By The Nerdling

With great power come a great mental break with reality.

SPOILERS FOR AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. AND INFINITY WAR

(Spoilers can no longer be avoided, sorry)

Earth’s New Mightiest Hero?

Arriving on the Confederacy’s ship, Talbot makes it very clear he will not kowtow to the group of aliens and claims the ship as his own.  Qovas is not amused, but quickly bends the knee after Talbot crumbles a Scavenger into a little ball.  You would think it would take more than just a minor display of power to take over a massive alien ship, but I’m thinking Qovas knows he can manipulate the situation to his advantage if he just plays along.  Talbot demands to meet with the other members of the Confederacy, much to the chagrin of Qovas, and cleans himself up for the big meeting.  Coulson finds Hale in a cell on the ship.

Talbot and Qovas teleport to meet the rest of “The Six” where Talbott earns his place among them after absorbing the alien leader deemed the wisest of the group.  In a private meeting with Qovas and Taryan, the head of the Kasius clan and father to the future Lighthouse ruler, Talbot learns the group never intended to keep their end of the bargain struck with Hydra.  They only came to get the gravitonium and all the Inhumans before Thanos’s minions return to invade Earth.

“You are either with me, or against me.”

The mention of a new threat has Talbot ready to join the Avengers, but Taryan warns no one on Earth has the power to stop the Mad Titan.  Of course, Taryan thinks there could be a way for Talbot to become powerful enough.  All he would have to do is bond with the rest of the gravitonium on Earth.  Talbot gets the location of the element’s stores from Quinn and fills Coulson and Hale in on his plan.

Hearing the Kasius name behind the plan sets off all the alarm bells inside Coulson’s head.  The once wingman tries to explain the insane plan is going to lead to the world cracking open like an egg, but the increasingly power-hungry and paranoid General does not like his orders to be questioned.  He orders Coulson to kneel and he acquiesces, but only after Talbot uses his powers on Coulson.

S.H.I.E.L.D.’s First Rocket Ship

S.H.I.E.L.D. works to ready the Zephyr for space as Daisy arrives back at the Lighthouse.  She is greeted by a very pissed off Yo-Yo.  The two Inhumans fight, verbally and physically, over Daisy’s side mission to save Coulson and her not being around when the Lighthouse was invaded.  May breaks up the fight and has Daisy get ready to hop onboard the Zephyr.  She also issues an ultimatum to Yo-Yo; get onboard with helping Coulson or leave the Lighthouse.

Most everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. seems to be upset with one another.  Yo-Yo and Mack can’t get past the dead elephant in the room.  Mack and Fitz have their come to Jesus moment over Fitz’s reasoning saving the world means sacrifices of some have to be made.  Daisy’s demands Jemma use the Centipede Serum the DNA from her mother’s dead body to create a cure for Coulson has the biologist questioning how far they are going to safeguard one person.

To save Coulson, they need to get him back, again.  May, Daisy, Davis, Deke (who is desperate to get out of the Lighthouse) take the Zephyr on its first mission to space.  Once they arrive on the ship, Talbot sees this as a betrayal from Coulson.  Hale tries to calm Talbot down using the Hydra programing, but she is crumpled like a piece of paper.  Daisy’s powers have no effect on Graviton as he casually flings her across the room.  May holds Talbot at gun point, but all he has to do is threaten the life of Coulson and she surrenders.

The end sees Daisy, still unconscious, at the feet of Taryan.

Thoughts

Daisy confessed she is still in love and mourning for the long-gone Lincoln to Deke just before he was going to confess his love to her, poor guy.  Deke had to cover by confessing he is the grandson of Fitzsimmons and I’m hoping this means the end of that.

Loving the parallels between Talbot wanting to save the world and May and Daisy’s desperation to keep Coulson alive.  All three of them are so single-mindedly focused on doing what they think is best, they are not seeing their actions are more harmful than helpful.  And could end up destroying the world.

Last warning, SPOILERS FOR INFINITY WAR!

The Six mention Thanos’s forces invading Earth.  I think puts the show’s timeline right after the attack on New York and Scotland to retrieve the stones on Earth.  Which means the battle in Wakanda should be happening the next day.  I’m guessing we are less then 24 hours from the Snap.

Here is my theory for how the Snap and the finale (season, not series, hopefully) of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will line up:

To stop Talbot, Coulson realizes he needs to be absorbed by gravitonium and get inside Talbot’s head.  In the previous loops, May and Daisy kill Talbot before this happens which expelled the gravitonium from his body causing the massive, Earth-cracking earthquake.  Thanos snaps his fingers and Coulson disintegrates (along with Mack and Daisy) making all they did for nothing.

To break the loop, May and/or Daisy allow Coulson to be absorbed and Talbot is conquered.  Coulson survives and is expelled from the gravitonium (haven’t quite worked that one out yet), but the Snap still happens.  He, Daisy, Mack, and maybe even Deke are turned to ash.  Season six is all about the survivors trying to clean up in the wake of half of Earth’s population disappearing and the sudden appearance of a bunch of Inhumans in Hawaii.

Only two more nail-biting episodes to go!

Till Next Week!