‘Agents Of SHIELD’ Season 2 Recap: Two Characters Make Shocking Returns; Episode 16 Recap

Plenty of characters made their triumphant returns to “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” in Season 2, episode 16. While Coulson (Clark Gregg) was on the run, he enlisted the help of a familiar face from Season 1. Meanwhile, Skye (Chloe Bennet) found herself face-to-face with a character audiences thought was dead.

Skye was with Gordon (Jamie Harris) at a facility for Inhumans after being rescued in episode 15. She woke up after two days of being unconscious with needles in her body. She couldn’t move, but Gordon said she was being healed.

She was introduced to Lincoln (Luke Mitchell), her “transitioner.” The needles didn’t allow her to move, but she said that she needed to go. She was worried about her friends. “You’re the one that’s in danger Skye, remember?” Lincoln said. “You’re the one being hunted.”

Lincoln told Skye that no one, not even the residents, knew where they were because Gordon teleported them in. He knew it was some sort of Chinese name, but he preferred to call it “Afterlife” (which is conveniently the title of this episode). He opened up the doors to show her a beautiful view of the mountains. It could very well be the Himalayas, which is one of the locations of the Inhuman city Attilan in the comics. Skye was concerned that she couldn’t leave, but Lincoln assured her that the choice to stay was her own.

The newly empowered agent was a little concerned that everyone in the facility was staring at her. Lincoln explained that everyone else there was preparing for a possible change. They were waiting to be “chosen.” He said that not only did she not wait to be chosen, she did it “old school,” with the Diviner in a Kree temple.

Skye revealed that she wanted to be changed back, but Lincoln told her that there was no way to get rid of her powers. They could only help her transition and adjust. Lincoln revealed that he could control electrical charges. He even lifted Skye off the ground with his powers. He explained that he was in pain after he first transitioned and nearly burned down the place. He assured Skye that she would learn to control her powers.

Later, Skye asked Gordon to tell her friends that she was okay. However, Gordon said the Elders likely wouldn’t allow the communication. He also wouldn’t tell her where her father or Raina were.

Gordon visited Cal (Kyle MacLachlan). Skye’s father was locked in a room with no windows or doors and a lot of destroyed furniture. He realized they found Skye and asked to see her. Gordon denied him and said that he risked everything the Inhumans were working for. “You have not only sealed your fate, but the fate of your daughter as well,” Gordon said.

When Skye asked Lincoln about Raina (Ruth Negga), Lincoln assured her that no one there would harm her. He didn’t say that Raina wasn’t there. Eventually, Skye realized Raina was being hidden. She found Raina in the room that Lincoln claimed they didn’t use any more. Raina was still depressed because of how her powers altered her appearance.

“I am on the outside what you are on the inside,” Raina taunted.

Skye started to use her powers on just Raina rather than the whole room, and the spike-covered Inhuman encouraged Skye to kill her.

“Enough!” Skye’s mother (Dichen Lachman) shouted.

She introduced herself as Jiaying, and she defended Raina. Skye said she’d have to leave, but Jiaying wanted to be her guide. She wanted to help train her and asked Skye to give her a chance. She didn’t mention being her mother (nor do we have an explanation about how she is alive after Cal saw her seemingly dead body in a flashback).

Jiaying went to Cal and thanked him for bringing Daisy back. Yet he still wasn’t allowed to see his daughter.

Coulson was doing everything he could to find Skye. He needed the resources though, and that required S.H.I.E.L.D. technology.

Gonzales (Edward James Olmos) was busy taking over, but Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki) was keeping him in line. Bobbi defended Skye when Gonzales called her a “thing.” He thought Gordon might also be one of Coulson’s guys, but Bobbi assured him that Coulson was in the dark. However, Gonzales wanted to know if more information was in Fury’s toolbox. He needed Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) to unlock the box.

Bobbi assured Fitz and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) that they could leave if they really wanted to, but the new S.H.I.E.L.D. could use their help. The duo said that they’d rather leave.

They weren’t having much luck with May (Ming-Na Wen) either. May wasn’t complying with Gonzales’ questions. She stayed quiet the whole time. She said that Colson and S.H.I.E.L.D. were the same thing. Gonzales claimed that Coulson should be on the index because the alien blood could give him powers. He pulled out a report label Bahrain to remind her of a time where she had to take out someone on the index.

“Don’t worry,” May said. “When he’s ready, he’ll find you. Coulson is the one man you can never put down.”

Meanwhile, Mack (Henry Simmons) and Bobbi had to convince Fitz and Simmons to stay with their new team. Simmons was much easier to convince. Bobbi convinced Simmons that once the box was opened, they could prove that Coulson was on their side.

Mack wanted Fitz to stay. He said that if Simmons could realize they were good, why couldn’t he? He looked at Simmon’s scans and was surprised to see her working on the box. Suddenly, he had an epiphany that he didn’t share with Mack.

Fitz confronted Simmons about her plans in front of everyone and he declared that he would leave. He packed a bag and headed out. After he left, Simmons claimed that only Coulson’s DNA could open the box. “Without Coulson or some miracle, I’m afraid it’s just a worthless piece of junk,” Simmons said.

She had a plan. Simmons switched the box with a fake and sent Fitz off with the real toolbox as well as a sandwich. It was prosciutto and mozzarella with a hint of pesto aioli, Fitz’s favorite. It seems like Fitz and Simmons are once again the team known as FitzSimmons.

Clearly, he hadn’t won over the science team, but Gonzales stopped treating May like a fugitive. He brought May out of her cell and into a conference room. He handed her a gun and told her to either kill him or listen to him. At the recommendation of his team, he decided he wasn’t handling her properly. He offered her a spot on the board out of fairness. He wanted a strong Coulson supporter on the team.

Meanwhile, Coulson and Hunter (Nick Blood) went to Fury’s cabin and discovered surveillance footage of Skye’s escape with Gordon. Just as May said, Coulson brought Gonzales’ team to find him. He and Hunter were in Fury’s cabin, so he triggered the alarm to bring in Gonzales. It would take an hour for their battering ram to break through the door. Bobbi pointed out that Coulson invited him, but Gonzales didn’t want to listen to her.

Coulson and Hunter used a modern Howling Commandos kit (made by Trip and Fitz) to set up hologram versions of themselves playing cards. They used icer guns on the agents as soon as they came in.

The former S.H.I.E.L.D. director wanted to steal their jet and thought they could walk right up after knocking out the agents. However, an invisible jet was hiding with a second team ready to take them down.

Coulson said he had backup on the way, but Hunter wasn't convinced when he heard it was only one guy. Deathlok, a.k.a. Mike Peterson (J. August Richards), came in as there were being loaded onto the plane. He used some upgrades on his machinery from Coulson to take out the agents. Mike piloted the plane to get them away from the agents.

Coulson revealed that if they were going to find Skye, they needed to track down their “bad option”: Grant Ward.

“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EDT on ABC. Who were you more shocked to see: Skye’s mother or Deathlok? Sound off in the comments section below!