Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s 'The Magical Place' Trailer And Episode Description Tease Information And Danger

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. won’t be returning until January 7, but ABC has given us a few clues as to what’s coming up in the next new episode. The title alone should be enough of a hint. Coulson’s been calling Tahiti a “magical place” since the pilot episode, and yet there’s been no explanation as to the significance of Tahiti or how Coulson is even alive in the post-Avengers Marvelverse. The teaser above hints at Coulson exploring the truth behind his existence, possibly involuntarily (or not entirely voluntarily, anyway), courtesy of Raina. And that much is laid out in the official episode description for “The Magical Place” as well:

I think it’s worth noting that J. August Richards isn’t listed among the guest stars. Yes, Richards’ character Mike Peterson is presumably dead, having been blown up on the Bridge as Raina was making off with Coulson. But I put a theory on the record in my ”Bridge” recap that I think Mike's "death" was a planned exit strategy, and that he’s secretly a bad-guy — or at the very least, that he was working with Raina and in on this whole plan. Whether or not I'm right and he's secretly alive somewhere remains to be seen, but he’s not on the roster for “The Magical Place,” which means either Mike won’t be popping back up in the next new episode, or if he does, it’s meant to be a super-secret surprise. Time will tell.

In the meantime, the description also points out that the knowledge Coulson uncovers about the mystery surrounding his death may come at the cost of one of the team. The team. The preview teases a great hero shot of all of Coulson’s people lined up and suited up (Skye included!), but also hints that they’re struggling to find unity without their leader. It’s going to be interesting to see if and how they manage to work together to get Coulson back. There’s also the matter of Skye’s parents and whatever information Melinda has but doesn’t want to share. The obvious theory is that Melinda is Skye’s mother, but I still think that may be too dramatic to work.

Whatever the situation is, I think Skye and Melinda could be at the top of the list of at-risk characters here. There’s been a bit more focus on Melinda lately, between her back-story (showcased in “Repairs”) and her relationship with Ward, not to mention the mentioned involvement in Skye’s situation. All of that combined, makes me worried that her days are numbered. Or maybe that’s just my pessimism talking, since I really like Melinda. We’ll find out who’s in jeopardy and what Coulson discovers when Agents of SHIELD returns in a couple of weeks.