Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (season 3)
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The third season of the American television series ''
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen for ABC, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and L ...
'', based on the
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
organization
S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often deals ...
, follows
Phil Coulson Agent Phillip J. Coulson ( ) is a fictional character portrayed and voiced by Clark Gregg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise. Coulson is depicted as a high-ranking member of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and longtime partn ...
and his team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and
Inhumans The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peop ...
as they face new threats to the world. It is set in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
(MCU) and acknowledges the continuity of the franchise's films. The season was produced by
ABC Studios ABC Signature is an American television Filmmaking#Production, production studio that is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a division of Walt Disney Television, which is part of the List of assets owned by The Walt Disney Company#Disne ...
,
Marvel Television Marvel Television was an American television production company responsible for live-action and animated (through Marvel Animation) television shows and direct-to-DVD series based on characters from Marvel Comics. The division was based at affil ...
, and
Mutant Enemy Productions Mutant Enemy Productions is a production company that was created in 1996 by Joss Whedon to produce ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer.'' The company also produced the ''Buffy'' spin-off, ''Angel'', and his two short-lived science fiction series, the sp ...
, with
Jed Whedon Jed Tucker Whedon (born July 18, 1975) is an American screenwriter and musician, and the son of screenwriter Tom Whedon, grandson of screenwriter John Whedon, and the brother of screenwriter Zack Whedon and of filmmaker Joss Whedon. Career ...
,
Maurissa Tancharoen Maurissa Tancharoen () in Los Angeles, California)Maurissa Tancharoen
biographical inf ...
, and
Jeffrey Bell Jeffrey Jackson Bell is an American writer and producer best known for his work on television. He began his career writing for ''The X-Files'', where he stayed for three seasons, then became a writer/director/producer on ''Angel'', becoming its ...
serving as
showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...
s.
Clark Gregg Robert Clark Gregg Jr. (born April 2, 1962) is an American actor, director, and screenwriter. He is best known for playing Agent Phil Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films '' Iron Man'' (2008), ''Iron Man 2'' (2010), ''Thor'' (2011), ' ...
reprises his role as Coulson from the film series, starring alongside the returning series regulars
Ming-Na Wen Ming-Na Wen (; born November 20, 1963) is an American actress and model. She voiced Mulan in the animated film ''Mulan'' and its sequel, portrayed Melinda May / The Cavalry in '' Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020), and Fennec Sha ...
,
Brett Dalton Brett Patrick Dalton (born January 7, 1983) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Grant Ward and Hive in ABC's series ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', as well as Michael Munroe in the 2015 video game ''Until Dawn''. Early life Dalton gr ...
,
Chloe Bennet Chloé Wang (; born April 18, 1992), known professionally as Chloe Bennet, is an American actress and singer. She starred as Daisy Johnson/Quake in the ABC superhero drama series '' Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020). Early life ...
,
Iain De Caestecker Iain De Caestecker ( ; born 29 December 1987) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for portraying Leopold Fitz/The Doctor in the television series ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.''. He is also known for his roles in Coronation Street as Adam Barlow ...
,
Elizabeth Henstridge Elizabeth Frances Henstridge (born 11 September 1987) is an English actress, model and director. She is best known for starring as Jemma Simmons in the ABC superhero action drama series '' Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020), set wi ...
,
Nick Blood Nick Blood (born 20 March 1982) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Lance Hunter in Marvel's ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and ''Kieran in ''Trollied''. Early life Blood was born in Aylesbury, England. He joined his local drama club a ...
,
Adrianne Palicki Adrianne Lee Palicki ( ; born May 6, 1983) is an American actress and model. She is best known for her starring roles as Tyra Collette in the NBC sports drama series '' Friday Night Lights'' (2006–2011), as Barbara "Bobbi" Morse/Mockingbird i ...
. They are joined by
Henry Simmons Henry Oswald Simmons (born July 1, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie in the ABC superhero drama series ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2014–2020) and Baldwin Jones in the ABC police drama ser ...
and
Luke Mitchell Luke Mitchell (born 17 April 1985) is an Australian actor and model. He attended the Film and Television Studio International and won the role of Chris Knight in ''Neighbours''. He joined the cast of '' Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' as the ...
who were promoted from recurring guest roles in the second season. The third season was ordered in May 2015, and filmed from that July to the following April. It takes inspiration from the ''
Secret Warriors Secret Warriors may refer to: * ''Secret Warriors'' (comic book) ** Secret Warriors (Team White) Secret Warriors is an alias for the fictional group Team White created by Nick Fury, a team of superpowered agents appearing in American comic boo ...
'' comic, combining it with the series' Inhuman and Hydra storylines, while paralleling the film '' Captain America: Civil War'' (2016); connections to other MCU television series are also included in the season, as are characters from previous MCU media.
Glenn Hetrick Glenn Hetrick is a prosthetic makeup, special make-up effects artist/designer, actor and producer. Hetrick is CEO of Alchemy FX Studios, a special effects studio which has worked on over 100 film and TV credits, such as ''Star Trek: Discovery'', ' ...
created prosthetics for the less-human looking Inhumans,
Legacy Effects Legacy Effects, LLC is an American special effects studio specializing in creature design, prosthetic makeup, animatronics, and specialty suits. History Founding partners Lindsay Macgowan, Shane Mahan, John Rosengrant, and Alan Scott supervised pr ...
provided additional practical effects, and FuseFX returned to create the visual effects. The
first episode A series premiere is the first aired installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. In the United States, many series premieres are aired in the fall time or, for mid-season replacements, either in the spring or ...
of the season premiered in Los Angeles on September 23, 2015, with the season, consisting of 22 episodes, airing on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
from September 29, 2015, until May 17, 2016. The premiere was watched by 4.90 million viewers, higher than any episode of the entire second half of season two. Overall, the season had generally consistent ratings, and received positive reviews. Critics felt the series had 'hit its stride' with the season, and particularly praised the risky
bottle episode In episodic television, a bottle episode is produced cheaply and restricted in scope to use as few regular cast members, effects and sets as possible. Bottle episodes are usually shot on sets built for other episodes, frequently the main interior ...
" 4,722 Hours", though the pacing of the season received criticism for trying to do too much at times. The series was renewed for a fourth season in March 2016.


