This is the end. After seven years, the finale two episodes of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD are here. Fighting the Chronicoms in an alternate timeline, the question remains whether or not the agents can defeat the evil plans and find a way back to their timeline. Will everyone survive? Why is this the final mission for the team? What happens next?
These questions will be answered below.
Warning: There will definitely be spoilers for Season 7, Episode 11 of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD below.
(All images courtesy of ABC Studios).
Episode 712 “The End Is At Hand”
The quinjet with Daisy, Mack, and Sousa docks with the Zephyr, which then gets pulled into a Chronicom ship. When they move from the quinjet to the Zephyr, they discover everyone is gone. On the Chronicom ship, Simmons is injected with something. This is the last chance for them to get Fitz’s location. After Simmons and Deke are taken to a cell, Kora confronts Malick about killing her mom. He comes up with more lies to convince her they will take over the world together.
All the SHIELD bases were destroyed except the Lighthouse. Because it was fortified against attacks, Malick sends Garrett down to plant bombs around the place. Coulson, May, and Yo-Yo know Garrett is there. Coulson comes up with a trap using Fitz’s specs to prevent Gordon from teleporting before.
Mack, Daisy, and Sousa discover there are a lot of Chronicoms on the ship. They managed to pinpoint where Simmons and Deke are being held. Daisy says she’ll go out and get them. As she heads off the ship, Sousa stops her and kisses her. Daisy kisses him back. He said he didn’t know he was going to do that, and she says she’s glad he did. After she leaves, Mack nonchalantly says, “Impressive.”
Garrett is captured. He can’t disarm the Chroni-bombs from there. They make him call Malick to give him ten minutes or so before detonating. Malick thanks him for his service and triggers the bombs. Yo-Yo grabbed all the bombs and put them in one place, hoping the Lighthouse wouldn’t collapse. She starts digging through the rubble and sees Coulson used his body to shield May. Garrett is buried and bleeding when they find him. Coulson says they’ll need him. After he’s treated, Garrett is upset at Malick. Coulson may have convinced him to join “the right side of history” and starts hearing a pattern in the computer sounds going off.
As Daisy makes her way to Simmons and Deke, she comes across Chronicoms in the hallways, who ignore her. Sybil predicts a higher percentage of finding Fitz if Daisy is reunited with Simmons. When Simmons sees Daisy, she doesn’t remember who she is. Sybil then notes the implant in Simmons head has dissolved. Simmons is remembering more when they run into Kora. Malick had sent her after Daisy despite Sybil stating he was not to interfere. Daisy sends them to the Zephyr as she confronts her sister. Daisy tries talking and blocks Kora’s attacks. She refuses to use her powers against Kora and tries to get through to her.
Sybil isn’t happy because they were about to get the location. Kora tells Malick she doesn’t think Daisy is bad. He grabs one of his soldier’s rifles and stunblasts Kora. Daisy arrives at the Zephyr. They’re going to blast out of the Chronicom hangar using two missiles and the bodies of six Chronicoms duct taped to them.
Coulson figured out what the computer pattern was. It was giving the location of an 084–an object of unknown origin. They reluctantly allow Garrett to teleport them to the location. They arrive in a bar and some people standing in the shadows orders them to freeze. Garrett goes for his gun and is shot in the head. Coulson identifies them and says he assumes they all responded to the same transmission after the attack. It’s some SHIELD agents (including Victoria Hand, who shot Garrett). They explain that Garrett was a traitor so they did the world a favor. It turns out, they all had packages, 084s, they’ve been guarding for some time.
Coulson opens all the packages as Mack, Daisy, Simmons, Deke, and Sousa arrive at the bar. Simmons immediately starts assembling all the different devices. She says one is missing as an old man comes in with a plastic bag. When asked who gave it to him, he doesn’t remember. He says it might have been his friend Enoch or one of the Koenings. The last device is a tuning fork. When hit by the complete device, a secret room opens up. Simmons isn’t sure what’s supposed to be in the room.
They put the completed device on top of a console. Nothing happens until Simmons remembers she was married. She puts her ring into a slot in the machine and a portal opens above it. A masked man teleports there and reveals he’s Fitz. He says, “Jemma, you did it. It works.” Fitz tries to go to her, but she stops him. Fitz asks the room, “She doesn’t remember me, does she? Damn.”
