Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D./Season Two

The Second Season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiered on September 23, 2014 on ABC.

Episodes 1-10
After helping to thwart HYDRA, Coulson was appointed as Director and tasked with rebuilding the agency. This won't be an easy job to accomplish with the majority of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents either killed, secretly working for HYDRA or free agents. Agent Melinda May, expert pilot, martial artist and longtime friend, will continue to look after Coulson in the wake of the mysterious etchings he's been carving into walls. What do these etchings mean, and can Coulson be trusted? Grant Ward, highly trained in combat and espionage, was found to be a HYDRA mole and a traitor to S.H.I.E.L.D. and locked up away from the world and his former teammates. But this isn't the last we've seen of him... After being left to die in the middle of the ocean by Ward, Agent Leo Fitz, brilliant engineer, and Agent Jemma Simmons, genius bio-chemist, found a way to escape their watery grave. But all did not go well for Fitz, who was left in a coma and may never regain his full cognitive functions; a devastating blow to Simmons. And computer hacker Skye, now a full-fledged S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, discovered her origins as an 0-8-4 -- an object of unknown origin - and that her parents were considered "monsters." Could Skye have darkness lying dormant inside of her? Also joining Coulson's core team is Lance Hunter, a dashing mercenary sharp shooter with a quick wit. Since he didn't rise up through the ranks, does he have an ulterior motive for helping out the team? Who can Coulson trust?

Episodes 11-22
After discovering an alien city with ties to his resurrection, Coulson and his team destroyed it before the forces of HYDRA could claim its secrets, eliminating the villainous Whitehall in the process. But new threats to the world have arisen, including Skye's father, Cal, who now seeks retribution against Coulson for stealing his revenge against Whitehall; a disturbing alliance between former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Ward and Agent 33; the enigmatic Raina, who struggles with her transformation into something inhuman by the alien Obelisk and seeks vengeance; and Skye, who developed mysterious new powers from the Obelisk but whose lack of experience with her new abilities may threaten the safety of those she loves. Meanwhile, Bobbi and Mack begin the next phase of a plan which seems to have grave repercussions for Coulson and his team, who are unaware that there's another mysterious force moving against them. And as Hunter is forced to make the biggest choice of his life, Coulson will find his mission threatened by this shocking endgame.

The Diviner
Following the defeat of John Garrett, the new S.H.I.E.L.D. under the auspices of newly appointed director, Phil Coulson, gathers various new operatives in order to quell the still kicking HYDRA. While combating a section of HYDRA led by Daniel Whitehall, the new agency finds themselves assailed by various hindrances. Leo Fitz, after his near-death experience by Grant Ward, suffers from brain damage which only worsens after Jemma Simmons is instructed by Coulson to infiltrate HYDRA as a mole, and the agency's efforts are continually forestalled by General Glenn Talbot. While working undercover, Simmons slowly gains HYDRA's trust, especially after partaking in a vital operation to subdue Donnie Gill, a teenager with cryokinetic powers. The new S.H.I.E.L.D. sets out to recover the original 0-8-4, a mysterious alien Obelisk which is lethal to those who touch it. Daniel Whitehall, a veteran member of HYDRA who has somehow remained young from World War II, seems obsessed with it, and sends in superpowered assassin Carl Creel to steal it. In the ensuing struggle, Agents Isabelle Hartley and Idaho are killed, leaving their teammate, freelance mercenary Lance Hunter, to remain with S.H.I.E.L.D. in their honor. Creel is soon apprehended by S.H.I.E.L.D. and delivered into Talbot's custody, but the Obelisk is taken by Raina. She delivers it to Calvin Zabo, a mysterious, homicidal surgeon who is actually the biological father of Agent Skye and has been seeking her for years.

