A lackluster first half of the season turned around rather dramatically once Captain America: The Winter Soldier hit screens. So, what’s on the docket for Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s second season? Here’s everything we know.
The Plot In A Nutshell
After S.H.I.E.L.D. turns out to have been corrupted by HYDRA, Nick Fury appoints Coulson the new director of the organization. That basically means he gets to keep the fancy jet, the Batcave, and the Patton Oswalt clones, and faces the distrust of the rest of the world, especially Glen Talbot, shaping up to be a big bad for the season. Also, Fitz suffered brain damage and Ward, being a traitor and having his larynx broken by May, is currently in jail.
Oh, also, Coulson started scratching a mysterious diagram into some concrete, which is apparently important enough to merit its own billboard. So he’s got that going for him.
What Can We Expect From Season Two?
The show has been on a real casting binge of late. Kyle MacLachlan has been cast as a mad scientist who happens to be Skye’s father. He bleeds from the hands and murders people. Pleasant fellow. Lucy Lawless will be showing up as a long-time S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Adrianne Palicki will be playing fan favorite and Hawkeye spouse Mockingbird.
In addition, the Absorbing Man will apparently be a running villain, there’s a HYDRA agent on their asses, and at least some of this will have to do with Agent Peggy Carter, one of the founding members of S.H.I.E.L.D. who, by a total coincidence, is getting her own miniseries this year. And this is before Daredevil is unleashed on Netflix next year.
Should I Watch?
While the season ending was a corker and ridiculously good, finally making with what we wanted from the show all along, I’m a little hesitant to endorse this. For one thing, closely tying it to Captain America may have paid dividends in the back half of the season, but it was one dull front half, to the point where we actually discussed whether ABC should have renewed it.
But at the same time, there’s a lot in play, and the show’s giving us what we want. It seems to be deliberately stepping away, just a bit, from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and standing on its own. So, for now, it’s worth picking up to see where they’re headed.