Episode no. Season 1
Episode 9 Editing by Joshua Charson | Directed by Billy Gierhart | |
Written by Maurissa Tancharoen
Jed Whedon Produced by Jed Whedon
Maurissa Tancharoen
Jeffrey Bell Original air date November 26, 2013 (2013-11-26) | ||
"Repairs" is the ninth episode of the first season of the American television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), revolving around the character of Phil Coulson and his team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as they face an apparent ghost. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. The episode was written by Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon, and directed by Billy Gierhart.
Contents
Clark Gregg reprises his role as Coulson from the film series, and is joined by series regulars Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, and Elizabeth Henstridge.
"Repairs" originally aired on ABC on November 26, 2013, and according to Nielsen Media Research, was watched by 9.69 million viewers.
Plot
In a town in Utah the morning after SHIELD's conflict with a Paganist hate group, Hannah Hutchins, supervisor of the local particle accelerator, is tormented by the locals for supposedly causing an explosion which killed four people. She has apparently developed telekinetic powers in self-defence, and an incident where a convenience store owner terrorises her results in an explosion destroying the store. Coulson's team leaves Dublin and travels to Utah to interrogate Hutchins, only to find an angry mob at her house. A car spontaneously drives at the mob, riling them still further, so May tranquilises Hutchins.
The team escort Hutchins to the Fridge, in a cell aboard the Bus which will inhibit telekinesis. When Skye expresses concern about May's approach to dealing with Hutchins, Coulson explains that May has experience in dealing with superhumans, relating some details of a mission in Bahrain in 2008, in which May single-handedly took out a superhuman threat and several accomplices, saving a team of SHIELD agents, though a young girl was killed in the crossfire. Left traumatised by the experience, May withdrew from field duty.
A series of strange occurrences around the Bus cause the team to realise that Hutchins is not causing the telekinetic incidents: one of the workers, Tobias Ford, attempted to sabotage the accelerator after making numerous complaints to Hutchins because he wanted her to notice him. The socially incapable Ford thought it was the only way to get her attention, and after being trapped in a partially-corporeal state by the explosion he caused, in limbo between Earth and another dimension (which he describes as "Hell"), he has been using his new abilities to 'protect' Hutchins. Ford cuts the plane's power, and it crashes in a field. When Fitz and Simmons try to make repairs, Ford locks up everyone except May, demanding that Hutchins be released to him. May takes Hutchins and escapes into a nearby forest until Ford corners them in a barn. May fights Ford until Hutchins talks him down, and May convinces him to let go of Hannah, at which point he dissipates. Hutchins is later put into witness protection.
In an end tag May pulls a prank on Fitz, revealing that her trauma is gradually healing.
Development
In November 2013, Marvel revealed that the ninth episode would be titled "Repairs", and would be written by executive producers Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon, with Billy Gierhart directing.
Casting
In November 2013, Marvel revealed that main cast members Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, and Elizabeth Henstridge would star as Phil Coulson, Melinda May, Grant Ward, Skye, Leo Fitz, and Jemma Simmons, respectively. It was also revealed that the guest cast for the episode would include Robert Baker as Tobias, Laura Seay as Hannah, Christopher Gehrman as Taylor and Josh Clark as Roger.
Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-ins
Roxxon plays a prominent role in the episode, with a Roxxon gas station appearing, and a Roxxon particle accelerator the cause of the episode's issues. Roxxon previously appeared in the Marvel One Shot A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer.
Broadcast
"Repairs" was first aired in the United States on ABC on November 26, 2013.
Home media
The episode, along with the rest of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first season, was released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 9, 2014. Bonus features include behind-the-scenes featurettes, audio commentary, deleted scenes, and a blooper reel. On November 20, 2014, the episode became available for streaming on Netflix.
Ratings
In the United States the episode received a 2.6/8 percent share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49, meaning that it was seen by 2.6 percent of all households, and 8 percent of all of those watching television at the time of the broadcast. It was watched by 9.69 million viewers.