Agents of Shield Season 4 Episode 21 Impressions

So the season finale is literally around the corner and episode 21 did a great job is setting it up.

The team woke up and is currently split up; Daisy and Simmons are aboard the Zephyr along with Elena, Piper, Davis and Prince and trying not to get shot out of the sky, May and Coulson are on the oil rig along with Mack and multiple Robo-Superior and finally Fitz has been teleported to a beach with AIDA / Ophelia. It’s safe to say that none of them are particularly safe.

Coulson and May: There were so many amazing Philinda moments and clearly, things have changed for Coulson, you can see it in his face, in his hesitation when May asks him what happened with her Robo-self. For May, However, not much has changed, except for the whole ‘living two lives’ thing. Her ‘real’ life was on pause as soon as she was kidnapped and placed into the Framework. At some point (probably sooner rather than later) Coulson will have to tell her what really happened between him and Robo-May, they have to start being honest about their feelings and stop beating around the bush if they have any hope of being together.

Daisy: She didn’t have much to do this episode, it was more about May, Coulson, Fitz, Simmons and Elena. But now we know that AIDA and the Superior crushed Mace’s body to make it look like Daisy attacked and killed him. Looks like she’s back to being a terrorist, at least as far as the public is concerned.

Elena: Elena’s having a tough few days, finding out that Coulson, Mack and Fitz had also been switched and then finding out that they were being held in a virtual world and then the real straw was that Mack had not woken up. She’s having a tough time being objective (which is understandable) She has one goal, find and rescue Mack and that’s easier said than done. At the end of the episode, she’s plugged herself into the Framework and woken up strapped to a bed with the world going up in flames around her.

Jemma: Like Daisy, Jemma didn’t have much to do either in this episode, save for worrying about Fitz and then shooting both him and AIDA to incapacitate them. I need Simmons to put on her scientist hat again.

Fitz: He’s having a hell of a week. His father died in the Framework, then he woke up and realised that not only did kill a bunch of nameless and faceless potential inhumans in the Framework but he also killed Mace and then tortured Daisy (something everyone seems to have forgotten. “Beaten to within an inch of her life” remember that?)

AIDA/Ophelia: Well, for a while, there was a slim chance that, freed from her directives, she might exercise her free-will for more noble endeavours, but all that came crashing down. She is experiencing a whole spectrum of emotions. Humans have years to get used to them, she didn’t. She went from zero to 100 and she has no idea how to handle them. She also has no idea how to handle rejection. Faced with her very first, she flies off the handle and proceeds to kill people.

Plus she now has Inhuman powers! The ones we know for sure about are Gordon’s teleportation and Lincoln’s ability to control electricity. But she can also heal but it’s not like Jiaying, where she needs to absorb another person’s life force in order to heal. So we don’t know where this particular power comes from.

The biggest idiot on the show is without a doubt, Talbot. He’s seen Shield at work and knows what was happening behind the scenes. He’s not like the public who only know what they see and read in the news. And yet, time and again, he chooses to believe the worst of them. It’s why he often comes out looking like a fool. when Coulson is right ends up saving the world from a threat Talbot didn’t even know existed.

Agents of Shield Season 4 Episodes 21 and 22 Theories

Things we know from episode 20 and the promo for 21:

AIDA now has a human body, free will and emotions.

She took Fitz with her and can teleport.

May and Coulson will have to square off against The Superior and guns probably don’t work on him anymore.

Daisy and Simmons will find the submarine and attempt to save May and Coulson and probably Mack.

So then, where to begin… Let’s start with AIDA, now that she has everything she wanted, I think she’s going to start regretting it very soon. She went from no emotion to an emotion overload. With regard to her teleportation abilities, I think she briefly appears in the same space that Robbie was sucked into. That’s probably how he makes a come back in episode 22. AIDA has become a complete product of the Darkhold and the only one who can combat that damn book is the Ghost Rider.