Episodes

), who was banished through the portal, and Hydra was founded to return it to Earth. If Ward helps Hydra with this, then Malick will help Ward take down S.H.I.E.L.D. , LineColor = BEBEBE


Cast and characters


Main

*
Clark Gregg Robert Clark Gregg Jr. (born April 2, 1962) is an American actor, director, and screenwriter. He is best known for playing Agent Phil Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films '' Iron Man'' (2008), ''Iron Man 2'' (2010), ''Thor'' (2011), ' ...
as
Phil Coulson Agent Phillip J. Coulson ( ) is a fictional character portrayed and voiced by Clark Gregg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise. Coulson is depicted as a high-ranking member of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and longtime partn ...
*
Ming-Na Wen Ming-Na Wen (; born November 20, 1963) is an American actress and model. She voiced Mulan in the animated film ''Mulan'' and its sequel, portrayed Melinda May / The Cavalry in '' Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020), and Fennec Sha ...
as
Melinda May Melinda Qiaolian May, also known as The Cavalry, is a fictional character that originated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before appearing in Marvel Comics. The character, created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, first appeare ...
*
Brett Dalton Brett Patrick Dalton (born January 7, 1983) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Grant Ward and Hive in ABC's series ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', as well as Michael Munroe in the 2015 video game ''Until Dawn''. Early life Dalton gr ...
as Grant Ward and
Hive A hive may refer to a beehive, an enclosed structure in which some honey bee species live and raise their young. Hive or hives may also refer to: Arts * ''Hive'' (game), an abstract-strategy board game published in 2001 * "Hive" (song), a 201 ...
*
Chloe Bennet Chloé Wang (; born April 18, 1992), known professionally as Chloe Bennet, is an American actress and singer. She starred as Daisy Johnson/Quake in the ABC superhero drama series '' Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020). Early life ...
as Daisy Johnson / Quake *
Iain De Caestecker Iain De Caestecker ( ; born 29 December 1987) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for portraying Leopold Fitz/The Doctor in the television series ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.''. He is also known for his roles in Coronation Street as Adam Barlow ...
as
Leo Fitz Leopold James Fitz is a fictional character that originated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before appearing in Marvel Comics. The character, created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, first appeared in the pilot episode of ''A ...
*
Elizabeth Henstridge Elizabeth Frances Henstridge (born 11 September 1987) is an English actress, model and director. She is best known for starring as Jemma Simmons in the ABC superhero action drama series '' Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020), set wi ...
as
Jemma Simmons Jemma Anne Simmons is a fictional character that originated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before appearing in Marvel Comics. The character, created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, first appeared in the 2013 pilot episode ...
*
Nick Blood Nick Blood (born 20 March 1982) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Lance Hunter in Marvel's ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and ''Kieran in ''Trollied''. Early life Blood was born in Aylesbury, England. He joined his local drama club a ...
as
Lance Hunter Lancelot "Lance" Hunter is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Captain Britain Weekly'' #19 (February 16, 1977) and was created by writer Gary Friedrich and artist Herb Trimpe ...
*
Adrianne Palicki Adrianne Lee Palicki ( ; born May 6, 1983) is an American actress and model. She is best known for her starring roles as Tyra Collette in the NBC sports drama series '' Friday Night Lights'' (2006–2011), as Barbara "Bobbi" Morse/Mockingbird i ...
as Bobbi Morse *
Henry Simmons Henry Oswald Simmons (born July 1, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie in the ABC superhero drama series ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2014–2020) and Baldwin Jones in the ABC police drama ser ...
as Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie *
Luke Mitchell Luke Mitchell (born 17 April 1985) is an Australian actor and model. He attended the Film and Television Studio International and won the role of Chris Knight in ''Neighbours''. He joined the cast of '' Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' as the ...
as
Lincoln Campbell ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created for ABC by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Div ...


Recurring

*
Constance Zimmer Constance Zimmer (born October 11, 1970) is an American actress. She rose to prominence for playing Dana Gordon in the television series ''Entourage'' (2005–2011) and Claire Simms in the television series ''Boston Legal'' (2006–2007). She ...
as Rosalind Price *
Andrew Howard Andrew Howard (born June 12, 1969, in Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh theatre, television and film actor. Training Howard trained at Cygnet Training Theatre in Exeter in the late 1980s, touring in productions of ''A Christmas Carol'', ''Twelfth Night ...
as Luther Banks *
Juan Pablo Raba Juan Pablo Raba Vidal (born 14 January 1977) is a Colombian film, TV and telenovela actor, best known internationally for his role as Gustavo Gaviria in the 2015 Netflix series '' Narcos''. Early life Raba was born in Bogotá, Colombia wher ...
as Joey Gutierrez *
Spencer Treat Clark Spencer Treat Clark (born September 24, 1987) is an American actor. He rose to prominence for his roles in the films '' Gladiator'' (2000) and ''Unbreakable'' (2000). He has since appeared in the films ''Mystic River'' (2003), ''The Last House o ...
as
Werner von Strucker Werner von Strucker is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has seen a live-action adaptation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' portrayed by Spencer ...
*
Blair Underwood Blair Erwin Underwood (born August 25, 1964) is an American actor. He made his debut in the 1985 musical film ''Krush Groove'' and from 1987 to 1994 starred as attorney Jonathan Rollins in the NBC legal drama series ''L.A. Law''. Underwood has a ...
as Andrew Garner **
Matthew Willig Matthew Joseph Willig (born January 21, 1969) is an American actor and former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League. Early life and education Willig was born in La Mirada, California. He played football and basketb ...
as Lash *
Powers Boothe Powers Allen Boothe (June 1, 1948 – May 14, 2017) was an American actor. He won an Emmy in 1980 for his portrayal of Jim Jones in '' Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones''. He also played saloon owner Cy Tolliver on '' Deadwood'', "C ...
as
Gideon Malick ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created for ABC by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics D ...
*
Mark Dacascos Mark Alan Dacascos (born February 26, 1964) is an American actor, martial artist and television personality. He won numerous karate and kung fu championships between the ages of 7 and 18. He is known for his roles as Wo Fat in ''Hawaii Five-0'' ...
as Giyera *
Natalia Cordova-Buckley Natalia Cordova-Buckley (born November 25, 1982) is a Mexican-American actress. She is best known for starring as Yo-Yo Rodriguez, Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez / Slingshot in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC superhero drama series ''Agents of S. ...
as Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez *
Adrian Pasdar Adrian Pasdar (born April 30, 1965) is an American film, television, and voice actor. He is known for his roles in '' Profit'', ''Near Dark'', ''Carlito's Way'', ''Mysterious Ways'', ''Heroes'' and as Glenn Talbot on ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.''. ...
as
Glenn Talbot Major (United States), Major (later Colonel (United States), Colonel) Glenn Talbot is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in ''Tal ...
*
Axle Whitehead Axle Whitehead (born 16 December 1980) is an Australian TV host, singer, musician, and actor. He was a host on '' Video Hits''. In 2008, he released his first studio album '' Losing Sleep'' which debuted outside the ARIA top 50. He also played L ...
as J.T. James / Hellfire * John Hannah as Holden Radcliffe


