We found out what the show had been “waiting for”. The writers had been saying that S.H.I.E.L.D. was really a part of the bigger Marvel universe. They teased various episodes that were tied to Thor (an 0-8-4 powered by Tessaract energy, the Berserker staff, Lady Sif). But those connections felt tenuous. The writers said, “no, really, it is really related.” They warned us to watch the newest Captain America immediately because it would have BIG IMPLICATIONS. We were skeptical (at least, I was.) How closely related can it be? After all, they aren’t going to make a show that assumes that everyone has seen a movie on opening weekend. Right? Wrong. If you did not see the latest Marvel movie, or at the very least read a review, then this episode of S.H.I.E.L.D. was probably confusing. But if you did, then it was awesome. Captain America revealed that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been infiltrated by HYDRA at its founding. Nick Fury was killed (sort of). S.H.I.E.L.D. was more or less disbanded and nobody knew who to trust. How would that affect the TV show?
Well, if S.H.I.E.L.D. truly was infiltrated at its highest levels and this is a show about S.H.I.E.L.D., you do the math. Someone’s got to be bad. It’s Agent Hand. No, that’s a red herring. It’s Agent Garrett. That’s a red herring too! Because Garrett might be The Clairvoyant that the team has been chasing all along, but the big reveal is that Agent Ward is HYDRA too! And just as he and Skye had finally made romantic progress.
In a way, the revelation that HYDRA is still around should not be all that shocking. If you know anything about the comics, you know that HYDRA has always been S.H.I.E.L.D.’s biggest enemy. And if HYDRA’s motto (“if a head is cut off, two more will take its place”) is any indication, thinking they were totally destroyed in World War II is just naïve. But in a world of aliens, you don’t expect to discover that Earth has been overlooking humanity as one of its greatest dangers.
So, where does the show go from here? 
(What are the chances that Agent Hand is still alive–her death was sort of off screen after all–or that she told Ward to kill her and the others to maintain his cover as a double agent? Jon Snow anyone?) Can Skye and Ward ever be together now? (Because the romance is what’s important when mankind is faced with this sort of evil organization, right?) Will the show find a way to excuse his badness or will they own the fact that he is evil (and what about the whole redemption route, because I imagine at some point it will come down to Skye or Garrett and he will probably choose Skye)? One thing is for sure. S.H.I.E.L.D. has finally reached the top of the ride. All we can do know is raise our hands and enjoy the rollercoaster.
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