Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Round Table: We Talkin' Space Squirrels?

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Lincoln will definitely not be trusting S.H.I.E.L.D. any time soon. Can you blame him?

Fitz and Simmons are now closer than ever, but why in the world does she want to go back to that alien planet? Did she meet other survivors over there? Do those travelers have information she needs? These are just a few questions we're tackling below.

Join TV Fanatics Jim Garner, Robin Harry, Kathleen Wiedel, Caralynn Lippo and Hank Otero as we discuss Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 Episode 3 in this week's Round Table discussion...

Did you expect Lincoln to join the "Secret Warriors" this week? Will he ultimately be part of Daisy's team?

Jim: I was hoping he would join this week. Even with the "deal" Coulson made, I'm still hopeful that Lincoln will eventually join Daisy's team. Even if he does, there are going to be some serious trust issues for a while.

Robin: I didn't think he would, to be honest. He was much too scared and too unstable. I think he'll eventually join Daisy's team, but I didn't think it would have happened this week.

Kathleen: I'm with Jim; Lincoln is, quite frankly, one of the most stable Inhumans around, despite his current circumstances. I was hoping he'd join up this week, but it was not to be, alas. I do foresee him joining up eventually, however.

Caralynn: I didn't think he'd get that far, he is really isolated and twitchy right now. I wasn't even expecting the kiss with Daisy. I won't lie, I'm not a particular fan of Lincoln, though they have made strides in making him much more interesting than he was last season!

Hank: Like Jim I was hoping he'd join Daisy's team, but I did have a feeling it was too soon in the season. I agree with everyone that Lincoln will eventually be part of the Secret Warriors, but he won't come to trust S.H.I.E.L.D. easily. I think, it's going to be more about Daisy actually.

Both Daisy/Lincoln and Fitz/Simmons shared some emotional scenes. Which duo won you over and why?

Jim: I have to go with Fitz & Simmons. Learning that Fitz had kept the reservation for 6 months was so heartwarming and touching. I loved that he had the restaurant quiet and lit by candles to make Simmons feel more comfortable.

Robin: I must be the only person who wasn't feeling Daisy/Lincoln at that moment, but I generally have a problem with kissy scenes in the heat of fire - ain't nobody got time for that right now! Fitz/Simmons definitely won this one. I loved how sensitive Fitz was to what she needed, and I liked that she got comfortable enough with him to break down.

Kathleen: I'm with the two of you. The relationship between Fitz and Simmons just feels more genuine at the moment, rather than driven by the heat of the moment. That's not to say that Daisy and Lincoln won't get there eventually, but I just found the other duo more moving.

Caralynn: Robin, you are totally not the only person not feeling Daisy/Lincoln in that moment (honestly, I'm not a big Daisy/Lincoln fan in general, but I'm withholding judgment until Lincoln gets an actual character arc and develops a bit). FitzSimmons all the way! That restaurant scene was lovely, Elizabeth Henstridge and Iain de Caestecker are both phenomenal actors. I'm not a huge 'shipper but Fitz's deep love for Simmons gives me the warm and fuzzies.

Hank: Well, five out of five TV Fanatic panelists pick Fitz & Simmons! There's no comparing the two relationships, we have been watching the Fitz & Simmons dynamic change since the first season. It's just feels much more earned and real. That's not to knock Daisy and Lincoln's moment, but Kathleen is right it was driven by the heat of the moment. I've been a huge Fitz-Simmons fan since Season 1, and I love their overall arc.

How do you think Coulson handled Rosalind and the ATCU? Is he getting in over his head?

Jim: Both horribly and about as well as he could. Giving Lincoln up to try and protect Daisy was a horrible, horrible idea. He knew how Daisy felt about Lincoln and then when (shock and surprise) Lincoln didn't go quietly, he offered his help to keep her safe made me roll my eyes a little. That being said, he was right, they need to point the fight in the right direction.

Robin: I think Coulson had to manage a changing situation on the fly, and he did the best he could. Quite frankly, if Daisy and Lincoln had just moved a little faster and didn't waste time sucking face, it wouldn't have come to that. That said, I think joining the ATCU was a good move. He can keep a close eye on the ATCU's actions, and he'll have allies when things get rough.

Kathleen: I think both Jim and Robin have good points. Coulson was probably trying to take the least-bad option out of a whole host of bad options. I can't imagine that Lincoln (or even Daisy) will appreciate it very much, and it may very well blow up in Coulson's face. Rosalind sure isn't making things easy for Coulson, that's for sure.

Caralynn: I think he did the best he could. Obviously, his priority is Daisy, so it wasn't shocking that he would offer up Lincoln in Daisy's place. Joining ATCU when offering up Lincoln fell through was a pretty smart failsafe. I like that he acknowledged that it is silly to be fighting against others who are fighting the common enemy, and that he's already been there, done that.

