One of Us (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"One of Us" is the thirteenth episode of the second 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, an ...
'', 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 dea ...
(Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), revolving around the character of
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 as they face several "gifted" criminals, led by the vengeful Cal. 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), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. The episode was written by
Monica Owusu-Breen Monica Owusu-Breen is an American television producer and screenwriter. Early life and education Owusu-Breen has described herself as "half-Spanish, half Ghanaian". She was born in England and lived in Spain as a child, where she learned to spe ...
, and directed by
Kevin Tancharoen Kevin Harwick Tancharoen (born April 23, 1984) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, dancer, and choreographer. On September 29, 2011, New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. announced that Tancharoen would be helming a big-screen adaptation ...
.
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, and is joined by 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 ...
, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge,
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 clu ...
, 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 ...
. Recurring guest star
Kyle MacLachlan Kyle Merritt MacLachlan (; ' McLachlan, February 22, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Dale Cooper in '' Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991; 2017) and its film prequel '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' (1992), as well as roles ...
portrays Cal. "One of Us" originally aired on ABC on March 17, 2015, and according to
Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rati ...
, was watched by 4.34 million viewers.


Plot

Cal recruits several “Gifted” individuals listed on
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 dea ...
’s Index who all have grievances against S.H.I.E.L.D., and together they break out David A. Angar from a S.H.I.E.L.D. secure facility. Angar’s vocal cords were experimented on to the point that he can cause instant catatonia with a whisper. Though one of his recruits, Karla Faye Gideon, suggests forgetting S.H.I.E.L.D. and just running away to live new lives, Cal can’t forget about his daughter, Skye, who was an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., and has now developed abilities of her own. He has been developing a serum in the hopes of making himself stronger ever since S.H.I.E.L.D. had taken Skye and his wife had been killed, but results have been inconsistent, and now he hopes that he can stand against S.H.I.E.L.D. with the help of his new team. Now that Skye has powers, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director
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 ...
has put her on the Index. She needs a psychological analysis and threat assessment, so Coulson asks Agent Melinda May to contact her ex-husband, Dr. Andrew Garner, who consulted for S.H.I.E.L.D. previously. He agrees to help on the condition that Skye gets to see his report as well, as he is doing this for her, not S.H.I.E.L.D. May explains that that won’t be a problem now that Coulson is in charge. Skye admits to Garner that she iced herself previously because she couldn’t control her abilities, and that she was scared of losing her status as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, even having nightmares of being targeted by S.H.I.E.L.D. as she knows many Gifted individuals are. Coulson and Agent Bobbi Morse investigate Angar’s breakout, and track Cal and his team to
Manitowoc, Wisconsin Manitowoc () is a city in and the county seat of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The city is located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Manitowoc River. According to the 2020 census, Manitowoc had a population of 34,626, with ove ...
, where Coulson was born. At the local football stadium, Angar has induced catatonia in many local high school students, and Cal’s team are standing watch over them, waiting for Coulson to arrive. Coulson calls May for backup, and rather than interfere in Garner’s session with Skye, which is taking place in the cage on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s plane, May flies straight to Manitowoc with Skye and Garner on board. Coulson confronts Cal on the field as May arrives. When Cal sees Skye in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s clutches (May holds a gun to her) he points out how terribly S.H.I.E.L.D. treats Gifted people. Before he can do anything, however, Gordon teleports into the stadium and takes Cal away. Coulson, Morse, and May subdue the rest of Cal’s team, but as Skye witnesses the brutality S.H.I.E.L.D. uses against them, she loses control of her abilities again. As the stadium shakes, she tries to push her emotions aside as May has taught her, and as the shaking stops, she falls unconscious. Upon waking up, she learns that she had just directed her abilities inwards, causing hairline fractures up her arms. Garner recommends that Skye leave S.H.I.E.L.D. altogether, and notes to May that S.H.I.E.L.D. really hasn’t changed, as she said it had, turning down an offer to stay on and consult. Meanwhile, Agent Mack takes
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 Trim ...
as a prisoner to “the real S.H.I.E.L.D.”, an organization that he and Morse are secretly working for. In an end tag, Cal is enraged that Gordon didn't take Skye, who he feels should be saved from S.H.I.E.L.D. Gordon taunts Cal about being a "science experiment", rather than being born with his gifts like himself and Skye. Cal then goes to learn his fate from Gordon's superiors.


