By The Nerdling
Odd, reality-bending anomalies are keeping SHIELD busy on Earth while the hunt for Fitz continues in deep space. And then there is THAT reveal.
SPOILERS!
In the Deep
Picking up a year after the events of season five, Daisy and Jemma are in the depts of space still looking for Fitz. Not long into his journey to catch up with the rest of the SHIELD team in the future, Fitz’s ship was cut in half by another ship for reasons unknown. SHIELD found parts of the ship in their initial search. Following various leads, Jemma, Daisy, accompanied by Piper and Davis find the back half of the ship along with the cryo-chamber. But no sign of Fitz or Enoch.
Jemma speculates Fitz would head to where the cryo-chamber was manufactured to garner a new one. The problem is the factory is in deep, deep space. The small crew is exhausted and in need to return to base for a regroup and check-in. Before they can head home, a Confederacy ship finds them. They prep the ship to make the jump back to Earth using the phase harmonic teleportation device stolen from The Confederacy, but Jemma had already put in the coordinates for her Fitz hunch.
The epilogue of the episode sees Fitz with strange colored eyes speaking an alien language and working on a project.
New SHIELD, New Threat
Director Mac, along with a horde of new agents, is dealing with the appearance of strange energy anomalies popping up in Indiana. The latest one at a playground. Before the various SHIELD teams, led by May and Yo-Yo, can arrive, a large, post-apocalyptic looking man makes his way through the energy. Another man tries to follow, but becomes stuck in a concrete wall and becomes a part of it.
SHIELD arrives prompting the big guy to pull a very large gun and blast the quint jet with May onboard down. Everyone survives the crash, but the target got away. The big guy, known as Jaco, meets up with another man and a woman, Pax and Butterfly. They discuss the arrival of their leader Sarge. But his arrival spot is a museum. If he tries to come thru, he could become stuck just like the other guy. The group heads to the museum to blow it up.
At SHIELD headquarters, Mac task Agents Keller (Yo-Yo’s new, secret squeeze after Mac ended their relationship to not seem like a biased leader) and Fox to follow their hunch on the anomalies lining up with and lay lines. With Fitz missing and Jemma out looking for him, SHIELD is missing brain power. Mack and May recruit a former associate of Andrew’s, Dr. Marcus Benson to help them with the energy surges and start a new SHIELD academy.
Benson studies the man still inside the concrete wall when the man briefly comes back to life. He warns they “cannot stop it” and to “wave goodbye” before dying for real this time. A countdown timer with a set of coordinates falls out of the man’s pocket.
Mac sends May and Yo-Yo to with a group of SHIELD agents to the coordinates, the same museum Jaco, Trok, and Butterfly must blow up for the arrival of Sarge. Butterfly distracts SHIELD long enough for Pax and Jaco to level the building. The countdown clock strikes zero as the SHIELD team is down from the blast. A massive surge of energy blasts down and out barrels a semi-truck straight from a Mad Max movie set.
The truck comes to a halt as May tries to get her bearings. She sees Sarge exiting the truck and is shocked as he looks just like Coulson. Fox, who has been dealing with Butterfly, confusedly recognizes Sarge. “You’re from SHIELD,” Fox says. Sarge shoots Fox after replying “never heard of it.”
Thoughts
With Infinity War and Endgame, I was really unsure where the series was going to go. But judging by the premiere, AoS is looking to delay the events of the two films. Writer and producer Jed Whedon explains the series is taking place before the Snap happens. Yes, there is a mention of the events of Infinity War during season 5, but it is just best to ignore it. Essentially the show has decided it is going to work on its own timeline with the possibility of linking up with the films. This is the best move for the show who mostly works best when they don’t have to jump thru the MCU hoops. The movies ignore AoS, so just have AoS ignore them. If you need an explanation, look to the multiverse.
Last year’s emotional finale was obviously penned as a series ender. With a 6th and 7th season renewal, Maurissa Tancharoen and Whedon have taken the opportunity to hit the reset button. SHIELD is rebuilding to what it once was, minus the Hydra implants, under Mack. The series looks to be branching further out into the cosmos and taking on the multiverse hinted at in the Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer.
Then there is the wonderful twist on how to keep the series’ most popular actor, Clark Gregg (who also directed the season premiere). The definitive death of Phil Coulson was well earned. It would have been a shame to retcon a perfect ending to a great character. So how to bring back the man who is the face of the series? Make him into a completely new character from a different dimension.
Little is known about Gregg’s new character, Sarge, other than he helms from a Mad Max-like universe and shoots first. But the leader of the group infiltrating this dimension is looking to “burn it down” if the previews are to be believed.
With a fresh start and some new twists, this season of Agents of SHIELD looks promising.
See you back here next Tuesday!
The Nerdling was born in the majestic land known as Texas and currently resides there after several years of journeying through Middle Earth in a failed attempt to steal the one Ring from that annoying hobbit, serving the Galactic Empire for a time, and then a short stint as a crew member on the Serenity. Since moving back to her homeland, Nerdling flirted with a hero reputation. Saving children from the dangers of adoring domineering, sparkly vampires (champions with souls are the only vampires worth loving) and teaching normals the value of nerdom, all while rooting for her beloved Dallas Stars. Then came the Sokovia Accords and her short spell of saving others came to an end. With Darth Vader’s reputation rightfully returning to badass status, Nerdling is making her way back to the Empire. They do have cookies, you know. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram.
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