Originally published on PopWrapped. 2 October 2013.
Hello Agents! Let’s dive into this week’s mission, I mean, episode.
We begin with the S.H.I.E.L.D. jet soaring peacefully through the air. A woman’s voice comes on to ask if everything is a-okay. Just as Agent Coulson says it’s going to be “blue skies from here on out” the side of the plane bursts open. Inside, our favorite agent is hanging on for dear life while the blue sky tries to pull him out of the plane. Oh please. If Loki can’t kill Coulson, what makes the air think it stands a chance?
Flashback to before the plane problems. Skye is unloading her precious van and boarding said plane. She looks skeptical but Agent Ward just looks pissed. He’s whining to Coulson about Skye joining the team but Coulson is defending his decision. He points out that she did break into their database. Twice.
“She doesn’t think like us,” Ward counters. “Exactly,” Coulson replies.
FitzSimmons is also on the fence about Skye but they’re at least more cheerful about it as they show her to her bunk. There she encounters a grouchy Ward who pushes the plane’s emergency preparedness pamphlet at her. Then Coulson slides up to talk once more about the magical place known as Tahiti and how he got the plane as a gift for almost dying before the Battle of New York. Also, he’s still adorable, asking Skye to use a coaster for her water bottle on his fancy plane.
But back to the mission. Coulson explains that a 0-8-4 means that they don’t know what it means. “An object of unknown origin.” The last one was…Thor’s hammer. And we all know what happened on the way to that.
They arrive in an Incan Archaeological site in Peru. FitzSimmons are talking about monkeys and snakes while Skye realizes the reason she’s there is to divert the public’s attention when S.H.I.E.L.D. needs her to. Everything she’s against as she points out. “Yep,” Coulson nods.
He chats with the lead scientist at the site who shows him an artifact that looks harmless but Coulson doesn’t think so. He orders the village and the scientists evacuated. FitzSimmons determines the artifact looks German. I think we can all guess where this is headed.
Outside of the temple, Ward and Melinda are having a talk. He’s admonishing her for not carrying a weapon. “If I need a gun, I’ll take one,” she fires back. Damn she’s badass. And a minute later she shows it by taking two guns in the time it takes Ward to say something (else) stupid.
Back from commercial Ward and Melinda are surrounded by hostiles. Coulson comes out to diffuse the situation with his flawless Spanish and is recognized by the commander. “Philip,” she says saucily. Turns out he and Commandant Camilla go way back. I bet they do.
“You look good,” she says. “Yeah, I work out,” he replies. God, I love him. He is carrying this show and doing it with the grace and debonair attitude you’d expect from James Bond.
Back in the temple, Ward and Skye bicker about why the National police are involved and why the people are rebelling. I find myself heaving a deep sigh of boredom each time these two open their mouths. Thankfully, just as Coulson and Camilla are having a friendly chat about chocolate and the mystery device an explosion from the rebels interrupts.
Coulson goes into combat mode. He and Camilla prove to be a pretty good team, taking down rebels left and right. Ward shows off his brute strength by ripping the device out of the wall. Then he proves he’s a little bit more awesome than I thought by whipping out some kind of extendable pole that lets off a beam of energy. It takes out the rebels and allows the team to get into the van Melinda pulled around.
Inside the car the bickering continues as the non-combat trained members of this team want to roll down windows (the device is overheating) and Ward and Melinda snap not to. They barely make it to the plane amidst a flurry of bullets and Skye stupidly stands on the ramp right in the gunfire. Anyone else secretly wishing she’d get hit?
They’re waiting on Coulson who pulls up soon after and, cool as can be, waltzes onto the plane like it’s nothing. Seriously, this guy could not be more fantastic. Now that they have a minute to think, Fitz reveals that the 0-8-4 is fueled by Tesseract technology. Gamma radiation to be precise. There’s a beat and then they all take a step back from the device. Heh.
When we return from commercial, the plane is cruising along and Coulson is reporting that the 0-8-4 is run by a Hydra fuel cell and is on board. He then apologizes to Melinda for her having to get involved in combat. I can’t tell if she’s more annoyed by that or by the fact that she secretly enjoyed it. In any case, Coulson makes his exit saying, “Do you need anything else before I go check on the device fueled by evil that’s sitting in our cargo hold?”
Speaking of, the 0-8-4 is currently the subject of a screaming match between Fitz and Ward. Coulson silences them with his mere presence. Skye puts two and two together to figure out this team is brand new (duh) and that they’re all on the same level (wrong). She suggests she could even be team captain. Everyone stares at her incredulously as S.H.I.E.L.D. audiences roll their eyes.
