ROUNDTABLE: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “The Return”

We’re close to the Season’s end, and things are really heating up! (see what I did there? Ghost Rider?)

MAY’S BACK! This question is two-fold. First: how happy are you that she’s finally back (because YES!), and how squidgy was it to see Coulson squirm under her questioning?

Roz: I’m so glad she’s back because HELL YES, but Coulson’s awkwardness was equally hilarious to me. He had no clue how to admit to the kiss and I’m glad he didn’t.

Rueben:  It was so great to see her back in action even if she had to amp up with that epinephrine in order to take down those guys.  And, I agree with Roz, I’m glad Coulson didn’t mention the kiss.  Hopefully he’ll just wipe that under the rug and move on.

Karen: Finally! I’m so happy because it’s overdue. And the conversations with Coulson were priceless! I’ve never seen so many squrimy looks on his face. I think May might be more upset about the scotch being gone than anything else, so he can always blame his discomfort on that.

Our repeating refrain, sing it with me… “AIDA is the WORST!” I wanna say thank you to EW for the “Sylar shtick” reference, because it’s perfection. She has all the powers. Are we going to see her end before this season is done?

Roz: Lords of Kobol I hope she dies next week because now she’s creepy, nearly indestructible and can’t accept that the Framework didn’t really give Fitz free will to choose her over Jemma.

Rueben:  Roz said it perfectly!!  AIDA needs to go, but how do they do that, is the question?!  Perhaps that’s why Robbie is back (more on that below).

Karen: She needs to go down… HARD. I know GR is most likely going to be the catalyst that leads to her downfall, but I really want Fitz to get the killing blow. It would go a long way towards healing his grief. She was the one that forced him to do those horrible things, and he should think of it that way.

Simmons went a little BAMF in this episode. She didn’t hesitate at all to take out AIDA *and* Fitz in order to make sure they wouldn’t sabotage SHIELD. What a change!

Roz: Jemma is tired of everyone’s bull and won’t hesitate to get what she wants in the end. Good for her!

Rueben:  Agreed, she may love Fitz, but she did what she had to do.  Now if they could only take AIDA down for good that easily.

Karen: Thirded. She was amazing. There was that BAMF scene, but later, when Fitz broke down, she was there to comfort him. She has deep conviction, and now she doesn’t hesitate. At least not in the real world. I thought she was a little OOC in the Framework.

That disconnect between Daisy/Simmons and the rest of the Framework group – that really hit me in the solar plexus. Feelings?

Roz: I like that Jemma/Daisy are on another page than everyone else, but it does make for more factions in a time when we need unity.

Rueben:  Mixed.  I agree they need to be united – now more than ever, but it does give the ladies an edge; however, being redundant, they all have to work together in order to stop AIDA.

Karen: I’m upset about it to be honest. They’ll never know what the others have been through, even though they’ve been inside the framework. I know the show won’t address it, but it made my heart hurt to hear that conversation about how they lived actual “lives” and not just “dreams”.

Speaking of feelings… omg Yoyo. I can’t wait to see what happens to Mack and in turn, Yoyo next week. How ’bout you?

Roz: I so wanted to punch Yoyo for going into the Framework, but I get that she doesn’t know how bad it is and what it means for her. That chair is scary!

Rueben:  Yeah, she was only motivated by her feelings for Mack, and having no idea just how horrible things were going to be inside the Framework until she was in that fraking scary chair with what seemed to be all hell breaking loose.  I can understand her reasoning in wanting to go in, but she really should have listened to Daisy and not done it.

Karen: There’s something to be said for sacrificing it all for love, but what Yoyo did is above and beyond – probably not in a good way. I know it’s a plot point for them to be able to bring Mack back, so I’ll hand-wave. Another case of me being gutted to see her so angsty this week though.

Bonus question: Are you psyched to see Ghost Rider or no?

Roz: I’m interested in how he connects to this, but maybe he can deal with Ophelia.

Rueben:  Yes and no.  Yes, because I think he might be their only way to take AIDA down for good.  And no, because I thought we were done with that whole aspect of the storyline.  We’ll have to see how next week’s finale turns out to see if there was a valid reason for his return.  I have to ask if anyone else was hoping that maybe somehow it was Tripp and the good Ward coming through from the Framework in that brief second before it was clear that it was Robbie coming through?

Roz: Oh let me answer Rueben’s last question… I hadn’t really thought about it, but I’d love to see those two guys come back like they were in the Framework.

Karen: As you know, I really dig the character, so I’m psyched! Not to mention there are so many great things that can come of this. Weakening (and even perhaps killing AIDA), saving team members, and indirectly – being able to bring others through that portal. I didn’t answer this question before Rueben’s answer, so I give her full credit for that plot-bunny. Ingenious way to get Tripp and Hero-Ward back!

Next week on Agents of SHIELD:

GHOST RIDER RETURNS ON THE EXPLOSIVE SEASON FINALE OF ‘MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.,’ ON ABC

Gabriel Luna Returns as Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider

“World’s End” – With the surprising emergence of Ghost Rider, Coulson and the team attempt to stop Aida from ending the world on the exciting season finale of “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” TUESDAY, MAY 16 (10:00–11:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network.

“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” stars Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, Chloe Bennet as Daisy Johnson, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons, Henry Simmons as Agent Alphonso “Mack” MacKenzie and John Hannah as Holden Radcliffe.

Guest starring are Natalia Cordova-Buckley as Elena “Yo-Yo” Rodriguez, Gabriel Luna as Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider, Mallory Jansen as Aida, Adrian Pasdar as Brigadier General Glenn Talbot, Jordan Rivera as Hope Mackenzie, Patrick Cavanaugh as Burrows, Zach McGowan as The Superior, Joris Jarsky as Sergei, Zibby Allen as Lt. Evans, Joel Stoffer as silhouetted man and Karole Foreman as waitress.

”World’s End” was written by Jeffrey Bell and directed by Billy Gierhart.