Violet recaps Season 2 Episode 16 of Agents of SHIELD, titled Afterlife, where Skye is taken to a place to transition into her powers, while the other SHIELD tries to break into Fury’s toolbox! Following the recap, both Violet and Josh share their thoughts on the episode.
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Episode Recap of Agents of SHIELD, Season 2 Episode 16: Afterlife
This episode of Agents of SHIELD begins with Coulson in the market for a used car. But Hunter steals a Jeep, forcing Coulson to ice the used car salesman.
Skye awakens with needles sticking out of her body. Gordon greets her, and leaves her with Lincoln, Skye’s “Transitioner.” He explains that everyone who goes through Terragenesis has a Transitioner to help them through training. He further explains that it’s as if 1,000 years of evolution happened instantaneously, and that they are giving her treatments to help her body adjust properly after the change. Skye wants to leave because she’s worried about her friends, but Lincoln reminds her that she’s the one being hunted.
Back at SHIELD, Bobbi defends Skye and Coulson to Gonzales, who is very interested in getting into Fury’s Toolbox. Bobbi says they need Fitz for that. Meanwhile, Fitz and Simmons are observing as the other SHIELD examines the toolbox. Gonzales stops by to talk to them and ask for their help. They aren’t very welcoming. Bobbi says that once they’re cleared and debriefed, they’re free to go. Fitz says he’ll start packing his things. Gonzales comments to Bobbi that their loyalty to Coulson makes him dangerous.
Hunter and Coulson go out to the cabin where Skye was staying, and watch the surveillance video of what happened to her.
Skye asks Lincoln where they are. He says they’re not really sure, and they just call the place “Afterlife.” They take a walk through the village, and Lincoln tells her that most of the people there are descendants, waiting to be chosen, who carry the genetic marker. One person gets chosen to go through the transition every few years. He also tells her that she made the transition “old school,” which hasn’t happened in thousands of years. Skye asks if Raina is there, and Lincoln promises there’s no one there that will harm her.
Gonzales questions May about Coulson, but she is very hostile. He wants May to help him find Coulson, but she assures Gonzales that when Coulson is ready, he’ll find him, and that he is the one man you can never put down.
Over at the cabin, Hunter criticizes Bobbi, Mack, and Gonzales, but Coulson actually sticks up for them, trying to see things from their point of view.
Back at SHIELD, Bobbi tries to talk Simmons into helping them open the toolbox. It seems like she is willing to help.
Lincoln drops the bomb on Skye that the transition is irreversible.
At the cabin, the other SHIELD is coming. Coulson says he invited them. His plan is to take their jet, and he tells Hunter that he has reinforcements on the way. He also insists on using icers. SHIELD starts using a battering ram to break down the door. Gonzales observes, and Bobbi tells him that Coulson tripping the alarm wasn’t an accident, that he sent for them.
Lincoln takes Skye to see the best view, and asks her to tell him about her gift. He shows her his gift – he can manipulate electrical charges. He tells her his transition story, and uses his gift to lift her off the ground. He tries to convince her to stay and be a part of their community.
Mack comes to talk to Fitz, and tells him that Simmons found a way to break through to the toolbox using genetic markers. He says it’s only a matter of time until they get in.
Coulson reveals that there’s actually only one reinforcement coming. SHIELD breaks into the cabin, and finds Coulson and Hunter sitting down playing cards at the table. But it turns out it’s just a hologram, and the real Coulson and Hunter take out the SHIELD agents from behind.
Lincoln and Skye run into Gordon, and Skye asks where her father and Raina are. He says he cannot divulge their location, but assures Skye that she is safe.
Gordon visits Skye’s father, who is frantic from banging on the window-less walls. He guesses that Gordon has found his daughter, and demands to be taken to her. Cal tries to attack Gordon, who is able to easily teleport away. Gordon says that Cal can’t see Skye because of his lack of discipline, and that he has not only sealed his own fate, but Skye’s as well.
Coulson and Hunter dress up in the soldiers’ uniforms and approach the jet. However, the SHIELD agents are aware of the ruse.
Back at SHIELD, Simmons continues to work on breaking into the toolbox. Fitz confronts her, and refuses her requests for him to help. She agrees that it might be best for Fitz to leave.
Hunter and Coulson are taken into custody on the jet, when Mike Peterson/Deathlok shows up and takes out all of the SHIELD agents. Then he analyzes the jet, and flies them away. Back at SHIELD, Gonzales sees what is going on, and tells Bobbi to bring him the Bus and Agent May as his last bargaining chip.
