Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons are contacted by Principal Anne Weaver to consult in the investigation, accompanied by Skye and Grant Ward.
Meanwhile, Phil Coulson and Melinda May travel to Mexico to find Richard Lumley, Linda Avery's ex-partner who went off the grid after she was murdered.
Hannigan reveals that Gill and Dormer in fact staged the attacks on themselves to test their weather machine, and to lure Fitz and Simmons to the academy to trick them into helping perfect the device.
Coulson and May join the others at the academy, and they learn Dormer and Gill were supplied with parts by Ian Quinn, who wants to purchase the completed weather machine.
The device is hit by a lightning bolt, electrocuting both of them, and Dormer goes into cardiac arrest before May pilots the Bus into the eye of the storm to rescue them.
In December 2013, Marvel revealed that the twelfth episode would be titled "Seeds", and would be written by Monica Owusu-Breen and executive producer Jed Whedon, with Kenneth Fink directing.
[2]: 118 In December 2013, Marvel revealed that main cast members Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, and Elizabeth Henstridge would star as Phil Coulson, Melinda May, Grant Ward, Skye, Leo Fitz, and Jemma Simmons, respectively.
[1] It was also revealed that the guest cast for the episode would include David Conrad as Ian Quinn, Christine Adams as agent Anne Weaver, Dylan Minnette as Donnie Gill, Daniel Zovatto as Seth Dormer, Boyd Kestner as Richard Lumley, Zachary Burr Abel as Tad and Maiara Walsh as Callie Hannigan.
Owusu-Breen said it was "really fun" to design the boiler room hangout, and a lot of thought went into "what it would be like to have all the greatest scientific minds in one area".