Thoughts on "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." - S1E7 "The Hub"

Given the fact that recaps for show episodes are abundant on the Internet, and I write from the West Coast's timezone, I will provide any of you who choose to read this with some of my thoughts and ramblings from this episode and the show's slowly developing arc.

• - I really appreciated the moment where Skye is discussing her concerns for the safety of Ward and Fitz with Simmons. Instead of them being simple dames worried for the well-being of their men who have gone off to fight in a war, they seek to find a way to help rescue them. Even though the show is part of the Marvel-verse, the womyn being so empowered makes it far more apparent that we are in a Whedonverse.
• - Ward, I don't care how pretty your chiseled face is. If you threw my food off like that, I'd throw you through a wall.
• - I know that Skye's origins are one of the season's big mysteries, but is it too much to ask that we know what her last name is? Every other character is addressed by their last name (Coulson, May, Ward, Fitz, Simmons) and then there's Skye. Just. Skye.
• - Ward and Fitz's bonding over the mission was a nice touch. The more the characters' relationships develop, the greater their cohesiveness as a team will strengthen.
• - I can't help but sympathise with Skye, given how difficult it must be to be in the dark about her origins.
• - How fantastic of a twist would it be if Melinda May ended up being Skye's mother? Both Ming-Na Wen and Chloe Bennet (Wang) are Chinese, so...

Some Internet chatter seems to have taken issue with the fact that Agents of SHIELD has more questions than answers and is taking its sweet time revealing where things are headed. This is one of the reasons why I take issue with American shows having so many episodes in one season. The story arc becomes stretched thinly across a massive amount of time. Shows like Hannibal and The Following, with their 13-episode seasons, have thrown filler out the window and have gripped their viewers tight with each episode. Many British shows have far fewer episodes per series, with only the highest quality of story being brought to life on the screen. Sherlock has taken over the world and only 6 episodes have aired.

However, I've not given up hope on Agents of SHIELD. The adventures are exciting, each week brings more character development, and Melinda May (as portrayed by Ming-Na Wen) is simply iconic. Next week will bring an episode that ties into the latest Marvel blockbuster, "Thor: The Dark World," and this viewer simply cannot wait to see what's in store!

Marvel's Agents of SHIELD airs at 8/7c on ABC.