We’ve seen the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. mid-season premiere, and it is full of surprises. Here are five things you should expect to see in “Aftershocks”!

Unseen possibilities abound

The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. mid-season premiere is a veritable tapestry of shattered loyalties and shifting alliances. Friends fray, mentors prove unfaithful, and new bonds are forged where we least expected them.

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Surprising as well is just who gets pulled into which parts of the action. Old characters find new circumstances, while new characters get involved in ways we never could have foreseen – literally.

Everyone is changing

It’s no secret that Skye’s blossoming powers play a significant role in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. mid-season premiere, but other characters change in ways we definitely didn’t anticipate.

Raina, for example, has evolved beyond her truly jaw-dropping physical transformation. Raina’s emotional arc is one of the strongest in “Aftershocks,” and serious praise goes to both the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. effects team and actress Ruth Negga, who never once makes us question exactly who is trapped in that prickly prison.

Agent Simmons undergoes a significant change as well. For all that it is completely internal, Simmons’ transformation makes her just as unrecognizable as Raina – and opens several ominous doors for future developments.

Coulson is the best

And we actually mean that literally. The first half for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 2 was rough for Director Coulson, but our man Phil has a new attitude in the mid-season premiere. His burdens have made him stronger and his losses have made him sharper.

That’s not to say that Coulson isn’t carrying around grief and regret – he is, and the loss of Trip is present in everything he (and the rest of the team) do in “Aftershocks.” But Coulson’s convictions, his faith in his mission and the mission of S.H.I.E.L.D., are the strongest they have ever been in this episode – and the results speak for themselves.

Hydra has its day

You know how Hydra was all proud of coming “into the light”? Well, the proverbial curtain is drawn back even further in the mid-season premiere. The inner workings of the Organization Most Evil are given an unexpected amount of light, and what we see may result in more questions than answers.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. takes Hydra to a really gutsy place in “Aftershocks,” and the effects will echo not only through Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but through the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Keep your pencils out for questions

Straight up: The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. mid-season premiere is less concerned with offering up answers than it is with cultivating questions. Sure, we learn what Raina looks like, and where Skye is at with her new powers; yes, we get a sense of larger powers lurking behind the scenes.

But several storylines (looking straight at Mack and Bobbi, here) continue to percolate mysteriously. Crucial relationships are literally left bleeding with questions, while several new partnerships could prove devastating or miraculous for S.H.I.E.L.D. – and we have no idea which way they’ll go.

The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. mid-season premiere, “Aftershocks,” airs on Tuesday, March 3 at 9:00 p.m. on ABC.

What are your predictions for the ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ mid-season premiere?