History Recap / AgentsOfSHIELDS1E19TheOnlyLightInTheDarkness

** Set up but not fired: There's a lingering shot of Skye looking at one of the "windows" which change images occasionally just before she allows Ward to find her.

* [[Foreshadowing]]: During the lie detecting test, May mentions that she was once married.

* LampshadeHanging: When Skye, in the lie-detector chair, admits to Koenig that the orphanage saddled her with the name "MarySue Poots".

** Eric Koenig says if his grandfather was one of the HowlingCommandos, he would have it tattooed on his chest. In the comics, Koenig ''was'' one of Sgt. Fury's HowlingCommandos, a German who defected when the Nazis killed his sister.

* FullNameUltimatum: Played with; Koenig's questioning of the team involves having them recite their full names as part of getting a baseline reading. Only two are revealed, however: Melinda Quiolian May and Grant Douglas Ward.

** Early in the episide, Skye discovers that the Providence lanyard badges are also tracking devices, and when Ward walks in Koenig hides his tablet under a stack of papers. After Ward kills Koenig, Skye tracks down Koenig with his tablet and discovers his corpse.

Things get personal for Agent Coulson, who must race against time to save his one true love, the cello-playing Audrey Nathan (Creator/AmyAcker).

** The final fight with Marcus Daniels is similar to ''Film/{{Ghostbusters}}''; TheTeam surrounds the target and focuses "unlicensed phlebotinum accelerators" on him. Also, Audrey is a cellist, as Dana Barrett was in ''Ghostbusters''.

* CastingAShadow: Blackout gained this ability while in the Fridge--with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s help.

** Triplett is revealed to be the grandson of Gabe Jones from ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger''.

* SealedEvilInACan: Daniels was this, by Coulson, prior to the events of the previous episode. Lacking a can to put him, Coulson decides to kill him outright this time.

* GenreSavvy: When Audrey's music player dies, she looks around to see what made it die... and starts running as soon as she spots Daniels. She also knows Simmons and Trip are S.H.I.E.L.D.

** Simmon's "One thing on an island" question is answered with [[Series/DoctorWho The TARDIS]]. The titular Doctor had been MARVEL property for 20 years, complete with [[http://marvel.wikia.com/The_Doctor_%28Earth-5556%29 his own Marvel wiki page]]. [[note]] Marvel had publishing ownership over the Doctor's comic adventures, which meant he had infrequent contact with other Marvel characters such as Captain Britain. This ended when Marvel ceased holding publishing rights in 1999. [[/note]]

* PhlebotinumOverload[=/=]WeakenedByTheLight: How Blackout was taken out in the past and present. The first time it just disabled him so S.H.I.E.L.D. could imprison him. Since he's been amped up in the present and because they don't have access to a prison, Fitz devises ''gamma-powered lights'' that make him explode.

* TheRemnant: SHIELD's broken status is summed up by Coulson after Blackout escapes the first time.
--> ''This is the part where we'd call for back up.''

** Fitz's answer to the same question is "Simmons", recalling the GirlInABox reveal from ''[[FireflyE01Serenity Firefly]]''.

* [[TrailersAlwaysSpoil TV Guides Always Spoil]]:

** [[TheIncredibleHulk Bruce Banner]] designed the energy absorption device used to take down Daniels. Coulson snarks that knowing Dr Banner was responsible for a device utilising gamma radiation doesn't make him feel much better about the potential safety of the design.

* ExactWords: How Ward eventually passes the lie detector. He truthfully says he is associated with HYDRA (because "we all are" and SHIELD has been compromised at its highest levels) and only came to Providence for Skye.

** Triplett is revealed to be the grandson of Gabe Jones from ''Film/CCaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger''.

** Triplett is revealed to be the grandson of Gabe Jones from ''CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger''.

** Simmon's "One thing on an island" question is answered with [[Series/DoctorWho The TARDIS]]. Now did you know that the titular Doctor had been MARVEL property for 20 years, complete with [[http://marvel.wikia.com/The_Doctor_%28Earth-5556%29 his own Marvel wiki page]]? [[note]] Marvel had publishing ownership over the Doctor's comic adventures, which meant he had infrequent contact with other Marvel characters such as Captain Britain. This ended when Marvel ceased holding publishing rights in 1999. [[/note]]

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Coulson refuses to reveal himself to Audrey, as much as it pains him, because she's healing from his loss and moving on.

* IdiotBall: Eric Koenig develops an abrupt case of GenreBlindness during the "debriefing" with Ward. Despite his suspicions that Ward may be a HYDRA agent and the super-sensitive lie detector throwing big red warnings all over the place, one adroit answer from Ward (with a liberal use of ExactWords) is enough to get Eric to trust him completely.

** The final fight with Marcus Daniels is similar to ''Film/{{Ghostbusters}}''; TheTeam surrounds the target and focuses "unlicensed plebotnium accelerators" on him. Also, Audrey is a cellist, as Dana Barrett was in ''Ghostbusters''.

* TrapIsTheOnlyOption: In the end Skye willingly lets herself be "tricked" into going with Ward, without letting on that she knows he's with HYDRA, since with May gone and the rest of the team busy apprending Blackout there's no one else to help her.

* ContinuityNod:
** Part of Koenig's test involves the subject's knowledge of Project Insight and Alexander Pierce, two major parts of ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier''.
** The polygraph test was designed around Black Widow.
** [[TheIncredibleHulk Bruce Banner]] designed the energy absorption device used to take down Daniels. Coulson snarks that knowing Dr Banner was responsible for a device utilising gamma radiation doesn't make him feel much better about the potential safety of the design.
** Triplett is revealed to be the grandson of Gabe Jones from ''CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger''.