Notable guests

* William Sadler as
Matthew Ellis Matthew or Matt Ellis may refer to: *Matthew Ellis (British musician), pseudonym of novelist Michael Cox *Matt Ellis (Australian musician) (born 1973), Australian singer-songwriter *Matthew Ellis, member of A Hope for Home *Matt Ellis (ice hockey) ...
*
Peter MacNicol Peter MacNicol (born April 10, 1954) is an American actor. He received a Theatre World Award for his 1981 Broadway debut in the play ''Crimes of the Heart''. His film roles include Galen in ''Dragonslayer'' (1981), Stingo in ''Sophie's Choice'' ( ...
as Elliot Randolph *
Tyler Ritter Tyler David Thomas Ritter (born January 31, 1985) is an American actor who starred as Ronny McCarthy of ''The McCarthys''. Early life Ritter is the son of actor John Ritter and brother of actor Jason Ritter. His grandfather was country singer Te ...
as Thomas Ward *
Brian Patrick Wade Brian Patrick Wade (born June 9, 1978) is an American actor and physical trainer, best known for his television roles as Capt. Craig Schwetje in the mini-series ''Generation Kill'', as Kurt (Penny's former love interest) in ''The Big Bang Theor ...
as Carl Creel *
Titus Welliver Titus B. Welliver (born March 12, 1962) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayals of the Man in Black in ''Lost'', Silas Adams in '' Deadwood'', Jimmy O’Phelan in ''Sons of Anarchy'', and the title role in the television seri ...
as
Felix Blake ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created for ABC by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Di ...
*
Reed Diamond Reed Edward Diamond (born July 20, 1967) is an American actor. He is known for the roles of Det. Mike Kellerman on '' Homicide: Life on the Street'', Jason Pillar in season 8 of '' 24'', and recurring character Laurence Dominic on ''Dollhouse' ...
as Daniel Whitehall * Derek Phillips as O'Brien


Production


Development

In March 2014, executive producer
Jeffrey Bell Jeffrey Jackson Bell is an American writer and producer best known for his work on television. He began his career writing for ''The X-Files'', where he stayed for three seasons, then became a writer/director/producer on ''Angel'', becoming its ...
stated at the ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' PaleyFest panel that the producers and the writers are able to read the screenplays for upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe films to know where the universe is heading, which allowed them to form a general plan for the show through the end of a third season. The series was renewed for that third season on May 7, 2015. By April 2015, Marvel had been developing a spinoff series to accompany the season, starring
Adrianne Palicki Adrianne Lee Palicki ( ; born May 6, 1983) is an American actress and model. She is best known for her starring roles as Tyra Collette in the NBC sports drama series '' Friday Night Lights'' (2006–2011), as Barbara "Bobbi" Morse/Mockingbird i ...
and
Nick Blood Nick Blood (born 20 March 1982) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Lance Hunter in Marvel's ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and ''Kieran in ''Trollied''. Early life Blood was born in Aylesbury, England. He joined his local drama club a ...
, but ABC opted not to go ahead with it, with entertainment president Paul Lee saying, "We thought the right thing now is to leave alicki and Bloodon ''S.H.I.E.L.D.'', because ''S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is so strong the moment". However, a pilot for the spinoff was ordered in August 2015, with the series titled ''
Marvel's Most Wanted ''Marvel's Most Wanted'' is an unaired American television pilot created by Jeffrey Bell and Paul Zbyszewski for ABC, based on the Marvel Comics characters Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and ackn ...
''. Bell and fellow ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' executive producer
Paul Zbyszewski Paul Zbyszewski is an American television writer and producer. He has worked in both capacities on the series ''Lost'' and ''Day Break'', and he is the creator of ''Day Break''. He also wrote the feature film ''After the Sunset''. Career Zbyszews ...
developed the series, while working on Hunter and Morse's storyline for season three, preparing them to move over to the spin-off. Bell explained that it would set up ''Marvel's Most Wanted'' by defining exactly who the characters are, such as Hunter and his lack of loyalty to S.H.I.E.L.D. and to ideologies—"nothing specific about the show, it's just who Hunter is"—and that while the characters are "on ''S.H.I.E.L.D.'', we want to take advantage of who they are, and give the audience as much of their relationship with one another, and with other people, as possible. We are aware that there is a potential imminent end, and so they won't be neglected." Hunter and Morse are written off the series in the episode "Parting Shot", both leaving S.H.I.E.L.D., as Palicki and Blood "physically had to go leave to shoot the pilot ... they had to stop being on ''S.H.I.E.L.D.'' and get ready for the pilot and then shoot the pilot and all of that, so it didn't make sense for us to have all these episodes with them and then not have them in two or three episodes, and then go, "Oh, we were just over here," and then come back and go away again." On whether they could return to the series at some point, Bell said, "I can't answer that, but I can say it would be kind of cheating to make Mack cry like that only to buy it back—not that we haven't brought characters back from the dead. We want to earn stuff."