Lincoln continues to try to get Skye to show him her gift. He lets it slip that there’s someone else there that has gone through the transformation, and Skye figures out that Raina is there too. She gets angry, which causes everything to shake. Then she goes and finds Raina, accusing her for everything bad that has happened. Raina insists that they are the same, which angers Skye, making her focus her powers on Raina, who begs to die. However, Skye’s mother walks in right then and stops her.
Skye’s mother introduces herself as Jiaying, and sticks up for Raina. Skye says she can’t stay if Raina is there, but Jiaying says she has chosen to be Skye’s guide if she chooses to stay. Jiaying asks Skye to stay a few days, and then if she doesn’t feel a connection, they don’t have to see each other again.
Jiaying then visits Cal and confirms that their daughter, Daisy, is there. She tells him he was right, hugs him, and thanks him. However, when he asks to see her, Jiaying says no.
Gonzales meets with May in the boardroom at the other SHIELD. He slides a gun to her and tells her to pull the trigger if she thinks he’s a traitor, or she can hear him out. He offers her a seat on their board, saying they’re going to bring Coulson in, with or without her help, and that he should have a strong advocate on the board. She slides the gun back to him, presuming it wasn’t loaded. But he shows her that it was. He implores May to help them defend what’s left of SHIELD by taking a seat on the board.
Meanwhile, Fitz takes his things and leaves.
Coulson tells Mike and Hunter that in order to find Skye, they need to find Grant Ward.
Simmons admits defeat and says she is unable to open the toolbox. Fitz gets in a taxi to go to the airport, and we see that he has taken the real toolbox with him. We also see that Simmons has packed his favorite sandwich, and left a note for him saying, “Be safe! Love, Jemma.”
Violet’s Thoughts on Season 2 Episode 16 of Agents of SHIELD: Afterlife
So we ended up getting a few interesting reveals, surprises, and twists this episode, though I feel like a good portion was predictable.
We found out that there’s a community of people with the genetic makers that Skye has, who are chosen every few years to go through a transition similar to what she did, though not the same way that she did, with the Diviner, which hasn’t been done in thousands of years. It was interesting to hear about and see this secluded subculture, many of whose members are just normal, powerless humans at this point, who continue to live normal lives. It was not exactly what I was expecting. We also learned that the transition is irreversible, which was a surprise to Skye, but which I assumed was a given. Additionally, Raina and Cal are being kept on the premises, which seemed pretty obvious to me, considering Lincoln’s and Gordon’s evasive responses.
The major reveal, however, was that Skye’s mom is still alive! We had all been led to believe that Dr. Whitehall had killed her, hence Cal’s vendetta against him. How long has Cal known that Jiaying is alive? Did he just find out upon being brought to Afterlife? Or has he known for awhile? And how is she still alive anyway? Is she actually immortal in addition to not aging? Did another Inhuman use their power to bring her back to life? Is this woman really Skye’s mother, or someone merely posing as her? After all, there is the technology for that face altering mask, and voice modulator, and it’s also possible that an Inhuman could have a shape shifting power. If it really is Skye’s mother (and even if it’s not), when will she reveal this to Skye? I’m definitely curious to see what happens next in Afterlife.
Oh, and it was also interesting to see Luke Mitchell on this episode, who had played John on CW’s now-canceled The Tomorrow People, considering that his castmates Robbie Amell (Stephen) and Peyton List (Cara) have recently shown up on The Flash. I guess they went DC, but he’s going Marvel!
It also seemed suspicious the way Fitz was playing with the toolbox. You just knew he was up to something with it, so it didn’t surprise me to see that he ended up with the real one. I must admit though, Simmons did have me fooled. I was glad to see that she was still on Fitz’s side after all, even signing the note “Love, Jemma.” Awww. It seems like there’s hope for those two kids after all! Though once again, it appears they’ll be separated and won’t be seeing each other again for awhile. Sadness.
We also saw the return of Mike Peterson aka Deathlok, so that was pretty awesome! I love me some J. August Richards! Hopefully he gets to stick around a lot longer this time.
That brings us to May, and the decision put before her to join the other SHIELD’s board in order to advocate for Coulson. What will her decision be?
At this point, I’m probably more invested in Agents of SHIELD than I have been for awhile, and I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing what’s to come!
Josh’s Thoughts: Agents of SHIELD, Season 2 Episode 16: Afterlife
COMING SOON
Scenes from Agents of SHIELD, Season 2 Episode 17: Melinda
Here are scenes from the next episode of Agents of SHIELD, titled Melinda:
