Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. New Episode Review: 'Aftershocks' Transforms Skye

Season 2 of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. finally returned with a new episode this week after a lengthy hiatus. "Aftershocks" plunged us right back into the frenzied action of this world, specifically with regard to Skye and her newfound powers.

We knew Skye had been radically changed thanks to the events of the midseason finale, and "Aftershocks" allowed us to see how she and the rest of that team dealt with what happened down in the alien city. Skye, of course, knew something was different within her. Different stresses seemed to trigger her new powers, as she began to shake the earth around her. We didn't get to see the full extent of her powers, but we're only 11 episodes into this season, so we've got time to let that develop.

More interesting than Skye's new abilities were the reactions of her teammates to what happened underground. Simmons, in particular, took a much harder stance than one might expect from her, as she suggested to Coulson that they put down Raina rather than capture her. She reasoned that whatever was released down there was essentially a plague that needed to be eradicated rather than studied. Of course, Simmons doesn't know that Skye is "infected" with the same gene-altering mist that got to Raina and turned her into a thorny creature.

Fitz, meanwhile, deduced that Skye was the one who caused the earthquake down in the alien city. He realized that something had changed in her, and at first it seemed like the team was about to find out the truth. But Fitz swapped out Skye's blood test results and kept her secret.

It makes sense that Fitz would be the one to understand and accept Skye's transformation. Fitz was radically changed by the events of the Season 1 finale, and his coming to grips with those changes and his mental struggles throughout Season 2 have been one of the high points of this sophomore campaign thus far. Fitz likely saw himself and his own problems in Skye, and so he decided to aid her instead of expose her.

It should be interesting, though, to see what happens when the rest of the team learns of Skye's new abilities. Coulson would likely accept her no matter what, as he has become a father figure to her. But would Simmons? Would Mack? Would anyone else on the team other than Fitz? Skye has a lot to deal with in the upcoming episodes, and not all of her problems are physical.

Elsewhere in the secrets department, Bobbi and Mack are planning something together in secret. It's unclear what exactly their endgame is, but they may not necessarily be working against S.H.I.E.L.D. We had a similar storyline last season with Agent May reporting to Nick Fury, so could Bobbi and Mack have another boss? Or are they in this mission for themselves?

S.H.I.E.L.D. also secured a pretty significant victory in stamping out what remains of Hydra's leadership, other than Bakshi. But as we've heard before on this show, cut off one head and two more grow in its place.

And if Hydra weren't enough, we seemingly have more Inhumans populating the world other than Skye and Raina. The introduction of the Inhumans on this show is pretty huge for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the show seems to be handling it well thus far. These new threats will likely loom large for the remainder of the season, so S.H.I.E.L.D. will definitely have its hands full, and the viewers will have plenty to enjoy.

Notes:

- Hunter's American accent was fantastic, and he continues to be a bright spot on the show.

- Say what you want about Tripp's death, but he will be missed.

- What will Skye's father, Cal, do now? His part in this story is clearly not done yet.

- Any theories on Ward's role for the rest of the season?

- The special effects for the various powers look pretty good so far.

What did you think of "Aftershocks"? Let us know in the comments section.