AIDA also took Fitz with her, now it is unclear whether, given time, he would have gone with her willingly or not. But for now, we have to assume that AIDA either has real feelings for him or that she still needs him for something. I’m pretty sure it’s not the former, since we know that she’s manipulative as hell. I’m banking on the latter because she clearly tells Fitz that she wants to remake this world into something better. She’s now a certifiable psychopath and the sooner that Fitz gets away from the better.

I expect Fitz to be stuck with AIDA till episode 22 when Robbie makes a comeback. i don’t know how much a reunion Fitz and Simmons will have in the real world considering that he’s still reeling from everything he did in the Framework. It is clear that the guilt will be overpowering for him, however I don’t see him actively helping AIDA anymore. I think AIDA will play into his guilt to make him feel isolated, cutting him off from the Team and Simmons. So we’ll probably see AIDA trying to manipulate him some more in episode 21 and then finally some much needed FitzSimmons scenes in 22.

The Superior has a brand new body and no strings controlling him anymore. This one’s a bad seed, no other way to look at him. I think that Coulson and May will manage to escape with Daisy and Jemma, leaving the door open for a Daisy and Superior boss match. These two are more evenly matched now and it should be an epic showdown. Technically, Superior went after Coulson but what he really hates are Inhumans and in Daisy, he has a representation for everything he hates. My only concern is that she’s still injured from her fight against Robo-Mace, Mack and Coulson, her arm is still in a sling and it’s only been 10 days since then, not nearly enough time to recover from two bullet wounds. If there is a fight between them in episode 22, it won’t be as one sided as their previous encounter.

I don’t see Trip or Ward making a come back in the 2 remaining episodes. For one, they aren’t listed in the guest stars and two, I don’t think either of them is coming back to the real world. I think the character that might actually step into the Real World is Hope. For one, she’s listed as a guest star for episode 22 and since Radcliff is still alive in the Framework and knows about the tech, who’s to say that he doesn’t help bring Hope into the Real World? It would certainly work for Mack and give at least one of them the happy ending they deserve.

I also don’t think we’ll be going into the Framework anymore even though Mack is still in there. I’m not sure how Mack will leave the Framework now that Daisy is no longer there to activate the backdoor. Also, what could prompt Mack to leave Hope behind, unless she’s not there anymore and is instead aboard that submarine, having been given a real body. If that does happen to Hope, then she has my sympathies, that’s got to be some confusing shit.

Episode 22 will also see an appearance by General Talbot, I expect that Coulson and the team will approach him for assistance and also update him on everything that’s happened since we last saw him. I don’t think Talbot is going to be very happy but then he never is, not where Shield is involved. I’m not sure how much help he will be considering that they’re dealing with the Darkhold. Could it be that some old faces may be coming back like Hunter and Bobbi. I know that their names aren’t in the guest stars list but what if the writers are keeping it under wraps? Because how else is Talbot going to help against the Darkhold?

So close to the end, the show isn’t really giving us any time with the characters to really explore the impact of the Framework on their psyche. It’s one thing to know that you were in a virtual reality but another to process that and your actions in that virtual world. I’m hoping the writers don’t gloss that over. We need a season 5 to fully explore the fallout of the Framework and the way it’s going to affect all of them once the dust settles. As long as they’re fighting AIDA, the Darkhold and the Superior, they’re busy. It’s only once that the crises are averted that they’ll have quiet time and that’s when it’s going to hit them.

So far, the only person we’ve seen struggle is Fitz but not much from May who was just as willing a participant as Fitz in the Framework Hydra. I think it will be interesting to see how the erasure of her one big regret plays out now that she’s had a glimpse into a reality where she made a different call. With May, it could go either way, she could go back to the closed-off person she was or she could finally throw off all that baggage and really open up to Coulson, to Daisy.

