We were breathless watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 2, episode 3! Read our recap and share your thoughts on “Making Friends and Influencing People”!
Plenty of time
Daniel Whitehall extolls the virtues of patience while hypnotizing a women in a torture device. “Compliance will be rewarded,” he tells the woman – one “Agent 33.”
“I will never join HYDRA,” she spits. Whitehall smiles, preparing for a long night of tasty torture.
Working girl
Simmons cheerfully works as a scientist for HYDRA. Her boss is brusque, and exclusively interested in her results. (Also he calls her “Miss,” which pisses us off because she’s a frikken doctor, dude.)
Simmons notices that the subject in her boss’s file is Donnie Gill – the brilliant young man from S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy who wound up stuck in the Sandbox with ice powers.
The basics
May helps Skye train with guns. Skye is passionate, but May notes that her pulse is low and steady. Meanwhile, May is still pissed at Hunter, who apologizes again for shooting her.
“Don’t be sorry,” she says. “Just wait.”
Mwahaha.
As Coulson returns from an unsuccessful mission to find the aforementioned Agent 33, Hunter wonders if Skye has ever taken anyone out.
“Not that I know of,” she says.
Icy hot
Donnie Gill tries to hide from HYDRA in Morocco, but is tracked down by agents and kills a bunch of people.
Later, he takes over a ship. He says that that he is not interested in HYDRA’s attention. He wants to be left alone, and vows to kill any HYDRA agent who attacks him.
Dishing
Simmons comes home to find Coulson in her apartment. He has brought her groceries and cooks for her while she debriefs. Because yes, folks – Jemma is merely undercover, and remains loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D.
(That huge gust of wind was the entire fandom heaving a massive sigh of relief.)
Simmons tells Coulson about Donny Gill, and suspects that he has freezer powers. She is annoyed about her inability to move through HYDRA’s ranks. Coulson wants her to make friends, and gain the trust of her colleagues; when Simmons asks about her real friends, Coulson says that Fitz is “doing okay.”
Ready, aim…
Skye interrogates Ward about HYDRA’s recruitment tactics, which are to convince, capture, or kill gifteds. Skye considers HYDRA’s willingness to kill a bad thing, but Ward says that’s why they will win.
“While a SHIELD agent is considering right from wrong,” he says, “HYDRA’s already taken the shot.”
Upstairs
At HYDRAquarters, Simmons is interrogated by Whitehall’s assistant Bakshi, who is angry that she did not mention knowing Donnie Gill. Simmons is nervous, but handles herself well. She says that her loyalties are with science, and will be with HYDRA as long as they help her pursue that.
“Loyalties can be tested,” Bakshi says.
Later, he informs her that she is being taken to Morocco to help reel in Donnie Gill.
Gasp
Fitz feels deliberately left out as the team follows Gill to Morocco. He ignores imaginary-Simmons’ protestations and goes to Ward’s cell, where
he promptly has a panic attack.
Ward says he gave him and Simmons a fighting chance, and they found a way out of the airplane box! So it’s all good!
Fitz is like, “LOL, no.” He demonstrates the feeling of hypoxia on Ward, sucking the oxygen out of the cell. “I’m damaged,” he cries, devastated about… well, everything, but specifically the fact that he has been left behind.
Hearing about Gill, Ward freaks out. “They don’t know what they’re walking into,” he gasps.
Surrender
The team prepares to jump from the Bus; Skye’s pulse remains normal, in spite of her nerves.
Down below, a terrified Simmons finds Donnie on the ship. Bakshi urges her to get close, and she tries to appeal to his scientific side.
Meanwhile, the team infiltrates the ship. Skye takes a sniper spot on the roof.
Simmons is not having any luck with Donnie, and is forced to speak for Bakshi. “Take a deep breath,” she repeats. “Surrender and you will find meaning. Surrender and you will find release.”
Donnie catches on to what she’s doing – and gets pissed.
The shot
Fitz calls the Bus and shares Ward’s information – Donnie was actually working for HYDRA when he took out the Sandbox.
With new urgency, May and Hunter infiltrate the ship. Hunter aims at Simmons, but May – who knows the deal – shoots Hunter before he can pull the trigger. Coulson orders May to maintain Simmons’ cover – and if needed, take out Gill.
Bakshi successfully re-hypnotizes Gill. He is now “happy to comply” with HYDRA and will cover their escape. Bakshi orders Gill to kill everyone on the ship, as he and Simmons escape in a helicopter.
Gill begins to ice the ship – until he is shot by Skye, and falls, frozen and dead, into the sea.
Little talks
Back at the Playground, May says she and Lance are even – but Lance and Trip are not. This is fun!
May talks to Skye, who is upset that Simmons is undercover. “She’s a terrible liar!” she says – but May has confidence in Simmons.
Coulson talks to Fitz, who says he wouldn’t have killed Ward – he’s not a killer.
“I hate that he’s here,” Coulson admits, but it’s necessarily in understanding HYDRA. Coulson also shares the fact that that Simmons is on an assignment – that’s why she’s been out of contact. Coulson promises Fitz that her work is very important.
Promotions
With Agent 33 successfully brainwashed, Bakshi asks Whitehall for permission to promote Simmons upstairs. He does trust her – but if he stops, “we’ll make her comply.”
Beating fast
Ward and Skye talk again. He says HYDRA doesn’t use brainwashing often, and they did not use it on him. “Everything I did, good and bad, I did of my own free will.”
“You’re father’s alive,” Ward tells her. “He’s looking for you. And some day, if you let me, I’ll take you to him.”
Unsettled, Skye’s goes upstairs; she checks her pulse, and watches as the number rockets upward.