Writing

In May 2015, Bell said that writing for the third season would begin the following month, with the story set six months after the events that concluded the second season. Bell stated that S.H.I.E.L.D. would be depicted as it was in the second season, underground with small "pockets" of S.H.I.E.L.D. around the world, as following the release of '' Captain America: The Winter Soldier'' "we found we like our team ... as underdogs, as opposed to a giant, powerful, NSA organization that can do pretty much anything." Regarding the characters that could appear in the season, Bell said in May 2015 that "The idea of some familiar faces with some new faces is something to look forward to. I also think finding some new Marvel characters to pull into the universe would be cool. Fans seem to respond when there are characters from the Marvel comics and Marvel Cinematic Universe." He later explained that the series has the opportunity to explore the
Inhumans The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peop ...
outside of the
Royal Family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term ...
(who are the major focus of the comics,
television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
and previously planned
film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
). The season mentions the character
Eden Fesi Eden Fesi, also known as Manifold, is a fictional, mutant superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Jonathan Hickman and Stefano Caselli, the character first appeared in ''Secret Warriors'' #4 (July 2009), ...
as an Inhuman, who is a
mutant In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It ...
in the comics. The change was due to
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
controlling the film and television rights to the majority of Marvel's
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
and mutant characters. When asked about possible hints made in the season two finale towards an adaptation of ''
Secret Warriors Secret Warriors may refer to: * ''Secret Warriors'' (comic book) ** Secret Warriors (Team White) Secret Warriors is an alias for the fictional group Team White created by Nick Fury, a team of superpowered agents appearing in American comic boo ...
'', Bell noted that the series does share the character
Daisy Johnson Daisy Johnson, also known as Quake, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Gabriele Dell'Otto, the character first appeared in '' Secret War'' ...
with that comic, and "the idea of a team of powered people is something we've seen in the show ... I think there's a world down the road where we do our version." Elaborating on this and the series dealing with the many powered people introduced in season two, Bell said, "People seem to respond to powered people on the show and while it's not going to take over and become what the show's about, as a texture and flavor of the stories, we really enjoy that. The fact that Inhumans are now out there is something I think we need to investigate". He later clarified that characters would not have to be Inhuman to join the Secret Warriors, just powered, and that not just any powered character would be allowed to join, given that Daisy had to go through years of training on top of getting powers to join the team, and so similar rules would apply to other potential members. Executive producers
Maurissa Tancharoen Maurissa Tancharoen () in Los Angeles, California)Maurissa Tancharoen
biographical inf ...
and
Jed Whedon Jed Tucker Whedon (born July 18, 1975) is an American screenwriter and musician, and the son of screenwriter Tom Whedon, grandson of screenwriter John Whedon, and the brother of screenwriter Zack Whedon and of filmmaker Joss Whedon. Career ...
also discussed the Secret Warriors, the former cautioning "a very slow build" to the team, and the latter explaining, "We feel a duty to the Cinematic Universe to not hyper-accelerate how many people have powers ... We don't want it to be there's a thousand people with powers with a show that at its heart is about what it's like to not have powers in a world with powers." In September 2015, Tancharoen stated the overall theme for the season explored with each character was them "trying to get back in touch with their humanity in a world where Inhumans are popping up," with Whedon adding that the nature of couples–some having broken up in previous episodes, some getting back together, and potential for new ones–would be explored. Later that month, Bell talked about some of the new character pairings in the season, saying "Putting Mack and Daisy together; putting Hunter and May together; putting
Bobbi Bobbi is a given name and nickname, almost exclusively feminine and usually a diminutive form (hypocorism) of Roberta or Barbara. It may refer to: People: * Roberta Beavers (born 1942), American politician * Bobbi Brown (born 1957), American mak ...
and Fitz together—suddenly you have all these different dynamics, all these different stories that you didn't have before." Tancharoen later highlighted the number of characters in the season compared to previous, stating that "There's more scale and scope, but at the same time, I think we're diving into each character's internal struggle a little bit more." The second part of the season, which begins with episode 11, takes place three months after the events of episode 10. On the structure of the season and shifting the focus between the two parts, Bell stated it was the intent to follow the format from season two, by tying "a whole bunch of nteresting threadsbut not all of them off by the midseason. And then we launch something exciting for the back half...the promise of more to come." Whedon added that "though we do break the season up, we feel that the season as a whole is one arc" and so the series would explore the same themes in the second half, "themes of what it means to be human and Inhuman. What does it mean to all these people when they have to live with their actions? Are they capable of the things their enemies are capable of?...What is the true nature of a person? Is everybody capable of everything if put in a terrible position? Or is there true good and a true evil?" The second half of the season sees the introduction of the comics' right-wing hate group the Watchdogs, depicted as radicals wishing to "eliminate the Inhumans", as well as a "cure" that can prevent terrigenisis in yet-to-transition Inhumans. "Bouncing Back" opens with "a mysterious flash-forward to three months in the future, showing an unidentified S.H.I.E.L.D. agent seemingly dead in space." Tancharoen called it "the promise of something fairly ominous to come", and stated, "We will be uncovering things from the midseason opener all the way to the finale. We will slowly be discovering what that image is." She added that any "clues" would likely play out during present day sequences rather than further flash-forwards, such as when Daisy receives a vision of the flash-forward in "Spacetime", an episode where she learns that "she cannot change the outcome of these visions and the future is the future." Whedon discussed this idea, and that of the "theory behind the Inhumans that each one of them serves a purpose", saying, Inhumans "are made, they're not random. There's a lack of something that needs filling and an Inhuman will be created that fills that niche. It's an interesting concept we like playing with, and that plays into the idea of fate, which with our future visions, we're hitting pretty hard." On choosing Lincoln to be the one to die, which the executive producers knew going into the season when forming the arcs for Lincoln, Daisy, and Ward, Bell said he "earned it" adding that Lincoln comes to a point where he realizes what his purpose is, with Whedon noting that he understands that Daisy has a different purpose. Whedon continued that the decision was based on the fact that the series did not "want to be a body count show, but it is a real world with real stakes. What we had not done is the heroic death and the full-sacrifice death. This was a conscious decision. We also think that there’s a poetry in the fact that the person doing it doesn’t consider himself a hero. That’s the beauty of the moment—it’s not just for aisy but it is, and it’s not just for him, but it is." Discussing the season finale, Tancharoen stated, "This season, we've explored a lot of different themes: There's the notion of purpose. We also introduced an Inhuman who has a strong sense of faith. We talk a lot about destiny and all these things intertwine." Bennet likened the end of the season to "the end of the first book of S.H.I.E.L.D. This finale feels like the end of something bigger and the beginning of a whole new tone for the show." Whedon added, "We wanted to put a close to ive'sstory. We knew going into this season what our plan was for both Ward and Hive. Our goal was to make it not just feel like victory—we like to get a victory and also a loss at the same time." On whether the Inhumans storyline would also be ending with the season, Whedon said, "We think of it as never closed. We like that we were able to open up that world and make Inhumans a permanent part of the universe. Now, we have a quick-fire way of introducing people with powers. It gives us a lot of leeway in our world, and it lets us explode the metaphors of what it is like to be different. We will never close that chapter." On making a six-month time jump at the end of " Ascension", Bell said that despite each character completing their arcs this season, "we still have a lot of plot. Emotionally, their arcs are done. What the jump lets you do is to do a reset ... It allows us to put down a lot of old plot and pick up a lot of new." Whedon added, "We’ve done it each season, so we just wanted to do it a little early ... we would’ve done he time jumpin episode 1 next year but what we wanted to do was tease" things to come at the end of this season.