Production


Development

In February 2015, Marvel announced that the thirteenth episode of the season would be titled "One of Us", to be written by
Monica Owusu-Breen Monica Owusu-Breen is an American television producer and screenwriter. Early life and education Owusu-Breen has described herself as "half-Spanish, half Ghanaian". She was born in England and lived in Spain as a child, where she learned to spe ...
, with
Kevin Tancharoen Kevin Harwick Tancharoen (born April 23, 1984) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, dancer, and choreographer. On September 29, 2011, New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. announced that Tancharoen would be helming a big-screen adaptation ...
directing.


Writing

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 it ...
talked about the more episodic aspects of the episode, saying "This was a different episode for us. We’re pretty serialized, and every now and then you want to find a way to take a little detour that keeps the emotional life of your story going, but you want to explore other corners. And this one really does that. We’re spending a lot of time with Cal in this episode, and his friends ... it’s a really fun episode. And there’s a... not darker, but more of a gothic tone to it, if that makes sense."


Casting

In February 2015, Marvel revealed that main cast members
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), ' ...
,
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 ...
, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge,
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 clu ...
, 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 ...
would star 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 ...
, Melinda May, Skye,
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 '' ...
,
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 ...
,
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 Trim ...
, and Bobbi Morse, respectively. It was also revealed that the guest cast for the episode would include Henry Simmons as Alphonso "Mack" MacKenzie,
Kyle MacLachlan Kyle Merritt MacLachlan (; ' McLachlan, February 22, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Dale Cooper in '' Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991; 2017) and its film prequel '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' (1992), as well as roles ...
as Calvin Zabo, Jamie Harris as Gordon,
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 ...
as Dr. Andrew Garner, Drea De Matteo as Karla Faye Gideon, Ric Sarabia as Wendell Levi, Geo Corvera as Francis Noche,
Jeff Daniel Phillips Jeffrey Daniel Phillips is an American actor and filmmaker. Career He is best known for playing a caveman in a popular series of GEICO commercials. He played the part of Maurice in the short-lived ''Cavemen'' sitcom on ABC. Other credits to him ...
as David A. Angar, Gregg Martin as student, Jack Kennedy as security guard and
Jamal Duff Jamal E. Duff (born March 11, 1972) is an American actor and former American football player in the National Football League (NFL). Early years Duff was born in Columbus, Ohio, but as a child, moved west with his family to Tustin, California, ...
as John Bruno. Sarabia, Corvera, Phillips, Martin, Kennedy, and Duff did not receive guest star credit in the episode. Simmons, MacLachlan, and Harris reprise their roles from earlier in the series. Main cast member Brett Dalton, who portrays Grant Ward in the series, does not appear in the episode.


Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-ins

Dr. Andrew Garner works at the West Virginia campus of Culver University. The Virginia campus appeared in ''
The Incredible Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...
''.


Release


Broadcast

"One of Us" was first aired in the United States on ABC on March 17, 2015.


Marketing

For the final twelve episodes of the season Marvel once again ran the "Art of..." initiative, in which an image was released the Thursday before the episode aired, depicting a first look at a key event from the upcoming episode, with the season's title being "The Art of Evolution". The different artists were once again chosen to create the teaser posters, based on their previous work and how it connected to the themes and emotion of the intended episode. For "One of Us", created by
Declan Shalvey Declan Shalvey is an Irish comics artist and writer. He has worked for Marvel Comics, drawing titles like ''Moon Knight'', ''Thunderbolts'' and ''Deadpool''. For Image Comics, he has collaborated with writer Warren Ellis on science fiction ser ...
and
Jordie Bellaire Jordie Bellaire is an American comic book writer and colorist who lives in Ireland and works for DC, Marvel, Valiant, and Image comic book publishers. She has colored '' Pretty Deadly'', '' The Manhattan Projects'', '' Moon Knight'', '' The V ...
, the poster features muted colors and shows "Coulson surrounded by villains rom the S.H.I.E.L.D. index and the giant Cal looming over, and bird andS.H.I.E.L.D. behind him."


Home media

The episode 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 fi ...
on June 11, 2015, and was released along with the rest of the second season on September 18, 2015, 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 st ...
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 kind ...
.


Reception


Ratings

In the United States the episode received a 1.6/5 percent share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49, meaning that it was seen by 1.6 percent of all households, and 5 percent of all of those watching television at the time of the broadcast. It was watched by 4.34 million viewers.


References


External links


"One of Us"
at ABC * {{Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (season 2) episodes 2015 American television episodes Television episodes set in Wisconsin