Shadows Review

So we got to see the original 084. I have to admit I didn't really notice the label. I wasn't really paying attention to the stamps on the box, except that they said SSR on them. I somehow doubt item #84 was the first Hydra object they couldn't identify. Maybe it was, but after what time period? There must have been some time after which they gave up trying to identify it and deemed it "an object of unknown origin". Also, how did that label come to be used for all similar objects?

Why, oh why, did Isabelle open the crate in the warehouse? For an alien object, that seems like an awfully dangerous thing to do. It would be best to take the entire crate and object it back at the Playground. I don't know whether her curiosity got the better of her, she was trying to walk off with it, or she was just plain stupid, but there's no good reason to examine the potentially dangerous alien artifact in enemy facility you're retrieving it from. Isabelle could have saved everyone a lot of trouble (and potentially there lives) if she had just waited.

SHIELD seems to have been busy since we last saw them. According to Talbot, it's been an "entire winter". It's certainly been several months months, since not only has Coulson recruited dozens of new agents, but they've had time to get to know each other, too. The mission they were on at the beginning of the episode didn't seem to be their first together. Apparently, they've been using commercial airlines to fly around this entire time since the bus can be tracked on radar. That, of course raises the question of how they're paying for the tickets. If SHIELD has large amounts of money stored away in an account, then surely the NSA or someone could trace that money back to them. The other alternative is that Skye has simply been hacking the airlines and booking the tickets that way. However, that would be discovered sooner or later as well.

Where is Simmons? Apparently she left Fitz on his own to recover, while she went off to do something. Given SHIELD's circumstances, I doubt she's just on a family holiday. If I had to guess, based on episode 3's promo pictures, she may be on an undercover mission. I wonder if Coulson informed her of Fitz's deteriorating condition. If she is on a mission, she may be on radio blackout or Coulson doesn't want to distract her, so he probably hasn't told her. It'd be interesting to see her reaction when she gets back.

Did anyone else notice the 084 flashed with the same symbols that Coulson and Ward were drawing? When Isabelle picked it up, it briefly flashed with the alien symbols. Assuming this object was made by the species that the drug came from, there's some interesting parallels. One brings life, the other death, plus the obelisk kinda turns you blue in the process (though that may just be rotting flesh). For some reason, I can't help but think that this obelisk or the GH325 serum may be involved with the origin of Ms. Marvel. However, all I know about her character came from a cursory internet search a few weeks ago.

Why were the motorcycle and quinjet left there with the key in place? That seems like terrible security. It may be that the quinjet simply requires a voice code from an authorized SHIELD agent, which Triplett still counts as. Another possibility is that it's so advanced, the Air Force couldn't figure out how to lock the doors. May wouldn't have had time to hot wire that motorcycle, so it was probably left with the keys in the ignition. Whoever left it there probably didn't count on an enemy break in and will receive a stern reprimand from Talbot.