# Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E18 The Frenemy of My Enemy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2015, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236 "2015-04-21T23:56:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/1 "2015-04-21T23:56:46Z")
“The Frenemy of My Enemy” Directed by: Karen Gaviola Written by: Monica Owusu-Breen Coming near the end of the second season. We have 4 episodes to: tell us about Coulson’s agenda, settle Skye’s fate, start a new spinoff show, and deal with whatever happens with Age of Ultron. Lots to look forward to! Thinking about it… They really have a lot to live up to. The shows that came in the aftermath of last year’s Captain America: Winter Soldier were simply amazing. Can’t wait to see how they handle it this year. [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E01: Shadows](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735202) [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E02: Heavy is the Head](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735949) [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E03: Making Friends And Influencing People (open spoilers)](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736682) [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E04: Face My Enemy](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737365) [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E05: A Hen in the Wolf House](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738138) [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E06: A Fractured House](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738875) [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E07: The Writing on the Wall](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740542) [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E08: The Things We Bury](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=17911046) [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E09:…Ye Who Enter Here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742435) [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E10: What They Become](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743084) [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E11: Aftershocks](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=750827) [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E12: Who You Really Are](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=751400) [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E13: One of Us](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=751940) [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E14: Love In the Time of Hydra](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=752626) [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E15: One Door Closes](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=753195) [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E16: Afterlife](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=753853) [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E17: Melinda](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=754493) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/2 "2015-04-22T02:56:08Z")
It didn’t work for me. The idea that everyone except the Avengers all happened to end up in the same building at the same time was so implausible it took me right out of the story. And setting up this battle royale used up most of the rest of the episode. However, that central plot aside, the other incidental stuff was good. I liked the way this episode handled the relationship between Skye and Cal. I feel it was handled perfectly on both their parts. And I liked the interaction between May and Simmons. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/3 "2015-04-22T03:20:24Z")
I was wondering how the hell Cal’s office was still as he left it nearly 30 years ago when Skye asked the same question. His answer of owning the building is a copout–doesn’t explain how taxes were paid, power remained on, maintenance was apparently done–at least enough to keep the building from becoming a crack house. Wondering what will happen when a thoroughly pissed off Cal arrived back in wherever the Inhuman crowd hangs out. Looks like Hydra is about to be at war with SHIELD1 (Coulson’s group), the Inhumans, and possibly SHIELD2 (SHIELD-Galactica?) all at the same time. Liked the bit with Mike wistfully asking about another mask like 33’s. Wondering what Ward’s game is. He had a clean shot at Coulson tonight. Had he taken it, he could have probably escaped in the chaos. Also wondering what Coulson’s game is. Walking right into Adama’s brig seems…interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/4 "2015-04-22T05:25:06Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Also wondering what Coulson’s game is. Walking right into Adama’s brig seems…interesting. I’m wondering who gets to be Acting Director while he’s gone: Fitz or Hunter? ---
