After this week’s season finale there were a lot of questions still unanswered and new threads open to exploration. Since I couldn’t touch upon all of the aspects I wanted to in my initial review, I have taken it upon myself to go over a number of these lingering questions and see where they might lead and how they might be handled. I cover everything from Patton Oswalt’s random (but appreciated) reappearance to the crazy alien scribbling. Be warned; there be spoilers beyond this point. Continue if you dare!
LMD?
Life Model Decoys – Nick Fury
In the final moments of episode 22 we saw the glorious return of Patton Oswalt, but not as Eric Koenig. This time we meet Oswalt as the eerily similar Billy Koenig. He looks the same, dresses the same, they even tell the same jokes! Marvel could opt to go the identical twin angle but I prefer to think this is the first official look at an LMD in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. LMD’s (Life Model Decoy) are typically used by Nick Fury in the comics to be in multiple places at once and to protect him from any looming threats. If LMD’s do in fact exist in the MCU it would go a long way in explaining how Fury can instantly travel from the middle of the ocean to the Cybertek facility. They also open up Marvel’s ability to play with death. If LMD’s are an everyday commodity in the MCU an Avenger can be killed off to create some genuine emotion and then can easily be brought back in at a later date citing LMD as the cause.
While this would eventually wear thin on audiences it has worked for the comics. The possibilities are seemingly endless when it comes to the decoys. Marvel can play mind games with their audience. For example, the film opens to Captain America causing all sorts of Chaos on a city street or in a bank. He continues this spree for as long as possible until people are brought in to take him down. The entire city has now turned against Cap thinking that he has betrayed the people he once swore to protect. Turns out it was actually a decoy created by the Red Skull or Baron Zemo to destroy Caps reputation in order to turn his allies against him. Thus making him more vulnerable to attack.
I’m sure Marvel could come up with something a little better but I’m sure you get the idea. The introduction of LMD’s can lead to many interesting places, its about time it happened.
Inhumanity?
Skye’s mysterious past has yet to be fully revealed, and with her bloodied father hinted at in the final moments of the show it seems like an obvious path to follow. While the term Inhuman has never been uttered there have been many clear hints pointing to their existence. Raina (Ruth Negga) spent the last episode harping about evolution and asking Garrett (the formerly not actually clairvoyant Clairvoyant but now real clairvoyant Clairvoyant) about “what she will become”. If we look at the comics this is a clear indication of Terrigenesis, a process in which one exposed to the Terrigen Mist transforms into their true selves. Skye’s father did seem human when we saw him (at least his hand did) so the question of inhumanity is indeed still up in the air but I would be willing to bet this will be revealed in due time.
Skye actress, Chloe Bennet, spilled the beans herself when she told the media that the blue alien we saw in TAHITI was in fact a Kree. The Kree are the creators of the Inhumans, thus reinforcing my theory even further. With major hints dropping throughout the season, Skye’s shadowy lineage, and Bennet’s slip up combined with the fact that the markings on the blue alien match perfectly with other markings on established Kree characters (Ronan from Guardians of the Galaxy) the true nature of this mystery is a no brainer. It is just a matter of time before we get an answer.
Kree, responsible for the miracle drug GH 325
How Inhumans are depicted is another question entirely. Will they retain a human look but gain access to powers? Or will they change shape into something more fitting of the abilities they inherit? Keeping a human form will cut costs on the production end of things will it will be a bit of a let down from a fan perspective. Perhaps a compromise is in order. The Inhumans gain new powers plus the ability to switch between their normal and “true” forms. This would explain why Skye’s father was covered in blood; maybe he had just turned back into his human self, shedding the skin of his Inhuman body. Pretty grotesque stuff but it would offer enthralling visuals and create a macabre over tone any time they entered the scene.
Deathlok: A New Hope
Mike Peterson is now free of Cybertek and HYDRA control, allowing him to return to his son and resume his normal life. Except for the fact that he is a cyborg designed for death and destruction, and has already committed countless acts of terror under duress. It will be quite the engaging storyline, watching Deathlok travel the globe in order to make amends for his deeds as a personal assassin. I do hope they find a way to incorporate his inner struggle from the comics. Mike Collins (the comic Deathlok) is always at odds with his prior programming, butting heads with the computer inside as to how to go about certain situations. If they can find a way to harness that dynamic then Mike Peterson will become a much more gripping and compelling character. He didn’t play the biggest role in season 1 and I hope that is changed come next fall.
Comic Deathlok vs AoS Deathlok
To keep Deathlok as a supporting character would be a major missed opportunity. His attempt at redemption should be put front and center, doing everything he can to make up for what he has done and make him worthy of returning to his son. With Coulson as the new director of SHIELD, Deathlok would be a perfect addition to the team. Adding some superhero credibility to the new organization and offering Mike a place where he can actively do good. I just hope they change up his outfit, the armor he has going on was fine for a first attempt but now that he is on his own I think he should be able to pick out his own clothes.
