Remember one of SHIELD Director Mace’s slogans, “A team that trusts is a team that triumphs”?
The agents will understand that as it starts the new year dealing with Life Model Decoys, while Senator Nadeer has to accept her brother is now something she doesn’t like.
Both issues are dealt with in shocking ways.

SPOILERS BELOW

The one thing both issues have in common is that it involves forced kidnapping. As fans remember last month, Aida (Mallory Jansen) kidnapped Agent May and replaced her with an LMD (called LMayD). The plan is to grab the Darkhold and get its knowledge. Mace (Jason O’Mara) and Coulson prefer to get rid of the book, and give it to someone who can make it disappear. Of course, that could be the job of a certain former surgeon.

Judging from how LMayD interacts with everyone, Aida has done a good job. She’s able to give Aida info that she needs to find the book.  Meanwhile, Radcliffe (John Hannah) and Fitz discuss what to do about Aida. They think it’s best to reboot her, but she makes it clear she’s not willing. She winds up killing a SHIELD agent that unwisely shoots her.
They continue to discuss how Aida has changed. Fitz figures the book has overwhelmed her with real emotions, making her more human than human. Radcliffe wonders if that means if they kill her, it makes them murderers.

As far as robo-phobic Mac is concerned, Aida has got to go. He gets some help from Elena (Natalia Cordova-Buckley) , who’s also not a fan of evil robots. After battling a well-armed drone, they are able to put Aida down by beheading her…or so they think.
Before this happens, Aida hacks LMayD to use her eyes to find the Darkhold. In fact,  LMayD is still around, as it’s working well with an unsuspecting Coulson.

Radcliffe is really the one who wants the Darkhold for its hidden knowledge, and he’s got everyone fooled. So, with the help of Aida 2.0 he’ll keep the real Agent May hidden..then start work on LMD Coulson. The Darkhold has got a grip on him, even before he’s gotten a chance to read it.

Meanwhile, Senator Ellen Nadeer (Parminder Negra) reveals that she not only hates Inhumans, but SHIELD, too. She thinks its Battle of New York with the Chitauri caused the death of her mom. So, they must pay. She has a lot in common with Helmut Zemo, and that couple who tried to attack Jessica Jones because it thought she brought the Chitauri, too. Even after five years, ripples from the events of The Avengers and Ultron are still visible.
His brother Vijay (Manish Dayal) has emerged from the terregenesis cocoon, but he doesn’t seem different. She can’t take that chance, as she’s got some Watchdogs ready to kill him. As she reminds Vijay, if he or she were infected, one must kill the other.

It looks like SHIELD could help him, though. Mace and Daisy are aware of Vijay, and suspect Nadeer is hiding him. Thanks to Simmons’ ability to fake a Southern accent, exploit how senators need money, and put down an assailant with a water pitcher, she’s able to connect the Senator to the Watchdogs. Vijay begs Ellen to spare him because he hasn’t changed, and it seems to work.

However, he has changed. He shows incredibly fast reflexes, which is actually a minor power compared to other Inhumans. Anyway, he decides to trust his sister, and leave in a helicopter with her.  He thinks it will be fine.

Then he sees his sister has made her choice… shooting him to death and dumping the body in the ocean. Pact or no pact, this is a tragic mistake for Nadeer. Her hatred for Inhumans and SHIELD is thicker than blood. With the help of someone called “The Superior”, she is determined to get revenge.
Anyone suspect she may be looking for the Darkhold eventually as a final solution?

However, when Vijay is dumped in the water, it looks like he’s covered with a new cocoon. Does this mean he’s got quick skills and is hard to kill? This will be one unpleasant family reunion down the line.

After a long break, the show has returned with a good story where true motives are revealed with the help of fake people. We have a mad scientist hoping to take over SHIELD by turning it into Westworld, and an angry senator who wants to destroy SHIELD because she thinks it ruined her family and the world. However, she may realize she was part of the problem, too. It’ll be too late, of course.

Next week, it looks like Mace has something to hide, too.