On the Chronicom ship, Sybil says there is a new statistical anomaly. There is a power drain in New York City. Malick mentions the secret SHIELD safe house. He asks for hunters and says he’ll personally see to it they’re all wiped out. Sybil says there is a 22% chance of that working but a 100% this will be the last time the SHIELD team will be together. “The end is at hand.”
Episode 713 “What We’re Fighting For”
There is arguing at the bar. The others talk about what the Chronicoms have done, but Fitz says that doesn’t matter. They can still go to their original timeline and save it. Mack asks him if he can go back? Fitz says that’s where he was. He tells them he knows what they’ve been through hasn’t been easy, and they’ve made sacrifices, but this was the only way to save the original timeline. Everyone is angry. He continues and says they hoped they’d survive this far to give them the key to saving their world. What is the key? Kora. She’s not with them.
Fitz mentions getting the quantum converter onto the Zephyr. Coulson says they can’t go back. Fitz explains they they went back in time and branched off. They can go in between something called the Quantum Realm to get back to their timeline. Coulson clarifies that they can’t leave the people in this timeline with the Chronicoms. They’ll have to bring the Chronicoms with them.
Deke notices the device that brought Fitz over created an atomic bubble. They can just make it big enough to bring all the Chronicoms with them. Mack points out the Zephyr can’t provide that much power, but Deke says 1983 New York City can. This means someone will have to stay behind. It’s time to break up the band. Daisy says it doesn’t matter since this is their last mission together. Fitz is surprised she knew that but confirms it’s true. Sousa says he’ll stay since he belongs there. Deke interrupts him. He has the scientific knowledge to re-patch the power. He’s noticed something real developing between Sousa and Daisy, and he just wants her to be happy. He figures if Fitz and Simmons “reconnect,” they’ll hopefully see him someday. Besides, he’s kind of a rock god there.
The Zephyr takes off. The device is turned on. The Chronicoms are pulled with the Zephyr, and Deke is left in the dark with the other agents. One asks him if he’s the new guy in charge now. Deke thinks for a second and replies, “Yes.”
Fitz has to ease Simmons into remembering. Enoch had stolen a copy of the timestream. Back before the final fight at the temple (at the end of Season 5), they find Piper and Flint. They have Flint assemble a piece of the Time Monolith to help them. Fitz studied the timestream to find a way they could defeat the Chronicoms. They decided to live a life before going back to save their friends. They did so for years. Then they jumped back to the moment they left Piper and Flint. Fitz goes into the containment pod, which has been modified. Simmons asks them to protect it with their lives. She now recognizes Fitz and knows she’s still forgotten something.
They still have to do some things to take care of. Fitz, Simmons, Yo-Yo, and Sousa dress in hazmat suits posing as the reinforcements at the temple. Coulson, May, Mack, and Daisy are out in space in the Zephyr. The Chronicoms detect the Zephyr from the past and shoot at it before it disappears, and blow up the temple. The current Zephyr lands on top of a Chronicom ship. Daisy starts fighting Chronicoms as Mack and Coulson go find Kora. Sybil grabs Coulson and is going to reprogram him. He says it doesn’t matter because Fitz and Simmons are now at the Lighthouse. She orders all hunters to strike the Lighthouse and all SHIELD locations. Coulson smiles and says they just needed her to enter her authorization. May smashes down through the ceiling and it’s a big fight.
Malick and Daisy fight. He says he’s studied her history and all the enemies she’s faced. He’s honored to be the last. Mack finds Kora in the power transfer chair and brings her to the Chronciom control room. Chronicoms are banging outside the control room of the Lighthouse where Fitz, Simmons, Yo-Yo, and Sousa are. The plan is for May to give the Chronicoms empathy. She goes to the command interface as Kora powers up. A blast comes down near the Lighthouse and the Chronicoms there stop and look up. After the light show, Yo-Yo asks if they’re friends or enemies, and they reply friends as they drop their weapons.
They start to leave and see Daisy fighting Malick. Mack tells Coulson they have to let her do her part. Daisy tells Malick that Kora has now purged all the Chronicom data from the planet. Mission accomplished. He pins her to the wall and says the ships are about to vaporize all her friends. There’s no way she can kill him without killing herself. She says “That’s the idea.” She unleashes her powers and Malick is sent back into a power core. The ship explodes.
Daisy’s body floats in space but is recovered. Kora manages to revive her with some of her powers. Mack thanks Kora. Coulson says, “This is what we’re fighting for.” Daisy finishes by saying “Family.”
