Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D needed a huge boost of action and comic goodness after playing around with “spy vs. spy” in the last episode, and this week with ‘The Girl in the Flower Dress,’ they delivered. While not referencing the four-color world of the Marvel Universe directly, they did establish a few things here that will have greater ramification down the line. This might be the first Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “must see” episode. If the producers can continue to throw the comic-loving audience a bone here or there, this series could evolve into something great. Anyway, here are the 6 Qs.
1. What is it?
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1, episode 5, titled ‘The Girl in the Flower Dress.’
2. Who’s in it?
The series regulars, Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennet, Elizabeth Henstridge, and Iain De Caestecker. Guest starring this week is Ruth Negga as Rayna, Louis Ozawa Changchien as Chan Ho Yin, Shannon Luccio as Debbie, Austin Nichols as Miles, Cullen Douglas as Po, and Tzi Ma as Agent Kwan.
3. Who made it?
The Girl in the Flower Dress was written by Brent Fletcher; the episode was directed by Jesse Bochco.
4. What is it about? (**Spoilers Ahead**)
A Chinese street performer/magician named Chan Ho Yin (Changchien) seems to have the unique gift of conjuring fire with his bare hands, and it attracts a woman onlooker, who wears a flower dress, to find out more about his gift. She promises him immortality, and even offers him a name, Scorch, in return for his help studying his powers. He agrees and is then forcefully taken by men in flame-retardant hazmat suits.
Back on the Bus, the gang learns that S.H.I.E.L.D. knew about Yin, and were keeping tabs on him. They also learn that S.H.I.E.L.D. was hacked by The Rising Tide and that’s how the mysterious kidnappers knew about him. This forces Coulson (Gregg) to ask Skye (Bennet) to trace the hack. She discovers that a hacker named Miles (Nichols) was responsible and the team jets off to Austin, Texas to question him.
In Texas, Agent Ward (Dalton) is made on a tail, and Miles escapes, only to go home and find Skye waiting for him. They make love–having a history–and afterwards, as Skye attempts to go back to S.H.I.E.L.D., they are discovered by Melinda May (Wen). Skye and Miles are both arrested, as Coulson feels deeply betrayed.
At a secret facility in China, the girl in the flower dress, Rayna (Negga) and Debbie (Luccio)–the researcher from the pilot episode–discuss what to do with Yin. His blood platelets are fire resistant, making him a perfect study subject for Extremis. When Yin realizes that he won’t be famous and he is just a lab rat, he ODs on the Extremis serum and tries to destroy the facility just as S.H.I.E.L.D. arrives.
After trying and failing to reason with Yin, renamed Scorch by this point, Coulson and May decide to take him out permanently, but not before Debbie is incinerated and Rayna escapes with Yin’s blood samples and data. Yin is then injected with ALL of the remaining Extremis and Miles–on the Bus–hacks into the building to close the doors and vents to direct the coming explosion out the top of the building. Yin/Scorch then blows up.
Back on the Bus, Miles is given a choice of jail, or a life without technology, and he chooses the latter. Coulson places a bracelet on his wrist that works as a low level EMP, which will prevent him from using computers or technology, and then sends him on his way–in China, not Texas.
Skye and Coulson finally have it out, and Coulson gives her the same offer, after informing her of his disappointment in her playing both sides. Skye also takes the EMP bracelet, rendering her tech-impotent, and her future with S.H.I.E.L.D. is left cloudy.
In the last scene, Rayna visits a mysterious man named Po (Douglas) in prison. This Po seems to be an important part of Centipede, the clandestine group trying to perfect Extremis. Rayna asks Po to consult the “Clairvoyant” for their next move and the episode ends with many questions left unanswered.
5. Any revelations, tie-ins, easter eggs, etc.?
A Steve Rogers/Captain America reference; another “Coulson got stabbed in the heart” reference from The Avengers; Extremis, from Iron Man 3 makes a fiery return and plays a major role. First mention of “The Index,” a S.H.I.E.L.D. list that keeps track of people with powers/gifts, and gives S.H.I.E.L.D. the “Power Protocols.” When asked how many people are in the Index, Coulson replies, “not many.”
6. Will we watch next week?
This episode did more to boost the series than any other so far. We had a person with honest-to-god superpowers, we had nefarious bad guys, complicated good guys, and tons of references to a much greater mythology–not only for this show, but the entire Marvel Movie Universe (MMU). Who is the Clairvoyant?
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will take a break next week, probably for some Halloween-themed programming, but will return in two weeks–to kick off sweeps–hopefully building on this great episode.
