Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Bridge (1x10)

Meh. Not very eloquent, I know, but that's basically all I can say at this point. Meh. I really want to like this show! But I just can't get completely lost in it. I will say one thing, though... this episode is part one of a two-parter, meaning we have to wait until after the hiatus to see how things shake out. I like the cliffhanger they gave us, but there are a lot of reasons why I think this show hasn't fully come in to its own yet. Let me explain them to you after the plot summary!

It appears that Centipede is causing trouble again, when they spring some guy named Edison Po from prison. Their serum is getting better, and they are ready to move to the next step in their plans. Coulson calls in Mike Peterson (J. August Richards, from the pilot) to help them figure out what's going on. The team confronts one of Centipede's soldiers, but just before they manage to defeat him, Centipede activates a kill switch in the soldier's eye, much like what happened a few episodes back with Coulson's old friend Akela Amadour.

Edison Po talks with Raina (the girl in the flower dress) and says that Mike Peterson is going to be very useful to their plans. Mike calls his son Ace, but it turns out Raina is with Ace. Centipede offers to return Ace only if Mike gives himself up. He agrees to do so, but when they meet to make the exchange, Mike betrays Coulson, revealing apologetically that Centipede didn't want him - they wanted Coulson. Coulson graciously allows himself to be taken. Mike is reunited with his son, but passes Ace quickly off to Skye and tries to go back in to save Coulson. An explosion occurs, possibly killing Mike, and preventing the rest of Coulson's team from going to his rescue. Coulson and Raina are seen in a helicopter. Raina reveals that Centipede wants to know what happened to Coulson after he died.

Meanwhile, Skye has been trying to figure out about her parents, but we learn more about how May and Coulson have been lying to her. When May shuts Skye down and tells her she needs to stop worrying about it, Skye goes into a room alone and cries. May was so cranky because her relationship with Ward is getting confusing - he took a punch for her in a fight, which he says was purely tactical, but she's worried he might be letting personal feelings get in the way. Or is she the one getting personal feelings involved?

This is going to be a rather short review, my apologies. Really briefly, here...

Good: Mike Peterson and Ace. It was wonderful to see these characters come back, and J. August Richards did a fantastic job. I like the relationship between May and Ward, since it's not what you would expect to happen, and it's opening up all sorts of interesting questions. Coulson being captured! What a great cliffhanger to leave us on! Now the team will have to work together without their leader tying them together. Raina is also a good character and I'm glad to see her back.

Bad: Skye's story line still isn't grabbing me. The other characters kept pointing out that they were working and didn't have time for Skye's drama, and I just found myself agreeing with them! Centipede is a rather unformed villain as of yet. I don't hate it, but I don't understand what the stakes are exactly. Who are these people, what do they want ultimately, and why should we feel personally threatened by them? Since they are obviously going to be important villains on the show, I simply wish we knew more about them. Ultimately, the stuff with Centipede was really weak, and it did unfortunately drag the rest of the episode down. If I don't have a clear cut idea about my villains, it's rather hard to get invested.

There you have it. Short review, just as I said. I am looking forward to seeing what happens after the hiatus, because Coulson is obviously in peril, and that's no good. What I hope is that we can solidify Centipede into a more threatening villain, figure out a way to make Skye's character and story more interesting, and get more from Fitzsimmons. Those ingredients will go a long way into making the show stronger for me.

6.5/10