Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. doubled up on their promise to kill off a cast member in Tuesday’s two-part season finale. In case you missed it, here’s what went down.
SPOILER WARNING: If you clicked the headline, you must want to know, but spoilers for the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season three finale “Absolution”/”Ascension” follow.
This season of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been all about setting up an ultimate confrontation between the agents and the Hydra-worshipped alien entity known as Hive, played by Brett Dalton — his third incarnation on the show. The finale sees Hive’s master plan finally revealed — he’s going to explode a Terrigen-tinged warhead in Earth’s atmosphere. Can the team stop him before he turns millions of humans into ugly weirdo Alpha Primatives, and what must they sacrifice to do so?
Now, if you’ve been following the show since the mid-season premiere, you’ll know all about Daisy’s vision in which she saw a Quinjet in space with a bloodied cross-pendant floating ominously inside.
All of that, of course, is designed to make you think the necklace’s owner, Secret Warriors newb Yo-Yo (Natalie Cordova-Buckley), would be the one to bite the big one. But by the time Hive puts his plan into action, Yo-Yo is incapacitated and the necklace is in Daisy’s possession.
Ultimately, Hive’s plan is semi-thwarted, but the only way to stop the nuke is by flying it into space. Daisy reflects on her vision, and realizes she’s the one who’s destined to commandeer the Quinjet and fly the warhead into Earth’s orbit where it can detonate safely — a final atonement for evils she committed under Hive’s control.
Hold up! Is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. really about to kill off Chloe Bennet’s Daisy/Skye/Quake!? OF COURSE NOT. Lincoln (Luke Mitchell) isn’t going to let his lady go out like that. “This is my purpose. I know that now,” he tells Daisy after stealing the Quinjet (and the cross necklace) with Hive and the warhead on board.
Just as Lincoln tells Daisy that he loves her, the communications systems malfunction, leaving her hysterical as the plane and warhead explode, killing Lincoln and Hive, but saving millions. “He died for our mistakes,” says Coulson.
Lincoln’s death is significant, and fans will be sad to see him go — especially the shippers who loved him with Daisy — but the character isn’t crucial. The tougher loss for longtime S.H.I.E.L.D. devotees is the last remnants of Grant Ward being blown to bits — we may finally have seen the last of actor Brett Dalton on the show.
With Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in for a tonal and narrative shift next season — it’s being bumped to 10PM to allow the writers “more creative license,” i.e. potentially more mature subject matter — don’t expect to see Marvel pull a comic book-y gimmick to revive either of the characters.
Lincoln, way to be a hero. Grant Ward/Hive, suck it.
