Actually, upon reflection, I agree with you. Seems like the scene when Coulson and Hand part ways has a feel to it like some time has passed since they secured The Hub.
Took me a few days to get around to watching this ep. I was completely wrong on Agent Hand (though a few minutes into the episode I figured that those who were saying she was a good guy thinking Coulson and crew were Hydra were correct). Decent amount of keeping us guessing with lots of different characters. Funny how the first guess that Garrett was the traitor was the right one.
I still think it doesn’t really make sense to have the whole Clairvoyant angle in light of what was revealed about Hydra. The Clairvoyant was apparently developed to cover up the access to the intelligence files - but given just how many people in SHIELD were actually Hydra agents, all the way to the top, why bother? It’s not just one person, or even a few, that need to cover their tracks.
I can see the next few episodes of the series being Coulson and company scrambling to grab SHIELD assets from Hydra after Helicarrier battle. It’s not crazy to think something as big as dismantling SHIELD would take a long time, both in terms of legislation/orders and simple logistics. That time could logically fit in-between the battle and the scenes of Hill joining Stark, Carter joining the CIA, etc.
EDIT: According to silenus’ link, the next episode features an Air Force colonel on their tail, so seems Coulson’s team is acting outside of the nominal chain of command.
Also, is it wrong of me to want Ward to actually be evil because I can’t stand his character? Skye’s been annoying from the get-go, but Ward, ugh. Watching them kiss was literally the least interesting thing this show could do.
Maybe I missed it in all the bigger events but was it ever actually confirmed that the Clairvoyant was part of the HYDRA plot? All we had been told was that it was somebody with access to SHIELD files. Assuming that’s correct, how do we know it was one of the HYDRA plants? Maybe it’s part of some other plot by Fury or Hand. Maybe there’s a third plot separate from SHIELD and HYDRA (maybe the Clairvoyant is one of Baron Strucker’s “miracles”).
Dunno, but let’s not forget someone with resources built the secret blue alien base and Fury was able to pull strings with them to get Coulson treated, without the Clairvoyant’s/HYDRA’s knowledge.
I’ve seen suggestions that the mystery base with the Kree corpse may have been a SWORD facility. Which would explain how Fury was able to finagle a favor from them, and could tie in with Guardians of the Galaxy.
Since SHIELD does not exist after Winter Soldier, there is no chain of command for them to act outside of. They’re just rogues. And if they continue meddling (as we know they will, since there are still episodes left), it’ll be outside the law. Basically, where Skye started the season at.
The CA ending with the former SHIELD agents seeking new employment could still be SHIELD. They’re leaner, tighter, and rather than being a private army, they’ll infiltrate corporate and governmental America the same way Hydra infiltrated SHIELD. That simply takes them back to espionage 101.
Just a WAG, one of many I have.
They announced yesterday that (future casting) Maria Hill and Fury will be appearing in the April 29 episode.
I kept expecting Agent Garrett to sink to the floor after his capture, moaning, “Game over, man! Game over!”
He’s bald and a little pudgy so of course he’s a bad guy. :rolleyes:
Ward is dumber than a bag of hammers, and Skye must have some low level verison of the Lorelie powers 'cause I don’t see any reason for everyone to go all ga-ga over here. I mean, she did rat-fuck Coulson, but Coulson forgave her and trusts her, but shot May even tho he’s known her for years. Why is Skye, the known traitor and criminal trusted while May, his long time partner not? Makes no sense.
And Ward going all buggy for Skye is wrong on so many levels… She’s not even that attractive.
I meant the overall military/government chain of command. Surely SHIELD is either an arm of the US or UN? I don’t think it’s just some private entity existing on its own.
It’s been left vague who exactly SHIELD works for. They’re controlled by the World Security Council, which appears to have members from several countries. So it’s not just an American agency. But whether or not it’s supposed to be a UN agency has not been stated.
He’s not smart enuf to be a single agent, let alone a triple one. 
Speak for yourself.
Really? Mind you, tastes differ sure, and she’s no dog by any means, but so gorgeous and sexy that she makes a hardened agent forget his training? He goes speechless at one view of her decolletage?
I’d rate her “hotter than usual Girl next door type”. But causing a Tex Avery cartoon Wolf reaction? Come on.
Just looked up SWORD. It makes sense, especially since Joss Whedon created it.
Makes sense to me. He knew why Skye had betrayed and new whether it seemed a repeatable thing.
With May he had just realized that Clairvoyant is inside Shield, with clear information access to what his team is doing, that May has had a secret phone line on the plane and then when it was interfered with she started shooting at other team members.
Seems to me the question is why he waited long enough for her to plead her innocence before shooting her.
So the only thing that can catch a man’s eye is her physical appearance? While not shown on screen he has spent hours every day training with her. They’ve had conversations and moments and he’s seen her intellect and bravery and many other personality aspects beyond whether she is the most gorgeous person in the world.
It seems like the writers keep telling us how wonderful she is but they haven’t done a good job of showing why we should love her as much as the characters keep saying they do.
Umm, sure, except that he had that reaction the first time he met her, while interrogating her. He actually did a Tex Avery Wolf when she leaned over the table a little.
what levdrakon sez.