Study on the Obelisk unveils the possibility that it may be linked to the strange cartographic symbols Coulson has been writing since being resurrected by the GH.325 serum extracted from the blood of the Guest House alien. On a mission to recover a painting with the symbols engraved into the back, Coulson and Agent Melinda May get into a dangerous scuffle with HYDRA operative Sunil Bakshi and the brainwashed Agent 33, who also sought the painting. The bout ends with Agent 33 being horribly disfigured by May, and the painting falling into S.H.I.E.L.D. hands. Meanwhile, Whitehall discovers that Raina stole the Obelisk and threatens her with torture unless she brings it back to him. With Zabo unwilling to make the agreement unless Skye is brought to him, Raina attempts to blackmail Coulson into turning Skye over to her or else she would expose Simmons to HYDRA. Her threat fails, and Simmons is extracted by fellow HYDRA mole Bobbi Morse, who happens to be Agent Hunter's ex-wife. In an attempt to rid themselves of S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA sends in a number of agents posing as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to perform terrorist movements against the United Nations, prompting Senator Christian Ward, the older brother of Grant Ward and Colonel Talbot's benefactor, to issue a manhunt of all S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Coulson, realizing that Senator Ward merely wishes to locate his brother and incarcerate him in order to cover his position as a senator, makes a deal with the politician and hands Ward over in exchange for keeping the military off their backs. However, Ward ends up escaping during transfer and murders his brother and their parents. While attempting to track down Ward, S.H.I.E.L.D. takes notice of a number of murders. The victims, who were all test subjects for Project T.A.H.I.T.I., all have the alien symbols carved into their corpses. The killer is revealed to be ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Sebastian Derik, who was also a T.A.H.I.T.I. subject, and now suffers from a more extreme form of the schizophrenic compulsions that Coulson suffers. Coulson apprehends Derik and discovers that the alien symbols are actually blueprints to an alien cityscape. Zabo, who has extensive knowledge of the city and the Obelisk, which he calls the "Diviner", allies with Whitehall to assist in finding it. Unknown to Whitehall, Zabo actually has his own agenda; years prior, Whitehall vivisected Zabo's wife, who had an unnatural immunity to the Diviner's deadly effects and possessed a prolonged lifespan. Using her blood and bodily organs to secede his own age, Whitehall earned Zabo's enmity. From Zabo, Whitehall learns that Raina can also wield the Diviner without dying, and sends Agent 33 to recover her. S.H.I.E.L.D. gets to her first, and learn from her that the aliens responsible for leaving the Diviner and the city, the Kree, built them so only those with specific genetic material could access them. Her information proves true, as Agent Alphonso Mackenzie enters a trance-like state upon entering the city and attacks his fellow agents. Ward, now once again working with HYDRA, abducts both Raina and Skye and brings them to San Juan, Puerto Rico, the city's hiding place, where Skye reunites with her father. As S.H.I.E.L.D. arrives, Whitehall discovers Zabo's true intentions and a three-way battle ensues between him, HYDRA, and S.H.I.E.L.D. While Whitehall is gunned down by Coulson, Zabo, Ward, and a freed Agent 33 escape. Raina takes the Diviner into the city, followed by Skye, and the two women uncover a temple-like structure that reacts to the Diviner's presence. Locked inside the temple with Agent Antoine Triplett, Skye and Raina are exposed to a mysterious mutagen exhaled from the Diviner. Agent Triplett dies as the women gain superpowers: Skye now has the power to generate seismic energy, while Raina's physical appearance has been drastically altered into a monstrous, animal-like form.

