Tonight’s Agents of SHIELD episode finally saw the return of Deke Shaw and included the addition of his new girlfriend, Sequoia, who was played by the series’ showrunner, Maurissa Tancharoen. Fans of the Whedon family have been waiting for Tancharoen to cameo since the show’s inception, and it was absolutely worth the wait.
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Playing a “Coachella-chic social media influencer,” Tancharoen was clearly having a blast during the whole episode. She played the character perfectly, providing some of the episode’s biggest laughs. From smacking Deke to admiring Mack’s “large and muscular” arms to trying to bring boba on a daring escape, Sequoia is an instant fan favorite. The character may have run off with another man in the end, but fans are hoping we’ll see her again before the series is over.
The episode’s shining moment was definitely the end tag, which saw Sequoia’s hilarious Instagram stories from the day. In a show that’s been particularly bleak for the last couple years, the addition of light-hearted bits feels incredibly refreshing. We can thank Nora and Lilla Zuckerman for writing this fantastic episode.
Last week, Tancharoen discussed her Agents of SHIELD debut, saying she was “all in” once Sequoia was created.
“We had talked about the possibility of a cameo at some point in our run, but when the Zuckerman sisters crafted the treasure that is Sequoia, I was all in,” Tancharoen shared. “I might’ve bit off more than I could chew, but it was so much fun to shift gears and play in front of the camera with a cast and crew I’ve worked closely with for six years.”
Tancharoen is best known for acting in Dollhouse and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, but since she’s been busy running a television show, she hasn’t been seen onscreen since the 2014 romantic comedy Lust for Love. The movie starred Fran Kranz and Dichen Lachman, who are both staples in the Whedonverse. In fact, Lachman and Tancharoen are good friends. Lachman was featured prominently in the second season of Agents of SHIELD as Jiaying, and is married to Maximilian Osinski, who plays Agent Davis on the Marvel series.
Congrats, Maurissa! You knocked it out of the park!
Agents of SHIELD stars Clark Gregg (Phil Coulson/Sarge), Ming-Na Wen (Melinda May), Chloe Bennet (Daisy “Quake” Johnson), Elizabeth Henstridge (Jemma Simmons), Iain De Caestecker (Fitz), Henry Simmons (Mack), Natalia Cordova-Buckley (Elena “Yo-Yo” Rodriguez), and Jeff Ward (Deke).
Agents of SHIELD airs Friday nights on ABC at 8/7c.