**Author:** ![Reverse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@Reverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reverse)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/5 "2015-04-22T05:48:25Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > It didn’t work for me. The idea that everyone except the Avengers all happened to end up in the same building at the same time was so implausible it took me right out of the story. Coulson was following Hydra, Hydra was tracking powered person signals (three of them with Gordon and Sparkplug actively using their powers), powered persons were there because it was where Cal wanted to be. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/6 "2015-04-22T05:53:52Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > I was wondering how the hell Cal’s office was still as he left it nearly 30 years ago when Skye asked the same question. His answer of owning the building is a copout–doesn’t explain how taxes were paid, power remained on, maintenance was apparently done–at least enough to keep the building from becoming a crack house. I don’t know why you think that would be so unbelievable. You can set up automatic payments for taxes and utilities at your bank. You could do something simlar with a building maintenance company. It would just be a matter of how much money he had stashed/earned and could funnel. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/7 "2015-04-22T08:26:03Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > I was wondering how the hell Cal’s office was still as he left it nearly 30 years ago when Skye asked the same question. His answer of owning the building is a copout–doesn’t explain how taxes were paid, power remained on, maintenance was apparently done–at least enough to keep the building from becoming a crack house. > > Wondering what will happen when a thoroughly pissed off Cal arrived back in wherever the Inhuman crowd hangs out. > > Looks like Hydra is about to be at war with SHIELD1 (Coulson’s group), the Inhumans, and possibly SHIELD2 (SHIELD-Galactica?) all at the same time. > > Liked the bit with Mike wistfully asking about another mask like 33’s. > > Wondering what Ward’s game is. He had a clean shot at Coulson tonight. Had he taken it, he could have probably escaped in the chaos. > > Also wondering what Coulson’s game is. Walking right into Adama’s brig seems…interesting. He stated that he had been back a few times. And if he owns the building, he probably can afford to have a maintenance crew comes once a while. The episode was one which mainly served to move the story along…little resolution. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/8 "2015-04-22T11:27:05Z")
Didn’t really work for me either. I know this is a comic book, but there are way too many coincidences and happenstance for me to suspend disbelief. I think the worst for me was Simmons hacking into Mike’s feed exactly at the time you see Ward and Coulson together, so May and Simmons can leap to all sorts of conclusions. Everyone fighting everyone but the good guys all seem to recognize the good in the right people and know who’s Hydra instantly. They never explained Bakshi overcoming his programming, or how multiple jets with armed soldiers arrived in Milwaukee an no cops showed up at the building, even an hour after. The contrived scenario that delivered Mike and Sparky to Hydra seemed contrived. Things I liked: [ul] [li]“Best day ever”[/li][li]Skye figuring out that her dad just isn’t redeemable in his current state[/li][li]Ward - for the strange arc that the character has taken, I like him[/li][li]“The one who shot you 3 times?” “Four, actually”[/li][li]Mike asking 33 about the mask[/li][li]Coulson giving himself up at the end, but still wearing his bulletproof vest in case things didn’t go as planned[/li][/ul] But overall, not a strong episode. Too many things thrown into a blender for my tastes. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/9 "2015-04-22T12:29:43Z")
This sort of set-up episode is becoming a pattern for them lately. I do think we just learned why Raina’s other precog dreams are about being hunted – Gordon is being tracked by Hydra, _and_ he just popped back to Inhumanville after Hydra had triangulated his position. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m wondering who gets to be Acting Director while he’s gone: Fitz or Hunter? I’m wondering if Agent 33 is about Coulson’s height. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/10 "2015-04-22T14:02:48Z")
Ward’s comment “We’re out-manned, out-gunned, and our only backup is Fitz” is the first thing he has said in two seasons that made me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/11 "2015-04-22T15:03:13Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > It didn’t work for me. The idea that everyone except the Avengers all happened to end up in the same building at the same time was so implausible it took me right out of the story. And setting up this battle royale used up most of the rest of the episode. > > However, that central plot aside, the other incidental stuff was good. I liked the way this episode handled the relationship between Skye and Cal. I feel it was handled perfectly on both their parts. And I liked the interaction between May and Simmons. Why didn’t it work? Hydra tracked Gordon, Coulson followed Hydra, SHIELD 2 didn’t even get there until way later. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/12 "2015-04-22T15:07:12Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Why didn’t it work? Hydra tracked Gordon, Coulson followed Hydra, SHIELD 2 didn’t even get there until way later. Some people are very very picky. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/13 "2015-04-22T15:32:06Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Why didn’t it work? Hydra tracked Gordon, Coulson followed Hydra, SHIELD 2 didn’t even get there until way later. SHIELD 2 hacked into Mike’s eye just at the right time to see Coulson and Ward. It’s also just when Sparky and Cal had fought, Sparky having been lurking nearby. It may have been semi-logical, but IMO it was pretty awful plotting. I don’t need things to be black and white, but that was a cluster on lots of levels, with Gordon showing up as a Deus ex Machina yet again. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/14 "2015-04-22T15:37:05Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > SHIELD 2 hacked into Mike’s eye just at the right time to see Coulson and Ward. It’s also just when Sparky and Cal had fought, Sparky having been lurking nearby. It may have been semi-logical, but IMO it was pretty awful plotting. I don’t need things to be black and white, but that was a cluster on lots of levels, with Gordon showing up as a Deus ex Machina yet again. Well no, he didn’t. If he hadn’t shown up, Coulson would have gotten Skye out of there. Gordon specifically said he’d be coming back to get her and possibly has some way of keeping track of her. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/15 "2015-04-22T15:56:30Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > SHIELD 2 hacked into Mike’s eye just at the right time to see Coulson and Ward. It’s also just when Sparky and Cal had fought, Sparky having been lurking nearby. It may have been semi-logical, but IMO it was pretty awful plotting. I don’t need things to be black and white, but that was a cluster on lots of levels, with Gordon showing up as a Deus ex Machina yet again. It doesn’t matter at what point they hacked into Mikes feed, they would have seen Ward and Coulson together either way. Or Mike in on a Hydra deal. And it is not like they would have watched for five seconds and then be done with it. The fact that they were going to hack his feed is the important point, that they did it at a good time rather than have to sit around watching Mike fix his breakfast and take his morning dump before something interesting happened is just a TV show being a TV show. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/16 "2015-04-22T16:01:19Z")
I love this show, but they use a plot device that I absolutely hate too many times: **The Secret Organization/Individual That Infiltrates The Secret Spy Organization And Nobody Ever Suspects** _Don’t these people ever do background checks?_ HYDRA did it last season, and “True Shield” did it this year. SHIELD even did it to HYDRA with Simmons, and she was only discovered by a secret SHIELD operative masquerading as a HYDRA operative and keeping up the act. The sinister HYDRA bosses breathed down Simmons’s neck, suspecting she was a spy, then decided she wasn’t and let her in on their sinister secrets. And now, “True SHIELD” does it this season. Who’s going to do it next season, KAOS? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/17 "2015-04-22T16:18:30Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > Well no, he didn’t. If he hadn’t shown up, Coulson would have gotten Skye out of there. Gordon specifically said he’d be coming back to get her and possibly has some way of keeping track of her. I get that, but frankly I’m getting tired of it. Gordon is always showing up at just the right time when Skye’s in trouble. But the backpacker he dropped off in Europe got snatched (presumably by Hydra) and he had no idea what happened. Gordon can’t monitor everyone, so he’s just monitoring Skye? I guess that’s plausible, but why didn’t he interfere when Sparky and Cal got into it? Or when they bumped into the thugs on the street? Logically, there are too many “just in time” events for me to suspend my disbelief. I think this episode could have been much less cluttered and still advanced the plot in exactly the same way. The scorecard: [ul] [li]Mike and Sparky have been taken by Hydra[/li][li]Bakshi is back with Hydra and in full command of his will[/li][li]Ward, 33, Hunter, and Fitz are now a rag tag collection of pieces[/li][li]Coulson is now in the hands of SHIELD 2 (Electric Boogaloo)[/li][li]May and Simmons think Coulson has gone rouge (or worse) with Ward[/li][/ul] I like action packed episodes but a whole bunch of people were traded to new teams right at the trading deadline and it seems a bit scattered to me. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/18 "2015-04-22T16:30:39Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I get that, but frankly I’m getting tired of it. Gordon is always showing up at just the right time when Skye’s in trouble. But the backpacker he dropped off in Europe got snatched (presumably by Hydra) and he had no idea what happened. Gordon can’t monitor everyone, so he’s just monitoring Skye? I guess that’s plausible, but why didn’t he interfere when Sparky and Cal got into it? Or when they bumped into the thugs on the street? Gordon said that he “couldn’t find” the missing backpacker, leading Jiaying to assume he was dead (which we know he was). He’s shown himself capable of popping in exactly on top of specific people, basically every time he appears, and he told Skye he doesn’t “exactly” see. So apparently Gordon has a pretty powerful sense of some kind that _does_ allow him to at least find – if not “monitor” – anyone. The real question will be next episode, why he doesn’t just pop in and retrieve Lincoln next. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/19 "2015-04-22T17:16:36Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > The real question will be next episode, why he doesn’t just pop in and retrieve Lincoln next. When Gordon first got his power, the Inhumans were able to keep him confined inside a room. He could teleport around inside the room but not out of it. So apparently there is some way to keep him confined. It wouldn’t be implausible for Hydra to have developed something similar. That means if Gordon teleported in to rescue Lincoln, he’d instead be trapped by Hydra along with Lincoln. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236/20 "2015-04-22T17:21:04Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > I love this show, but they use a plot device that I absolutely hate too many times: The other overworked plot device that got reused again was Finding The Missing Person When It’s Most Convenient. All of Shield, plus Hydra and regular law enforcement, has been searching for Ward. But as soon as Coulson decides he needs to join up with Ward for plot purposes, he’s able to locate him with only Hunter, Fitz, and Peterson’s help. If Ward was that easy to find, how has been able to stay free all this time? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e18-the-frenemy-of-my-enemy/718236.md?page=2)