T.r.a.c.k.s. (113)

[GateWorld]

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. - SEASON ONE T.R.A.C.K.S. EPISODE NUMBER - 113 The team goes undercover on a train rolling through the Italian countryside in order to track a package to the elusive Ian Quinn, who is building something dangerous for the Clairvoyant. VISIT THE EPISODE GUIDE >>

[meredithchandler73]

I. LOVED. THIS. EPISODE. Here are some ramblings after watching the episode live (just once):

While I liked the show right from the first ep, it took me until the last few episodes to really warm up to Skye. I finally start to like her and they do this?!?! Pretty sneaky. I was sure that Skye would somehow heal herself or something, thereby revealing why she's an 0-8-4. However, I'm glad that wasn't what happened.

I really liked the way the story unfolded. I was surprised how quickly they explained the mission and then just jumped right into it. I loved all the Melinda May stuff. (Well, I pretty much always love Melinda May.) But I loved how nonchalantly she mentions to Ward that she told Coulson about their relationship. I like how Ward felt like he needed to talk to Coulson about it, and Coulson didn't think it needed discussion. Before this episode, I was getting the impression that Ward was more emotionally invested in the relationship than May, and this episode didn't change my mind. In fact, there were some wonderfully shippy looks/moments between May and Coulson! I'm not usually big on shipping, but I was intrigued about May and Ward simply because we don't see a lot of the older woman/younger man scenario - except when the guy is some sort of boytoy. I don't really want this show to turn into a romantic soap opera, but I am very intrigued by all this. Melinda May being tortured and escaping. AWESOME! Did I mention how much I love Melinda May?!?!?

I enjoyed Fitz and his American accent. Loved how he complained about Skye being the worst pretend girlfriend. And the moment that Fitz and Simmons have at the end is sweet.

Cool to see Mike again, but it's sad that he is forced to work for the bad guys. So far only Skye knows that Mike is still alive and working for the bad guys. I wonder how long it will take for the rest of Shield to find out.

What is up with the Clairvoyant?!?! Does the Clairevoyant know about Skye being an 0-8-4? Or it is another thing that the Clairvoyant can't see - such as how Coulson was brought back to life?

Shield has captured Raina and now Ian Quinn. Who will the Clairvoyant's next assistant be?

[meredithchandler73]

Upon further viewings, a few more thoughts:

--Listened to a podcast (Afterbuzztv - really enjoy them!) where one person hypothesized that shooting Skye was a ploy to get Coulson to trade the info he has (how he came back from the dead) for some way to heal Skye. An interesting thought. My slight spin on it: what if the Clairvoyant is trying to kill someone Coulson cares for in order to find out if he'll have them resurrected the same way?
--Mike Peterson tells the Cybertech people that the Clairvoyant is unhappy with them because they led Shield to them. However, Ian Quinn was told by the Clairvoyant that Skye was coming and he also says something about Shield finally showing up. You can tell he expected them. Is Ian being taken in all part of a plan? Just how much does the Clairvoyant know? He obviously has some blocks - such as not knowing how Coulson was brought back to life. Does he know Skye's backstory at all? Is Skye's past somehow part of the Clairvoyant's big plan or perhaps she is something else that the Clairvoyant can't quite see clearly. (Remember - the Clairvoyant knew a lot of things about Coulson - his family, the cellist - but not the resurrection.)
--Mike Peterson told Ian Quinn that Skye wasn't the one he was supposed to kill. I had thought he was talking about the Cybertech people, but is there someone else that Mike is supposed to kill?
--Did I mention that Melinda May ROCKED?!?! The entire team had their moments to shine in this episode, but we got Sexy!May (with the sleek hair and fur coat, then the reveal of her black catsuit), KickAss!May, MatterOfFact!May (loved how she dropped the bomb to Ward that she told Coulson about their "thing"), Emotional!May (how concerned she is when she runs to Coulson lying on the ground, her profound relief that he's still alive and the small smile), Uncomfortable!May (see how May reacts while Coulson is treating her wound and then when Ward comes in while Coulson is standing so close to May - what's going on in her head?).
--I think my only nitpick about the episode was near the end when May is telling Ward not to blame himself for Skye being hurt, and Ward said he doesn't blame himself - and the subtext of what he is saying is that he blames May. How the heck is this May's fault exactly?!?

I can't believe the next episode doesn't air for another 4 weeks!

[BJdavidLS]

--I think my only nitpick about the episode was near the end when May is telling Ward not to blame himself for Skye being hurt, and Ward said he doesn't blame himself - and the subtext of what he is saying is that he blames May. How the heck is this May's fault exactly?!?

I got the impression that Ward blamed Coulson. Othwrwise he could blame Fitz, but surely not May.

