Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Roundtable: “Past Life”

A new episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. aired on Friday night, being the last new episode of the current season for three weeks

The short synopsis of the new episode entitled “Past Life” is as follows:

“S.H.I.E.L.D. has one final chance to return to our timeline, but their actions may have deadly consequences.”

Join Roz, Karen and Rueben as they talk about what happened:

Kasius clearly lost his mind after finding Sinara dead on the Zephyr, don’t you think? Better yet, he got exactly what he deserved in the end. How satisfied were you with his demise?

Roz: Man did he go off. And off big time! I think he got what he deserved in the end because he was so obsessed with power and didn’t know what to do when his right-hand woman died. I just wanted to scream when Mack got that big ax through him.

Karen: I don’t think he had a long way to go, but yeah, I think Sinara dying pushed him that last bit into crazytown. I was jumping up and down with glee (on the inside) when Mack speared him. It doesn’t matter who killed him, but I kinda wish someone else had gotten the privilege. Nice that Gemma played a part for sure.

Rueben: He was completely in crazytown! Leaning over lifeless body and actually carrying on a “conversation” with her, holy crap! I was jumping for joy too (internally) when Mack got the better of him, ending him for good. It was much overdue.

A “wardrobe malfunction” my ass – that’s what Coulson said after he was attacked. Did you see that scene as becoming something much bigger or were you surprised by the reveal (that he’s dying)?

Roz: I didn’t see that coming with Coulson dying (and oh man that’s going to wreck this team if he dies), but at this point hasn’t Coulson been on borrowed time? He should have been dead post-Avengers.

Karen: Man, stupid Whedon family… I mean, they’re amazing writers, but they just have no compassion when it comes to George R.R. Martining a lead. They already implied that he’d die when he wasn’t in the flashbacks, so I had a bad feeling. It was probably foreshadowing for *us* and not what had really happened in that timeline. I didn’t see it coming though, not in this episode. I’m wondering how the Odium will affect him. In the animated universe, there was a Doctor Odium who experimented with nanites, but that’s the only thing I can even speculate with. So I have to just shrug and wonder what the substance will do.

Rueben: As soon as he said “wardrobe malfunction,” I was calling foul, yelling at the TV. I knew it was going to be something bigger. I guess I’m just conditioned to worry about any faved character in this universe. I’m just really worried about him and what kind of affect this will have on the team.

Do you think Coulson was right in “icing” Daisy in order to take her back given what they learned about what could happen and the time loop for which they have been stuck in?

Roz: I don’t know (or think) we can judge that icing right now. We only know bits and pieces from a time loop that compounds itself so there’s got to be something that can give to keep them all save (or maybe this is a failed mission from the start and we’ll just suffer the team’s losses.)

Karen: Well, he doesn’t want Daisy to sacrifice herself, so he feels like it’s his only choice. Of course, they think knowing how the future will turn out, they can change it. Coulson is an eternal optimist, so he’ll be the one to damn the consequences – save the “worldkiller.” After all, she hasn’t done anything wrong… yet. Right?

Rueben: I don’t know either. That’s what is so hard about all of this. I know Coulson is trying to save Daisy, but is that really the best decision given what they know about the time loop not working. My head actually starts to hurt thinking about all of this.

Did you expect Kasius’s seer to be a version of Yoyo that has been stuck in the time loop?

Roz: NO! And I didn’t like what it forced that version of Yoyo to do.

Karen: Of course not! That was a HUGE twist. I thought it was a literal “seer,” not just someone who knows what’s happening first hand. CRAZY. And using her both for all those years, and then to hurt Mack so deeply? Monstrous.

Rueben: I flipped out when the alt-Yoyo sat up, facing our Yoyo. I, too, thought it was going to be a seer like Robin that we just weren’t aware of existing in any timeframe. I felt so horrible for her, having to relive all those time loops and not being able to change anything.

Given that we have to wait 4 weeks for the next episode, what do you think we’ll happen? It seemed, based on the clips for that new episode, that the whole team made it back. Did you get that impression too?

Roz: I’m so confused by everything that my guess will get Jossed by something early in that return episode.

Karen: Yes, they’ll make it back. At least, I’m fairly sure they will. WHEN they arrive is a different story. I can’t find it again, but back a few episodes ago, I read from a credible source that said the next arc might be set in a different time. I’m not 100% on that, but it came from someone I trust. Does that mean they go to a future where the survivors have rebuilt Earth? Maybe the person in the suit is Flint or Tess? I think it might be interesting to see how they move on from the destruction and make a civilization from the ashes. It would have still been destroyed, because they never made it back to the past.

Rueben: I’m confused too! I want them to be able to change the future so that the destruction of Earth doesn’t happen; but whoever that person is in the hooded suit, I have a bad feeling they won’t be good or on our team’s side. Disney star Dove Cameron is to be in that episode so it could be here or, like Karen suggested, it could be Flint or Tess depending on what part of the past they reach. It’s frustrating to say the least.

What are your thoughts on the latest episode? Do you have any thoughts on what might happen when the show returns? Please share them below.

A new episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. won’t air on ABC until Friday, March 2 at 9/8c.