Captain America Prequel. Recap: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - “End of the Beginning”

Season 1, Episode 16

Air Date: Tuesday, April 1, 2014, 8/7c on ABC

Rating: ★★★★★

Teaming up to find the Clairvoyant

In a brazen move engineered by the mysterious Clairvoyant, Deathlok (J. August Richards) attacks Triplett (B.J. Britt) and Garrett (Bill Paxton) at a S.H.I.E.L.D safe house. Later, Agents Victoria Hand (Saffron Burrows), Sitwell (Maximiliano Hernandez), and Blake (Titus Welliver) join up with Triplett and Garrett, as well as Coulson (Clark Gregg), to discuss a way to bring in both the Clairvoyant and Deathlok, who they believe are working together.

While strategizing, Agent Hand informs Agent Sitwell he has orders to report to the Lemurian Star. Sitwell tells Coulson, “I guess I got a boat to catch.” It might be a meaningless comment to casual fans but the die-hard fans among us are very excited. In Captain America 2, opening Friday April 4 in theaters nationwide, fans will find out what happens to Sitwell. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Marvel movie universe have crossed paths in the past through references and guest stars, but “End of the Beginning” is the first time an event starts on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and concludes in a Marvel movie.

Agent Sitwell

Some might wonder if finding out what happens to Sitwell on board the boat in Captain America 2 is a big deal for casual Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fans. Chances are it’s not. But to hard core fans, it adds a layer of continuity we normally don’t see in movies and TV shows. It may have taken a while but the creative team behind Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has finally figured out who their target audience is. By focusing almost exclusively on them, the show is keeping its fan base very happy, which in turn translates into ticket sales at the box office.

The remaining agents split up into groups of two as they try to figure out the identity of the Clairvoyant. This also gives the audience a chance to get to know the agents a little better on a personal level. Who knew Ward’s (Brett Dalton) family is as revered as the Kennedys? It doesn’t take long before May (Ming-Na Wen) and Blake encounter Deathlok, which leads to Blake being critically injured. Fortunately, he is able to place a tracker on Deathlok that leads Coulson and the rest of the team to an abandoned racetrack. Once again, Deathlok eludes the S.H.I.E.L.D agents by going deep into the sewers and escaping.

Coulson and Ward

Despite Deathlock eluding them again, all is not lost as they discover a room housing Thomas Nash (Brad Dourif), the man the agents believe is the Clairvoyant. Nash is a quadriplegic confined to a wheelchair and can’t speak but thanks to some computers, he is able to communicate. Instead of being taken into custody quietly, Nash starts taunting Coulson and his team but when Skye (Chole Bennet) becomes the topic of the conversation, particularly that she is doomed to die, Ward pulls out his gun and kills the Clairvoyant.

While Ward is detained for debriefing, Coulson begins to question whether Nash really was the Clairvoyant, especially given his medical issues. After all, it could have been anyone making the computers talk. Furious the only lead is now dead, Coulson confronts Ward to see if the Clairvoyant commanded him to kill Nash so that S.H.I.E.L.D would think the case was closed.

Agent Hand

Meanwhile, the ever so curious Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) discovers a secret communication line that leads back to May. Fitz alerts Skye who then alerts Coulson, which leads to a formidable standoff between May, Skye, and Coulson. May tries to explain she can’t reveal who she has been talking to, and just as things seem like they can’t get any more intense, the S.H.I.E.L.D. plane suddenly changes course. The scene suddenly cuts to Agent Hand who tells someone off camera, “When that plane touches down, take out everyone on board except Agent Coulson; he’s mine.”

Early on in the series, the writers hinted about a bond between May and Coulson. It will be interesting to see how Coulson reacts to May’s betrayal. On the other hand, maybe she has a valid reason for her actions. Were you as shocked as I was when Skye pulls a gun on May? Then again, in the early part of “End of the Beginning,” Skye officially becomes a S.H.I.E.L.D agent.

I really enjoyed “End of the Beginning” and am curious about its connection to Captain America 2. How fun it would be if Captain America 2 would then influence next week’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in an episode titled “Turn, Turn, Turn.” Despite my criticism of the series early on in the season, I have to say Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has become one of the most improved new shows of this TV season.

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “End of the Beginning.”

For more on the show, go to http://www.agentsofshield.com/.

Follow Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on Twitter, as well as some of the cast: <Ward> Brett Dalton, <Coulson> Clark Gregg, <Simmons> Elizabeth Henstridge, and <May> Ming-Na Wen

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.