Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3, Episode 2, "Purpose in the Machine" EXPECTATIONS

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns tonight with “Purpose in the Machine” (3x02) at 9:00 PM Eastern/Pacific.  What do we expect from tonight's episode?

What happened in the last episode, “Laws of Nature”?

The team responded to a report of a new Inhuman, Joey, who has the ability to alter the state of any metal.  We got to see S.H.I.E.L.D.’s “Secret Warriors 1.0” (Daisy, Mack, and Hunter) in action, as well as the Advanced Threat Containment Unit, led by the mysterious Rosalind Price.  As Coulson attempted to uncover more about the A.T.C.U., Daisy and Mack went to the hospital where Lincoln was attempting to build a new life in order to persuade him to help them with the new Inhuman.  While at the hospital, however, they were confronted by the enigmatic and powerful Inhuman Lash and the ensuing battle revealed Lincoln’s Inhuman nature to his coworkers, leaving his life in shambles.

Meanwhile, Fitz attempted to learn about the Monolith which had swallowed Simmons, but his investigation just led him to a single Hebrew word:  מות, “death.”

Episode Synopsis for “Purpose in the Machine”:

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.

Continuing plot points:

• Coulson’s new arm
• Skye rebuilding the Inhumans and recruiting her Secret Warriors simultaneously
• The “Terrigen Bomb—Fish Oil Version”
• Ward rebuilding Hydra
• Simmons the disappearing scientist

What I am looking for tonight:

• A reduction in the number of subplots from last week, specifically a focus on 1 main plot and 2-3 subplots
• An explanation for Randolph’s whereabouts for the last two years, particularly during the Hydra uprising
• My guess is that Hydra tried to “recruit” him and he put them in their place
• By the end of the episode the mystery of the Monolith will have been solved and Simmons will be returned to Earth
• We will find out what Ward has been up to and how he has been going about “recruiting” new Hydra agents
• I’m not sure how big of a role May’s “crossroads” will play in the episode, but I expect her to be back with S.H.I.E.L.D. sooner than later
• I don’t think there will be any changes to the Secret Warriors roster this episode, unless either Deathlok makes an appearance or Joey somehow gets a handle on his powers without any help

What would be awesome but probably won’t happen:

When Simmons returns to Earth, she has a Kree scientist by the name of Mar-Vell with her and he assists S.H.I.E.L.D. as a consultant on the Kree and also becomes a superhero to protect Earth from the Kree threat.  Also, Simmons is revealed to be an Inhuman.

So what are you looking for in tonight’s episode?  What is there that you really want to see but may not see at all?

Note:  I will probably not be able to publish my review right away tomorrow morning because I have a meeting tonight and another one in the morning.  I’ll try to get my review published by lunch, but it might be evening.  This will not affect my posting schedule for the rest of the week, however, as I already have Thursday’s article written.

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