This Character May Be The Key To The 'Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Survival In Their New Home

The members of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. have almost always managed to get out of trouble intact, but the situation they find themselves in Season 5 may be their most dire yet. Now that they're trapped in space, the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. need to know who Tess is and figure out if this space local can be trusted as soon as possible.

Season 5's trip to the mysterious space station won't be the first time that an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been stuck in space – Simmons was memorably stranded on an alien planet for a while back in Season 3 – but it seems that the entire team is out of their depth with little idea as to how they got there or what their purpose is. Season 5 is introducing a variety of new characters alongside Tess, including Grill, Flint, and Deke, all of whom seem to be based in the Agents' new home among the stars. There's no telling if the Agents' new friends will be responsible for helping them get home – or if they could prevent the Agents from ever leaving space.

Leading up to the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiere, Entertainment Weekly provided a sneak peek of the new Season 5 characters, including Tess. The publication describes Tess as "resourceful, striving to be self-sufficient in very desperate circumstances." Judging from that, it sounds like Tess will be worth following as the agents adjust to their new living situation. Between her description and her frayed, military wardrobe, it's clear that Tess is a skilled survivor and a good person to have on your side when you've been kidnapped and possibly imprisoned in space.

While having an experienced survivor on one's side is helpful, it also sounds like Tess is something of an optimist. The character's Entertainment Weekly description claims that "[Tess] has hung on to her hopes for a better future for herself and those closest to her. She is living proof that even in the toughest of times, good people will still fight for each other." The Agents have been fighting for each other for 4 whole seasons leading up to their abduction (give or take a betrayal here and there), so Tess could end up fitting right in alongside the rest of the team.

For more proof that Tess could end up being a bright light in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s dark new reality, look no further than actress Eve Harlow's past roles. In the past, Harlow has played the gentle revolutionary Maya Vie on The 100 and the noble but conflicted Taylor Kravid on Heroes Reborn. Harlow has a history of playing heroic women in extraordinary circumstances, and there may be no better way to describe Tess than that. While the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. may not know who they can trust in their new home, Tess could be the friendliest new face coming to Season 5.

Of course, Ward seemed like a friendly face when Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. started before revealing that he was an undercover agent the entire time that was waiting for the perfect time to betray his team. No matter how trustworthy Tess seems, the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would be smart to question her motives until they're back on their home planet. However, being stranded in space could cause the agents to be a little more trusting than usual, simply because there aren't many other people around to get help from. Whoever Tess really is, it seems that she may be the Agents' best bet for staying alive until they find a way to get home.