** Set up to be fired in "Nothing Personal". There's a lingering shot of Skye looking at one of the "windows" which change images occasionally just before she allows Ward to find her.
** Here's one from the previous episode, the Providence lanyards. Ostensibly identification, Skye also discovers that they're tracking devices but doesn't tell anyone else. After Ward kills Koenig, she tracks down his corpse this way.

** Not only is Skye's flashdrive rigged so that only she can access it, and programed to delete all its data otherwise, but she has to be in a specific place for it to work.

** The final fight with Marcus Daniels is similar to ''Film/{{Ghostbusters}}''; TheTeam surrounds the target and focuses "unliscened plebotnium accelerators" on him. Also, Audrey is a cellist, as Dana Barrett was in ''Ghostbusters''.

* ContinuityNod: Part of Koenig's test involves the subject's knowledge of Project Insight and Alexander Pierce, two major parts of ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier''.

* CharacterDeath: Agent Koenig ends up being offed by Ward, and Marcus Daniels is blown up by Coulson's team.

** Played straight with the Providence lanyards. Ostensibly identification, Skye also discovers that they're tracking devices but doesn't tell anyone else. After Ward kills Koenig, she tracks down his corpse this way.
* CrazyPrepared: Fury designed a lie detector that checks against ''96 different variables'' and is so accurate that Black Widow supposedly couldn't beat it (and even if she could, Fury would never admit it).

* DirtyBusiness: Fitz agrees that the plan to stop Daniels for good is "not ideal", but they don't have any other choices.

* EyeLightsOut: The first victim of Blackout dies when the light reflected in his eyes goes dark; somewhat subverted since the light is external.

* {{Fingore}}: Ward inserts a small piece of metal into his finger to fool Koenig's lie detector.

* HannibalHasAPoint: Ward, [[TheMole of all people]], is the one to comment on Fitz's jealousy toward Triplett and encourages Fitz to say something to Simmons.

* InternalReveal: Skye discovers that Ward is TheMole after finding Koenig's body.
** She has a short BSOD, but comes out in time to reset Ward's penny indicator.

* JustFollowingOrders: Ward admits to Skye that the story with his brothers from "[[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS1E8TheWell The Well]]" was not entirely true; that his older brother actually ''coerced'' Ward himself into bullying their younger brother. Of course, given that Ward is a ConsummateLiar, it's unknown if any of this is actually true.
* KilledOffscreen: Koenig, by Ward.

* LieDetector: Fury's custom lie detector checks against an impressive 96 variables. Ward shoves a piece of metal into his finger in an attempt to skew the test results, but it almost reveals him anyway. Ward only beats it when he honestly admits he came back to find Skye, [[ExactWords which is technically true but lacking context]].

** Ward has a bit of trouble hiding his apprehension when told that Fury's custom lie detector chair was designed to beat Romanov.

* PetTheDog: Ward, of all people, gets several over the course of the episode:

** He also tries to convince Fitz to tell Simmons how he feels about her, in case he doesn't get the chance to later on. Of course, this is made a bit less heartwarming by the fact that he's probably planning to kill them both quite soon; but still, he didn't really gain anything from saying it other than possibly [[LetThemDieHappy arranging it so they could die slightly happier]], and his irritation when Fitz feigns ignorance makes his initial attempt to be kind seem genuine.
** Ward takes the opportunity to leave Providence with Skye while the rest of the team are away, potentially circumventing the need to "deal with" them. He still killed Koenig, of course, but he seems genuinely hesitant to harm the people he's lived and worked with for so long. Even Ward's killing of Koenig was driven by necessity as Koenig would be able to see what really happened at the Fridge, giving Ward no choice in order to keep his cover.
* PhlebotinumOverload[=/=]WeakenedByTheLight: How Blackout was taken out in the past and present. The first time it just disabled him so S.H.I.E.L.D. could imprison him. Since he's been amped up in the present and they don't exactly have access to a prison, Fitz devises ''gamma-powered lights'' that make him explode.
* RainOfBlood: How Skye discovers Koenig's body.

-->'''May's mom:''' I may be retired, but I still have contacts. And ''my'' agency hasn't fallen apart.

* ShipperOnDeck: Ward tries to convince Fitz to tell Simmons how he feels about her, and Coulson seems to be trying to help set up some sort of conversation between them at the end of the episode. [[CannotSpitItOut It doesn't work.]]

** The final fight with Marcus Daniels is similar to ''Film/{{Ghostbusters}}''. Also, Audrey is a cellist, as Dana Barrett was in ''Ghostbusters''.

* TookALevelInBadass: Skye. For someone who had no covert training a few months ago, she not only pulled herself together after the shattering discovery that Ward was HYDRA and had killed Koenig, but figured out that he left a penny wedged in the doorframe to check if anyone had entered the supply closet where he stashed Koenig and put it back so he wouldn't be suspicious. Then she successfully conned him into thinking his cover was intact, and it's implied she left some form of message behind for the team before leaving with Ward. And remember that Ward was her highly experienced and skilled (more so than even S.H.I.E.L.D. realized) ''training officer''.

* [[TrailersAlwaysSpoil TV Guides Always Spoil]]: The fact that Audrey is a former girlfriend of Coulson's was ''probably'' supposed to be a surprise to viewers. Except, most TV Guide entries gave that plot point away in their episode summaries.

** Set up but not fired. There's a lingering shot of Skye looking at one of the "windows" which change images occasionally just before she allows Ward to find her.

* ShoutOut: Agent Koenig, as part of a polygraph test, asks each Agent what they would expect to find in a mysterious box on a desert island. Simmons' answer? [[Series/DoctorWho The TARDIS]].
** The final fight with Marcus Daniels is similar to [[Film/Ghostbusters]]. Also, Audrey is a cellist, as Dana Barrett was in [[Film/Ghostbusters]].