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Sandwiches and Surprise Guests Are a Winning Formula for 'Agents of SHIELD'

By Craig Wack | Marvel Movies | April 8, 2015 |

By Craig Wack | Marvel Movies | April 8, 2015 |


Sometimes a sandwich is just a sandwich. However there are those special occasions when a sandwich is a sign that all is right with the world again.

Agents of SHIELD took a break from the action in its latest episode “Afterlife” but still put together a solid episode with enough twists, surprises and unkempt Paul Atriedes hair to maintain the narrative momentum the show has gathered over the past few weeks.

Exposition heavy episodes like this have traditionally been a crapshoot for this show, especially when all the principal characters are crammed into one location. This time around, the team members are scattered, so the hopping from pairing to pairing keeps any one storyline from overstaying its welcome.

Much of the show’s focus remains on Skye, who found herself swaddled in paper towels in the Inhumans’ own little Shangri La, which the inhabitants there believe is somewhere in Asia.

With a little comics knowledge and the hints about Gordon the teleporter being the only one able to get them in and out of there and no communications to the outside world, this base isn’t in Asia. To paraphrase the noted philosopher Tom Cullen, “M-O-O-N, that spells secret base.”

We’re treated to some quality Kyle MacLachlan time. Cal Zabo is manic and punchy as ever (just the way we like him). Sky’s mother Jiyang is also back from the dead — surprise but it does appear that she’s fallen into Amy Acker’s makeup kit from Dollhouse.

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Jiyang will help Skye come to terms with her powers, but hasn’t revealed her true identity quite yet.

The second surprise of the night came courtesy of Coulson’s storyline. Coulson has taken a real back seat as a character in the second half of the season. It suits him well as Coulson is at his best bouncing off other characters rather than being front and center.

Coulson’s go-to move when in a bind is to steal a Quinjet, then plan his next move. He and Hunter lay a trap to do just that but needs some help from an old friend to pull it off

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Welcome home Mike Peterson, we missed you.

Then there’s the Sandwich of Truce. Fitz and Simmons have been at odds all season and they’re not the adorable science nerds that they were in Season 1. But like the true agents they are, duty comes first.

Together they run a con on Pseudo-SHIELD without saying a word to each other to smuggle Fury’s Toolbox right out the front door. The plan goes off without a hitch. Fitz escapes with the toolbox and what we can only assume was a lovingly prepared peace offering of prosciutto and mozzarella with just a hint of aioli.

Craig Wack is craving a sandwich. Please follow his Twitter.