[ Warning - Spoilers for this week’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.]
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Framework storyline continues in new promos and posters highlighting Madame Hydra and the Inhuman resistance. After a lengthy hiatus, the show returned last night with a brand new status quo. With Daisy and Simmons now inside the Framework, the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were forced to navigate a frightening new world where Hydra rules with an iron fist. Along the way, we got to see a number of characters in all new roles, including the return of Grant Ward. It was a thrilling and tense hour, and the remainder of the season looks to have a lot in store for viewers. While a lot of table-setting had to occur, things will kick off next week when the Inhuman resistance takes center stage.
Given their status as the vilified other, along with their power, it makes sense that the Inhumans would rise up against Hydra. Thanks to a recent poster, we know they won’t be alone, as Mace is still fighting for the disenfranchised as the Patriot. Of course, they’ll be going up against the whole of Hydra, including Aida in the role of Madame Hydra. A twist on one of the organization’s many leaders from the comics, we got a glimpse of her last night. Next week, it looks like she’ll be put front and center.
ABC debuted a new promo for next Tuesday’s “Identity and Change,” which will see Daisy, Ward, Simmons, and Coulson all join up with Mace and the resistance. Meanwhile, Fitz and May will be using their considerable skills to hunt down the rogues. They’ll also be encountering Radcliffe and Mack, who we didn’t get to see last week. We know Mack will be living life as a father, but Radcliffe’s role in the new reality is unknown. We also have two new posters from the show, teasing the tyrannical role Aida has placed herself in as Madame Hydra. Check them out below:
While this week finally answered some of the questions we’ve been harboring since the show’s shocking cliffhanger a month and a half ago, there’s still a lot that remains to be seen. Though we have a good idea of what the Cambridge Incident was, it’s still hard to see how that led to the rise of Hydra and why people like May and Fitz turned so dark. We also don’t know why Radcliffe and Aida designed such a pro-Hydra world, or why the organization is hunting the Inhumans when they were founded around the worship of one.
Luckily, the writers of S.H.I.E.L.D. rarely set up a mystery they don’t intend to solve. In the meantime, the new reality has many fans hoping we’ll see the return of some familiar faces from the past. Given Ward’s return, it seems safe to assume other fallen friends and foes will pop back up to reward longtime fans and further complicate our heroes’ efforts to escape this world. Regardless, the rest of the season looks to be full of action and intrigue.
Next: Is Trip Still Alive in the Framework?
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. continues Tuesday April 11 with ‘Identity and Change’ at 10pm on ABC.
Source: ABC, CBR