Entertainment

Is Agent Coulson Being Controlled?

by Caroline Pate

Tuesday night's episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was an incredibly tense one, an episode in which the S.H.I.E.L.D. team members were easily convinced that the others were working for HYDRA. After last week's big reveal of Ward as a HYDRA agent, this episode left us with a lot of questions. So let's try to answer them, shall we?

Is Agent Coulson Being Controlled by HYDRA?

Agent Melinda May admits that Nick Fury was not in charge of Coulson's special T.A.H.I.T.I. operation... but she doesn't know who was. That leaves Coulson's status as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent compromised. What if the operation was overseen by a member of HYDRA? That seems like something that the Clairvoyant, who is ultimately revealed in this episode to be Agent Garrett, would love to brag about, yet he's silent on the matter. It doesn't seem like HYDRA is controlling Agent Coulson, but it certainly seems like someone tampered with his operation, even if it's not the bad guy.

Is Nick Fury Really Dead?

Yes he is. No he's not. Yes he is. Eventually, Coulson is told that only a select few are allow to know that Fury is indeed alive. And Samuel L. Jackson is planning to make an appearance in the season finale, so while he may still be dead to some people, Nick Fury is certainly alive.

What's with Ward?

This week, we got to see Ward's real "bad guy" side, and it was not pretty. He relishes in how he duped his team, but he still seems to have some sort of attachment to Skye. When Raina presses him on the issue, he alludes that even though Coulson is a good man, he owes Agent Garrett so much more. So what exactly did Agent Garrett save him from? And are his feelings for Skye real, or just a way to get close to the team? If the preview was any indication, we'll find out next week.

Is Patton Oswalt Coming Back?

After all the tension and suspicious, Patton Oswalt was a welcome presence on the show. He had the sort of wry humor that this show has been missing, especially in its later, more eventful episodes. Oswalt's appearance was just a guest spot, but here's hoping that it spans a few more episodes. After all, the team will need to hang out in "Providence" for at least a little while.

Image: ABC