AGENTS OF SHIELD Roundtable: “Adapt or Die”

A new episode from the final season of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD aired this week on ABC.

Here’s the synopsis for the latest episode, “Adapt or Die”:

The stakes are higher than ever when, after blowing their cover and damaging the Zephyr in the process, the team must scramble to rescue Mack’s parents, save S.H.I.E.L.D. from a chronicom infestation, and fix the ship … all before the next time-jump. Meanwhile, Daisy and Sousa find themselves at a disadvantage against a power hungry Nathaniel Malick and his goons, and Coulson will have to do the thing he does best in order to save the future.

Join NiceGirls Roz, Christie, Karen, and Ruben as we discuss the episode, using our ratings system known as SASSY – S(tupid), A(wesome), S(o) S(o) and Y(Your Thoughts):

STUPID

Roz: What the hell is Coulson doing? I get that he can’t really die – well he can, but it doesn’t work the same way – but being left in The Lighthouse, potentially, seems like a weird idea for so few episodes left.

Also Jemma what!? I need to see Fitz soon or else so much of this season feels like more trauma for Jemma.

Christie: The Nathaniel plot feels wasted if he died so easily. Plus, I’m over Deke.  Finally, I know everyone has suffered on this show, but poor Mack. Why do they need to pick on him so!

Karen: Agreed about Fitz. He should’ve been given some episodes by now. Nathaniel was a super tool and a caricature of a baddie. I’m not sure that side story was necessary. We could’ve gotten more screen time with other characters. I’m sure Daisy and Daniel could’ve been used elsewhere. May’s “powers” were a pretty convenient plot device. Makes me feel like the writers cheated a little.

Rueben: I miss Fitz too and want to see some resolution to that whole thing. And, what was all that with Nathaniel? He took Daisy’s blood, spinal fluid and some glands, implanted them into himself only to have his bones start to crack, blood flowing from his nose and the buildings falls in on him. Does that mean that’s the end of him and we won’t have to suffer with him anymore? One can hope.

AWESOME

Roz: I love that Coulson actually talked to Sibyl and figured out what the Chronicoms are doing. I don’t like the end result of Coulson “dying”, but we have some answers about that situation now. I also feel like Sibyl needs to talk with the Ancient Ones because they seem to be working in similar fashions.

Christie: Overall the whole episode was pretty gripping, even if I found some of the plot points pretty simplistic. I don’t have one thing I can really think of that’s greater than another.

Karen: Coulson. I mean, this was a pretty great ep for him. Mack too. Clark Gregg and Henry Simmons were on point.

Rueben: I loved that little moment between Stoner and May when he asked her out for that drink. That whole scene between Sibyl and Coulson was cool to watch, but I don’t want Coulson to be dead yet again. Sure this version is an LMD, but is he really gone this time? Sure “dying is kinda (his) superpower,” but I don’t know if he can come back from that explosion.

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SO SO

Roz: Oh poor Mack! I hate that his parents were not really there and that he has to realize a different life for his ever-changing self to live without them.

But more to the point, did all of that with Nathaniel leave Daisy powerless? I don’t know how to feel about that.

Christie: Mack’s parents not being his parents was unfair. It wasn’t necessary, except to cause Mack pain. Yes I’m complaining about this again, because it’s annoying. Also, the Chronicoms are weak bad guys. I just don’t feel the need for preservation they supposed have.

Karen: What was the point of Deke knocking out Enoch? There are some plot points that feel a little too cluttered. I appreciate the writing as usual, but for some reason, I feel like it could’ve been a *little* tighter. I said it earlier, but tighten it up and give more screen time to neglected characters and this might’ve been the best season of the series.

Rueben: I hated that it turned out Mack’s parents weren’t really his parents. I felt so bad for him. I also didn’t like that Deke and Mack got left behind with that unexpected jump by the Zephyr. Obviously next week’s episode will be focused on Deke and Mack being stuck in 1982, but how does that get them back with the rest of the team? It’s not like they can go back in time to get them.

YOUR THOUGHTS

Roz: So how many balls are up in the air right now that we need answered? When can we see Fitz? Why did everything in that promo need to happen?

Christie: Next week’s episode looks really interesting. And Coulson in the TV makes me smile. But I really don’t understand how they’re going to wrap this show up in just a few episodes.

Karen: My cameo easter egg alert: Angélique from The Good Place as Mack’s “mom”, Yolanda from GLOW as Agent King, and Tamara Taylor (Party of Five, Altered Carbon, Bones, Serenity) as Sibyl. I love that TPTB are sprinkling a lot of really cool actors throughout this season. Coulson got to chew a little scenery this week, and I also dig that he’s getting a huge chunk of screentime in S7. I feel like they’re ignoring some of the other mains, but if the trade-off is more Coulson… I’m okay with it. Not happy, just okay.

Rueben: There are a lot of storylines starting to build up so how it is all going to come together to give us an ending? The worst thing they can do to use who have stuck with the show since the beginning is to give us an incomplete ending or any kind of cliffhangers. I don’t want an ending like the series finale of Angel (for example). Give us an ending to the characters, ok?!

[Photo Credit: ABC/Jessica Brooks]

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be back next week on Wednesday, July 8 at 10/9c on ABC.