As much as I love the FitzSimmons drama, I’ve always found the Philinda-Daisy dynamic more interesting. I want more Philinda-Daisy moments in the two remaining episodes. I also think we’ll see more Daisy and Simmons team-ups in the bid to get Fitz back.

P.S. – I loved the Framework Ward and would have loved more scenes with him and Daisy but that last scene with them in episode 19 was as close to closure as we’re going to get with regard to Grant Ward. In a way, I’m happy for him, for one, he’s still alive as long as the Framework is running and second, I hope he really did get back his version of Skye, the one who loved him just as much as he loved her. In hindsight, that seems unlikely since Daisy jumped into the backdoor, I think as soon as Daisy left the Framework, Skye ceased to exist.

Agents of Shield Season 4 Episode 20 – Brief Impressions

Well these Framework episodes turned out to be epic emotional roller-coasters and episode 20 was no different. Brief impressions:

Well, the minute this conversation was over, it was obvious that Jemma was going to go after Fitz. But bless Daisy’s naive heart that it never struck her. Also, I love the dynamic between these two badass ladies. More on that later.

This evil Fitz gets on my nerves. Sorry, I know the performance is great but I think the evil Fitz story-line may have overstayed its welcome. I was so done with this.

Daisy’s happiness at seeing Trip and then hugging them so enthusiastically was one of the best parts of the episode. I loved their friendship in season 2 and was glad to see them interact here.

Also this:

So many amazing Trip-Daisy moments. Trip’s increasing dismay that he didn’t hook-up with any of these lovely ladies and Daisy’s just like, ‘Nope, didn’t happen.” And honestly, I think Chloe Bennet has amazing chemistry with pretty much every cast member.

Another gem:

Coulson behaving like a little boy who’s in trouble, Daisy’s exasperation and May’s long suffering expression. I loved seeing this version of Coulson, reminded me of season 1 before AoS started to get darker.

This episode had so many painful good-byes and this was the first among them. Seeing Daisy leave Trip behind while also not wanting to tell him that he’s no longer alive in the Real World, so painful and so wonderfully acted by B.J. Britt and Chloe Bennet.

The Philinda was strong in this one. This relationship has had one hell of a build-up and it will be so disappointing if nothing comes of it. Also, Coulson is so gentle with her…

Radcliff’s redemption arc is complete. He brings Fitz to the backdoor and pushes him into it. I didn’t buy that whole ‘intrigued by immortality’ bait. He has nothing left to live for, I saw him still trying to save Fitz, someone he genuinely came to see as a son.

The most painful scene in the entire damn episode and maybe the Framework Pod. From the very beginning, it was obvious that the one person who would have the toughest time getting out was Mack because of Hope. I appreciate that Daisy was honest with him and didn’t try to force or coerce him into going with her. These two were partners in season 3 and became really close and you can see the heartbreak on her face. Bennet and Simmons were so good in this scene.

In other news, AIDA is a real girl now and can also teleport, Yaay! Just what the team needs. Mallory Jensen deserves a shout-out, she has been outstanding this entire season. Every character that she’s had to play, she’s played so well. Every character was so distinct, so kudos to her.

Agents of Shield Season 4 Episode 18

Wow, this final arc is full of one sucker punch after another. We had a death in the previous episode and a big one in episode 18.

This is probably one of the best batch of episodes that AoS has ever had. It would be a shame if ABC did not renew it for another season at least.

This episode had some great moments. The most notable among them was this:

When Fitz and Ophelia are looking at Daisy through the glass and Fitz says, “Beaten to within an inch of her life, nevertheless she persisted.”Great nod AOS writers.

We met Fitz’s father, Alistair Fitz and he was every bit the tool that we expected him to be and he is a tool that AIDA has put in place to make sure that Fitz’s programming remains undamaged. There are verbal and tactile cues that she uses and they are easy to spot. It’s like Fitz has been conditioned, subconsciously, to seek out physical touch. He reaches out to both Ophelia and Alistair every time he gets agitated and immediately after that he seems more calm.

