“It’s time for S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra to finally unite.” Those are words no Marvel fan would ever have expected to hear, but they’re the intriguing hook for the next episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., “Rise and Shine.”


Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5 has faced Coulson and his team with their most dangerous threat to date. They’ve experienced a dystopian future in which the world has been torn apart. Returned to their own time, the S.H.I.E.L.D. team have dedicated themselves to averting this terrifying destiny. Unfortunately, so far the timeline seems set in stone. Lights have been seen in the sky, Yo-Yo has been horrifically injured, a quantity of Gravitonium is now stored in the Lighthouse, and Daisy has regained her powers.


All this is set against an even more troubling backdrop, with S.H.I.E.L.D. hunted down by a rogue U.S. General. While Hale claims to be pursuing S.H.I.E.L.D. because she views them as “terrorists,” the show has teased a far deeper reason. It seems she’s a member of Hydra, and Coulson is the key to her gaining power and influence on a galactic level. Curiously, though, Hale insists that she too is working to save the world. If the trailer for “Rise and Shine” is any indication, that will actually force S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra to join forces.


The trailer reveals that an alien spacecraft is headed straight for Earth. It’s presumably the Kree, and the mysterious Qovos warns that it’s arrival would turn Earth into a “battlefield.” General Hale has a plan to prevent this happening, one that involves both Daisy Johnson and Gravitonium. With everything to play for, she’s decided her only choice is to bring Coulson in on this. Curiously, the trailer also suggests Coulson will meet Qovos, Hale’s alien superior.


This being’s identity remains a mystery; the grey skin suggests Qovos hails from another alien race, one who are aligned with the Confederacy. Meanwhile, the official synopsis for “Rise and Shine” has promised flashback sequences to explore how Hale’s version of Hydra fits in with the original version.


In the face of their greatest threat to date, it seems S.H.I.E.L.D. will be forced into an “unholy alliance.” The stage is clearly being set for the return of Hydra; Hale is in a strong position as leader, Fitz’s “psychic split” has created a persona who’s loyal to Hydra, and the U.S. Government was foolish enough to offer some Hydra figures a chance to escape jail by working for them. Even if S.H.I.E.L.D. do succeed in saving the world, it may mean they allow Hydra to return to action.