History Recap / AgentsOfSHIELDS2E19TheDirtyHalfDozen

* GenreSavvy: Jiaying asks Cal what Raina is like and he tells her that she can't be trusted. Jiaying then decides to keep an eye on her, which is good considering Raina is thinking of overthrowing Jiaying's leadership.

* TheCameo: Maria Hill shows up in a video chat with Coulson, as he was getting intel so the Avengers could take out HYDRA's primary stronghold.

** Jiayang and Cal mend the bridge broken in the last episode and are going to look for a way to be a family again.
** Ward admits to Coulson that it's Kara who deserves to be forgiven. Not him. So he's leaving her with S.H.I.E.L.D. to help fix the damage HYDRA had done to her.
* GenreSavvy: Jiaying asks Cal what Raina is like and he then tells her that she can't be trusted. Jiaying then decides to keep an eye on her which is good considering Raina is thinking of overthrowing Jiaying's leadership.

* NotSoDifferent: After Simmons tries to kill Ward, the latter expresses disappointment.

* PuttingTheBandBackTogether: The episode title, "The Dirty Half-Dozen", refers to this. [[WeAreStrugglingTogether To some extent]] (and probably [[AwesomeButTemporary only temporarily]]), the original six team members from Season 1 are reunited in the battle against HYDRA. Also a subtle nod to [[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron another team of six who are tied in to the episode...]]
* TheReveal: We learn that the Theta Protocol was designed for situations that S.H.I.E.L.D. can't handle... but that the Avengers can.

* TookALevelInBadass: TheOner makes it quite clear that Skye is now a force to be reckoned with in combat even without using her powers. She's not dropping magazines out of guns by accident any more; instead she's dropping HYDRA agents.

** Though she's not as vocal about it, Bobbi nevertheless calls Gonzales on deliberately trying to sacrifice Coulson's team then moving to hold Skye, Lincoln, and Deathlok prisoner once they succeed. Coulson interrupts before she can really get on his case about the latter.

* MoralEventHorizon: [[invoked]] Ward acknowledges that he past this point a long time ago. "Some people don't deserve forgiveness."

* XanatosGambit: Gonzales sees the rescue attempt as a win-win scenario for "Real" S.H.I.E.L.D. Either Team Coulson deals HYDRA a grievous blow and brings enhanced subjects to his base, plus Coulson unlocks the Toolbox per their agreement, or Team Coulson dies in the attempt and thus are no longer Gonzales' problem. The Toolbox is still locked, but they can continue working on it until they crack it.

* HobbesWasRight: Coulson doesn't think deciding everything by a vote is the best way to run a spy organization -- and he has a point. Being a spy is risky business. If agents were always putting things to a vote, nothing would never get done, so the best way for them to function is with military-like precision. After all, most western intelligence agencies are usually run by some high-ranking officer pulled from either the Army or Navy.

{{forgiveness}}

* ArcWelding: This episode leads into the plot of ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron''. Coulson steals intel from the Arctic HYDRA base which reveals that HYDRA is keeping Loki's scepter at their base in Sokovia. He passes this onto Maria Hill so she can have the Avengers deal with it. Theta Protocol is likewise indicated to be related to the Avengers in some fashion, though it isn't expanded upon. A short image of Loki's sceptre in Stark's lab is seen by Raina who likewise foresees Ultron's rebellion.

* DecidedByOneVote: Gonzalez puts Coulson's plan up to a vote for "Real" S.H.I.E.L.D.'s council. Weaver and Oliver vote no, citing the unacceptable risk. Bobbi and Gonzales vote yes, the latter because he hopes Coulson's team will die in the attempt or succeed and he will get some superpowered people prisoner. May gets to cast the deciding vote.

* {{Forgiveness}}
** Hunter explictly forgives Mack for the choke-hold and kidnapping, and it clearly means a lot to Mack.

* SeeTheInvisible: HYDRA's Arctic base is able to detect cloaked aircraft thanks to its remote location. As there's nothing out there, even the smallest radar signature is detected.

* TheyWouldCutYouUp: Bakshi invokes Whitehall's motto, "Discovery requires experimentation," in reference to Deathlok and Lincoln. Lincoln was in the opening stages of being vivisected when Skye rescued him, and was flatlining until she managed to restart his heart.

