“I’m lucky. Can’t see how anyone could have survived that.” –Dr. Andrew Garner
Trauma and secrets run rampant in episode six of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD titled Among Us Hide, all building up to reveal the monster hiding in plain sight. Agent May picks a “fight” with Bobbi, to see if she’s ready to fight her own battles after Hunter’s catastrophe. The ladies venture off together to settle their growing debts with Mr. Grant Ward. The attack on Dr. Garner leads them to Werner Von Strucker, “Oh, Ward’s harboring his own little HYDRA dynasty… cute,” says Bobbi. Meanwhile, Ward is also on a manhunt to find Werner, because “He’s seen too much.” Things seem to be falling right into place as both SHIELD and HYDRA are headed to the same place. The one wild card that’s thrown into the mix is HYDRA elite, Gideon Malick (Powers Boothe). Remember him popping up in the Marvel cinematic universe as a SHIELD council member conferencing with Nick Fury? After Malick gives up Werner’s location to Ward, he explains, “Sometimes you have to sacrifice a player to play the game…when I come calling, remember I chose a side.” Maybe this thread will come back around towards the season’s end to tie into the Civil War crossover? Cut back to the action as Bobbi and May prepare for battle. Agent May reminds Bobbi that the scars she bares are reminders about her experience in battle; not reminders of weakness.
“Maybe it’s our Ph.Ds.? They underestimate just how strong we really are.” – Dr. Andrew Garner
The question isn’t merely how strong these agents are, but rather who they really are. Daisy continues to question Coulson’s partnership with ACTU leader, Rosalind Price, sending them into opposition directions; both leading them to the same destination. Coulson spends the episode with Price, as they encounter a detour heading to the ACTU facility. They end up at Rosalind’s house, where it appears that somebody broke in, but didn’t steal anything… red flag. “You just accused me of staging a break in, which I did why exactly?” asks Rosalind. After a few rounds of verbal sparring, Rosalind concedes and takes Coulson to the facility. Meanwhile, Mack, Daisy, and Hunter stake out ACTU Agent Banks. Daisy believes that Agent Banks is Lash. Nice, group dynamic change-up after Hunter’s been separated from the group for the last few episodes. The crew truly was reassembled when they had Simmons test Banks’ blood for inhuman genetic markers. The group ultimately heads to an ACTU cover facility, where they see Coulson, Rosalind, and a homeostasis chamber; complete with a real-life inhuman-what is going on? “You were right. Not because what I think what we do here is wrong, but because I know how it looks,” says Rosalind. Yep, it looks completely messed up, “…like a horror story.” I appreciate the thematic mirroring happening between Rosalind and Lash in this episode. Both appear to be hunting down and hurting Inhumans without any rational. Next week we will learn more about Lash’s philosophy, but in this episode at least Coulson came to understand Rosalind, “This thing is like an illness and we’re working on a cure… it’s like a medical induced coma.” Too bad Daisy didn’t see any humanity in the ACTU’s methods from her perspective.
Enough with the chit-chat… back to the action. “What is he,” asks Werner Von Strucker as he bleeds out in Agent May’s arms. Werner’s dying revelation to Agents May is a great payoff and turn in the season. Ironically Ward alludes to this moment early on in the episode, “Von Strucker is more than just a pawn.” Now after Werner recounts his assault towards Dr. Garner, this only makes Agent May suspicious that her ex-husband is an Inhuman… but not necessarily Lash. We know that he’s Lash, because the viewers were shown the monster Dr. Garner turns into. Trauma and secrets even run a muck in the background, as Fitz begins to help Simmons research a way to bring home Will Daniels. Meanwhile, Fitz begins to investigate Will’s history. Oh, these games of espionage we play cause us to endure severe physical/emotional damage; but a good spy knows how to hide it. The episode concludes with a little tease that Dr. Garner is still after Lincoln… Oh Daisy you’re suspicious of the wrong ally!