I hate seeing Daisy so beat up. This was fun to watch at all. And that scene where Fitz hit her… That was just wrong on so many counts! But there were interesting bits when she and AIDA were speaking. For one, the avatar speaking to her is AIDA, she puts on no pretense for once. Through their conversation, AIDA loses her composure twice.

First, when Daisy calls her the puppet master and then then, a little later, when she asks her what she gets out of all this. It makes me think that AIDA is completely convinced that what she’s done and doing is right. She’s not really doing anything wrong. She says as much. I think her end goal remains becoming more human, gaining the ability to feel. She doesn’t hate the others the way she does Radcliff.

Also glad to know that a backdoor does indeed exist and now Daisy knows where it is. I don’t see Radcliff surviving very long in the Framework. He did something that could be seen as redeeming and that is usually a sign that the character is not going to stick around for much longer.

Mack and Hope’s bond is so touching and heart-breaking at the same time. And Ward said that pertinent. Jemma claims that none of this real but it is real for May, Mace and Mack. Unlike Coulson, they have no memories of their lives outside the Framework. For Mack, his daughter and his love for her is very real, for Mace, his fight for justice and equality is real and it means something to him. This is a strange world which isn’t real and yet isn’t completely fake either.

A lot of people saw Mace’s sacrifice coming but that did not make it hurt any less. In the real world, he felt inadequate and like a fraud, but in the Framework, he was everything he wanted to be. And his end was fittingly heroic. It was well-earned death and one that didn’t feel cheap.

it also served as a wake up call for May. She’s not completely awake and I doubt she remembers anything from the real world. But what she witnesses, makes her pause and re-evaluate her allegiance to HYDRA. For instance, she was genuinely horrified when she saw that there were children in the building. At her heart, May is a protector and what she saw was in contrast to her core trait, that I think the dissonance started there and then got progressively worse.

Which brings me to the end of the episode, when AIDA comes to check-in on her hostages and she notices that Mace is dead.

Her expression implies confusion, like she can’t imagine how he died when he was in the perfect world. This is a clear sign that Madam HYDRA are two separate entities that sometimes converge but not always. If she is indeed Madam HYDRA, then there is no reason for her to be confused at his death especially when she was in the room when Fitz ordered the hit. I think Madam HYDRA is more autonomous than AIDA intended her to be. Could it be that Madam HYDRA becomes AIDA’s downfall. What if Ophelia has AIDA’s dream of becoming real but that’s where the similarities end and she is actually looking for a way out just like the team?

The epilogue shows us May talking to Daisy and then breaking a terrigenisis crystal in the room. That little smirk that Daisy gives May in return for her small smile was everything! I’ve missed their interactions and I hope we see some great moments between them. I don’t know whether Daisy’s powers will the same as they were in the real world or if they will be different. After all, there AIDA’s changed so much in the Framework, why not this as well.

I am also very pleased to be right about the whole ‘ teaming up with an unlikely partner’ I had a feeling that it would be May and it will indeed be her. I can’t wait to see the team all together once again. It has been so long.

Also Trip was back finally!!!! So happy to see him!!

Agents of Shield Season 4 Episodes 19 and 20 – Theories

AOS 4×19 – All The Madame’s Men
Daisy finds herself teamed up with an unlikely partner. Meanwhile, Aida prepares to put her ultimate end game into effect. 


Guest starring are Brett Dalton as Grant Ward, Mallory Jansen as Madame Hydra/Aida, Jordan Rivera as Hope Mackenzie, David Weiss as serious man, Patrick Cavanaugh as Burrows, Zach McGowan as The Superior, David O’Hara as Alistair, Ben Cain as Hydra agent, Andy Comeau as Hydra doctor and Kavita Patil as Mrs. Lee. 


AOS 4×20 – Farewell, Cruel World
Daisy and Simmons race against the clock to get the team out of the Framework, but not everyone is ready to leave.