-->'''Hill:''' Last thing: Theta Protocol. Is it ready?
-->'''Coulson:''' Yes, it is. Time to bring in the Avengers.

* XanatosGambit: Gonzales sees the rescue attempt as a win-win scenario for "Real" S.H.I.E.L.D. Either Team Coulson deals HYDRA a grevious blow and brings enhanced subjects to his base, or Team Coulson dies in the attempt and thus are no longer Gonzales' problem.

* DecidedByOneVote: Gonzalez puts Coulson's plan up to a vote for "Real" S.H.I.E.L.D.'s council. Weaver and Oliver vote no, citing the unacceptable risk. Bobbi and Gonzales vote yes, the latter because he hopes Coulson's team will die in the attempt. May gets to cast the deciding vote.

* AnArmAndALeg: Deathlok loses his artificial leg during HYDRA's experiments, and the damage is extensive enough that they can't simply pop it back on. Simmons assures him they have access to a specialist who can repair it, however. He likewise loses his artificial eye.
* ArcWelding: This episode leads into the plot of ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron''. Coulson steals intel from the Arctic HYDRA base which reveals that HYDRA is keeping Loki's scepter at their base in Sokovia. He passes this onto Maria Hill so she can have the Avengers deal with it. Theta Protocol is likewise indicated to be related to the Avengers in some fashion, though it isn't expanded upon. A short image of Loki's sceptre in Stark's lab is seen by Raina.

* BigGood: Maria Hill and Fury have been this to Team Coulson all season long.
* BreakHerHeartToSaveHer[=/=]IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Ward knows that his past actions have made him irredeemable, so he leaves Kara at S.H.I.E.L.D., believing Coulson to be the better man to help her rebuild the life she lost to HYDRA.
* BulletproofHumanShield: Subverted in TheOner, as Skye takes out two HYDRA agents with one shot at point blank.

* DisappointedInYou: Ward says this to Simmons after she tries to kill him.

* GracefulLoser: Bobbi takes Coulson outgambitting Gonzales in stride, even being apparently amused by his reveal. Given the friction between her and Gonzales, she may also appreciate Coulson knocking him down a peg.

** Gonzales justifies potentially getting Coulson's entire team killed because their enemy has no honor. Says the man stabbing fellow agents in the back, as Bobbi calls him on, and plans to betray Coulson as soon as it's convenient.
** Gonzales again: He's been suspecting Coulson of recruiting and stockpiling superhumans for a personal agenda the entire time, yet when Skye, Lincoln, and Deathlok make it back to the Playground, Gonzales plans to hold them prisoner so he can learn the location of even more superhumans. He even goes so far as to admit that the only reason he endorsed the mission was because he'd be able to take them prisoner if Coulson succeeded.

** Upon seeing Gordon's head wound, which she had dreamed of earlier, Raina realizes what her powers are.

** Ward's "apology" is filled with this. To excuse his own behaviour, he brings up the team's actions against him and then says the one thing he regrets most of all is the team will no longer accept him. Not, you know, the betrayal, the murder of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, the attempted murder of [=FitzSimmons=], the damage inflicted on Fitz...

* MythologyGag: The scene where May is frustrated that Coulson is downloading HYDRA intel and that he didn't tell her about that part of the mission is very similiar to the beginnning scenes of ''Winter Soldier'' between Captain America and Black Widow on the ship where they have the exact same arguement.
* NotHelpingYourCase:
** [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] word for word by Gonzales to Coulson, after the latter says he had an inside man within HYDRA and was working with Peterson[=/=]Deathlok.
** Likewise Coulson points out that May's arguements against his secret keeping don't hold much weight since she had no problem keeping him in the dark about his resseruction.

* [[OneManArmy One Woman Army]]: Skye puts on a display of hand-to-hand (and gun) bad-assitude mowing through HYDRA guards that would have had received nods of approval from May, Bobbie, and Black Widow. And that's ''without'' using her powers.

* ShoutOut: Upon being told that Raina has precognitive abilities, Skye snarks that she had assumed Raina's power to be [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog spinning really fast to collect rings]].

