Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S02 E05: "A Hen in the Wolf House"

What I have always said about "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," even during the dark days when no one was watching it, was that it was great espionage television, and it's been a long time since we've had such a thing. This week's episode was full of all the things the genre cool - enemy agents, independent agents, and double agents.

Palicki in the costume that debuts tonight.

And speaking of double agents, this episode features the debut of Bobbi Morse, as played by Adrianne Palicki, who was previously Wonder Woman in the unaired pilot by David E. Kelley. In the comics she's better known as Mockingbird. If you're looking for a blonde double agent with an attraction to archers, and you can't afford the Black Widow, and don't own Black Canary, Mockingbird is the next best thing.

Her codename is never mentioned, her hair is not blonde (although it's later referenced that it once was), and her outfit looks like she raided the leftover Cylon reject wardrobe of "Battlestar Galactica," but she is still kicking ass and taking names with her trademark battle staves. There's no mention of on again/off again husband Hawkeye, but she's mercenary Lance Hunter's ex-wife.

Bobbi saves Jemma Simmons from the clutches of Hydra when her cover is blown. Hopefully her time with the enemy will provide valuable information, and her presence help balance her old partner Fitz. I'm also glad to see Bobbi join the team, but hope her super-badassery will not dilute Agent May's only human badassery.

Skye almost gets to meet her dad, and it seems as we've been told, he's an alien monster in human form, killing indiscriminately. Kyle MacLachlan plays this to the hilt with appropriate weirdness. The bad news is that he's aligned himself with Kraken and Hydra. Dear old Dad also says the Obelisk is called The Diviner in its native language.

Speaking of which, Skye also has made progress translating the alien language. She says it's a map. A map perhaps to the Kree homeworld Hala? Time will tell.

In the meantime, please don't forget to check out my friend and fellow Biff Bam Pop! columnist J.P. Fallavollita for his review of this episode along with a few of his theories on the alien language, and my regular reviews of the "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." series here. Thanks again, J.P.!

Twin Peaks Returns

Today it was announced that "Twin Peaks" would be returning to television. The groundbreaking series that stunned America more than two decades ago has had a tumultuous ride, with me at least.

"Twin Peaks" was one of the first TV shows I obsessively taped with my new VCR. Everyone was talking about when it first aired, from other television outlets to talk radio, it was perhaps one of the earliest of the water cooler shows. It wasn't just me, the entire viewing audience was obsessed. And then it kinda sadly faded away.

Two years ago, my friend and editor-in-chief at Biff Bam Pop!, Andy Burns, got me to write a look back at the show, after not seeing it for twenty-odd years. I did a rewatch thanks to Netflix, and was unimpressed. For me, the show had lost its gloss, its wonder. While certainly influencing many of the shows that came after it, for me, it just wasn't the phenomenon it was back in the day. You can read that 2012 article here.

Now here's the thing. Besides being a great friend, and a cool editor, Andy is also probably one of the foremost experts on "Twin Peaks." He is to "Twin Peaks" what I am to Avengers. Yeah, I said it, he's the man. So much the man, he's writing a book about "Twin Peaks" for ECW Press that will see print in 2015. I've had the opportunity to read much of it, and I have to tell you, Andy changed my way of thinking. A monument to his skill at writing and explaining the phenomenon, "Wrapped in Plastic: Twin Peaks" by Andy Burns has reaffirmed my love of "Twin Peaks."

If you had told me that "Twin Peaks" was coming back after I wrote that article and did that rewatch… I probably would have groaned. Now, after reading much of Andy's book, I am so psyched for this return to greatness of one television's classic groundbreaking series.

"Twin Peaks" will be returning to television on Showtime in 2016, co-written by David Lynch and Mark Frost, directed by Lynch, and with most of the cast, including Kyle MacLachlan as Agent Cooper. Showtime will be airing the entire original series before the new one begins. For more on "Wrapped n Plastic: Twin Peaks" by Andy Burns, click here, and for more about the return, click here.