History Recap / AgentsOfSHIELDS1E20NothingPersonal

* GenreSavvy:
** May doesn't believe the story that Nick Fury is dead, [[NeverFoundTheBody not without seeing a corpse]].
** Coulson quickly figures out that either Ward, May, or Skye is a HYDRA agent based on the situation at the base.

'''Coulson:''' I don't wanna talk about it.

** These all also serve as a ContinuityNodk and ShoutOut to the elevator fight scene from ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', where Rumlow tries to tell Cap "this isn't personal."

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Colonel Talbot can handle his own in fistfight against Phil Coulson.

* WhamShot: When Coulson hits play on the final report on Project T.A.H.I.T.I., the face that appears on the screen is his own.

-->'''Coulson:''' Huh!

-->'''Skye:''' ''(watching Ward have an induced heart failure)'' He's a murderer.\\

** This doubles as a CallBack to a similar question from Romanoff to Pierce in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier''.

* AsYouKnow: When Coulson demands that Fitz replay the security footage found off-screen on their return to Providence base, Fitz objects on the grounds that it will be the same as it was before, and summarises what it shows.
* BadassBoast: Coulson matter of factly states that he can take down Ward, a cold-blooded killer who's repeatedly demonstrated he can take on multiple assailants with no problem.

* TheBusCameBack[=/=]RealLifeWritesThePlot: Although she's been referred to on the show and played a heavy part in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', Maria Hill hasn't been seen on the show since the pilot. This was because Cobie Smulders was finishing up ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', where she was in every episode of the final season.

** Hill mentions having to deal with Congress due to the fallout of SHIELD, similar to what Romanoff did at the end of ''The Winter Soldier''.

** Just before Hill departs, Coulson starts to tell her "Tell Stark I said hi", before catching himself, and remembering that Stark thinks he's dead.

-->'''Coulson''': It should never be administered to anyone ''ever''.

* HauledBeforeASenateSubcommittee: Happened to Hill, just as with Romanoff.

* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: No fight, but Skye tries this with Deathlok, pleading with him to remember who he is. It doesn't work - Mike knows full well who he is, but he also bluntly states what the reality of the situation means for him and his family.

* {{Irony}}: Coulson recommended that Project T.A.H.I.T.I. be terminated because the awful side-effects outweighed the potential benefits of it. Coulson would himself become its first true success.

** When Ward explodes at Deathlok for nearly killing him, Deathlok says it was [[TitleDrop nothing personal]], he was JustFollowingOrders. Which is exactly the excuse Ward gave to Skye earlier to justify his actions.
** When Skye delivers her TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to Ward in the diner, she concludes "I'm just trying to have an honest conversation for once" - which is word-for-word what Ward said to her in "Turn, Turn, Turn" when he wanted to [[VillainousCrush discuss his feelings with her]].

-->'''Ward''': A lot of us lost a lot of respect for Fury when he promoted you to be his second in command. I mean, if he wanted eye candy, [[ComicBook/BlackWidow Romanoff]] could've done just as well.\\
'''Hill''': That's funny. I'll let her know you said that.

-->'''Hill:''' I can't believe he shot Lola.\\

* MsFanservice: Black Widow is directly referenced as such by Ward, who says that she would have made a better choice as Fury's right-hand eye candy instead of Hill.

** These all also serve as a CallBack and ShoutOut to the elevator fight scene from ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', where Rumlow tries to tell Cap "this isn't personal."
-->'''Captain America:''' It kinda feels personal.

* RevealingHug: Near the beginning of the episode, when Ward hugs Skye, she goes along with it, but we see her less than thrilled expression over his shoulder.

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: As former Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. the government would love to stuff Maria Hill in a deep, dark hole and pry all her secrets out of her, but they don't want to mess with Tony Stark's army of lawyers. (Therefore, by proxy, Tony and Pepper are invoking ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney off-screen.)

** Ward/Skye is discussed at some length, includes kissing, and Ward stating that he likes the cover of "impatient boyfriend". Skye unlocks the hard-drive rather than let him die but whether this is because she doesn't want ''him'' to die or if anyone would do is ambiguous.
** Fitz/Simmons gets a nod at the end when they have a tender moment.
* ShipSinking: Ward/Skye is sunk by Skye. She calls him disgusting, a "lying backstabbing traitor", a Nazi, and a SerialKiller. When he insists he does have feelings for her, she says she's going to throw up. She also has a double meaning when tells him she'll ''never'' give him what he wants.
* ShoutOut:

* TalkToTheFist[=/=]UseYourHead: When Ward tells Skye that she can't win, she responds by headbutting him.

