The episode introduces recurring guest star Bill Paxton to the series, and the alien race the Kree to the MCU.
originally aired on ABC on March 4, 2014, and according to Nielsen Media Research, was watched by 5.46 million viewers.
team rush agent Skye to a medical facility after she was shot twice at close range by Ian Quinn.
's digital archives and find evidence of an old World War II bunker known as the Guest House with Level 10 access, which is the highest clearance.
Not knowing the countersign, the team attack the base and take out the guards, before realizing that there is a failsafe that will shortly destroy the entire facility.
Just before the compound explodes, Garrett finds Coulson, who warns that the drug should not be given to Skye, but by the time they get back to the plane, Simmons has already injected her with it.
In an end tag, a mysterious woman named Lorelei wanders through the Death Valley where she meets a newlywed couple and convinces the man to leave his new bride and drive off with her.
[1] The episode title refers to Project T.A.H.I.T.I., which is an acronym for "Terrestrialized Alien Host Integrative Tissue I".
[5] Executive producer Jed Whedon said that Paxton was mentioned when conceiving the character because he is "a guy who can deal with a tough situation, but is going to make a comment about it".
[3]: 137 In February 2014, 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] In addition to Paxton and Britt, it was revealed that the guest cast for the episode would also include Elena Satine as Lorelei, David Conrad as Ian Quinn, Rob Belushi as Jimmy, Sarayu Rao as Dr. Jazuat, Michael J.
Bonus features include behind-the-scenes featurettes, audio commentary, deleted scenes, and a blooper reel.
Club rated the episode a "B−" and praised it for its character development, particularly that of Skye, while stating that the show still needed to "find a way to balance plot acceleration with character development" and that "The agents talk about how they are a family and need each other, but those personal bonds aren't fully formed yet.
The introduction of Garrett and some more notable elements added to the Coulson mystery are nice touches.
was nominated for Outstanding Special Visual Effects at the 66th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, losing to the Game of Thrones episode "The Children".