(When we finally sat down to watch the fourth episode of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, I almost wished the Whimsies had not stayed up to watch it with us. This episode disturbed them more than any other. I heard them talking about it late into the night…)
Tessie. Pssst! Hey! You guys asleep?
Trixie. (quietly) No. I can’t sleep.
Tillie. Neither can I.
Tessie. Why not? I mean…what’s…? What are you thinking about?
Trixie. Too much, really.
Tessie. About the show?
Trixie. Yeah….I don’t know that I really liked that episode.
Tessie. Me neither.
Tillie. Why not?
Tessie. It was a little…scary.
Trixie. The guys with red faces. I didn’t like that.
Tillie. I agree. That was creepy.
Trixie. And the thing with the eyeball—
Tessie. GAAAAH! I couldn’t watch.
Tillie. Neither could I.
Trixie. So I don’t think any of us watched that part.
Tillie. And then what about the coming attractions?
Trixie. You mean about Skye? After they really went out of their way a couple of weeks ago to tell us that she’s okay, she’s on board with the rest of them, and now we’re seeing Coulson saying she’s a liar and she’s always been a liar. What’s up with that?
Tillie. I like a show that keeps you guessing. But I don’t want to keep guessing this much.
Tessie. And I don’t want Skye to be one of the bad guys!
Trixie. Me neither! 
Tillie. Well, don’t get too excited, guys. Let’s think this through. Skye is one of the mail characters. And she’s the prettiest girl.
Trixie. Unless you think Simmons is prettier.
Tessie. I can’t decide which one is prettier!
Tillie. The point is that she’s a good character, and she’s pretty, and there will be a lot of people wanting to watch the show just for her. You can’t just make her one of the bad guys! Not this early in the season! I mean, think about it. You set everything up, and then before everyone even had a chance to get used to it, you’re going to knock it all down? I don’t think that’s what’s going on here.
Trixie. You don’t? Then what do you think, Till?
Tillie. I think maybe it’s a trick. They’re tricking someone else on the show—the real bad guys—and they’re also tricking us, the audience.
Tessie. You think it’s all a fake? 
Tillie. Uh-hu. Like on those magazine covers we used to see in The Hoard. Remember those?
Trixie. Where there was one big headline on the front that sounded absolutely sensational, so you would want to buy the magazine, and then when you get it and read it, it’s not REALLY that at all?
Tillie. Exactly.
Tessie. So you think maybe Skye is NOT one of the bad guys?
Tillie. I think that’s extremely possible.
Trixie. Oh! I hope you’re right!
Tillie. What I’m saying is…there’s no use losing sleep over it.
Tessie. You know, Till, I think you’re right.
Trixie. (sighing deeply) Tillie, I’m so glad you’re here.
Tillie. (giggling) So am I.
Trixie. No, I mean, sometimes me and Tess tend to get too wrapped up in things, too emotional. Sometimes we need a “voice of reason.”
Tessie. (nodding) And you’re that voice, Till.
Tillie. Glad to provide that service, you big sillies!
Trixie. So now…I feel a little better about that. But still…that thing with the eyeball—
Tessie. Don’t think about it! Don’t talk about it!
Trixie. And the red masks—
Tessie. GAAAAH!! Really don’t talk about it!
Tillie. Hey, I know. Why don’t you guys think about how cute Fitz looked when he was eating those pretzels.
Tessie. (giggling) Yeah…you’re right. He did look really cute.
Trixie. I even think Agent Ward looked cute when he was wearing those glasses.
Tillie. Kind of like Clark Kent?
Tessie. Superman??
Trixie. Wrong comics, Tess. Superman is DC. We’re in the Marvel Universe.
Tillie. But still, he did look like Clark Kent.
Tessie. And I like Clark Kent.
Tillie. Yes! But do you like him better than Superman?
(After this the Whimsies’ conversation drifted steadily away from the disturbing aspects of the SHIELD show, and eventually they settled down and went to sleep, dreaming about Superman and Lois Lane and Clark Kent.)
(It was a strange evening…)
