Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – Aftershocks

After two months off the air Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns to deal with the ramifications of the mid-season finale. "Aftershocks" is a mixed bag opening with one of most awkward scenes of the entire series (seriously, I've seen infomercials with better acting) involving the introduction of another Inhuman (Jamie Harris) and revealing what role Jiaying (Dichen Lachman) played in the group before her death.

Even though months have passed since the mid-season finale almost no time has past on the series as the S.H.I.E.L.D. teams continue uncovering the wreckage of the underground temple and Skye (Chloe Bennet) is kept in quarantine for the entire episode somehow hiding what really happened to the only people who could properly care for her for no reason other than to set up conflict and distrust for the second-half of the season. While spending time to mourn the loss of Trip (B.J. Britt), allowing the show to end on a high note, the hamfisted writing doesn't so much foreshadow as scream out the problems Skye will have with her all the sudden xenophobic teammates once her condition is discovered.

One thing "Aftershocks" does well is wrap-up the HYDRA storyline as Coulson (Clark Gregg) and his team trick Bakshi (Simon Kassianides) and his mentor into destroying the organization's heads from the inside allowing the show to finally move forward with a new arc. And after months of teasing the audience with a nefarious reason for Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki) and Mac (Henry Simmons) choosing to join Coulson's team we finally discover what they're after (although not why, or for who, they're planning on betraying their friends).