Casting

All principal cast members from the first and second seasons (Clark Gregg as
Phil Coulson Agent Phillip J. Coulson ( ) is a fictional character portrayed and voiced by Clark Gregg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise. Coulson is depicted as a high-ranking member of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and longtime partn ...
,
Ming-Na Wen Ming-Na Wen (; born November 20, 1963) is an American actress and model. She voiced Mulan in the animated film ''Mulan'' and its sequel, portrayed Melinda May / The Cavalry in '' Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020), and Fennec Sha ...
as
Melinda May Melinda Qiaolian May, also known as The Cavalry, is a fictional character that originated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before appearing in Marvel Comics. The character, created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, first appeare ...
, Brett Dalton as Grant Ward,
Chloe Bennet Chloé Wang (; born April 18, 1992), known professionally as Chloe Bennet, is an American actress and singer. She starred as Daisy Johnson/Quake in the ABC superhero drama series '' Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020). Early life ...
as
Daisy Johnson Daisy Johnson, also known as Quake, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Gabriele Dell'Otto, the character first appeared in '' Secret War'' ...
(no longer going by the name of "Skye"),
Iain De Caestecker Iain De Caestecker ( ; born 29 December 1987) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for portraying Leopold Fitz/The Doctor in the television series ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.''. He is also known for his roles in Coronation Street as Adam Barlow ...
as
Leo Fitz Leopold James Fitz is a fictional character that originated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before appearing in Marvel Comics. The character, created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, first appeared in the pilot episode of ''A ...
,
Elizabeth Henstridge Elizabeth Frances Henstridge (born 11 September 1987) is an English actress, model and director. She is best known for starring as Jemma Simmons in the ABC superhero action drama series '' Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020), set wi ...
as
Jemma Simmons Jemma Anne Simmons is a fictional character that originated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before appearing in Marvel Comics. The character, created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, first appeared in the 2013 pilot episode ...
,
Nick Blood Nick Blood (born 20 March 1982) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Lance Hunter in Marvel's ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and ''Kieran in ''Trollied''. Early life Blood was born in Aylesbury, England. He joined his local drama club a ...
as
Lance Hunter Lancelot "Lance" Hunter is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Captain Britain Weekly'' #19 (February 16, 1977) and was created by writer Gary Friedrich and artist Herb Trimpe ...
, and
Adrianne Palicki Adrianne Lee Palicki ( ; born May 6, 1983) is an American actress and model. She is best known for her starring roles as Tyra Collette in the NBC sports drama series '' Friday Night Lights'' (2006–2011), as Barbara "Bobbi" Morse/Mockingbird i ...
as Bobbi Morse) return for the third season. In May 2015, Bell said that the writers would look to incorporate the character
Lincoln Campbell ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created for ABC by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Div ...
into the season, as he was a "nice addition" to the second season, and that they were looking forward to exploring Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie's character in new ways during the third season following his role in the second-season finale.
Luke Mitchell Luke Mitchell (born 17 April 1985) is an Australian actor and model. He attended the Film and Television Studio International and won the role of Chris Knight in ''Neighbours''. He joined the cast of '' Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' as the ...
and
Henry Simmons Henry Oswald Simmons (born July 1, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie in the ABC superhero drama series ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2014–2020) and Baldwin Jones in the ABC police drama ser ...
, who recurred as Lincoln and Mack, respectively, throughout the second season, were subsequently promoted to the principal cast for the third. During the season, Grant Ward is killed. His body is possessed by the parasitic Inhuman
Hive A hive may refer to a beehive, an enclosed structure in which some honey bee species live and raise their young. Hive or hives may also refer to: Arts * ''Hive'' (game), an abstract-strategy board game published in 2001 * "Hive" (song), a 201 ...
, based on a creature from the ''Secret Warriors'' comic, with Dalton taking on that role. Also returning from earlier in the series are Daz Crawford as Kebo,
Peter MacNicol Peter MacNicol (born April 10, 1954) is an American actor. He received a Theatre World Award for his 1981 Broadway debut in the play ''Crimes of the Heart''. His film roles include Galen in ''Dragonslayer'' (1981), Stingo in ''Sophie's Choice'' ( ...
as Elliot Randolph,
Blair Underwood Blair Erwin Underwood (born August 25, 1964) is an American actor. He made his debut in the 1985 musical film ''Krush Groove'' and from 1987 to 1994 starred as attorney Jonathan Rollins in the NBC legal drama series ''L.A. Law''. Underwood has a ...
as Andrew Garner, Alicia Vela-Bailey as Alisha Whitley,
Brian Patrick Wade Brian Patrick Wade (born June 9, 1978) is an American actor and physical trainer, best known for his television roles as Capt. Craig Schwetje in the mini-series ''Generation Kill'', as Kurt (Penny's former love interest) in ''The Big Bang Theor ...
as Carl Creel,
Adrian Pasdar Adrian Pasdar (born April 30, 1965) is an American film, television, and voice actor. He is known for his roles in '' Profit'', ''Near Dark'', ''Carlito's Way'', ''Mysterious Ways'', ''Heroes'' and as Glenn Talbot on ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.''. ...
as
Glenn Talbot Major (United States), Major (later Colonel (United States), Colonel) Glenn Talbot is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in ''Tal ...
, Raquel Gardner as Carla Talbot,
Titus Welliver Titus B. Welliver (born March 12, 1962) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayals of the Man in Black in ''Lost'', Silas Adams in '' Deadwood'', Jimmy O’Phelan in ''Sons of Anarchy'', and the title role in the television seri ...
as
Felix Blake ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created for ABC by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Di ...
,
Reed Diamond Reed Edward Diamond (born July 20, 1967) is an American actor. He is known for the roles of Det. Mike Kellerman on '' Homicide: Life on the Street'', Jason Pillar in season 8 of '' 24'', and recurring character Laurence Dominic on ''Dollhouse' ...
as Daniel Whitehall, and Derek Phillips as O'Brien. In July 2015, the Inhuman Lash, a villainous character from the comics, was confirmed to be appearing in the season, while
Andrew Howard Andrew Howard (born June 12, 1969, in Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh theatre, television and film actor. Training Howard trained at Cygnet Training Theatre in Exeter in the late 1980s, touring in productions of ''A Christmas Carol'', ''Twelfth Night ...
and
Constance Zimmer Constance Zimmer (born October 11, 1970) is an American actress. She rose to prominence for playing Dana Gordon in the television series ''Entourage'' (2005–2011) and Claire Simms in the television series ''Boston Legal'' (2006–2007). She ...
were cast as Luther Banks and Rosalind Price, respectively, both recurring. In August 2015,
Matthew Willig Matthew Joseph Willig (born January 21, 1969) is an American actor and former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League. Early life and education Willig was born in La Mirada, California. He played football and basketb ...
was revealed to be cast as Lash, while
Juan Pablo Raba Juan Pablo Raba Vidal (born 14 January 1977) is a Colombian film, TV and telenovela actor, best known internationally for his role as Gustavo Gaviria in the 2015 Netflix series '' Narcos''. Early life Raba was born in Bogotá, Colombia wher ...
was announced as another new Inhuman, Joey Gutierrez. In October,
Powers Boothe Powers Allen Boothe (June 1, 1948 – May 14, 2017) was an American actor. He won an Emmy in 1980 for his portrayal of Jim Jones in '' Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones''. He also played saloon owner Cy Tolliver on '' Deadwood'', "C ...
was announced in the recurring role of
Gideon Malick ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created for ABC by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics D ...
, the previously unnamed World Security Council member that he portrayed in '' The Avengers''. The next month, Lash was revealed to be the Inhuman form of Andrew Garner, and
Mark Dacascos Mark Alan Dacascos (born February 26, 1964) is an American actor, martial artist and television personality. He won numerous karate and kung fu championships between the ages of 7 and 18. He is known for his roles as Wo Fat in ''Hawaii Five-0'' ...
was announced in the "heavily recurring" role of Giyera.
Tyler Ritter Tyler David Thomas Ritter (born January 31, 1985) is an American actor who starred as Ronny McCarthy of ''The McCarthys''. Early life Ritter is the son of actor John Ritter and brother of actor Jason Ritter. His grandfather was country singer Te ...
appeared as Grant Ward's younger brother
Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...
in December 2015. The character previously appeared as a boy through flashbacks in "
The Well The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, normally shortened to The WELL, was launched in 1985. It is one of the oldest continuously operating virtual communities. By 1993 it had 7,000 members, a staff of 12, and gross annual income of $2 million. ...
". By February 2016,
Natalia Cordova-Buckley Natalia Cordova-Buckley (born November 25, 1982) is a Mexican-American actress. She is best known for starring as Yo-Yo Rodriguez, Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez / Slingshot in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC superhero drama series ''Agents of S. ...
was cast as Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez, a Secret Warrior from the comics.
Axle Whitehead Axle Whitehead (born 16 December 1980) is an Australian TV host, singer, musician, and actor. He was a host on '' Video Hits''. In 2008, he released his first studio album '' Losing Sleep'' which debuted outside the ARIA top 50. He also played L ...
and John Hannah also recur as the Inhuman J.T. James / Hellfire and scientist Holden Radcliffe, respectively. Additionally, Alexander Wraith makes multiple appearances as the minor S.H.I.E.L.D. agent
Anderson Anderson or Andersson may refer to: Companies * Anderson (Carriage), a company that manufactured automobiles from 1907 to 1910 * Anderson Electric, an early 20th-century electric car * Anderson Greenwood, an industrial manufacturer * Anderson Ra ...
, while William Sadler reprises his role of
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Matthew Ellis Matthew or Matt Ellis may refer to: *Matthew Ellis (British musician), pseudonym of novelist Michael Cox *Matt Ellis (Australian musician) (born 1973), Australian singer-songwriter *Matthew Ellis, member of A Hope for Home *Matt Ellis (ice hockey) ...
from ''
Iron Man 3 ''Iron Man 3'' (titled onscreen as ''Iron Man Three'') is a 2013 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to ''Ir ...
''.