--> '''Coulson:''' Huh!

** As shown in the end of ''The Winter Soldier'', Hill is currently employed at Stark Enterprises. She also references Tony's BadassBoast back in ''IronMan2'' by referring to it as privatizing world peace.

* CallForward: In addition to being an ''Film/IronMan2'' reference, Hill's comment about Stark "privatizing world peace" is a reference to the plot of ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'', which was still a year away from its release date when the episode first aired.

* CallForward: In addition to being an ''Film/IronMan2'' reference, Hill's comment about Stark "privatizing world peace" is a reference to the plot of ''Film/TheAvengersAgeOfUltron'', which was still a year away from its release date when the episode first aired.

* CallForward: In addition to being an ''Film/IronMan2'' reference, Hill's comment about Stark "privatizing world peace" is a reference to the plot of ''TheAvengersAgeOfUltron'', which was still a year away from its release date when the episode first aired.

** One from Skye that deserves special mention, when Ward angrily claims that he's a survivor she corrects him. He's a SerialKiller.

** When Ward explodes at Deathlok for nearly killing him, Deathlok says it was nothing personal, he was JustFollowingOrders. Which is exactly the excuse Ward gave to Skye earlier to justify his actions.

* CallBack: The previous episode has a lingering shot of Skye looking at the rotating wall panels in Providence. This episode reveals she scrawled a simple note about Ward on it then jammed it so it would remain hidden until someone noticed the disparity between the stuck panel and the rest.

* KirkSummation: Aside from many pulled by Skye on Ward, there's also the tone Deathlok gives when he tells Ward what he does is JustFollowingOrders, [[NotSoDifferent just like him]].

* ShipSinking: Ward/Skye is sunk by Skye. She calls him disgusting, a "lying backstabbing traitor", a Nazi, and a SerialKiller. When he insists he does have feelings for her, she says she's going to throw up.
** She also has a double meaning when tells him she'll ''never'' give him what he wants.

* TitleDrop: Ward tells Skye that his acting as TheMole is "nothing personal".
** Deathlok also tells Ward this after stopping his heart.

* NothingPersonal:

** [[CaptainObvious It's also the title of the episode.]]

** When Hill ends her phone call, it's revealed the person on the other end was [[Film/IronMan Pepper Potts]].

* MythologyGag: One of Congress' many questions for Hill was "Who or what is a ComicBook/ManThing?"

* ArtisticLicenseMilitary: Providence base is on '''Canadian''' soil, so Talbot shouldn't have any right to confiscate the base, or even be leading armed troops into it, for that matter. Particularly jarring is when he makes a point that the base is on ''North American'' soil, as if the US military is responsible for the entire continent. Though he could have been there in an "advisory" capacity.

* ArtisticLicenseMilitary: Providence base is on '''Canadian''' soil, so Talbot shouldn't have any right to confiscate the base, or even be leading armed troops into it, for that matter. Particularly jarring is when he makes a point that the base is on ''North American'' soil, as if the US military is responsible for the entire continent.
** He could have been there in an "advisory" capacity.

* GoodCop/BadCop: Talbot plays both sides by threatening the team, while simultaneously saying ''he's'' their "only friend."

** Maria Hill says that with Stark Industries, they're working on [[IronMan2 privatizing world peace.]]

* WhereItAllBegan: {{Exploited|Trope}}. Skye tells Ward that the hard drive can only be decrypted in [[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS1E1Pilot the café where she first met Mike Peterson]], when it's actually only able to be decrytped at a certain altitude. The trip is both meant to buy time for Coulson to find her message and bring them to a familiar area so they'll be easier to track down once the truth is known.

** Maria Hill says that with Stark Industries, they're working on [[IronMan2 privatizing world piece.]]

** As shown in the end of ''The Winter Soldier'', Hill is currently employed at Stark Enterprises. She also references Tony's BadassBoast back in ''Iron Man 2'' by referring to it as privatizing world peace.