The Inhumans
The women's transformation attracts the attention of two individuals: Gordon, a man without eyes and the ability to teleport who is in possession of a second Diviner; and Vin-Tak, a member of the Kree race. The former seeks out Raina, who had been abandoned by Calvin Zabo after her transformation and attempted to commit suicide, and rescues her from a S.H.I.E.L.D. team sent to incarcerate her. The latter's arrival on Earth prompts Lady Sif of Asgard to travel there as well and intercept Vin-Tak. Brought in by S.H.I.E.L.D., Vin-Tak reveals that the genetically engineered humans from which Raina and Skye descend, called the Inhumans, were created by a rogue Kree faction in an attempt to win the Kree a massive intergalactic war that was waged thousands of years ago. He also confirms the existence of more Diviners scattered across the Earth. Vin-Tak traveled to Earth with the intention of killing the Inhumans. In the chaos, Skye's new powers are revealed to S.H.I.E.L.D., resulting in an intense standoff that ends with Vin-Tak having his memory erased and escorted offworld by Sif. Lance Hunter begins to suspect that Bobbi Morse and Alphonso Mackenzie are working for a third party, but when he confronts Mack with this, he is knocked out and abducted. While Mack deals with Hunter, Morse remains behind to cover their activities by assisting Phil Coulson in dealing with Skye's still-at large father, who makes another mad attempt at reclaiming his daughter and ruining S.H.I.E.L.D. by gathering a team of dangerous individuals from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Gifted Index. Skye, while undergoing a therapy session under Agent May's ex-husband, Dr. Andrew Garner, in an effort to control her abilities, intervenes during a brutal altercation between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Zabo's team, during which Zabo is suddenly extracted by Gordon and Skye unleashes her powers once again. She injures herself after trying to contain them, forcing Coulson to send her to the Retreat, an isolated cabin in the middle of the woods meant for containing dangerous gifteds, until they can figure out a way to deal with her powers.

Meanwhile, Morse and Mack bring Hunter to their leader: Robert Gonzales, a former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. who, during the S.H.I.E.L.D. Civil War, formed a group of S.H.I.E.L.D. loyalists with the intention of revitalizing S.H.I.E.L.D. Upon learning of Coulson's own organization, Gonzales instructed Morse and Mack to infiltrate Coulson's faction and determine whether or not they could be considered allies or enemies; given the amount of damage caused by the crisis with the Diviner, Gonzales deems Coulson insane and unworthy of being director. While Hunter manages to escape Gonzales' S.H.I.E.L.D., he is unable to warn Coulson in time, and Gonzales' S.H.I.E.L.D. leads an assault on Coulson's team, during which Melinda May, Leo Fitz, and Jemma Simmons are captured while Coulson escapes. Gonzales acquires Nick Fury's Toolbox, which Gonzales is especially interested in due to its supposed importance to Coulson. He sends Morse and Agent Tomas Calderon to bring Skye in, and while she is trying to flee from her pursuers, she unleashes her powers to defend herself, injuring Calderon. Gordon then comes to Skye's aide, whisking her away from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s reach.

Starring Cast

 * Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson
 * Ming-Na Wen as Melinda May
 * Brett Dalton as Grant Ward
 * Chloe Bennet as Skye
 * Elizabeth Henstridge as Jemma Simmons
 * Iain De Caestecker as Leo Fitz
 * Nick Blood as Lance Hunter
 * Adrianne Palicki as Bobbi Morse

Supporting Cast

 * B.J. Britt as Antoine Triplett †
 * Henry Simmons as Alphonso Mackenzie
 * Simon Kassianides as Sunil Bakshi
 * Brian Patrick Wade as Carl Creel
 * Adrian Pasdar as Glenn Talbot
 * Reed Diamond as Daniel Whitehall †
 * Ruth Negga as Raina
 * Tim DeKay as Christian Ward †
 * Patton Oswalt as Billy Koenig/ Sam Koenig
 * Kyle MacLachlan as Calvin Zabo
 * Maya Stojan as Agent 33
 * Christine Adams as Anne Weaver
 * Dichen Lachman as Jiaying
 * Blair Underwood as Andrew Garner
 * Edward James Olmos as Robert Gonzales
 * Luke Mitchell as Lincoln Campbell

Marvel Cinematic Universe Guest Stars

 * Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter
 * Neal McDonough as Dum Dum Dugan
 * Kenneth Choi as Jim Morita †
 * Jaimie Alexander as Sif
 * Henry Goodman as Doctor List
 * Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill