Marvel`s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D: The Only Light in the Darkness

"I`m not a good man, Skye."

This is a tense moment in the season, partly because we`re in spitting distance of the finale and partly because we now know that the team has a killer within. But first let`s do something we haven`t done for a while; geek out at all the Marvel (mainly) references. We have an appearance (uncostumed, of course) by the supervillain Blackout. We have a mention of the fact that Trip is a descendent of one of the Howling Commandos. The big supervillain breakout from the Fridge reminds me, an old Marvel reader of a certain age, of Acts of Vengeance. And Jemma Simmons mentions the TARDIS.

 More pertinently, though, stuff happens. Most pertinent, probably, is Blackout`s intended victim, Audrey; we know that anyone played by Amy Acker, an actress much favoured, justly, by Joss Whedon, must be important. She ends the episode alive and well and still thinking that her hil is dead, but the whole team (well, minus Skye and Evil Ward) now know that she`s Coulson`s, er, widow. She`ll be back.

Relations between the team are in flux; Coulson is stil far from his old laid-back swlf and the team, while loyal, are questioning his decisions. And relations betwen him and May have completely broken down. This is significant; they are the two senior members of the team. Coulson eventualy leans, perhaps a little too neatly, that if ever Audrey can forgive him for making her think him dead (even though he was), he can at least forgive May. ut it may be too late: May has buggered off with her mysterious mother to make cryptic comments about Maria Hill.

The lie detector scenes are nice; we learn that Skye`s "real" name is Mary Poot, and it`s a ncely subtle way to deepen everyone`s characterisations ad backstory a little. Ward is obviously bricking himself, but just abut manages to sneak through. This later turns out to be a very poor decision by the unfortunate Eric Koenig.

No one has a clue about Ward, in spite of the obvious differences in the excellent Brett Dalton`s performance. Fitz even confides in him over the intense jealousy he feels for Trip over Jemma. But at the end, with Koenig seemingly dead, Skye is forced to petend she still has feelings for him to make sure he doesn`t clock that she now knows he`s HYDRA. The scene where the penny drops comes either side of two romantic scenes between the two of them involving kisses, the second of which is much more awkward...

Not long to go know. I`m sure there are some big reveals to come. Or not.