History Recap / AgentsOfSHIELDS4E14TheManBehindTheShield

* ThinkOfThePotential: Mack accuses Radcliffe and Fitz of being so blinded by this that they forgot to consider their inventions' potential for misuse.

* CallBack:
** During the flashback scenes, Coulson suggests telling the approaching Russian agents that [[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS2E17Melinda there's a biohazard and they need to clear the area]].
** During the flashback, May talks about her latest civilian boyfriend, a shrink -- possibly Andrew Garner.

* TrackingDevice: Director Mace's Patriot outfit is fitted with a tracking device. When the team locates the tracker, they find the suit, but not man who was wearing it.

* IronicEcho: Ivanov constantly threatens and looks down on Aida, at one point telling her ''Even filth has a purpose''. At the end of the episode, Ivanov is unconscious and at her mercy, and she whispers those very words into his ear.

* NoOneGetsLeftBehind: Shown both during the flashbacks, when may rescues Coulson, as well as during the present, where the main objective is to get both May and Jeffrey home safely.

** Coulson tells Ivanov he's just another [[StarTrek redshirt]] trying to interfere with Coulson's saving the world.

** Mack refers to The Framework as [[Film/TheMatrix]].

** Daily gets one herself when he calls her a cheater for having powers. She counters that he's just playing by the old rules and uses her powers to collapse the ceiling on him.

* ShoutOut: Coulson tells Ivanov he's just another [[StarTrek redshirt]] trying to interfere with Coulson's saving the world.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: While not quite "evil" ''per se'', even a self-proclaimed non-judgmental AI like Aida is thoroughly disgusted by Ivanov, calling him filth and looks clearly pleased Daisy's beatdown left him near death.

* LMD Coulson reactivating LMD May.

* CallBack

** During the flashback, May talks about her latest civilian boyfriend, a shrink - possibly Andrew Garner.

* FreudianExcuse: Ivanonv's hatred of people he feels have had power given to them instead of earning it came from being a boy in the Soviet Union who watched his father kowtow to another man just because that man's father was an aircraft designer while his father worked hard as a miner.
* InternalReveal: The Watchdogs learn that Mace isn't really Inhuman.

* ShutUpHannibal: Coulson delivers a nice one to the Superior.
-->'''Coulson:''' As far as I'm concerned you're just another redshirt, like so many others, who tried unsuccessfully to stop me from saving the world. [[BadassBoast 'Cause that's what I do.]] So cool origin story, bro. But this means ''nothing'' to me.

* WhamShot: During the raid on Ivanov's base, Coulson, Daisy and Mack were all captured and replaced with [=LMDs=] - and the rescued Director is also an LMD.
* YouHaveFailedMe: Ivanov's unit was punished severely for failing to secure the 0-8-4 before Coulson and May did. Ivanov holds Coulson responsible for it.

* YouHaveFailedMe: Ivanov's unit was punished severely for failing to secure the 0-8-4 before Coulson and May did.

* YouHaveFailedMe: Ivanov's unit was punished severely for failing to secure the 084 before Coulson and May did.

* TheUnreveal: The 0-8-4 that a young Coulson and May had been sent to retrieve from the Russian mine is never used, shown or described. Thinking back on the mission in the story's present day, Coulson can't even remember what it was.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: While not quite "evil" ''per se'', even a self-proclaimed non-judgmental AI like Aida is thoroughly disgusted by Ivanov, calling him filth and looks clearly pleased Daisy beat his nearly to death.

-->'''Coulson:''' As far as I'm concerned you're just another redshirt, like so many others, who tried unsuccessfully to stop me from saving the world. [[BadassBoast 'Cause that's what I do.]] So cool origin story, bro. But this means ''nothing'' to me.

* ButForMeItWasTuesday: A heroic example. Coulson tells the Superior that the mission which has formed the basis for the Superior's obsession with him was merely one of hundreds he'd carried out and he can't even recall what the 0-8-4 was that he and May were sent to retrieve.
* FreudianExcuse: The Superior's hatred of people he feels have had power given to them instead of earning it came from being a boy in the Soviet Union who watched his father kowtow to another man just because that man's father was an aircraft designer while his father worked hard as a miner.
* ShoutOut: Coulson tells the Superior he's just another [[StarTrek redshirt]] trying to interfere with Coulson's saving the world.