Hank: I'm with Caralynn, his priority is, and has always been, Daisy. While I'm sure Coulson knew it wasn't the smartest move, it was his best option at the time. As I mentioned, I think this decision will keep Lincoln from ever fully trusting Coulson or S.H.I.E.L.D.

Share your thoughts on Hunter's mission and the fight club. Are you interested in his arc?

Jim: Given that I'm pretty sure I dozed off for a bit when Brad Pitt, I mean Hunter started barefist brawling, the entire storyline needs to get moving or go away.

Robin: First rule of Hydra, we don't talk about Hydra! I am interested in Hunter's arc, just not like this. The brawl was just so over-the-top and unnecessary. I had more fun watching May wipe the floor with those guys, even though that was pointless too.

Kathleen: It's interesting that when we were first introduced to Bobbi, she was a HYDRA infiltrator. Now it's Hunter's turn. I fully anticipate at some point that they will infiltrate HYDRA together! Anyhow, I agree with Jim and Robin that they need to get a move on before we lose interest in that storyline.

Caralynn: Not at all. I'll be honest, I never particularly warmed up to Bobbie or Hunter (I did always like Mack though, thanks to his bond with Fitz while Fitz was recovering). They just never struck me as well-integrated into the group dynamic. That improved over the course of the last season (particularly when Bobbie was tortured by Ward), and I like Bobbie a lot better now... but I'm still meh on Hunter. I can see that they're trying to warm people up to Hunter by pairing him with fan-favorite May for some wacky infiltrating-HYDRA adventures, but I'm not buying it yet. Also his plan is just stupid. What if somebody describes to Ward what this new guy looks like before Hunter actually gets face to face/near enough to kill Ward? Somebody else will just kill him first! OK, end rant.

Hank: I thought the same thing Robin, the stuff with May was just so much cooler than Hunter's fight club. I've also never connected with Bobbi or Hunter, so I get what the writers are trying to accomplish here. That said, I'm quickly getting bored of the revenge arc. Caralynn's right, it's just a dumb ass plan and Ward seems way smarter than Hunter. He's going to catch on sooner rather than later. Is this what Marvel has planned for their Bobbi/Hunter spinoff? If so, you can totally count me out.

Simmons Deals with PTSD - Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 Episode 3

Did you ever picture Simmons saying she had to go back "over there"? Why would she go back?

Jim: That was pretty much the last thing I would have expected her to say. As far as why she needs to go back, maybe she made friends with the space squirrels I mentioned last week. After all, we know there is a talking raccoon in that part of the galaxy, why not talking squirrels?

Robin: I'm assuming she has to go back to help others who were trapped there. There must have been others like her, facing whatever dangers there were out there. But then why wouldn't they have followed her to the flare? I don't know. That's my theory, though.

Kathleen: I really like Robin's theory. However much I like Simmons, I find it a bit unlikely that she managed to survive alone on an apparently desolate alien world for months. Perhaps she made friends with someone and left them behind when she returned with Fitz, and now she feels the need to save that person, too.

Caralynn: Totally with Robin/Kathleen on this one. There are definitely other people (/space squirrels) stuck on that planet who need her help. Remember when we saw that flashback to the other guy in olden-times getting sucked into the Monolith? I feel like they wouldn't have put that scene in if the idea that "no one has ever returned" wasn't going to be important. Nobody has returned-- because they're still there! Or at least a handful of them are. I'm sure a few portal victims managed to not die if a scientist with minimal combat training managed to.

Hank: Though I seriously doubt it's space squirrels haha, I do think there are Gloucestershire survivors on that planet. Not the 1839 travelers, mind you, but perhaps those folks started a colony over there. I also think it's possible that Simmons is dealing with some kind of alien parasite and those folks have answers. I realize she checked out medically, but you never know with aliens, right? Either way, this is the storyline I'm most interested in at the moment. I'm excited to learn more, revisit that mysterious planet and continue to enjoy the Fitz-Simmons storyline.

NOTE: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 Episode 4 is titled "Devils You Know" and airs on Tuesday, October 20.

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 Episode 3 Quotes

Lincoln: Look, it's a misunderstanding. I promise you, I haven't done anything wrong.
John: Okay, that is all I need to hear. I know what kind of man you are.

Fitz: She said she was being hunted.
Mack: Wait what? What does that mean? Hunted by what?
Fitz: She didn't say. I don't know if she even knows.
Coulson: My God, imagine her having to go through all that alone? For that long?
Bobbi: Well, thanks to this guy not anymore.