Television: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., "0-8-4"

The team heads down to Peru to investigate an 0-8-4, which is to say an object of unknown origin. (The last one they found? A hammer.) The item in question this time is embedded in an ancient temple, though the object predates the temple.

Meanwhile, Ward tells Giles Coulson in no uncertain terms that he does not trust Skye as the newest addition to S.H.I.E.L.D. because he anticipates she will use their own resources against them in support of her Rising Tide affiliation. Even as the investigation of the 0-8-4 begins, Skye is offering to post something online to let people know about it, and about any potential dangers, only to be told they must keep the whole thing secret. "Everything I'm against," says Skye. "Pretty much," answers Coulson.

While on site in Peru, Coulson gets cozy with a former colleague Camilla who now heads Peruvian police. Alas, when the team comes under fire, they take the 0-8-4 with them and hop back on their plane . . . Along with Camilla and her team, which gets "extracted" by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Turns out the artifact is fueled by Tesseract technology. Meaning it's highly unstable and may explode at any moment.

Ward and Skye share a moment in which Skye points out that, when one person can't find a solution, 100 people with 1% each can come up with a solution. Ward responds that he was trained to be the whole solution. (He prefers to work alone. And without non-combatants like Fitz, Simmons, and Skye.)

In a way-too-obvious turn, Camilla and her team turn on the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Coulson spits out some pretty cliché dialogue about how they'd once been allies, but at least he saves us the pain of pretending to be surprised by Camilla's betrayal.

When everyone but Coulson ends up tied up in cargo, Ward regurgitates Skye's whole "if we all come up with just part of the solution . . ." spiel. It's a weak, dumb moment. The whole thing is, in a way. I mean, shouldn't Camilla know better than to put them all in the same place where they will surely devise a plan for escape? At the very least, gag them. Right?

Not sure what Melinda May's problem is, but apparently she really doesn't like being called "The Cavalry." Not much of a talker, either. So maybe she doesn't need the gag.

Anyway, the Scooby Gang gets loose and sends one of their little R.C. helicopter-type things out to cause the 0-8-4 to explode, ripping a hole in the plane's hull. Lots of fighting ensues, along with people and stuff flying out of the plane. (Cabin pressure, anyone? Oxygen masks?)

Nice to see Coulson hold his own in any case.

The episode ends on a Coca-Cola commercial kind of note, aside from Skye responding to a Rising Tide text by saying, "I'm in." Way to spoil the moment, Skye.

Oh, and with Nick Fury yelling at Coulson for having wrecked the plane.

On the whole a somewhat weak episode. Instead of clever, much of the dialogue was clunky and predictable, as were the actions and reactions of the characters. Everyone is falling into his and her preordained archetype, and that would be fine if they were bringing anything new to those roles. But it's early days yet. Hopefully next week will be better.