Design

The season introduces a new title graphic for the series, replacing the one that appeared for the first two seasons, as well as a new aircraft for the team called Zephyr One, designed by series visual effects vendor
FuseFX FuseFX is a motion picture special visual effects (VFX) company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Their creative studios include FuseFX, Folks VFX, Rising Sun Pictures and El Ranchito. Established in 2006, the company develops visual ...
.
Glenn Hetrick Glenn Hetrick is a prosthetic makeup, special make-up effects artist/designer, actor and producer. Hetrick is CEO of Alchemy FX Studios, a special effects studio which has worked on over 100 film and TV credits, such as ''Star Trek: Discovery'', ' ...
again worked with the make-up and visual effects departments to design and create the more "unique"-looking Inhumans, such as Lash, after having worked on Raina during season two. Willig's Lash make-up initially took 6 hours to apply, but the make-up team was able to reduce the time to 4.5 hours. Before a new Inhuman character can be introduced, the cost of creating their powers must be weighed, with Bell saying, "Can we afford to produce this effect? Because every time last year
Gordon Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gordon, ...
eleportedwe went, 'Wow, that was xpensive'" For the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents' costumes, series costume designer Ann Foley made sure to reflect the fact that they have "graduated from the ragtag group of soldiers and scientists to the more precise militaristic outfit they always imagined they were." As well, once Simmons returns from Maveth, her costumes did not feature any color, patterns, or prints, in order to reflect Simmons' emotional space. Bennet cut her hair for the season, in order to further her character's transformation to the Daisy Johnson / Quake of the comics, while not cutting her hair as short as her comic counterpart. Bennet stated, "The comic book version of Daisy Johnson has very short,
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...
-esque hair. We wanted to stay true to the comic book character fans love; I wanted to please them but also make sure there was still some movement and length and sexiness in the hair." Bennet also received a new costume for the season, along with Quake's signature gauntlets. On the costume, Foley said, "It's about strength. She feels very empowered in it....I wanted to stay true to some of the designs I saw in the comics. In the style lines, I wanted to pay a little bit of a tribute to aisy'stactical ability from last season, but we also incorporated the Quake symbol into her gauntlets and on the back of her suit."
Legacy Effects Legacy Effects, LLC is an American special effects studio specializing in creature design, prosthetic makeup, animatronics, and specialty suits. History Founding partners Lindsay Macgowan, Shane Mahan, John Rosengrant, and Alan Scott supervised pr ...
created the gauntlets and utility belt, "out of flexible materials painted to look like metal" so as not to injure anyone during stunts. After losing a hand at the end of the second season, Coulson receives a prosthetic replacement with "a few surprises hidden inside". Prop master Scott Bauer took a mold of Gregg's hand to build the prosthetic and was able to make the fingers bendable to depict Coulson holding objects. The hand evolves throughout the season, with a later iteration projecting an energy shield, inspired by a similar one used in the comics by
Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
. The energy shield was created by Cosa, one of the series' visual effects vendors.


Filming

Production on the season began in late July 2015, in
Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most d ...
, and lasted until late April 2016. Location filming for the alien planet occurred in a work quarry in
Simi Valley Simi Valley (; Chumash: ''Shimiyi'') is a city in the valley of the same name in the southeast region of Ventura County, California, United States. Simi Valley is from Downtown Los Angeles, making it part of the Greater Los Angeles Area. The ...
and in
Northridge, Los Angeles Northridge is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles. The community is home to California State University, Northridge, and the Northridge Fashion Center. Originally named Zelzah by settlers in 1908, the co ...
near the
Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily in ...
.


Music

With the season reinventing the series again, composer
Bear McCreary Bear McCreary (born February 17, 1979) is an American musician and composer of film, television, and video game scores based in Los Angeles, California. His work includes the scores of the television series ''Battlestar Galactica'' (2004), ''Age ...
expanded the sound of the score "in a big way". In addition to introducing new themes for the characters of Lash and Rosalind Price, McCreary made some changes to the orchestra: "To represent Lash, I brought in larger percussion: merciless pounding
taiko are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called and to the form of ensemble drumming m ...
s that I digitally compressed and distorted. This new, mangled percussion sound is horrific, and will become increasingly important as the season progresses." McCreary also brought in trombones "to get the scariest sound possible," which resulted in the recording space being reconfigured when they were recorded. For Price, her scenes with Coulson "give the series the feeling of a dense
political thriller A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of a political power struggle, high stakes and suspense is the core of the story. The genre often forces the audiences to consider and understand the importance of politics. The ...
...I really leaned into that, musically. I introduce light acoustic percussion, mostly
egg shaker An egg shaker or ganzá is a hand percussion instrument, in the idiophone category, that makes a noise when shaken. Functionally it is similar to a maraca. Typically the outer casing or container is ovoidal or egg-shaped. It is partially full ...
s, to give the pulsing
synths A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...
a softer edge. And I used an acoustic piano to play the "Rosalind Theme" at key moments in her scenes...her music is meant to add intrigue and suspicion, and simultaneously allow us to have some fun with their witty banter." For "Maveth", McCreary used a 90-piece orchestra rather than the series' typical 50 or 70 players.


Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-ins

On the season's potential for crossover with the rest of the MCU, Bell said in May 2015 that "I think astyear worked really well—we got to be our own show and tell our own stories in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and do a nice hand off or a tie-in, but neither are incumbent upon the other to be a follow, and I think that's a great model for us. ''
Ant-Man Ant-Man is the name of several superheroes appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, Ant-Man's first appearance was in ''Tales to Astonish'' #27 (January 1962) but first appeared in costum ...
'' comes out this summer and will have come and gone before we air again in September, so whether there's anything vestigial from that or for Captain_America:_Civil_War''.html" ;"title="' Captain America: Civil War''">' Captain America: Civil War''next season is to be determined. But we're in contact with the movie people and them with us, and any time we can put little easter eggs in, it's a lot of fun for die-hard fans." Bell also stated that there was a possibility of
Hayley Atwell Hayley Elizabeth Atwell (born 5 April 1982) is a British and American actress. Born and raised in London, Atwell studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and made her stage debut in a 2005 production of James Kerr's translation ...
once again reprising her role as
Peggy Carter Margaret Elizabeth Carter is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is usually depicted as a supporting character in books featuring Captain America. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirb ...
in the season for an '' Agent Carter'' crossover, and after the series acknowledged the character's death in ''Civil War'', added, "Any time we can make a connection to her, whether in a flashback or dealing with what’s happening now, it makes the universe smaller." In June 2015, it was revealed that the season would include the Secret Warriors team by introducing Inhuman characters inspired by the comic of the same name. The episode "
Emancipation Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure economic and social rights, political rights or equality, often for a specifically disenfranchis ...
" is set in the aftermath of ''Civil War'', and deals with how the Secret Warriors and other Inhumans are affected by the
Sokovia Accords Discrimination against superheroes is a common theme and plot element comic books and superhero fiction, usually as a way to explore the issue of superheroes operating in society or as commentary on other social concerns. Often in response to th ...
, with some members of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team feeling "Inhumans should be registered and therswho feel that's a first step to them being sequestered, imprisoned, exterminated." Wen noted that "The connection is there, but it’s also very tenuous at this point, because S.H.I.E.L.D. has become so isolated with what’s going on with the Avengers and them not knowing still that Coulson is alive." On how the themes of ''Civil War'' allowed the series to make more of a philosophical tie-in than with previous films, Whedon stated that "we do have people across the globe who have powers on our show and there would be varying reactions to that. A lot of fear, some excitement, some people wanting to use it for good, some people wanting to use it for evil. So, a lot of those same themes
rom the film Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * ...
will be addressed on our show." Bennet added, "we've been dealing with the bigger issues of ''Civil War'' on a smaller, more personal scale for a while now. It's been building. We've been having our own mini version of ''Civil War''." Additionally, the episode "
Many Heads, One Tale "Many Heads, One Tale" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American television series ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Divisio ...
" sees the season tie its Hydra and Inhuman storylines together,
retcon Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subse ...
ning the history of Hydra in the MCU, while the episode " Watchdogs" connects the series to several other MCU television shows: by featuring the chemical compound nitramene, which was developed by
Howard Stark Howard Stark is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as a background character in stories featuring Iron Man and stories featuring Captain America. He is the fou ...
and seen in the ''Agent Carter'' episodes "
Now is Not the End "Now is Not the End" is the first episode of the first season of the American television series '' Agent Carter''. It features the Marvel Comics character Peggy Carter as she goes undercover to try clear the name of her friend Howard Stark. The e ...
" and "
Bridge and Tunnel Bridge and Tunnel (often abbreviated B&T or BNT) is a term – often used pejoratively – to describe people who live in communities surrounding the island of Manhattan in New York City, and commute to it for work or entertainment. It refers to ...
"; by noting a gang war in Hell's Kitchen, as seen in the second season of '' Daredevil''; and by referencing the company
Damage Control In navies and the maritime industry, damage control is the emergency control of situations that may cause the sinking of a watercraft. Examples are: * rupture of a pipe or hull especially below the waterline and * damage from grounding (runn ...
, which was the focus of a potential MCU television series of the same name and later seen in '' Spider-Man: Homecoming''. Despite similarities between the final conversation between Daisy and Lincoln in "Ascension" and that of Steve Rogers and Carter in '' Captain America: The First Avenger'', the executive producers did not mirror that scene intentionally, with Whedon stating "There’s something heartbreaking about not being able to be face-to-face with the person". " Ascension" also introduces the concept of
Life Model Decoy A Life Model Decoy (frequently known by the abbreviation LMD) is a fictional android appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. LMDs duplicate all outward aspects of a real living person with such authenticity that they can easi ...
s.


Marketing

To promote the inclusion of the Secret Warriors in the season, at
San Diego Comic-Con International San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is co ...
2015, Marvel gave fans a chance to be a part of the team, with ambassadors roaming the convention to find the most dedicated fans and rewarding them with limited edition "Secret Warriors" pins. Fans with pins were then asked to post a photo of themselves wearing the pin to social media, for cast members of the series to select their favorites. A premiere was held for the season on September 23, 2015, at
Pacific Theatres Pacific Theatres was an American chain of movie theaters in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of California. Pacific Theatres was owned by The Decurion Corporation which also owned and operated ArcLight Cinemas. In 2008, it sold its store loca ...
at The Grove in Los Angeles, where the first episode was shown. In early October, Marvel released a comedy video starring Dalton and
Marvel Entertainment Marvel Entertainment, LLC (formerly Marvel Enterprises) is an American show business, entertainment company (law), company founded in June 1998 and based in New York City, New York (state), New York, formed by the merger of #Marvel Entertainment ...
Chief Creative Officer A chief creative officer (CCO) is the highest ranking position of the creative team within a company. Depending on the type of company, this position may be responsible for the overall look and feel of marketing, media, and branding associated with ...
Joe Quesada Joseph Quesada (; born January 12, 1962'' Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; page 107) is an American comic book artist, writer, editor, and television producer. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books ...
discussing a potential rebranding for Hydra, which was conceived and written by Dalton. On October 9, 2015, "A Wanted (Inhu)man" was screened at
New York Comic Con The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006. History The New York Comic Con is a f ...
, and on March 26, 2016, "Watchdogs" was screened at
WonderCon WonderCon is an annual comic book, science fiction, and film convention held in the San Francisco Bay Area (1987–2011), then—under the name WonderCon Anaheim—in Anaheim, California (2012–2015, 2017–present), and WonderCon Los Angel ...
. Also at WonderCon, a poster based on the season was made available, with art by
Mike McKone Michael McKone is a British comic book artist. Career McKone's first published works for the major companies included ''Justice League of America'' and ''Justice League International'' for DC Comics and ''The Punisher War Zone'' for Marvel Com ...
. It features Daisy, her pose an homage to a well-known ''Secret Warriors'' cover depicting the comic version of the character, with other main characters paired behind her (Coulson and Price, the latter because "she really was a big part of the first half of the season and...her death is the thing
hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
drives Coulson", according to Bell; Fitz and Simmons; Hunter and Morse; May and Garner / Lash; and Mack and Elena Rodriguez). Lincoln is featured on his own, so as not to "take a super strong female character aisyand reduce her to being a part of a relationship where she won't be fulfilled until she finds her man", as are Ward / Hive and Malick, the latter with the symbol of the former upon him: "We have told you who Ward's become, and Hive is the person that Malick is really in a relationship with. So the fact that reflection is on him or in him or around him is pretty potent," explained Bell. Beginning with " The Singularity", the final episodes of the season were marketed as ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Fallen Agent'', a "four-episode event". Marvel released clues as to who the Fallen Agent was online in the form of "sneak peek clips, artwork and more", leading up to the final reveal in the season finale. Marvel also released a poster for the event that recreated the cover of the "iconic" ''
The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bim ...
'' #121 that served as the first issue of the story arc "
The Night Gwen Stacy Died "The Night Gwen Stacy Died", alternatively known as "The Green Goblin's Last Stand", is a story arc of the Marvel Comics comic book series ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #121–122 (June-July 1973). The two-issue story was written by Gerry Conway, wit ...
". The poster, created by
Greg Land Greg Land (born 1956) is an American comic book artist, best known for his work on books such as ''Uncanny X-Men'', ''Birds of Prey'', and ''Fantastic Four''. Career Greg Land first got a job with an independent publisher as the artist for ''Stor ...
, also appeared as a "rare 1:1000"
variant cover In comic books, a variant cover (sometimes variant edition) refers to an issue of a comic book printed with multiple covers, each with unique cover art. The first comic book marketed with a variant cover was the 1986 first issue of '' The Man of St ...
for ''
Civil War II "Civil War II" is a 2016 comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in June of that year, it is the sequel to 2006's "Civil War" and consists of a nine-issue eponymous core limited series, by writer Brian Michael Bendis ...
'' #0. Ahead of the final two episodes of the season, Marvel released a series of videos that "memorialized" each of the potential characters who could have been the Fallen Agent, with the Fallen Agent ultimately being Lincoln Campbell.


