‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’: Pre-’Age of Ultron’ Episode Details Revealed

In the past few years, Marvel Studio’s Cinematic Universe has grown to include a successful film franchise and a handful of television series, including Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter, and most recently Daredevil. While Marvel continues to expand the television side of the MCU – more series will arrive on Netflix and a S.H.I.E.L.D. spinoff is in the works – one of the more exciting aspects of the shared universe model is the interconnectivity.

In season 1 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the series had two crossover episodes with Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In season 2, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has featured ties to Guardians of the Galaxy as well as the forthcoming Marvel Studios release, The Inhumans. Now, Marvel has released the description for the last episode before The Avengers: Age of Ultron premieres.

Marvel has revealed episode 18 will be titled “The Dirty Half Dozen” and will air on April 28th. In the episode, Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) will need to team up with Agent Robert Gonzalez (Edward James Olmos) in order to fight HYDRA forces.

Read the full description:

“Gonzales and Coulson must find a way to put their differences aside and work together against HYDRA, even if it means teaming up with someone they don’t trust.”

Additionally, Marvel revealed that Henry Goodman will reprise his role as Dr. List, the former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, now HYDRA member, who works for Wolfgang von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann). Both List and Strucker were shown in the Captain America: The Winter Soldier button scene that also revealed Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Pietro Maximoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who will make their official debut as Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in The Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Due to List’s connection to HYDRA, it’s likely he will be a part of the HYDRA forces that Coulson and Gonzales must work together to face. Additionally, given List’s involvement with the experimentation on the Maximoff twins that granted them their powers, this will likely be the connection that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will have to Age of Ultron.

Details on that connection are still unrevealed, though executive producer Maurissa Tancharoen did say it won’t have the same impact on the series as The Winter Soldier. Since S.H.I.E.L.D. has been successful as of late in providing mythos explanation for the larger MCU (specifically with The Inhumans), perhaps “The Dirty Half Dozen” and the following episode will help viewers to understand Strucker’s Hydra operation.

As the small screen tie-in to the theatrical release of The Avengers: Age of Ultron, S.H.I.E.L.D. may explore the experiments on the twins and how they may have gained their powers. Though that connection wouldn’t have the same impact as The Winter Soldier, it would certainly put the crossover to use while, hopefully, entertaining viewers.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. airs Tuesdays @9PM on ABC.