Usually we’re eased into a new Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode with a few scenes of status quo before the quo is overturned by the plot. Or an episode begins with a mini-adventure, similar to an Indy film. This time, neither of those occurs. Instead, the second episode of the second season begins right where last week’s premiere ended. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t shake up its story structure much, but when it does the series feels fresh again.

As refreshing as picking up the action where it left off is, it’s also a bit jarring. The pacing of the opening scenes feel off, or too revved, as Melinda May chases Carl “Absorbing Man” Creel after he stole the Obelisk from Coulson’s mercenary trio, who — thanks to a Creel-induced car accident — is now a solo act.

Lance Hunter (No, seriously. That’s his name.)

Hunter, the British merc, is the only one alive, though it’s hard to believe that Lucy Lawless’ character is dead after only one episode. Of the three actors, she’s by far the biggest name. Maybe she is dead and this is the showrunners’ way of shocking the audience into realization that Creel means business. Or maybe the Obelisk, which Lawless had a death grip on (literally), will somehow resurrect her. Only time will tell.

Heavy is the Head revolves around Coulson’s team stopping Creel and retrieving the deadly O-8-4 Obelisk through various methods. May pursues Crusher Creel by motorcycle and, despite having a kill shot aimed at his head, she backs down per Director Coulson’s orders.

Fitz, meanwhile, is trying his best to figure out how to depower Creel, but his best isn’t what it used to be. First he’s frustrated that he can’t focus enough to adapt the stolen Quinjet’s cloaking tech to the Bus so that everyone can travel incognito. Then he’s irritated that he can’t figure out how to stop Absorbing Man. Eventually, with the help of the team’s new tech-head mechanic, as well as Simmons’ imaginary cameos, Fitz is able to recall a device of his that will get the job done. It’s ironic that the new techie, who is essentially filling the void left by the real Simmons, is played by an actor with the same last name — Henry Simmons.

Hunter, meanwhile, seeks to avenge Xena’s murder and will stop at nothing to stop Creel. At the same time, Hunter is conflicted — should he accept General Talbot’s offer of two million bucks in exchange for turning in Coulson? Or should he remain loyal to Phil and company.

Hunter, who is a brand new character, gets the most to do in this episode. He deals with internal and external struggles. He has great action scenes. He even earns the Most Obvious Character Name award thanks to his full character name — Lance Hunter.

Agent Melinda May

What else could someone named “Lance Hunter” be other than a rugged, double-dealing mercenary? (Or a porn star.) It’s like the library detective from Seinfeld whose last name was Bookman. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., however, one ups Seinfeld by having Hunter played by Nick Blood.

Seriously. The actor’s name is Nick… Blood. And he plays Lance… Hunter. What else could someone named “Nick Blood” be other than an actor who plays characters named Lance Hunter? (Or a vampire.) But I digress…

In the end, all the plot threads tie together as Fitz’s weapon allows Coulson to take down Creel, thereby giving Hunter some form of revenge. This also gives Coulson a bargaining chip to play against Talbot. If the general will stop his tenacious, Tommy Lee Jones-like manhunt for Coulson’s agents, then Coulson will give him a detained Creel encased in his own stone body. No dice. Talbot wants it all — Creel and S.H.I.E.L.D. Coulson usurps Talbot’s “no dice” mantle by showing how much more difficult the general’s pursuit will be thanks to the newly adapted cloaking device on the S.H.I.E.L.D. team’s aircraft.

Agent Antoine Triplett

Despite the previously mentioned odd pacing of Act I, Heavy is the Head is a solid companion to last week’s premiere. Stand-outs include, but are not limited to, some fun back and forth between Clark Gregg and Adrian Pasdar. Ditto for Gregg and Chloe Bennet when discussing the benefits of Creel’s superpower.

SKYE: “…The guy is jacked. And he can turn any body part into any material.”

COULSON: “Okay. Thank you for that. Call the number.”

Speaking of Creel’s powers, they’re once again depicted with some great visual effects. His transformations are just as fantastic as they are in comic book form, particularly a scene where he absorbs wrought iron to deflect an incoming bullet. Look closely and you’ll see a vein in his forehead turn to wrought iron too. Good attention to detail.

The only real downfall of this week’s adventure is Agent Triplett’s reaction to Hunter’s duplicity — “Oh, hell no!” Trip, as portrayed by B.J. Britt, has avoided stereotypical African-American traits, which has made him believably human from the get-go. And then he said, “Oh, hell no!”

It’s not just the words that are out of character, it’s the cartoonish way in which he says them. Trip has always been the even-keeled, easygoing subdued type. Not the yell-at-the-horror-film-to-keep-the-hero-from-going-in-the-haunted-house type. Trip and B.J. deserve better.

As intriguing as the rest of the episode is, including the return of flower dress-obsessed Raina, it’s Leo Fitz’s subplot that continues to be the most emotional.

Agents Fitz & Simmons

The damage to his temporal lobe sustained after saving Simmons from deep-sixing last season is proving to be more than his obstacle of the week. At least he has the support of Simmons (the female Brit, not the bald actor). Sure, she’s just a figment of his imagination, but what matters is that she’s having a positive effect on him. Until he learns the truth, that is, by way of Simmons (the bald actor) discussing Simmons’ (the female Brit’s) abandonment of the team.

BALD ACTOR SIMMONS: “It’s tough to lose a good partner. How you been holding up since she left?”

Not until this moment does Fitz realize that the female Simmons by his side is actually in his mind. The my-whole-world-just-turned-upside-down expression on actor Iain De Caestecker’s face is heartbreaking. It conveys his pain in two ways — desertion by the woman he loves, and betrayal by his very own brain.

Double crosses and triple agents are part and parcel to the espionage genre. Every spy worth his license to kill knows to expect betrayal around every corner. They live and breathe by the motto — Trust No One. But that’s all in regards to external traitors such as Grant Ward. What’s truly scary about Fitz’s condition is that the duplicitous spy who may or may not be playing him… is him. His mind. His genius intellect. The one thing he could always count on. Until now.

S.H.I.E.L.D. training can prepare an agent for dealing with treasonous peers, but no amount of training can prep someone to contend with their own untrustworthy psyche.

I didn’t see that twist coming, but I’m curious to see where it’s going.

NEXT UP: Making Friends and Influencing People