Nothing Personal

"Nothing Personal" is the twentieth episode of the first season of the American television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D., it follows Phil Coulson and his team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as they learn of a traitor in their team. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and acknowledges the franchise's films. The episode was written by Paul Zbyszewski and DJ Doyle, and directed by Billy Gierhart. Clark Gregg reprises his role as Coulson from the film series, and is joined by series regulars Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, and Elizabeth Henstridge. Special guest star Cobie Smulders returns as Maria Hill, also reprising her role from the film series. "Nothing Personal" originally aired on ABC on April 29, 2014, and according to Nielsen Media Research, was watched by 5.95 million viewers. Plot Maria Hill leaves a debrief with Congress regarding S.H.I.E.L.D., speaking with Pepper Potts about the day's events and the obvious tails following her. The tails are suddenly incapacitated, and Hill finds herself facing Melinda May in an alleyway. May asks Hill to help Phil Coulson, expressing her concerns that Coulson may be compromised and Hydra leader Alexander Pierce may have been behind his neural "reprogramming" in the T.A.H.I.T.I. program. May asks to speak with Director Nick Fury and Hill insists he is dead, which May does not believe.