Loved it? Hated it? What did you think of "Providence" ?

[DA_Champion]

This was a decent episode, really cool, very comic book-y. Some comments:

- I'm happy they've fixed the plothole from episode 3 or 4, when they sent the Tesseract remnant into the Sun, at the time I had found that extremely dangerous. Turns out this never happened, good.
- What was in the basement? Graviton or Abomination?
- I feel bad for Skye. She's falling/fallen for Ward.
- Coulson's speech "we are not agents of nothing" was pretty moving.

They need to work on the world-building better. Thousands of people just died in Washington, a multibillion dollar agency was destroyed, and nobody's worried. The air force general speaking to Coulson was relaxed, like he was sipping margaritas at the beach, and why are they waiting hours to send people? Shield is in Washington isn't it?

[Starsaber]

The Triskellion was in Washington. The Hub is somewhere else.

[DA_Champion]

I know that. I meant things seemed relaxed in Washington at the start of the episode considering what just happened.

[nate-dog1701d]

Well, Skye gave us the new name of the show for season 2: Agents of N.O.T.H.I.N.G.

- What was in the basement? Graviton or Abomination?

I figured it was the gravitonium.

[Backward Galaxy]

Well, Skye gave us the new name of the show for season 2: Agents of N.O.T.H.I.N.G.

Kinda catchy.

I figured it was the gravitonium.

That was my understanding as well.

[DA_Champion]

Can you guys make an abbreviation out of NOTHING?

[jon-el87]

Well, Skye gave us the new name of the show for season 2: Agents of N.O.T.H.I.N.G.

National Organization Tactical Hazard Intervention and Neutralization Group. (Well, that's what happens, when you make the acronym, before deciding on a name.)

[Backward Galaxy]

Non-Official, Tactical, Hydra Intervention and Neutralization Group

Network to Observe and Target Hydra, to Inhibit and Neutralize said Group

Eh. There's probably something there.

[Welling_is_pretty]

This episode was chock full!

Starting with Ward breaking Raina out and Raina being so disappointed the Clairvoyant isn't actually 'gifted'. I wonder if that won't turn out to be an exploitable point later (and I have to admit, I was disappointed as well).

Talbot! In one of the Coulson shorts, I know he and Sitwell talked about Blonsky. I wonder how Coulson feels about Talbot and that whole thing?

Is it me or does Gemma seem to be losing faith in Coulson? Which bothers me. I mean, I don't expect her to have total blind faith, you have to question, but after everything they've gone through? It bugs me that she doesn't trust him more.

Trip on the plane. Is he supposed to be Ward's replacement, I wonder?

Ward conning Skye on the phone. It was sort of eerie, watching him switch to "Ward, Agent of SHIELD".

May thinks Hydra might have done something to Phil's brain? Really, Melinda?

That was pretty clever, how Ward and Garrett got into the Fridge. And when Ward shot those 2 agents, it became clear, he's really Hydra. Hand and the agents on the plane could have been faked. Those 2 guys? I don't think so.

So Fury was keeping all the weapons. I'm not surprised. I just figured they'd be in a more secure place.

Coulson thinking Fury sent him the coordinates, turning out to be right. It bothered me that the team doubted him. They should have had faith. Coulson hasn't led them wrong yet!

So Fury's not dead (not a surprise) but only Phil can know? Huh. I liked how they name checked Maria and Cap.

That metal on Garrett's side. Curious.

And Quinn's anger at being deceived was nice to see.

A strong episode.

[President_Luthor]

Two things I liked about this episode:

1) Raina realizing that the Clairvoyant wasn't some gifted messianic prophet who can predict the future ... but an opportunistic mercenary type who, in his words, tacked his sail into the prevailing wind. Hydra happened to be going the direction he wanted and he rolled with it. The one thing that annoyed me about her previously -- her hero worship of all things Clairvoyant -- was shattered here. Plus, she gets an irritating nickname from Garrett. Raina gets a reality check. It's uncharted waters for her now that her idol is just some guy who had access to good intel. She becomes more interesting than she ever was when she adored the Clairvoyant as just some nameless being with mysterious abilities.

2) Ward confirming his heel turn. There's no going back now, the team will never be the same. With this episode (along with the previous one) Ward is becoming, to paraphrase the Dos Equis guy, the "Most Interesting Man" in AoS. Everything that I didn't like about Ward -- the dull, ready-aye-ready good soldier who can always be relied upon but could fit his personality traits in a thimble -- it was all a ruse. A means to an end. I am really hoping he's not under some sort of mind control. They have the opportunity to add layers of character development to him, now that he's navigating the world of a double agent (and, yes, as a traitor). I haven't actually heard him say "Hail Hydra" yet, so we'll see if his heel turn is 100%.

One minus is the inexplicable need to force this (boring and predictable) Ward/Skye ship upon us as viewers. It's unavoidable, now that he needs to contact Skye to access that flash drive. When I'm still trying to digest the idea of Skye as a full-fledged SHIELD agent who has "earned" her place, they give her a romance -- something that could become more of a burden than an asset re: her character development. The Skye relationship could be the "out" they could exploit so that Ward can escape his potentially exciting, character-enhancing story arc as a turncoat, return hand-in-hand with Skye and even, beyond belief, return to Coulson's good graces.

All will be forgiven. Because Skye loves him. By Thor's Hammer, I'm hoping it doesn't go this way. I want Team Coulson to hunt down Garrett and Ward out of a sense of justice / reckoning or even due to darker impulses such as revenge -- not because Ward broke Skye's heart.

[nate-dog1701d]

No One Touch Hydra In a Night Gown.

[Backward Galaxy]

No One Touch Hydra In a Night Gown.

Batman wins again.

[Welling_is_pretty]

The Skye relationship could be the "out" they could exploit so that Ward can escape his potentially exciting, character-enhancing story arc as a turncoat, return hand-in-hand with Skye and even, beyond belief, return to Coulson's good graces.

All will be forgiven. Because Skye loves him.

I fear this may happen as well. That the power of Skye's love for him will turn him back (or that he'll have to betray Hydra in order to save her or the like).

While I do sometimes enjoy the "power of love saves us all" stories, in this case I think it would be a giant mistake. And if Ward has killed Hand and all those other SHIELD agents, can there ever really be a 'going back' for him?

No, I think Ward is working out far better as a villain than as a hero. Frankly, he's a more interesting villain than Garrett at this point, partly because he was a trusted member of the team.

Also, I can't wait for May to find out he played her. She is so going to make him pay...!

[mbozzo]

'Providence' is a good episode. Ward turned out to be an agent of Hydra. Glen Talbot made an appearance in this episode. How long before we get Thunderbolt Ross aka the Red Hulk? The agents get a new hideout, while Hydra turned the world against S.H.I.E.L.D. The bad news is that Ward is heading toward the new hideout planning to betray his fellow S.H.I.E.L.D agents.