SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers from the Agents of SHIELD episode “The End.” Proceed with caution.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. delivered an incredible season finale this week, complete with deaths, promotions, and a wickedly cinematic fight scene that could fit right with the Marvel movie universe.
In “The End”, Daisy was tested as Director over her love for Coulson, Fitz and Simmons broke their rule of never being apart, and Talbot AKA Graviton believed so fully in his delusions of grandeur that he risked splitting the world in half to defeat Thanos.
Let’s jump into the biggest moments from this episode.
Director Daisy
When Coulson put Daisy in charge, she wasn’t afraid to make the hard calls. That was until she had to choose between saving Coulson or saving the world. After recovering the centipede serum and her mother’s DNA, Daisy had a formidable cocktail to either boost her own powers or heal Coulson. She wanted to heal Coulson, but someone needed to take Graviton down.
With Graviton on a rampage in Chicago, Daisy knew she had to make a decision. She couldn’t make it without Coulson, however, and together they decided to save the world. Coulson appeared to have taken the serum to convince the team, but really, Daisy had it hidden in her gauntlets.
Daisy then promoted Mack to Director — since he was the man with the biggest heart — and suited up to bring down Graviton. What ensued was one of the greatest “final boss battles” Agents of SHIELD has ever filmed.
Broken buildings, the SHIELD team rescuing people like the Avengers did in Sokovia, Daisy and Graviton engaged in a wicked battle like Neo and Agent Smith in The Matrix, it was something to behold. Daisy then injected herself with the serum and sent Graviton flying into the atmosphere.
Daisy saved the day, she changed the timeline, and didn’t destroy the world. Guess she can’t be called the “Destroyer of Worlds” anymore, thank God.
Coulson Lives?
Daisy and Coulson’s ruse worked only long enough to get everyone in the field. Coulson didn’t last more than a few minutes on his feet. Yo-Yo, who had advocated against giving Coulson the serum, used her lightning-fast reflexes to give Coulson chest compressions that brought him back to life. While it seemed like she saved him, she only gave him enough time to make on final trip.
That trip? That “spy’s goodbye” drop off location? None other than Tahiti, the magical place where Coulson once believed he went to recover after Loki stabbed him through the chest right before the Battle for New York. Now Coulson can go of his own free will and die in peace — if he dies at all — there’s still a sixth season to consider.
The fact that Coulson ended up in the real Tahiti is just icing on this proverbial Marvel cake. Tahiti, where else would he want to spent his last days?
Tahiti is what started this show to begin with. Coulson’s mysterious resurrection and his “trip to Tahiti”. He never went to Tahiti, as he learned in Season 1, rather, T.A.H.I.T.I. was code for Nick Fury’s Avengers resurrection program.
It wasn’t a magical place for Coulson then, because it was so painful, but it sure is a magical place now. Coulson was joined by Agent May, who finally admitted that she’s loved him this entire time. Whether Coulson lives for a day, a week, or a year, May will be there with him and we’ll find out his fate next season. We still hope that #CoulsonLives.
Finding Fitz
The episode had one more loose end to tie up, and that was Fitz. At first, his death felt like the worst thing the show has ever done. Why kill Fitz? Why end a character who has so fiercely represented the power of love and resilience on this show?
And then came Coulson’s words, “And now he’s frozen, out in space somewhere,” and Jemma’s reply, “he’ll be disoriented, but he’ll be so happy to know that time is not fixed.” SO, Fitz is not dead. PHEW!
Here’s the silver lining in all of this. The version of Fitz that died, is the version that hurt Daisy. He’s the version of Fitz who compromised the base. The version of him that’s frozen is the Fitz that was left in the diner. The Fitz that spent months working with Hunter trying to get back to Simmons.
No, this version of Fitz never asked Jemma to marry him, but I’m sure it will be the first thing he says when he wakes up — when she finds him. To take a page from Once Upon a Time, a show who aired their final episode this week, Fitz and Simmons are like Snow and Charming. They will always find each other.
Coulson’s last words to Simmons echo the likely narrative for Season 6: “I have not a single doubt, that you will find him.”
Agents of SHIELD will return in the summer of 2019.
