Life is never easy for the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Last week, in order to save the Russian Prime Minister from being assassinated by an evil Inhuman and to protect the secret existence of S.H.I.E.L.D., Bobbi and Hunter had to take a fall. They both became disavowed, and the team had to say goodbye. The agents won't get too much time to deal with their friends' absence as a new anti-Inhuman group has elevated their presence.

　　Warning: Spoilers for season 3, episode 14 of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., "Watchdogs," will be discussed below.

　　

Mack's Backstory

With some of the characters, we don't know too much about their time before or outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. Mack takes some time to visit his younger brother, who is trying to maintain their parents' house.

　　An attack on an ACTU headquarter by a group calling themselves the Watchdogs pulls Mack away from time with Ruben, due to the close proximity of the attack. Mack's brother has no idea Mack is in S.H.I.E.L.D. and believes he works in insurance. Ruben was originally against the idea of Inhumans, but witnessing Daisy in action and discovering Mack's secret starts to change his outlook.

　　

Simmons and May

Simmons is training to be better with a gun. May sees her and gives some advice. Simmons doesn't want to be dependent on others. She's feeling guilty for letting Andrew/Lash out of the containment unit (which lead to him killing several Inhumans) and Fitz risking his life (which lead to Will's death). This is the start of May working more with Simmons to make her a stronger agent. The two will also work together to track down Andrew.

　　

The Return of a Former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent

Felix Blake was a Level 7 S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. While assisting Coulson and his team before the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. (in season 1), he was seriously injured by Deathlok. His fate was unknown due to the revelation of HYDRA's infiltration. Blake makes his return as being responsible for the Watchdog's attack against the ACTU and Inhumans. Knowing S.H.I.E.L.D.'s tactics and secrets makes him a dangerous foe.

　　

Coulson's Assessment of Lincoln

Lincoln is still waiting to hear what his assessment is from Coulson. To make things more awkward, Coulson takes Lincoln with him in their hunt for Blake without giving him any hints. When they confront Blake, Coulson eventually orders Lincoln to kill him. Even though he's dealing with anger issues and is quick to attack, he's reluctant to follow through with Coulson's order. When he finally shoots at him, he discovers Blake wasn't there. He was just a hologram. Coulson figured this out before giving the order. This was part of a test to see how Lincoln would react. Because Lincoln wasn't recruited by him, this was Coulson's way to get a better idea of his character. Seeing the struggle despite being given a direct order, along with following through with it, scores Lincoln some points.

　　

Damage Control is Mentioned

Mack and Ruben had to fight some Watchdog members that attacked them at their parents' home. After their defeat and Mack is taken to get medical treatment after being shot, Daisy mentions Damage Control will be along to do repairs on the house.

　　Damage Control is basically a cleanup crew that repairs destruction in the Marvel Universe after a superhero battle. It's been announced that ABC has ordered a pilot for a half-hour comedy series. This is the first time they're mentioned in the Cinematic Universe.

　　

Thoughts

It was great seeing some backstory on a character like Mack. We never really see what these characters do in their downtime. We don't know what their lives were like before. The idea that Mack had to lie to his brother about what he does drives home the impact of the commitment S.H.I.E.L.D. agents have to make. Having his brother played by Gaius Charles made it even better.

　　The subplot of May taking Simmons under her wing will strengthen both of them. For too long, May has tried to keep herself distant from the others. Simmons (and Fitz) may be brilliant, but they can be a liability if they're not properly prepared for whatever comes their way. For as often as they've been out in the field, this is something that should've taken place during the first season.

　　Gallery

　　It felt like the action was toned down a tiny bit this episode. The quieter moments were important to show us more of the potential in the different characters. Hopefully now that Ruben knows the truth about Mack and S.H.I.E.L.D., perhaps he'll be brought in since the team is a couple members short.