Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (S2E8) Review: Attacking From The Back(stories)

Everybody's got a story is how the old saying goes, and Agents of SHIELD proved that this week with it's focus on backstories for many of it's characters. What I found interesting about these backstories is not only in how they're presented in an entertaining manner, but in how much they rely on the universe SHIELD has created for itself. Last season, it felt like everyone named dropped Thor or Iron Man every five minutes, and that was the extent of a larger world beyond the central cast, but now the show has developed itself to the point where there's much more to this show. And that makes for very interesting storytelling possibilities.

Our main baddie this season, Daniel Whitehall, has been primarily in the background this season, but his origin story is divulged in this episode giving him the spotlight for much of the story. His ability to look the same as he did in the 40's is explained, with help from a well executed sequence showing the passage of time through his prison cell. The scene is followed up not only by a mention of Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford's character from Captain America: The Winter Soldier), but also one of the most gruesome scenes seen in this show.

I'm pretty sure the sequence, graphically depicting a surgery, is the most grisly the show has ever gone, reflected in the way this episode became the first for the show to earn a TV-14 rating. The horrific nature of the scene juxtaposed with Whitehall's relentlessly calm demeanor do a fine job of distinctly setting up the characters personality, the kind of guy who wants results, not heroics. He's also the kind of guy who allows Hayley Atwell to guest star on the show, and good Lord, I can't wait for her show Agent Carter. He's not the only villain on the show to get some major development this week though.

Yep, Grant Ward continues to turn into a surprisingly complex and engaging character this time around, with him cornering his brother, Christian Ward, and using him to get clarity on his abusive childhood. Between the extremely bloody surgery sequence and talk of Grants parents beating him and Christian as children, there's a lot of dark material covered here, and it's to the shows credit that it never comes across as over the top or out of place.

Phil Coulson is mainly in the background this week, getting some good moments (like his confrontation with Skye's father), but his lack of central presence allows the show to contrast how the characters perceive him as a figure of authority, with team members like Lance and Triplett supporting Coulson, while Mac feels uneasy about letting Coulson be in a position of leadership. And like I said, Coulson gets an entertaining scene with Skye's father, The Doctor, (played by Kyle MacLachlan) that may be the highlight of the episode. Seeing The Doctor having quite a bit of power in a tension filled moment is fascinating to see, especially seeing how he retains a more easygoing attitude even as he holds a critically injured man in his arms. There's so much to talk about this guy, and it's remarkable that Agents of SHIELD has progressed to the point where he's not the only character to be so full of depth.