Purpose in the Machine

## Related Pages

"*This Monolith has been studied for centuries. Well, Randolph's actually been on the planet for those centuries. And he's traveled through space in a portal. And he's also an alien, So, he's got a lot going for him.*"
―Phil Coulson to Bobbi Morse
**"Purpose in the Machine"** is the second episode of Season Three of *Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.*. It was written by DJ Doyle and directed by Kevin Tancharoen. It is the forty-sixth episode of the series overall, and premiered on October 6, 2015.

## Synopsis

Fitz and the team enlist the aid of an Asgardian to unlock the secrets of the ancient Monolith that swallowed Simmons, and Agent May is at a crossroads in her personal and professional life.

## Cast

* Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May
* Brett Dalton as Grant Ward
* Chloe Bennet as Agent Daisy Johnson
* Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz
* Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons
* Nick Blood as Agent Lance Hunter
* Adrianne Palicki as Agent Bobbi Morse
* Henry Simmons as Agent Alphonso Mackenzie
* Luke Mitchell *(credit only)*

Guest Starring* Peter MacNicol as Professor Elliot Randolph
* James Hong as William May
* Alex Hyde-White as Lord Thornally
* Spencer Treat Clark as Werner von Strucker
* Blair Underwood as Dr. Andrew Garner
* Daz Crawford as Kebo
* Piers Stubbs as Younger Lord

Uncredited* Darius Cottrell as Moe
* Mark Casimir Dyniewicz as 1830's Nobleman
* Ashley Caple as Alexander's Friend on Yacht
* Riley Go as Young Melinda May
* Unknown Actor as Carmine

## Appearances

### Locations

* Playground
* Norway
* Ibiza, Spain
* Sun City, Arizona
* Grant Ward's HYDRA Warehouse
* West Virginia
	+ Culver University
* Maveth
* Gloucestershire, England
	+ HYDRA Castle
* Morocco *(mentioned)*
* Novi Grad, Sokovia *(mentioned)*
* Honolulu, Hawaii *(mentioned)*
* Maui, Hawaii *(mentioned)*
* France *(mentioned)*
	+ Template:WPS *(mentioned)*
* Afterlife *(mentioned)*
* Template:WPS *(mentioned)*

### Events

* Rescue of Jemma Simmons
* Grant Ward's Campaign
	+ Kidnapping of Werner von Strucker
* Battle of Sokovia *(mentioned)*

### Items

* Phil Coulson's Prosthetic Hand
* Monolith
* S.H.I.E.L.D. Lanyard
* Bifrost Bridge *(mentioned)*

### Vehicles

* Zephyr One
* Quinjet
* Containment Module

### Sentient Species

* Humans
* Inhumans
* Asgardians
* Kree *(mentioned)*

### Organizations

* S.H.I.E.L.D.
	+ Caterpillars *(mentioned)*
* HYDRA
* Advanced Threat Containment Unit *(mentioned)*

### Mentioned

* Joey Gutierrez
* Lian May
* Lash
* Jiaying
* Wolfgang von Strucker
* Template:WPS
* Template:WPS
* *Template:WPS*

## Trivia

### Behind the Scenes

* Randolph refers to Bobbi as "Amazon woman". Adrianne Palicki, who plays Bobbi had previously played the Amazon warrior Wonder Woman in the pilot for a Wonder Woman TV series which was never made.

### Episode Connections

* Andrew Garner refers to the team Daisy Johnson is trying to build as the "Secret Warriors".

### Goofs

* When May and her dad are sitting on the couch talking, the candles behind them change from lit to unlit, the lit again.

## References

1. ↑ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/10/07/tuesday-final-ratings-oct-6-2015/477169/
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20150921abc03/

Template:Episodes