WARNING!

If you haven’t seen the ABC promo for tonight’s episode or a trailer for Captain America: Civil War yet, beware spoilers!

Marvel has a spotty record when it comes to linking up its big-screen and small-screen endeavours. Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD does OK at picking up the pieces after each MCU film is released, especially in its follow-up to Thor: The Dark World, “The Well.” Its lead-ins to both Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron, though, left a lot to be desired. In fact, it almost seemed like the writers of Captain America: The Winter Soldier didn’t realize that Agents of SHIELD existed, based on SHIELD’s near eradication in that film–two (out of three?) helicarriers were destroyed and the majority membership of SHIELD was revealed to be HYDRA.

Tonight’s episode of Agents of SHIELD will likely attempt to amp viewers up for the much-anticipated release of Marvel’s newest cinematic venture, Captain America: Civil War, which will be released this Friday, May 6th. Based on the ABC promo we’ve seen for tonight’s episode and the focus of Season Three’s plot, though, it looks like viewers may actually see a tie-in that doesn’t disappoint. Don’t take my word for it, though. Let’s go over how Season Three of Agents of SHIELD developed what I call the Agents of SHIELD civil war …

Agents of SHIELD Civil War – The Recap

Although no brother has raised arms against his brother in Season Three of Agents of SHIELD, viewers have seen a foster daughter turn against her de facto father (Daisy betraying Coulson for Hive). We’ve also watched as Season Three touched on the predictable debate over seeking a cure for one’s super-powers, causing some serious tension between Daisy and Lincoln. Granted, Daisy’s betrayal of Coulson and the rest of her adopted SHIELD family is the result of Hive’s brainwashing so, unlike Tony Stark and Steve Rogers–the leaders of Team Iron Man and Team Cap respectively–, Daisy’s motives aren’t all her own. All the same, it’s easy to see how the rifts between SHIELD agents parallel what is likely to be the general plot of Captain America: Civil War: times they are a-changin’ and those who don’t pick sides are likely to get left behind.

Beyond turning friends and families against each other, though, the Agents of SHIELD civil war shows itself in Season Three’s focus on the potentially negative consequences of sharing the Earth with super-powered folk. Viewers already saw some of the murder and mayhem that Hive and his minions are capable of, but if we’re to believe the promo for tonight’s episode then we’ll also witness the consequences of a visit from the Inhumans‘ creators, the Kree. I don’t personally think that the Kree will figure at all in Captain America: Civil War but I do think the destruction caused by the Kree in tonight’s episode will act as Agents of SHIELD’s contribution to the registration debate central to the plot of Captain America: Civil War … at least I hope it will.

Either way though, I’ll go over whatever alien-induced destruction Agents of SHIELD throws at me and let the rest of you True Believers know what I thought of both tonight’s episode, “Failed Experiments,” and how it worked as a lead-in to Captain America: Civil War, so accept no substitutes: this is Not Brand Echh!