by Tony Ortega

Previously on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – Skye is revealed to be none other than the Inhuman Daisy Johnson (aka Quake). A war breaks out between the Inhumans and just about everyone else, led Skye’s birth mother. A Kree weapon, the Monolith, absorbs Simmons. Ward kills his lover who is disguised as my favorite character (barf), Agent May. Coulson loses an arm. Ward continues to be smoking hot and on a very dark path to possibly lead a new fraction of Hydra. Fitz is still single and crushing on Mack (come on folks, it’s totally believable). Bobbie Morse (aka Mockingbird) and her estranged husband, Hunter, joins the team. Tryp is still dead. May is still alive (although her “origin” story made her a tad likeable). Oh yeah, Terrigen crystals sink into the ocean (queue mysterious music).

Spoilers ahead. You have been warned.

The episode opens up with what appears to be a new Inhuman being chased down for liquifying random inanimate objects along a city block. Enter Daisy Johnson, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s newest (returning) badass, to take care of this mysterious black ops team chasing this new Inhuman. Apparently, she is no longer going by Skye. He is subsequently rescued and we see that there is a mysterious woman, named Rosalind Price (portrayed by Constance Zimmer formerly of House of Cards fame), behind this black ops team that seems to be kidnapping new Inhumans.

Back at the new S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrrier, Daisy comforts the new Inhuman. When he asks if they will cure him, Daisy brilliantly responds: “You learn to live with it. You may think that your life is over but it’s just getting better.” This made me tear up a bit as this statement seems analogous to anyone who just found out that they have some sort of illness. One may think that your life is over because of this affliction, but with proper help and support, one’s life can literally begin anew.

We later find out that the Terrigen Crystals that fell into the ocean has infiltrated the ecosystem. While impervious to humans, it is triggering the latent Inhuman gene in individuals who had no idea that they were part alien. Mr. Liquifyer (aka Joey) is introduced as the new Inhuman (and he is gay, for real this time. Not a product of my overactive imagination). Bobbie and Hunter aren’t speaking. Simmons is still missing within the Monolith and we see that Fitz grows a pair and embarks on a, what appears to be, a very dangerous unauthorized mission to save Simmons.

Coulson and Hunter track down Rosalind while Daisy and Mack track down hunky Inhuman Lincoln to recruit him in aiding new Inhumans make the transition to super powered life. As usual, chaos ensues and we come to find out that Rosalind is actually in charge of America’s new strike force, Advance Threat Containment Unit or ATCU or in this one’s opinion, WTF? Fitz has a meltdown in front of the Monolith and we find out that Simmons is actually … The best part of the season premiere – not a peep about Agent May. Worst part of the season premiere – not a peep about Ward (sigh).

The freshman season of AoS was a good attempt to throw the Marvel Cinematic Universe onto the small screen. How it survived the first season is beyond me as it was relatively weak, playing on the successes of the Marvel movies. Someone paid attention to the potential cash cow they had on their hands and amped up the action, characterization and connections to the Marvel Universe for the show’s sophomore season while giving the show a strong identity independent of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Seriously, the second season was amazing, even if May is still alive and Ward is now evil.

The show’s third season is off to a good start. With a stronger connection to the Inhuman’s mythos, references to Pym technology, and the start of what appears to be The Secret Warriors, the third season is off to a good start. One of the more likeable things about this show that even someone who is not a comic book aficionado can follow along and still understand everything that is going on, of course, not with the same fervor as someone who remembers the glory days of Steranko’s S.H.I.E.L.D. Would I give the season premiere

5 stars, nah, only about 3.75.