Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D: Girl in the Flower Dress

"Oh crap. They gave him a name!"

I suppose, given that it echoes the pilot somewhat, that this is the first time we can call an episode somewhat typical. Yet again our heroes and some mysteriously nefarious organisation are competing for the attentions of a super powered individual. In this case said individual, Hong Kong street magician Chan Ho Yin, can generate fire and is persuaded to call himself "Scorch". Unlike previous episodes (I'm kicking myself for not realising that Dr Franklin Hall was Gravitron), he's not a character from the comics, and he is, essentially, destroyed by greed and made doomed by the narrative because of his failure to accept the great responsibility that comes with great power.

What to say about such a by-the-numbers episode? My fiancée suspects, and I agree, that there may be signs of incipient romance between Skye and Ward, the flames of which are stoked a little here. Time will tell. What else? S.H.I.E.L.D has a presence in Hong Kong: is it a US or international organisation in this version of the Marvel Universe? 

The main event of this episode, and far more interesting than the A plot, is Skye's mini-betrayal of the team to her lone wolf friend and sometime fuck buddy Miles Lydon. This gives an interesting twist to her relationship with her team mates; it isn't a fatal blow, but Couldon feels betrayed, as well he should. 

I don't like the way Lydon is portrayed, incidentally: I'm a big civil libertarian and happen to largely agree with his stated aims, so it's somewhat galling to see someone whose views I share bring shown as both a hypocrite and an arsehole. I'll reserve judgement on whether there's some authoritarian or pro-security lobby agenda at work here. It seems that he, like Scorch, fails to show the great responsibility that Marvel morality decrees must come with great power.

So, essentially, meh. I suppose we get a bit of development for Skye, and a bit more hinterland in that she wants to know what happened to her parents, but this episode was largely forgettable. Here's hoping for better next time.