Guests: Natalia Cordova-Buckley, Mallory Jansen, Jordan Rivera, Briana Venskus, Maximilian Osinski, Patrick Cavanaugh, David O’Hara, Ricardo Walker, Rheagan Wallace, Richard Whiten

We have the synopsis for episodes 19 and 20. 19 states that Daisy will team up with an unlikely partner and while I hope that it’s Trip or Hunter, I’m not entirely convinced it will be either of them. For one, we still haven’t seen Trip or Hunter, there also hasn’t been any mention of them. They are either working for HYDRA or they are with Shield Resistance. Either way, they wont have enough time to set-up either of them as an unlikely partner. Also, notice, the synopsis says ‘partner’ and not ‘ally’.

For that reason, I have a feeling that it will be May. The Framework has set her up to be the third in command, she hates the Inhumans and probably also hates Daisy now that she knows that not only did she betray HYDRA but that she’s also a potential Inhuman. With episode 18, I guess we’ll see some interaction between May and Daisy which will cause her to question her existence. She also has a fight with Mace after getting juiced up and we don’t yet know whether the effects are permanent or temporary. It could be that something happens during the fight that causes her to wake up partially. Maybe she sees Coulson? Who knows, but I suspect that the “unlikely partner” is May.

The ultimate game could be a whole host of things. Madam HYDRA is AIDA in the Framework, she knows who’s where and what they’re doing. That’s why I was a little surprised when she didn’t immediately figure out that Daisy and Jemma had hacked in. I’m sure that their very presence created ripples of chaos in her carefully laid out plans. But that aside, since she knows pretty much everything, she could have set up contingencies in the event that someone wakes up and tries to leave the Framework. But it says AIDA and not Madam Hydra, could the ‘ultimate plan’ be something that comes into play in the real world, like the Daisy Fleet? This doesn’t seem too likely, since we probably won’t see the real world before episode 20.

I don’t think we’ll see Ward betray Daisy and company because we’ve already had that once. I think it’s more likely that the some members of the team will unwittingly do AIDA’s bidding, like some subconscious programming. Fitz will be a part of this ultimate endgame and another key player might be Mace. With Fitz, we know that he’s been ‘programmed’ to protect Ophelia, HYDRA and the Framework. Mace might just turn out to be her smoking gun. The leader of the Inhuman Resistance who’s been selling out Inhumans and potential Inhumans. Another candidate is Mack. Any threat to Hope basically guarantees his assistance and co-operation as we already saw in episode 17. But it seems unlikely for that very reason.

With regard to episode 20, Farewell, Cruel World, this is where the team will finally manage to get out of the Framework, but it will be towards the end of the episode. This leads me to think that AIDA’s endgame didn’t work or the team managed to beat it. Getting out of the Framework will mean that those who were fully immersed in this world, may not want to get back to the real world.

I don’t really see May or Coulson wanting to live in the Framework. May is too practical a person and in fact, she maybe more at peace now that she knows that she made the right decision when she killed that Inhuman girl. Coulson will be more sure of his place in Shield and how instrumental he is within it. He’s the one who brought the team together and without him, it’s just not the same. He’s the catalyst.

That leaves Mack and Mace. Mack is the one I see having the most problems, He finally has his daughter back. He may not want to lose her a second time. Mace may not want to leave because he finally has a purpose here, something he lacks in the real world and that pinches him.

Either way Daisy and Jemma have their hands full. With May, it will probably be Daisy and/or Coulson who finally get through to her. I just really want a scene between May and Daisy and remembering what they mean to each other. Maybe have Daisy say that May was the mother she always needed? And with regard to Fitz, it will probably be Jemma. But especially with Fitz, I think things will get worse before they better. Expect him to be more cruel and ruthless in his pursuit to stick to his altered memories before he starts to realise that the his Framework ‘life’ is a lie.