Last time, the agents have been captured by HYDRA. With a big battle about to occur, it's up to Daisy Johnson to gather the other Inhuman agents (as the Secret Warriors) in order to rescue them. Are these new, but powerful, agents ready to face Gideon Malick and Hive? Big changes are on the horizon as the Secret Warriors get ready to take on HYDRA.
Warning: Spoilers for season 3, episode 17 of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., "The Team," will be discussed below.
The Secret Warriors Attack a HYDRA Base
We've seen Daisy and Lincoln use their powers in the field. It's time for Joey to use his melting powers and Yo-Yo to use her slingshot speedster powers. This is something the season has been building up to. We've seen the other Inhumans gathered, and now they get to use their abilities against HYDRA. We get to see the Inhumans use their powers both offensively and defensively.
Joey Kills an Enemy/Inhuman
Too many times we see big battles on TV with virtually no casualties. The Secret Warriors may possess a lot of power, but there's only four of them against an unknown number in the HYDRA base. When Lucio, the evil Inhuman HYDRA found in Colombia, uses his eye blasts, his foes are instantly frozen and put out of commission. After he froze Lincoln, Joey reacted instantly in the heat of the moment. Grabbing a pipe on the ground as Lucio entered the room, Joey plunged it into his chest. Not only was this Joey's first real mission in the field, he also ended up killing someone. This is something he'll have to deal with.
Lucio's death does allow Fitz and Simmons to do an autopsy to see how Hive infects and controls the Inhumans.
Hive has Someone on the Inside
It appears the Secret Warriors had a successful first mission. They took on an entire S.H.I.E.L.D. base, rescued their captured teammates, took out a powerful enemy, and captured Gideon Malick. The team barely managed to get out in one piece, and as May flies their plane away, we see Grant Ward/Hive seemingly content with everything that happened. He says to Giyera, "Now I have one on the inside." Someone is going to betray S.H.I.E.L.D.
Malick is Captured and is no Longer a Threat
It's a big win for S.H.I.E.L.D. since they captured the high ranking HYDRA leader. Coulson interrogates Malick and blames him for Rosalind's death. He confronts Malick about "that thing parading as Ward." Malick is defeated in more ways than one and reveals his daughter was killed by Hive. He has no problem telling Coulson what he wants to know. "It cares nothing for us. It is a god...just not ours." Having seen his death in a vision, he's willing to help S.H.I.E.L.D.
When the S.H.I.E.L.D. base is locked down, and it's suspected one of the Secret Warriors has been infected by Hive's parasites, Malick is killed. Someone stole a bomb out of the armory and set it off in his holding room. Coulson notes it was done to hide the true cause of death. Malick may be dead, but one of the agents is definitely under Hive's control.
Fitz and Simmons Together Again
Fitz and Simmons do discover quite a bit during Lucio's autopsy. His brain was infected. They find parasites have gone deep into his brain, but it doesn't appear to be permanent. This gives a small glimmer of hope for whichever Inhuman on their team has been swayed by Hive. Later when they struggle to figure out how to help the Inhumans, they kiss. Things have been strained since Fitz and Coulson returned from Maveth. Fitz actually pulls away during the kiss, saying it's going too fast. Jemma insists it's not going too fast. It's taken them ten years.
The Secret Warrior Traitor Revealed!
The suspense is cranked up and everyone is on edge when the S.H.I.E.L.D. base is locked down. The Secret Warriors may have saved the team, but they can't come into contact with Hive. During the lockdown, various signs point to Joey, Yo-Yo, and Lincoln. Lincoln especially gets starts getting angry. Coulson points out he was the one that saw Ward on the rooftop of the Transia building (in "Spacetime," a couple episodes ago). Cornered with accusations, he starts fighting his way out until Daisy finally uses her quake power to blast him against the wall to knock him out.
In a containment unit, Daisy visits him after Coulson told her the team was in quarantine. She tells Lincoln she knows he didn't betray the team. She's going to break him out. Lincoln insists they can't just throw S.H.I.E.L.D. away. It turns out Daisy was the one infected. "I'm happier than I've ever been. I've found the answer to the emptiness." At the HYDRA base, Hive came upon her and infected her. She's the one that killed Malick. When Lincoln says he doesn't want anything to do with their plan, she takes the Kree sphere, some Terrigen crystals, and seemingly starts destroying the hangar and base with her powers as she leaves.
Thoughts
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has done it again. We should come to expect the rug to get pulled out from beneath us this often. Keeping us on edge like this is what makes the show so enjoyable. With the teaser and promos hinting at the formation of the Secret Warriors, it felt like this was a new direction for the show. This is what viewers wanted--more superpowers since we're in the Marvel Universe. Unfortunately after one mission, the team is benched because of their vulnerability to Hive.
It's always surprising how easily and quickly the show kills off characters. We've seen a few villains killed, and while sort of knew Malick was going to eventually die, it didn't feel like it'd happen now. Just as he was willing to help out S.H.I.E.L.D. against Hive, he's killed. Not only is he killed, he's killed by Daisy.
Daisy being infected is the big kicker of the week. She's practically been the heart of the show. Now she's been turned to the dark side. At least the SkyeWard fans can rejoice in a dark and twisted way. It is interesting to note that Hive did refer to Daisy as Skye. It does make sense since Hive has Ward's memories and Ward wasn't really around when she decided to start going by Daisy at the beginning of this season. With Daisy now headed back to Ward, it's going to be another heavy blow against the agents.