Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Episode 2.03 Making Friends and Influencing People

Daniel Whitehall uses dizzying optical illusions to influence a woman known as Agent 33 into becoming loyal to Hydra. Such conversion methods have been occurring a lot lately. Coulson is tired of having the best and the brightest talent snatched away. Could this be what happened to Simmons? She seems quite happy in her new life, and at her new job which happens to be inside a Hydra lab.

Simmons relays the preliminary results of her testing to her supervisor. It's all about how cells have an ability to create liquid nitrogen. She notices a photo in a file her boss is holding. It's a shot of Donnie Gill, a young man we first saw in "Seeds." He's living in Morocco at the moment. He possesses an ability to instantly freeze things, as an unfortunate Moroccan finds out the hard way. Moments later, he freezes a Hydra agent who came to speak with him. Donnie realizes he was to be delivered to Maribel Del Mar.

Simmons returns home after a long day at work. Coulson is waiting for her inside her apartment. He's angry. Apparently, her diet has been horrendous. Good thing he bought groceries. Simmons, who is working as a spy, reveals that Donnie Gill is a "gifted" individual who may have a freezing agent in his system. Coulson advises her to make friends at Hydra for the sake of her mission. He also lets her know that Fitz is hanging in there.

Simmons is summoned by Daniel Whitehall's right-hand man, Sunil Bakshi, who questions her about Donnie Gill. She reveals selective truths in order to prove that her loyalties are now with Hydra. Bakshi interrupts Whitehall's conversion of Agent 33 to ask to evaluate an employee and act with authority.

May continues to train Skye, who questions Ward about Hydra. Mack helps Fitz remember that Donnie Gill had trouble making friends. Donnie Gill freezes a boat docked in Casablanca. The S.H.I.E.L.D. team is off to find him. Fitz goes to see Ward, who says the team doesn't know what they are walking into. Fitz rushes up to Mack so they can contact the field team to let them know that Donnie Gill has already been brainwashed by Hydra.

Simmons is brought to Casablanca with a Hydra team. She's sent in to talk to Donnie Gill. May, Skye and Hunter arrive on the ship. Below deck, Simmons is being fed lines to say to Donnie. Hydra is trying to re-trigger his brainwashing. May shoots Hunter, but only so he can't shoot Simmons. Perhaps she shot him for a few other reasons. Trip is bummed he wasn't the one who inflicted the superficial wound. He still owes Hunter.

Simmons flees from Donnie. The team is ordered to maintain her cover. Bakshi brainwashes Donnie again. The subject is ready to comply. Donnie is ordered to ice the ship. No one is to escape. Donnie begins the freezing process until... BANG! Skye shoots Donnie. He falls overboard, presumably dead in the water. BANG! Skye shoots at Bakshi, but only so Simmons can save him. Her cover has been maintained. As for Donnie, his body has yet to be recovered.

Coulson lets Fitz know that he's made progress, but he still almost killed Ward during their meeting. He lets him know that Simmons is on an assignment. That's why she hasn't been in contact. That's why she left. Simmons has earned the trust of Bakshi, who tells Whitehall that he'd like to bring her upstairs. If he's wrong about her, they will make her comply, just as they have finally done with Agent 33.

Skye pays a visit to Ward. She wants to know about Hydra's brainwashing techniques. Ward says he was never brainwashed. Everything he did, both good and bad, was his own free will. Ward lets Skye know that her father is alive. He can take her to him. Skye rushes out of the room. During her training with May, she's become quite skilled at keeping her blood pressure under control. However, after this revelation, she can't stop it from soaring.