Release


Broadcast

The season began airing in the United States on ABC on September 29, 2015, and ran for 22 episodes. In Australia, the season aired on Fox8, rather than
Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...
with previous seasons, with a two-week delay from the U.S. airings. In the United Kingdom, the season moved to E4 after previously airing on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
, and debuted on January 10, 2016.


Home media

The season began streaming on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
in the United States on June 16, 2016, and was available until February 28, 2022. It was released on
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
and
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
in Region 4 on March 1, 2017. It became available on
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
in the United States on March 16, 2022, joining other territories where it was already available on the service.


Reception


Ratings

The season averaged 5.52 million total viewers, including from DVR, ranking 85th among network series in the 2015–16 television season. It also had an average total 18-49 rating of 2.0, which was 47th.


Critical response

The
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
reports a 100% approval rating with an average score of 8.19/10, based on 22 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Still evolving in its third season, ''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' further hits its stride with a blend of thrills, humor, and heart." Based on the premiere, Merrill Barr of ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' felt that the show "has grown up a lot since its first year, and with the start of season three, it's hard to imagine what complaints any fans could possibly still have. If you want overall continuity, you got it. If you want people with super powers going crazy, it's there. If you want an ensemble cast that brings the broadcast television corner of the MCU to life, then look no further. The point is, with the new season of ''S.H.I.E.L.D.'', it's everything one could ask from the show."
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
's Scott Meslow stated that the premiere was "riddled with anyvisual signifiers, highlighting the ways ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' has gradually become sharper, sleeker, and more reliant on the bones of its comic-book source material." Kevin Fitzpatrick at
Screen Crush Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wit ...
said that "Laws of Nature" "feels
ike Ike or IKE may refer to: People * Ike (given name), a list of people with the name or nickname * Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II and President of the United States Surname ...
the show's most confident, ambitious swing yet, its action-packed opening minutes a clear mission statement with an even more specific focus than Season 2." Brian Lowry, reviewing the episode for ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', said, "Television obviously can't compete with the budgets and action found in summer blockbusters...but it has an advantage in being able to explore characters. ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' obviously possesses a core audience drawn to those attributes, and showrunners Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen have admirably kept the plot moving ahead—engaging in larger serialized narratives—while grappling with the logistics of those ancillary considerations, which include plans for an ''Inhumans'' movie". Eric Goldman of
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
scored the season a 7.9 out of 10, feeling it "had its up and downs, mixing in elements that worked (Daisy getting her Quake on, the Fitz and Simmons drama), elements we could have used more of (Secret Warriors!) and elements that just never felt right (Lincoln and his relationship with Daisy)." Goldman also felt that the first half of the season was "the stronger, more cohesive of the two halves" as it aired the episode "4,722 Hours" which Goldman called "the best hour of ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' to date." He criticized the pacing of the season, saying "some episodes felt a bit jumbled and could have benefited from slowing down a bit—or simply not trying to do so much at once. Sometimes it was just a question of including too many characters or storylines in single episodes, causing some scenarios to not have time to breathe or get the proper build up they might have with more character-focused episodes."


Analysis

The season's connection to ''Captain America: Civil War'' of paralleling that film's themes and events was noted by critics. Alex McCown, writing for ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'', called the season's use of the Watchdogs as "the most topical and relevant to our real-world situation ''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' has ever gotten", comparing the group to
Cliven Bundy Cliven D. Bundy (born April 29, 1946) is an American cattle rancher who was charged and underwent pre-trial detention for his role in the 2014 Bundy standoff. Bundy vocally advocated a philosophy opposed to what he views as federal government ov ...
and supporters of
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
's
2016 presidential campaign This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *7 January: Kir ...
, and feeling that "It's heartening to see the series laying this much groundwork in anticipation of mirroring the events of ''Civil War''. We've all talked about how the films affect the shows, but not vice versa. This narrative means ''S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is taking full advantage of its medium in order to tell the story the upcoming Captain America film can't: A full and fraught exploration of the need to protect freedom and privacy, even for those with extraordinary abilities." Fitzpatrick further discussed the "downright eerie parallel to current events" the Watchdogs brought to the series, saying that "if you stare at the news long enough it starts to mirror fiction, and boy if ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' didn't terrifyingly benefit from that n "Watchdogs"...Sometimes, anyone in need of someone to blame for their troubles can fall in with radicals." Fitzpatrick noted other MCU tie-ins in the same episode "never felt particularly labored, but rather lived-in with a world that stretches back to ''Agent Carter''-era Stark tech, drops the odd ''Daredevil'' Easter Egg, and helps contextualize a world where heroes create country-dropping robots....A topical bent like tonight's "Watchdogs" made for a great angle to build up that world mentality without feeling particularly subservient to the movies."


Accolades

''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' named "4,722 Hours" one of the best television episodes of 2015. , - ! scope="row" rowspan="6" , 2016 , rowspan="3" ,
Kids' Choice Awards The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (also known as the KCAs or Kids' Choice) is an annual American children's awards ceremony show that is produced by Nickelodeon. Usually held on a Saturday night in late March or early April, the show honors ...
, Favorite Family TV Show , ''
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen for ABC, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and L ...
'' , , , - , rowspan="2" , Favorite Female TV Star – Family Show ,
Chloe Bennet Chloé Wang (; born April 18, 1992), known professionally as Chloe Bennet, is an American actress and singer. She starred as Daisy Johnson/Quake in the ABC superhero drama series '' Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020). Early life ...
, , , - ,
Ming-Na Wen Ming-Na Wen (; born November 20, 1963) is an American actress and model. She voiced Mulan in the animated film ''Mulan'' and its sequel, portrayed Melinda May / The Cavalry in '' Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020), and Fennec Sha ...
, , , - ,
Saturn Awards The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films be ...
, Best Superhero Adaptation Series , ''
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen for ABC, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and L ...
'' , , style="text-align:center;" , , - ,
Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United S ...
, Choice TV Villain ,
Brett Dalton Brett Patrick Dalton (born January 7, 1983) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Grant Ward and Hive in ABC's series ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', as well as Michael Munroe in the 2015 video game ''Until Dawn''. Early life Dalton gr ...
, , style="text-align:center;" , , - , California on Location Awards , Location Manager of the Year – One Hour Television , Justin Hill , , style="text-align:center;" ,


Notes


References


General references

* *


External links

* {{S.H.I.E.L.D. 2015 American television seasons 2016 American television seasons Fiction about mind control