This is more of a transitional episode after the changes introduced in the previous installment, but that doesn’t mean that the story is slowing down.  Skye’s introduction to “Afterlife” is never quite what it seems, and it’s interesting to see Coulson making decisions that could, from a certain point of view, be validating all the ugly things Gonsalez has been saying.  Oh, and Gonsalez has some serious bigotry issues. 

I’m a little disappointed that the writers chose to make Team Coulson entirely loyal.  On the one side, Bobbi began wavering on the hard line that Gonsalez has been taking, based on her experience with Coulson.  Simmons seemed to be drinking the Team Gonsalez Kool-Aid, especially given that his issues with “freaks” weren’t all that different from her own comments.  But I suppose when push comes to shove, Simmons isn’t about to turn her back on Fitz or the rest of the team.  That sandwich seemed like quite the token of esteem and affection, if you ask me!



Meanwhile, Coulson is on the run with Hunter, and his choices aren’t exactly going to sound like the high ground.  He makes a point not to kill anyone, which is a point in his column, yet the fact that he brings in powered support in the form of Deathlok only seems to underscore Gonsalez’s point.  And if Coulson is really going to ally with Ward in some fashion, that’s going to muddy the waters in significant ways.  The audience has lots of reasons to side with Coulson at this point, but from an objective or simply outside view, this is all very sketchy.

All of that is a bit surprising, but far more shocking is the revelation that Skye’s mother is still alive.  While having the uber-gorgeous Dichen Lachman on my screen is hardly something to complain about, the writers are going to have to work overtime to explain how she is still alive.  Jiaying’s ability contributed to not aging, so was there a healing factor on the Logan-esque level at play?  And just how long has Cal been aware of Jiaying’s survival?  Their dynamic was a bit too easy and familiar for something that Cal shouldn’t have known.



On the other hand, this underscores how tempted Skye will be to align with the Inhumans.  Finding her family has always been a huge priority, and once she realizes that her mother is still alive, there will be temptation aplenty.  Of course, much rests on what kind of person Jiaying is.  We could see a retread of sorts with the end of the first season, where Skye is faced with the choice between loyalty to Coulson and someone she loves with serious morality issues.






The issue of Skye and the Inhumans is a tough nut to crack, because Gonsalez’s attitude towards them may reflect a strong sentiment within the power structure of SHIELD and its potential political allies.  I imagine that the events of Age of Ultron will also contribute to this overall direction, and that Coulson’s struggle will be to prevent SHIELD from falling into the draconian thinking that will, inevitable, lead into the philosophical differences underlying Captain America: Civil War.