Changes: Purpose in the Machine

Revision as of 20:52, 13 April 2020

Purpose in the Machine

First Aired

October 6, 2015

Marvel Cinematic Universe

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"Hell of a machine, Kebo. Built for precision, speed... designed to handle flawlessly under any conditions. But Carmine here bought it as a status symbol to show off. Never opened it up, denied it of its true purpose."

―Grant Ward to Kebo^[src]

Purpose in the Machine is the second episode of the third season of the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..

Synopsis

Fitz and the team enlist the aid of an Asgardian to unlock the secrets of the ancient Monolith that swallowed Simmons, and Agent May is at a crossroads in her personal and professional life.

Plot

In 1839 England, a meeting of lords and nobles were having a lottery; he who grabbed the white stone from the bag was to enter the room housing the Monolith. The chosen man was never seen again.

Presently, Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter run past Daisy Johnson and Alphonso Mackenzie, telling them that Leo Fitz has entered the previously sealed room that contained the Monolith. They pull Fitz from the Kree stone. Phil Coulson, interrupted from installing a new hand, berates Fitz for his emotional breakdown, citing that he cannot afford to lose him; Fitz runs from the room after Morse removed sand from his cheek.

Fitz finds that the sand proves that Jemma Simmons was on another world, teleported by the Monolith. It is decided that she is to be found and returned to Earth. Coulson has Fitz and Morse accompany him to Norway to get Elliot Randolph, an Asgardian who has spent centuries on Earth, but was in prison for being drunk and disorderly.

Meanwhile, Andrew Garner arrives at the Playground and assesses Joey Gutierrez for the Caterpillars program. To Johnson's dismay, Gutierrez fails his interview.

Eventually, Johnson and Mackenzie take the Monolith to an English castle where they meet with Coulson's group. They open the portal but the machinery able to maintain it breaks. Fitz and Johnson realize that Johnson's vibrational powers can maintain the portal. When Johnson uses her powers, instead of sending a probe to investigate, Fitz jumps inside. He finds and retrieves Simmons before the portal explodes.

Grant Ward is not happy; he feels that HYDRA has squandered its potential for too long and he, as leader, will change that. To that end, he and Kebo find Werner von Strucker, the son of Wolfgang von Strucker, and eventually convince him to join their campaign.

Lance Hunter goes to Sun City, Arizona to recruit Melinda May to his campaign: revenge on Ward for the Kidnapping of Bobbi Morse. Initially, May refuses; she feels that her father needs her after his car accident. Hunter tells May that the real reason she is staying with her father is that she feels that Ward might target him. After a long conversation with her father, May changes her mind and joins Hunter.

Having returned to Culver University, Garner allows a new student to join his class, Werner von Strucker.

Cast

Main Cast:

Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson
Ming-Na Wen as Melinda May
Brett Dalton as Grant Ward
Chloe Bennet as Daisy Johnson
Iain De Caestecker as Leo Fitz
Elizabeth Henstridge as Jemma Simmons
Nick Blood as Lance Hunter
Adrianne Palicki as Bobbi Morse
Henry Simmons as Alphonso Mackenzie
Luke Mitchell as Lincoln Campbell (credit only)

Guest Stars:

Peter MacNicol as Elliot Randolph
James Hong as William May
Alex Hyde-White as Lord Thornally
Spencer Treat Clark as Werner von Strucker
Blair Underwood as Doctor Andrew Garner
Daz Crawford as Kebo
Daniel J. Wolfe as Lord Manzini
Piers Stubbs as Younger Lord
Darius Cottrell as Moe (uncredited)
Riley Go as Young Melinda May (uncredited)
Trevor Snarr as Huntington (uncredited)
Mark Casimir Dyniewicz as 1830's Nobleman (uncredited)
Cale Schultz as Bodyguard (uncredited)
Ashley Caple as Alexander's Friend on Yacht (uncredited)
Unknown Actor as Carmine (uncredited)

Appearances

Locations

Events

Rescue of Jemma Simmons
Grant Ward's Campaign
- Kidnapping of Werner von Strucker
Battle of Sokovia (mentioned)
Assassination of Wolfgang von Strucker (mentioned)

Items

Vehicles

Sentient Species

Creatures

Rats

Organizations

S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Caterpillars (mentioned)
HYDRA
Strategic Scientific Reserve (logo)
Advanced Threat Containment Unit (mentioned)

Mentioned

Trivia

To be added

Videos

Marvel's Agents of SHIELD 3x02 Promo "Purpose in the Machine" (HD)

References

The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Purpose in the Machine.

External Links

Purpose in the Machine on Wikipedia
Purpose in the Machine on IMDb
Purpose in the Machine on Disney+
Purpose in the Machine on Marvel Database

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Season One	Pilot • 0-8-4 • The Asset • Eye-Spy • Girl in the Flower Dress • FZZT • The Hub • The Well • Repairs •The Bridge • The Magical Place • Seeds • T.R.A.C.K.S. • T.A.H.I.T.I. • Yes Men • End of the Beginning • Turn, Turn, Turn • Providence • The Only Light in the Darkness • Nothing Personal • Ragtag • Beginning of the End

Season Two	Shadows • Heavy is the Head • Making Friends and Influencing People • Face My Enemy • A Hen in the Wolf House • A Fractured House • The Writing on the Wall • The Things We Bury • ...Ye Who Enter Here • What They Become • Aftershocks • Who You Really Are • One of Us • Love in the Time of HYDRA • One Door Closes • Afterlife • Melinda • The Frenemy of My Enemy • The Dirty Half Dozen • Scars • S.O.S. Part One • S.O.S. Part Two

Season Three	Laws of Nature • Purpose in the Machine • A Wanted (Inhu)man • Devils You Know • 4,722 Hours • Among Us Hide... • Chaos Theory • Many Heads, One Tale • Closure • Maveth • Bouncing Back • The Inside Man • Parting Shot • Watchdogs • Spacetime • Paradise Lost • The Team • The Singularity • Failed Experiments • Emancipation • Absolution • Ascension

Season Four	The Ghost • Meet the New Boss • Uprising • Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire • Lockup • The Good Samaritan • Deals With Our Devils • The Laws of Inferno Dynamics • Broken Promises • The Patriot • Wake Up • Hot Potato Soup • BOOM • The Man Behind the Shield • Self Control • What If... • Identity and Change • No Regrets • All the Madame's Men • Farewell, Cruel World! • The Return • World's End

Season Five	Orientation Part One • Orientation Part Two • A Life Spent • A Life Earned • Rewind • Fun & Games • Together or Not at All • The Last Day • Best Laid Plans • Past Life • All the Comforts of Home • The Real Deal • Principia • The Devil Complex • Rise and Shine • Inside Voices • The Honeymoon • All Roads Lead... • Option Two • The One Who Will Save Us All • The Force of Gravity • The End

Season Six	Missing Pieces • Window of Opportunity • Fear and Loathing on the Planet of Kitson • Code Yellow • The Other Thing • Inescapable • Toldja • Collision Course Part One • Collision Course Part Two • Leap • From the Ashes • The Sign • New Life

Season Seven	The New Deal • Know Your Onions • Alien Commies from the Future! • Out of the Past • A Trout in the Milk • Adapt or Die • The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and the D • After, Before • As I Have Always Been • Stolen • Brand New Day • The End is at Hand • What We're Fighting For

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