SHIELD is trying to rise from the ashes, but the military and HYDRA are keeping it down. It had to steal a jet with a cloaking device to stay functional, while Carl Creel, a man who can absorb anything, is delivering an alien obelisk to an ageless HYDRA agent after killing an agent in the battle. Fitz is out of his coma, and is being encouraged by Simmons to overcome his injured temporal lobe. Too bad she’s a hallucination.
 

This week, SHIELD’s still trying to avoid the military while looking for Creel, and a familiar face is back.

SPOILERS AHOY

The episode picks up where last week ended, with Lance Hunter (Nick Blood) trapped in the accident that killed Hartley and Idaho. May finds Hunter but he tells her to go find Creel (Brian Patrick Wade), She’s set to blast Creel away, but Coulson tells her to stand down. He wants to know who will get the obelisk Creel stole.

Hunter is grabbed by General Talbot’s men. Talbot (Adrian Pasdar) doesn’t care about Creel, but would do anything to capture Coulson, calling him a vigilante who’s out of control. He even claims he knows a senator with deep pockets who will pay a lot to capture Coulson. For Talbot’s sake, the senator better not be a fan of HYDRA (see Captain America: The Winter Soldier to see which senator I mean). Hunter asks for two million dollars and a proper burial for Hartley.

Skye and Triplett (BJ Britt) do get the jet in order to copy its cloaking abilities for the Bus, and are also told about Hartley and Idaho. Skye’s worried about Coulson and how secretive he is about things. She suggests yoga, but he says he was never flexible enough.

Fitz is still trying to be the genius he used to be, but the injured temporal lobe is still holding him back. The only way he can cope is his Simmons hallucination. New agent Mack Mackenzie (Henry Simmons) notices how Fitz is talking to himself, but not why. However, “Simmons” does guide Fitz towards a way to stop Creel by upsetting his DNA.

Hunter does get back, and Coulson says he knows he made a deal with Talbot. Hunter says he just wanted to make sure Hartley got a proper burial, and help for her and Idaho’s families. It’s all for a noble cause, and they have to find a way around it.

Creel, meanwhile,  is in trouble. The material from the obelisk is taking over his body, and he’s desperate to get help from HYDRA. A waitress at a diner is already dead after accidentally touching him. Out of nowhere, Reina, aka Flowers (Ruth Negga), appears to talk to Creel. She’s also interested in the obelisk, but prefers that it be handled by those who understand it. She offers Creel a material called carbyne, which is stronger than diamonds and stores energy. He just takes it and leaves.

Reina calls SHIELD to tell them the carbyne has a tracking device so they, and she, can find Creel. She also reminds Coulson about that GH-325 drug that was injected into him, and how it may be changing him. When Garrett got the drug, she says, he was “enlightened” with visions of what we could be. Coulson says he hasn’t had visions, but fans know he has been drawing things.

Meanwhile, Hunter wants to take out Creel to avenge Hartley, which is why he knocks out Skye and May to get a good shot at him. His plan doesn’t work. However, HYDRA doesn’t get the obelisk, either, since Reina’s able to grab it and get away.

Mack is able to help Fitz figure out how to upset Creel’s absorbing abilities with a machine Fitz invented in the past. Coulson is able to use it to stop Creel. When it looks like Hunter’s about to go, Coulson tells him to stick around. He may not be trustworthy, but he has skills SHIELD needs. He also tells Hunter to “sell him out.”

It’s a well-earned victory for SHIELD, but Skye is still worried about Coulson. May tells her he’s OK, then tells Coulson why she risked his neck to stop Creel. They also talk about those “episodes” he’s been having, drawing those alien markings. He does it again, and they hope they can find out what they mean.

As for Reina, she is met by a mysterious man (Kyle MacLachlan) who tells her to pick up the obelisk. She does, and it glows. She’s also unharmed. She wonders why, and he says the object decided to spare her. He’ll explain why… when she finds his daughter. Anyone checking the internet for spoilers already knows who his daughter is. This link will get into more detail.

Finally, Coulson “surrenders” to Talbot, which is what Hunter promised. Coulson says he’ll give Creel to Talbot as a gift, and a promise to back off for a while. Talbot is skeptical, because Coulson doesn’t have the weapons he once had. Then, the Bus turns off its cloaking device, showing Talbot SHIELD is still a force to be reckoned with.

After a shaky start, SHIELD is finally beginning the road to recovery. The staff may rebel from time to time, but it’s committed to protecting the world. Coulson may have some of his swagger back, but the pressure of being the boss is getting to him. There are also those markings he keeps drawing. Fitz is trying to recover. His head is heavy with doubt that he can be fully useful to the group, even with his Simmons mirage to help him cope. He really needs the real Simmons back, and so does SHIELD.

It’s also too bad that it looks like Lucy Lawless’ time as Isabelle Hartley is indeed over because of the funeral, but she may return in flashbacks… or some other way.

Next week: the real Simmons appears but maybe in the wrong place. Someone else is there: Donnie Gill, and both sides are after him for his cold touch.