diner waitress when she mistakenly touches his arm, which is being overtaken by the effects of the obelisk. So Coulson is basically avoiding taking down a man who's actively killing civilians now. Thus, it's no real surprise that Hunter betrays the team to go after Creel himself. A fight breaks out, and it's wall-to-wall chaos that results in a climax in which Creel is turned to stone. Yet while Creel has been neutralized, the obelisk is still at large.

Credit: ABC

The object has landed in the hands of a returning Raina (Ruth Negga), who no longer works with HYDRA. Instead, she's working with a mysterious man named The Doctor (Kyle McLachlan) who is implied to be the long-lost father of Skye (Chloe Bennet). He also seems to be the only person who understands how this obelisk works, as he recognizes that the obelisk isn't working when Raina touches it, rather it's simply allowing her to live as opposed to killing her in exactly the same way it's killed everyone else. But why it's allowing her to live, we don't really know. We see it glow bright orange, and it reveals markings on the side that are similar to the markings Coulson is making on the walls of his room while under a trance. These trances were one of the cliffhangers that closed out last season, and they might be in some way related to the drug S.H.I.E.L.D. used to bring Coulson back to life. But for now, it's mostly still a mystery, although Coulson has apparently informed May (Ming-Na Wen) about the trances. In response, she has taken to photographing them to document the strange occurrence, which she implores Coulson to stop fighting against. How does this all tie into the obelisk? All in all, it's a worthwhile mystery, and it's embedded at the end of the episode just as Coulson is growing more overwhelmed by his new responsibilities as director. He hires Hunter permanently to the S.H.I.E.L.D. team, even though he recognizes that there's no guarantee Hunter won't turn on them again. But beggars can't be choosers when S.H.I.E.L.D. is at a lack of experienced boots on the ground.

Credit: ABC

In other developments, we get to know Mack (Henry Simmons), who is pretty much the only real, flesh-and-blood, not-a-hallucination person keeping Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) clear-headed. Or, at least, as clear-headed as he can be in his condition. Mack works closely with Fitz on the development of the cloaking technology, all while Fitz continues to face conflict with the Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) who exists in his head. Mack is shown to be a resourceful agent in the lab, proving capable of deciphering Fitz's scramble-brained ramblings, and applying his directions to finishing the cloaking device. However, he admits he's less a guy who can play a song by ear, and more somebody who needs sheet music, since he doesn't really function all that well without direction. He's a very likable character though, and right off the bat, to boot, as he shows a certain authoritativeness and dedication to hard work that makes him feel trustworthy. Whether that assessment bears out or not is anyone's guess, but I like the Fitz-Mack pairing, even if it's not as enjoyable as FitzSimmons.

Credit: ABC

"Heavy Is the Head" is a solid episode for a season that is reshaping Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. into a much darker show that's far more interesting than its first season, even if that also means it's occasionally less fun and adventurous.