Fitz and Simmons run to the containment pod. Piper is confused and asks if they were guarding the thing for nothing. Fitz says, “No, you were guarding our everything.” At the back is another door. Inside is a little girl, lying in a makeshift bed. It’s their daughter. Flashbacks are shown of the three living a life together.
One Year Later
Coulson, Daisy, Yo-Yo, May, FItz and Simmons come into the bar. Mack is late. He says there was a situation in Moscow that needed his attention. When Simmons asks, he says it’s classified. Daisy asks him if he’s used to where he’s at. Mack says it’s weird to have a view. Is Yo-Yo still stationed there? She says she’s on assignment, chasing an 084. Mack explains how she’s their most decorated agent, but Yo-Yo says it’s because she has a good team. Simmons asks May if she’s enjoying her “new profession.” May says she hates it, but Coulson corrects her. May says, “I fought aliens, demons, and androids. This is the first time in my life I’ve ever been this exhausted.”
Fitz gives May an “Amen to that.” Daisy asks him what he knows about being exhausted since he’s retired. Fitz points to her and says, “Only someone without kids would say that.” They talk about their daughter. Everyone has been sending gifts. They even received a nice letter from Agent Sousa. Daisy jokes about how he does that, and she just got him a typewriter. Things are going well with Daisy and Sousa. She’s been catching him up. She showed him ET and says he cried like a baby. He also keeps calling themselves astro-ambassadors.
What about Coulson? He was going to take a year off. He mentions he can always turn himself off, but he’s going to take time and continue his reassessment. May says after his sabbatical, she could use him. Mack says he could too. Daisy mentions there’s a nice bunk available for him on the Zephyr-3. Coulson says he’ll keep that in mind.
Then Daisy flickers. Yo-Yo says she has to get going. She’s about to reach the drop zone. May has a group waiting. Daisy says she’s about to lose signal because they just entered a nebula. Simmons votes they make this a tradition. Mack agrees, they can’t lose touch after everything they’ve survived. The joking continues for a bit, and they even bring up Deke’s name.
Yo-Yo turns off her device, and she’s in the back of a speeding car with Piper and a Davis LMD. She gets out and runs to the location. May asks Coulson to stop by and talk to the newcomers. When she shuts off, Flint is behind her. She’s teaching at the SHIELD Coulson Academy. Fitz and Simmons have to leave because their daughter was kicking Fitz. Mack tells Coulson the device is at HQ. He shuts off and is wearing a Nick Fury trenchcoat on top of a helicarrier.
Daisy and Coulson are left. She tells him it’s not the same without these guys. She asks him if he’s really just out seeing the world. He says there are places he wanted to go. She reminds him what he did here. There are people out there who are lost and full of promise. If he doesn’t find them, who will? Coulson asks how her new recruit is. She says she’s doing great. She’s been through a lot, but it’s funny what can happen when someone believes in you. She leaves and is in the Zephyr with Sousa. He asks if they’re good. Kora is in the co-pilot’s seat and calls them forward. They marvel at the beautiful lights from the nebula.
Coulson opens a briefcase. There’s a device in there and some keys. Hitting the key fob, he finds the Lola. He gets in, puts on sunglasses, turns it on, and sets it to flying mode. The cherry red Corvette transforms, turns black, and lifts up. “Cool.” Coulson flies away.
Thoughts
It’s still hard to believe it’s over. Even though it’s only been seven years, it feels much longer than that. Perhaps it was the hours watching the show with my daughter or the countless times I was fortunate enough to be able to interview the cast. This journey feels much longer.
It is a bittersweet ending. It’s understandable why Fitz and Simmons would want to retire with their daughter. It’s not really clear why the others couldn’t continue to work together. They are pretty much all still involved with SHIELD. It is a different world so perhaps they staying as the same group might not work. It’s sad that they don’t really see each other anymore. A year had passed and they could only meet via high-tech SHIELD VR. They made plans to do this in another year, meaning they likely won’t see each other before.
Also, couldn’t they jump over to the other timeline and bring Deke back?
It’s been a fun ride. The show has evolved so much. We’ve been through so much with them. It is a nice send off for them. There is the chance we could hopefully see them someday. Let’s hope Marvel Studios won’t just sweep them under the rug since they didn’t have anything to do with producing the show. We need a spin-off. We need to see these characters again. It’s hard to think of not having these characters in our lives.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to curl up into a ball and continue to process all this.
A big thanks to the cast and crew of Agents of SHIELD.
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