Coulson: Director of SHIELD
The biggest status shift during the season finale came from Nick Fury when he named Coulson the new director and tasked him with creating a newer, better version of the organization. This opens up a ton of possibilities. Coulson and the team will undoubtedly be recruiting to fill out the ranks. Whether or not that means powered individual’s remains to be seen but expect some new faces to pop up. I would love to see Coulson split up his assets on a hunt for supers around the globe. May and Simmons working together trying to convince someone who can fly to join SHIELD would be kind of cool to see. This would make for a good excuse to take a break from a more serialized approach and return to the shows roots. While I wouldn’t want a majority of the episodes to do this it would provide a nice distraction and make for compelling side stories. The main concern with this development is how it will affect the larger universe. SHIELD has played a massive role in the creation of The Avengers that a new SHIELD will play a role in their story again at some point. When and how the Avengers will learn of Coulson’s resurrection is only a matter of time now. It also begs the question, how will they react? Coulson, a man they learned to trust, has kept his second life a secret the entire time. Not to mention Maria Hill, who is now an employee at Stark industries, is keeping secrets from her boss. I have a feeling things will not go over well and the interactions that follow will provide some great on screen drama.
Another point to watch out for is the return of Adrian Pasdar’s Col. Talbot. He was on the hunt for Coulson before he was appointed director of a new SHIELD. If, more likely when, he catches wind of this you can bet he will be back on their trail. Having talked about Coulson’s new job, that leaves us with the question…
What is up with Coulson?
This ties into the Inhuman theory but is a separate plot thread that I thought deserved its own mention. The very last thing we see before the end of season 1 is Coulson waking up from his sleep to carve a bunch of lines and circles into the wall of his shiny new room (what a waste). This chicken scratch may be familiar to those of you paying attention. We are first introduced to this strange writing in episode 4, when Ward infiltrates a secret base disguised as Akela Amador. The writing had never been brought up again, until the final episode. We see Garrett go to town on a shiny glass door (another waste… whatever happened to pen and paper?). While these odd markings have not been elaborated upon in any capacity, if we put together what we know about Skye and Raina it isn’t too farfetched to think Coulson is somehow connected to the Kree. It will have to be explained why it took him so long to show any symptoms (Garrett went crazy immediately after injection while Coulson was fine for the entire season) but it is clear there are alien elements influencing him.
In comic lore the Kree people are led by a being known as the Supreme Intelligence. The SI is a collected body (or head) of all of the amassed knowledge the Kree people has ever had. It is connected to all Kree at all times and does have the ability to issue commands. What we could be seeing is Coulson’s integration into the Kree network. If he is in fact linked to the intelligence it would explain his cooky behavior and make for an incredible connection to the broader MCU. With Guardians of the Galaxy hitting theatres in a couple months it wouldn’t be surprising to see major alien elements crop up in AoS’s second season. Initial criticism of SHIELD was based around the lack of connectivity between the TV world and the movie world. If SHIELD kicks off season 2 with huge connections to threads from the Guardians they will by pass that complaint and get in to the meat of things that much quicker. His new “abilities” along with his status as director of SHIELD will ensure refreshing stories in the new season.
What is he doing? (The final shot of season 1)
Gravitonium anyone?
The final point I would like to discuss covers a few things. Before Garrett was taken out by SHIELD, Raina and Quinn left with the gravitonium in tow. After this we never see it again. Eagle-eyed fans will remember that Dr. Franklin Hall (played by Ian Hart) was engulfed by the strange substance after getting into a kerfuffle with Coulson. Comic fans know that this eventually leads to the creation of Graviton, an Avengers level baddie. The producers wouldn’t have kept the gravitonium in play if they didn’t intend to bring Graviton into the universe at some point, begging the question; where is it? Last we saw of Raina she didn’t have it with her, implying she doesn’t want to give it up to Skye’s father. This leads me to believe she has a more sinister purpose in mind and that Raina will be stepping up in a big way come the second season.
While on the topic of super villains, where did Donnie Gill go? When he was being shipped off to SHIELD we saw the young recruit awaken his ice powers only to be forgotten in the chaos that was HYDRA. Much like the gravitonium, they wouldn’t have introduced him if they planned on dropping the character. Could we see a massive group of super villains teaming up to disrupt Coulson’s attempt at a new SHIELD. Will he become one of the “miracles” Baron Strucker mentioned in the teaser for Age of Ultron? Like all of the other questions asked, we will have to wait till the fall to find out.
Franklin Hall (Ian Hart) falling into the gravitonium (EP.3)
Finally we get to HYDRA itself. With the secret villain organization playing such a huge role at the tail end of season 1 it is clear they will return for the second season, how exactly that happens is beyond me. Ward made it clear his allegiance to HYDRA was strictly through his loyalty to Garrett, leaving us with zero known ties to the group. We will most likely be introduced to new threats early on but for now we will have to be content in the dark.
Conclusion
With all of these mysteries left unanswered, and new ones sure to rear their heads, the future ofAgents of SHIELD looks to be filled with intrigue and suspense. How all of this plays out will make a compelling case for people to tune in for the second season. If some of my ideas are employed they may chuck the stigma of a “superhero show without superheroes” and be able to entice an all-new audience. I have high hopes for season 2 and hope that all of my queries are met with satisfaction. Until then everybody, stand with SHIELD!
I know this was long and I appreciate all of you who stuck with me. For all things Marvel and Agents of SHIELD check back in to OTL News – Only the Latest!