To cool everyone’s tempers and bruised egos, Coulson wisely points out everyone’s strengths: Ward speaks six languages, Simmons is super smart and Fitz is actually a rocket scientist. “I’m good at stuff too.” Sure you are, Skye. Sure you are.
FitzSimmons examines the device closer and discovers it has a very strong laser within it. Strong enough to blow a hole in the plane. I’m sure that won’t be important later.
Ward is showing off his smart side by reading quietly when Skye finds him to offer him some alcohol as a peace offering. They have a very boring conversation that is summed up by saying that different pieces have to come together to solve a puzzle, er, problem. Isn’t this what Coulson just said?
He’s currently showing Camilla the historical artifacts on the plane and she is trying to revive their history. Coulson is suspicious of her forwardness…as is Ward. He’s keeping a close eye on Camilla’s men. They both know what’s about to happen but they’re too late. Melinda’s been incapacitated and Fitz is a hostage. Coulson is peeved and Camilla adds salt to the wound by saying she decided to betray him when she saw his crappy team. Oh burn!
Camilla’s team takes control of the plane and torture Coulson so that when S.H.I.E.L.D. calls for his access code, he’ll give it to them. Camilla reveals that Peru commissioned the Hydra-fueled device decades ago to stabilize the country and end the rebel uprising. Coulson tries to argue for uniting against common enemies, like those aliens that descended on New York, but she’s not interested.
Meanwhile, his bang-up team is taking turns accepting blame for their hostage situation. Also, Melinda is apparently also known as “The Cavalry.” She’s not a fan of the nickname but she is still a badass. While everyone else is talking and thinking she nonchalantly dislocates her wrist, takes out the guard and puts it back in place. “What’s next?”
S.H.I.E.L.D. calls in for Coulson’s confirmation code and he utters the phrase that started the episode. But he also sees Fitz’s flying drone. Coulson just has time to cling on to his tiny rope restraints before Fitz blows open the side of the plane with the Hydra 0-8-4 device.
As the team, now free thanks to the lowered air pressure releasing the locks on the doors, heads upstairs. Ward hopes Coulson can handle himself while he takes out the guards and everyone else goes for the device. Ward does indeed do a good job of taking down Camilla’s men. Melinda takes back the pilot seat with a few swift kicks. Coulson proves to be the ultimate gentlemen by grabbing Camilla’s hand as she almost flies out the plane. What a guy.
FitzSimmons recovers the device and Skye unbuckles herself from their safety chain for some brilliant reason. She goes for the inflatable raft, which when deployed nicely, blocks the gaping hole in the plane’s side just in time to save Ward.
The bruised and bloodied team looks shaken but unified. The plane takes them to The Slingshot, an uber secret S.H.I.E.L.D. location. There Coulson inspects Lola for damage (priorities people) and chats with Skye. She wants to back out since her day has been, you know, crazy. She takes very little convincing to stick around, and Melinda just as easily convinces Ward to be Skye’s Supervising Officer.
The team fesses up to collectively deciding to blow up part of the plane and Coulson is a proud papa. They share some beers and watch a rocket launch to deliver the Hydra device to its new home in the sun.
Skye gets a cryptic message on her phone from Rising Tide asking if she’s still with them. After a moment of thought she replies: I’m in.
In the after credits scene, Nick Fury berates Coulson for destroying the brand new plane in only six days. Samuel L. Jackson is always at his best when he gets to rant. “You know I have the authority to downgrade your ass to a Winnebago?!” He also warns Coulson about Skye.
Field Notes:
So Ward was shot protecting the group today. I’m not saying he’s not a good agent; I’m just saying he’s dull.
Ming-Na Wen has honest, deadpan delivery down to a science. As the team chatters away about the escape plan: “You guys talk a lot.”
For a second episode, “0-8-4” is decently strong. It builds on what we learned in the pilot and gives us a little more action. I don’t see much development for Ward or Skye but the intrigue of her maintaining connection to Rising Tide may help. I did enjoy more of Melinda being awesome and FitzSimmons doing the geeky thing. Still it’s Clark Gregg as Coulson that keeps me tied to this show. Forget Nick Fury; Coulson is the Alpha and Omega of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. That cameo from Samuel L. Jackson was pretty fun though.
What did you think of “0-8-4”? Did you cheer for Fury and worship Coulson once again? Share your thoughts in the comments.
For now, Agent Coats out.
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