Agents of SHIELD Preview: "The Other Thing" Reveals Sarge's True Intentions

Sarge's (Clark Gregg) arrival on Earth has been shrouded in secrecy throughout the most of this season, but it looks like that's about to change. In the preview to next week's Agents of SHIELD episode "The Other Thing," it appears that Sarge and his team have arrived on Earth to stop the infestation of those demon-bat things we first saw introduced on the latest episode.

Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) is still under his team's watch when Sarge can be heard explaining that the flying aliens are from another planet and his goal is to make sure Earth is the last planet they infect. For now, it appears that May was under the assumption that Sarge and his team had been controlling them or harnessing their powers for some other sinister cause.

Regardless, it's still a massive tonal change for Gregg, an actor who's been with the show since the very beginning. It has yet to be revealed how his new character will tie back to previous SHIELD director Phil Coulson if it ever does at all. Gregg had previously teased that his character would be completely new and disturbing.

"What [producers] Jed and Mo Whedon and Jeff Bell came up with, with the other writers, fulfilled all those criteria," Gregg explained of his return. "And I'm really excited for people to see what they came up with. It may be a little disturbing, but this is a very different person... There's a big mystery here. And I think that this person is as surprised as they are, that they seem to recognize his face... I probably wasn't supposed to say that."

After this shorter, 13-episode season, ABC has ordered at least one more season of the show, which will likely be another tentpole for the network's slate next summer. Gregg had previously revealed he though the seventh season would be the show's last, though those comments have since been walked back by Marvel Television boss Jeph Loeb.

What have you thought Agents of SHIELD Season Six this far? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or by tweeting me at @AdamBarnhardt to chat all things MCU!

Agents of SHIELD airs Friday nights on ABC starting at 8/7 p.m. Central.