* SickeninglySweethearts: Ward and Kara are this while they're together in the cockpit. Hunter finds the two even more sickening than his bullet wound from last episode.
* StrappedToAnOperatingTable: Both Deathlok and Lincoln get this treatment. Lincoln dies in the middle of Skye rescuing him, but she's able to restart his heart. Deathlok survived his time on the table, but lost the artificial leg and eye.

* TookALevelInBadass: TheOner makes it quite clear that Skye is now a force to be reckoned with in combat even without using her powers. She's not dropping magazines out of guns by accident any more.
* UriahGambit: Gonzales lets Coulson form his own team for the rescue mission because he secretly hopes that the lot of them will die in the attempt. Even if they don't, he'll still get the powered people Coulson is trying to rescue.

** As does Ward later, after Simmons tries to kill him. Even without that motivation, he knew he'd either end up imprisoned or hit with LaserGuidedAmnesia had he come back with the team.

* MythologyGag: The scene where May is frustrated that Coulson is downloading HYDRA intel without telling her is very similiar to the beginnning scenes of ''Winter Soldier'' between Captain America and Black Widow.
* NotHelpingYourCase: [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] word for word by Gonzales to Coulson, after the latter says he had an inside man within HYDRA and was working with Peterson[=/=]Deathlok.

** When talking about Wards penchant for showing up when his name is said Skye refers to him as Film/{{Candyman}}.

** When talking about Wards penchant for showing up when his name is said Skye refers to him as Candyman.

* TheyWouldCutYouUp: Bakshi invokes Whitehall's motto, "Discovery requires experimentation," in reference to Deathlok and Lincoln. Lincoln is moments from being vivisected when Skye rescues him.

* ChekhovsGun: Simmons is shown packing a splinter bomb into her pack. Naturally, it finds its way into Bakshi's shoulder during Simmons' attempt to kill Ward.

* CastFromHitPoints: On an organizational scale -- S.H.I.E.L.D.'s plan to get into the HYDRA base involves getting the Bus destroyed in the process, sacrificing their sole large transport aircraft to deal HYDRA a serious blow. On the upside, S.H.I.E.L.D. still possesses the Playground base, along with the aircraft carrier ''Iliad'' and a number of Quinjets, making individual assets [[WeHaveReserves more expendable]].

* ArcWelding: This episode leads into the plot of ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron''. Coulson steals intel from the Arctic HYDRA base which reveals that HYDRA is keeping Loki's scepter at their base in Sokovia. He passes this onto Maria Hill so she can have the Avengers deal with it. Theta Protocol is likewise indicated to be related to the Avengers in some fashion, though it isn't expanded upon.

* HobbesWasRight: Coulson doesn't think deciding everything by a vote is the best way to run a spy organization -- and he has a point. Being a spy is risky business, and if agents were always putting things to a vote - nothing would never get done, so the best way for them to function is with militairy-like precesion. After all most western intillegent agencies are usually run by some high-ranking officer pulled from either the army or navy.

* HobbesWasRight: Coulson doesn't think deciding everything by a vote is the best way to run a spy organization -- and he has a point. Being a spy is risky business, and if agents were always putting things to a vote - nothing would never get done so the best way for them to function is with militairy-like compliance which is justified since most western intillegent agencies are usually run by some high-ranking officer.

* HobbesWasRight: Coulson doesn't think deciding everything by a vote is the best way to run a spy organization -- and he has a point. Being a spy is risky business, and if agents were always questioning decisions, things would never get done (and since most intelligent agencies usually have military personnel as their chiefs, this attitude is understandable).
* {{Hypocrite}}:

* HobbesWasRight: Coulson doesn't think deciding everything by a vote is the best way to run a spy organization - and he has a point being a spy is risky businiess and if agents were always questioning decisions things would never get done (and since most intelligent agencies usually have military personel as their chiefs this attitude is understandable).

** Gonzales again: He's been suspecting Coulson of recruiting and stockpiling superhumans for a personal agenda the entire time, yet when Skye, Lincoln, and Deathlok make it back to the Playground, Gonzales plans to hold them prisoner so he can learn the location of even more superhumans.

* NotSoDifferent: After Simmons tries to kill Ward, the latter tells expresses disappointment.

* EnemyMine: Coulson teams up with Gonzales and "Real" S.H.I.E.L.D. to stop HYDRA.