'Agents of SHIELD': "Rise and Shine" Preview Released

ABC and Marvel Television have released a new preview for next week's episode of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, titled "Rise and Shine."

The preview teases the return of Hydra with several characters giving the "Hail Hydra" salute. More surprising is that General Hale of Blue Raven offers Phil Coulson an alliance between SHIELD and Hydra in order to fight an alien invasion.

Check out the preview above.

The synopsis for "Rise and Shine" reads, "Coulson uncovers General Hale's true agenda, and it could be the end of the world if SHIELD doesn't help her."

That Hale is actually Hydra is somewhat surprising given what we know about her relationship with the group. She had dealings with the former head of Hydra Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, but she told Strucker's son that she only worked with Hydra because they had similar goals at the time. Now she says she's trying to build something bigger and better.

It is possible, perhaps even likely, that Hale is playing one side or the other. Was she lying about her relationship to Hydra when she abducted Werner von Strucker? Or is she lying now, pretending to be loyal to Hydra in order to further her own agenda or perhaps delay the Kree invasion?

Either way, putting Hydra back into the mix seems appropriate. The terrorist organization has been a factor in every season of Agents of SHIELD to date and having them return one last time would make sense if Agents of SHIELD's fifth season ends up being its last, which is a possibility the showrunners are prepared for.

"Right now, we're writing a series end," executive producer Jeff Bell told Entertainment Weekly. "Because as far as we know, this could be it."

Fellow executive producer Maurissa Tancharoen added, "We'll never end something without the potential for more story. That's how we've ended every season because whenever we've come to the end of all the seasons past, we go into that mostly not knowing until the very last minute, so we're basically doing the same thing to close out Season 5. It can fit well as a possible series finale, and it can fit well as just another season's end."

Executive producer Jed Whedon said, "You always want to leave the idea that there's more stories, it's a question of whether or not we will tell them. We have our end, and we'll stick to it regardless, and we think it'll work either way."

Marvel's' Agents of SHIELD airs Fridays at 9 pm ET on ABC.