‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ finale clip released

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is taking the adventure off-planet in an exclusive clip from the show’s winter finale — and Grant Ward is still a pretty bad guy.

A little background: Scientist Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) was trapped somewhere — an unknown location on Earth or another dimension, or just a different locale that might not be on Earth (that would be my guess if you follow the Marvel comics). Once there, she was terrorized by something, a shape-shifting being/creature called Lash. Due to the persistence of her friend and fellow genius-level scientist Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), she escaped. They like each other, but it’s complicated.

Cut to now. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Fitz and Simmons have been captured and forced by Hydra — an undercover terrorist organization — to help go through a portal and possibly retrieve the creature or whatever goodies lie on the other side. The specific captor was Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), a former friend and colleague in S.H.I.E.L.D. who turned out to be a double agent and almost took down the entire organization.

In the clip, Fitz tries some shenanigans, and gets put back in his place by elite soldier Ward. The final shot is of the group discovering something. Guesses include some sort of spot where Simmons may have survived during her stay in this place, or even the discovery of the fabled city of Attilan. There’s an awful lot of history for this Inhuman city (in comics), but if this is what they’re seeing, then the portal might lead to the Blue Side of the moon.

There may be a lot more superpowered Inhumans to encounter — but you’ll have to tune in this Tuesday.