Written By Jed Whedon, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
Directed by Milan Cheylov

The Asset is the third episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and is a solid early episode that begins to establish the series’ identity beyond simply being a companion to the Marvel films. The episode combines science-fiction action, espionage, and character development while introducing an intriguing new threat in the form of Gravitonium.

Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg)and his team investigate the mysterious kidnapping of Dr. Franklin Hall (Ian Hart), a renowned scientist and expert in gravitational technology. Hall is abducted from a highway in a spectacular opening sequence and taken to a remote facility by Ian Quinn (David Conrad), a wealthy businessman who wants to exploit Hall’s scientific knowledge. Quinn is particularly interested in Gravitonium, a rare and extremely dangerous substance capable of manipulating gravity.

Coulson and his team discover that Hall is being forced to work on a device that can control the Gravitonium. When Skye (Chloe Bennet) infiltrates Quinn’s operation, she discovers that Hall has a different plan: he intends to destroy the Gravitonium rather than allow anyone to control it. However, Hall’s plan could cause massive destruction.

Coulson ultimately has to make a difficult decision. Rather than allowing Hall to unleash the Gravitonium, he traps Hall inside the substance, preventing the disaster but apparently sacrificing the scientist.

Meanwhile, the episode gives more attention to the developing relationships within Coulson’s team. Skye struggles with the idea of becoming a true S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, while Ward (Brett Dalton) and Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) demonstrate their contrasting personalities and approaches to missions.

The episode ends with Dr. Hall still trapped inside the Gravitonium, setting up the possibility that the mysterious substance, and Hall himself, could become important later.

I really enjoyed The Asset because it feels like the point where Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. starts to find its footing. The first couple of episodes were still figuring out what kind of show they wanted to be, but this episode felt more like a real Marvel adventure, with a fun science-fiction story, an interesting mystery, and plenty of opportunities for the characters to show their personalities.

The Gravitonium storyline was probably my favorite part of the episode. I liked the idea of a mysterious substance that can control gravity, and it felt like exactly the kind of strange scientific discovery that belongs in the Marvel universe. Ian Quinn was a decent villain, although I didn’t find him particularly memorable. He worked well enough for the story, but I would have liked a little more explanation about what motivated him beyond simply wanting to control something powerful.

What I enjoyed most, though, was seeing the team continue to come together. Coulson is still the character I enjoy watching the most. He has this calm, almost understated way of handling incredibly dangerous situations, and Clark Gregg does a great job of making him both serious and likable. I also enjoyed watching Skye because she’s still an outsider trying to figure out whether she really belongs with S.H.I.E.L.D. Her skepticism makes her feel more relatable than some of the other characters.

Fitz (Elizabeth Henstridge) and Simmons continue to be entertaining, too. Their personalities are so different from Ward’s, and I like the way the show is slowly establishing the team’s chemistry. They still feel like a group of people who don’t completely know or trust each other yet, which makes their interactions more interesting.

The part that really stuck with me was the ending involving Dr. Hall and the Gravitonium. Coulson has to make a pretty brutal choice to prevent Hall from using the substance, and I liked that the episode didn’t make the decision feel completely simple or heroic. There are consequences to the choices the agents make, and that gives the story a little more weight.

That said, I don’t think The Asset is perfect. Some of the dialogue feels a little dated, and the villain could have been more interesting. The episode also follows a fairly predictable “scientist kidnapped by a wealthy villain” storyline. But for an early episode, I think it does a good job of establishing what makes Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fun.

The Asset isn’t the most complicated episode of the series, but I found it entertaining, and I especially liked the combination of Marvel-style science fiction and the developing relationships among Coulson’s team. More importantly, it made me interested in seeing where these characters, and especially the mystery surrounding the Gravitonium, would go next.

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