Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Roundtable: “Absolution/Ascension”

On this week’s season finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Daisy recovered from her time with Hive and felt a lot of guilt over having told him everything she knew. Everything he needed to defeat SHIELD. The team went after Hive and ultimately managed to capture him, but not for long. After his band of Inhumans managed to turn the SHIELD agents guarding him, Hive was released and planned to take SHIELD’s aircraft to a high altitude and detonate the warhead. The substance that would change anyone who came in contact with it to Inhuman would then reach maximum distribution. The team came up with a plan, somehow override the aircraft and take the warhead into space. Daisy decided she should be the one to sacrifice herself for this cause, since she felt it was ultimately her fault. She sneaked onto the plane, and fought a good fight with Hive until she noticed blood on the floor. Lincoln had been seriously injured earlier in a fight with James, and he made the decision to make the sacrifice instead of Daisy. He fried the planes manual controls with his power and blew Daisy out the door, then launched. Lincoln and Hive both resigned themselves to their fate. The warhead exploded in space, taking Lincoln and Hive with it.

1. When Daisy broke out of her cell and went after Hive, was her motivation to stop him, or was it because of her withdrawal symptoms and need for a fix? Or perhaps a bit of both?

Roz: Let’s say all of the above. I think that withdrawal is a scary thing at times and I also think Daisy’s taken on much of some martyr syndromes for the cause because of what happened.

Jan: I thought her initial intent was to stop Hive, driven by her guilt. But once she was in the room with him, those withdrawals kicked in and she was like a junkie needing her fix. So I guess I would say it was both.

Rueben: At first I thought she was going after Hive given all that he did to her (and all the others affected by his sway), and I have to admit that I was shocked that she would kneel before Hive basically begging him to take her back. I was hoping part of that was a scheme to take him down, but she really seemed intent on not only getting her fix but going back to him for good, which would have been a horrible, horrible idea.

2. Did you see the Coulson hologram switch coming? Or did you suspect something was afoot because of his activating his arm computer?

Roz: NO! I love holograms and I loved his little Star Wars line, but I was not thinking anything was afoot at the time.

Jan: I feel like I should have seen that coming, when Coulson started playing with that computer, but I didn’t. I was as surprised as Hive.

Rueben: Yeah, I did (kind of). I couldn’t see Coulson going head to head with Hive without having some kind of plan. And once Hive turned into whatever the hell he really is, I knew it wasn’t really Coulson. I did love the final Star Wars line that Coulson started before the hologram was knocked offline.

3. Who did you think would be the fallen agent? At what point did you realize it was going to be Lincoln?

Roz: I think it was fitting that it was someone who hadn’t officially started to work for SHIELD who took the fall so that the agency can be somewhat blameless. I don’t think I realized it was Lincoln until he got shot and couldn’t do as much.

Jan: I suspected the fallen agent might be one of the newbies. When Yoyo was shot, I thought it was her. The moment Daisy saw blood on the floor of the airplane, though, I knew Lincoln was there and somehow it would be him.

Rueben: They kept all of that going round and round, keeping us guessing on who it would be, but once Lincoln got shot It started becoming clearer that it was him, but once they showed the blood on the floor of the Zephyr, I knew it was going to be Lincoln.

4. After the six month jump, it appears Daisy went off the reservation after Lincoln was gone. Any thoughts on what set her on the path seen in the newspaper clippings on Coulson’s wall? What her objective might be?

Roz: It’s rather cliche, but I think Daisy’s out to Avenge (haha, see what I think she’s doing) for past wrongs because she feels herself too much at fault for many things. Other than that, I’ve got no real idea.

Jan: I have absolutely no clue what is going on with Daisy after that time leap. I’m guessing it’s some spiral caused by her feelings of guilt and the loss of Lincoln, but no idea what would spin her that far.

Rueben: I have to agree with Roz that I think she is trying to make up for things that she believed were her fault; but I have a feeling that there is much more to it than that.

5. Coulson and Mack spoke of “the Director”….does that mean Coulson is no longer the director of SHIELD after these events?

Roz: I think so. I don’t know if I want it to be Talbot or May, but it’s not them, obviously.

Jan: I am very intrigued by that short conversation, and all it’s implications. May wasn’t seen in the flash forward, could she be the Director?

Rueben: Yes, I honestly believe that Coulson isn’t the Director anymore, it’s just a matter of why he isn’t Director and who has taken over. I agree with Jan that I think it just might be May given she wasn’t in the field with Mack and Coulson, but that might just be a diversion.

6. Who or what is Aida? And do you think she will be friend or foe to the team (assuming they are still a team) in the next season?

Roz: Aida is some sort of AI (ugh, that NEVER goes well for anyone in the MCU), but I don’t know what she’ll be to SHIELD other than something that should be monitored and probably won’t be as her creator is now off the government’s radar.

Jan: It seemed to be artificial intelligence to me, and the name Aida seems to suggest that as well. There is potential there for something to go very, very wrong…especially with Radcliff in the mix. I’m going to go out on a limb and say Aida starts out friend and becomes foe.

Rueben: I agree that it’s some kind of AI, and I honestly think this is not going to end well. When has any AI story ever turned out well, right?

7. Did you have a favorite scene in Absolution or Ascension?

Roz: No real favorite scene, unless I go very shallow to pick the one of Fitz and Simmons talking about a holiday.

Jan: I loved a number of Radcliff’s scenes, such as his relief when May told him she was SHIELD, and his begging her to take him with her.

Rueben: I think I actually enjoyed that small scene between Jemma and Fitz where they were talking about getting away and her saying that she was going to do something with him they never did before – snorkeling. It was a small amount of levity in an otherwise intense two hours.

8. In your opinion, was there a clear MVP?

Roz: LINCOLN! Need I say why?

Jan: I can’t imagine it being anyone other than Lincoln. He gave his all so that others would be safe. RIP Lincoln!

Rueben: Agree! The MVP has to go to Lincoln for sacrificing himself for the rest of them.

Images courtesy ABC/Richard Cartwright