Anyway, this has been the third excellent episode in a row. Althoug I liked them all, but was unable to say the series is great or even good. But the slower and not that good episodes did lay the groundwork for these last few episodes and it does pay off. AOS is becoming great in my opinion.

Really loved this episode, watched it twice. The scene with the holotable was very well played, really made me laugh.
Loved the way they told the story. Very nice.
The only thing that annoyed me was that when May "jumped" off the train, Couldon and Ward were already on the ground, but they couldn't have jumped before her... Just before she jumped off the Cybertech people were leaving the vagon, but when Ward came into it, well, it was already empty for a while, otherwise he'd met them.
The other complaint some people make is "how did Skye and Fitz" arrive so fast to the house. I don't see any problems with that. They somehow found the way. It must not have been far away. And we don't know how much time after the Cybertech people they arrive, we only know that they arrived there just befor Ian Quinn did.
So again, an excellent episode in my opinion.

It's a shame we have to wait a whole month for the next new episode. But if I'm sincere, I could live with having only 1 to 2 new episodes per month resulting in having a new Marvel fix every month!

[Looney]

The scene with the holotable was very well played, really made me laugh.

That was the highlight of the episode.

One of my impressions is that Ward was suggesting when he mentioned blame that he wanted to go have a "discussion" with Quinn. The other is that he was insinuating blame toward Coulson because earlier in the episode he was telling May how he felt Coulson was making the missions personal. Those are my two theories. He wanted to unleash some aggression toward Quinn or he blames Coulson for making the Ops personal.

The only thing that annoyed me was that when May "jumped" off the train, Couldon and Ward were already on the ground, but they couldn't have jumped before her... Just before she jumped off the Cybertech people were leaving the vagon, but when Ward came into it, well, it was already empty for a while, otherwise he'd met them.

The other complaint some people make is "how did Skye and Fitz" arrive so fast to the house.

This episode was covered in plot inconsistencies. I found it to be entertaining, but a very poorly made episode. The timing with jumping of the train was ridiculous. Why didn't May see Coulson and Ward enter the car and jump off the back? She was watching the room. She saw when they took the package, presumably after Coulson and Ward jumped off the back and the grenade went off. The only explanation they could possibly want us to accept is that her little parachute made her drift back to where they had jumped off at least thirty seconds to a minute before. That is ridiculous.

They show Coulson, Ward, and May having to find a vehicle out in the middle of nowhere, so Skye and Fitz can't just magically find a way to follow the bad guys.

I could point out more, but why. Entertaining, but very sloppy.

[Booklover]

The best episode of the season so far. Coulson and Ward at the holotable was hilarious. And Coulson in glasses -- well let's just say that I thought he looked really good in them.

May really kicked some ass when she took out the bad guys.

Unfortunately, Skye is still just really annoying. Do you think she's going to be healed or eased off the show?

[Amara D'Angeli]

I agree with everyone else, best ep so far. This is the first time that I felt like the team was really cohesive and I found myself, at the end, going "I love these guys!" Usually it doesn't take me so long get on board with a show, and I do think this one had a rocky start, but everything about this ep was fantastic. I think they've finally hit their stride.

[meredithchandler73]

Mike says, "She's not who I'm supposed to kill" and there's all this speculation about who Mike *IS* supposed to kill. Is it possible he was just talking about the people who created the leg attachment? Mike tells them that the Clairvoyant is unhappy that they brought Shield there and kills them all...although it seems that the Clairvoyant knew that Shield was coming, so why blame them and kill them?

[Sp!der]

I loved it as well! It was the first episode which i thought was working all around and every charakter has found its place in this Episode, i am even starting to like Ward now!

[garhkal]

The best episode of the season so far. Coulson and Ward at the holotable was hilarious. And Coulson in glasses -- well let's just say that I thought he looked really good in them.

May really kicked some ass when she took out the bad guys.

Unfortunately, Skye is still just really annoying. Do you think she's going to be healed or eased off the show?

I disagree it was the best ep so far.. With all the flashing back and forward in time it made it disjointed imo.
But i do agree, the holo table antics were funny as heck.

[Amara D'Angeli]

I liked that convention, actually. I thought it worked really well for this particular story. It was a fun way to pull of perspective shifts and reveals.

[mr_kennedy]

I really enjoyed this episode only episode i haven't really enjoyed all that much is the demon one

Spoiler:

I think Sky is a INHUMAN, maybe LUNA

[P-90_177]

Very good ep. I'm glad that the latter half of the season so far seems to have had so much more emotional weight to it as well.

[lyncat]

Clark wears glasses in real life, so, yeah, he looks good in them.