One of the first lessons you learn as you go through life is that making decisions gets harder as you get older. Now for us, those kind of decisions can be simple ones like, “pepperoni or sausage,” or difficult ones like “Watch the Big Bang Theory or get that root canal I’ve been putting off?”
Decisions like those, while important, will not affect your life in a significant way. For the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., their decision is much more difficult and life-altering:
“Save Phil Coulson or save the world?”
“The Force of Gravity” gave us some very cool moments (more about that kiss in a little bit), but it ended with that very question being pondered by the rest of the team after Coulson goes down during the escape from the alien ship. Thanks to FitzSimmons, they have the Centipede Serum and the Odium to save Coulson. Which is great news, except Talbot has gone full super villain at this point – and the serum could stop him. There’s only enough serum to do one of these things, not both. The decision will have to be made at this point and it’s not going to be a easy one.
Who will make the call?
Phil is in no shape to make the decision, so who will make the call? Let’s go down the choices one by one:
Melinda – First things first. That kiss. PHILLINDA KISS. Five seasons of tension boiling over in one moment as after escaping their cell with the help of Deke, Phil plants one on May to get her to “shut up”. Sure Coulson. Sure.
“I thought that might shut you up.”
❤️#AgentsofSHIELD pic.twitter.com/UnNYLTUi8P— Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (@AgentsofSHIELD) May 12, 2018
Don’t know which was better : The kiss or Daisy’s teasing of Coulson about it afterward. “Copy that, Hot Lips,” had me chuckling as soon as Daisy said it after the kiss.
To say this kiss was long overdue is a understatement. May and Coulson have had feelings for each other since the beginning of the show, and after multiple close calls they finally had their moment. Now it would be heartbreaking if May had to be the one to choose to save Coulson or stop Talbot. The answer lies in if Melinda follows her head or her heart.
Daisy – Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D loves putting their characters through the wringer, and none more so than Daisy Johnson. Through the season, we’ve gotten glimpses of the future team leader Phil sees inside her. For all these years, Daisy has seen Coulson more as a father figure than as a leader. Having to choose between her father and the world would be the ultimate decision for Daisy, and the one that could make “the Destroyer of Worlds” into “the Savior of Worlds”.
FitzSimmons – Fitz and Simmons make the centipede serum but also acknowledge they were the ones that figured out there’s only enough for one dosage. Earlier in the episode, they talked to each other about how in the time loop , the earth was doomed because they “tried” to save Coulson. FitzSimmons decide not to try but actually cure Coulson of his illness. I love how no matter what decisions they have to make now, they are making them together. Time loops be damned.
Mack/Yo-Yo – Mack has been strongly anti-killing ever since the team’s return from the future. Of all the team, he would be the most likely choice to choose to save Coulson. On the flip side, Yo-Yo has been on the side of not saving Coulson. After all, if your arm-less future self told you something, you would probably more apt to listen.
The fights
Mack and Yo-Yo confronted Talbot after the maniac went to go visit his family. After a few useless attempts, Talbot flew away promising to become even more powerful.
That wasn’t even the best fight scene of the episode as May fought the head alien Qovas after Coulson and Daisy escaped. Melinda May is a warrior princess and this fight was just example 3,112 of that. However, smarts prevails here for the agents as Deke redirects the missiles fired from the ship back to the ship just as he and May teleport back to safety on the Zephyr. (If you have ever seen Star Trek VI, you’ll know which scene was inspiration for this one.)
So after the penultimate episode, on one side we have a team shell-shocked without their leader. On the other side is a power-crazed Glenn Talbot, who has taken Robin and Polly hostage so he can find more Gravitonium.
With season finales, you know someone is always going to die and there will be a few tears shed as well. So when the final battle happens, who will be left standing? Will the team sacrifice Coulson to save the world or sacrifice the world to save Coulson?
The only thing I can tell you is that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D will not shy away from answering that question.
QUICK THOUGHTS:
- Daisy escapes Kasius’s daddy’s trap pretty easily after a little bit of banter. I got to say, Kasius’s family tree is full of dumb stumps.
- Sassy Fitz is my favorite Fitz.
- Poor puppy Deke still has it bad for Daisy and the man wears his heart on his sleeve. Hopefully Season 6 (if we get one) explores this even more and gives them a chance.
- More Infinity War tie-ins as Talbot’s family sees the destruction from the beginning battle in New York. Meaning the end of the movie twist is very close to happening on SHIELD time.
- Oh god, what if what happened in Infinity War happens in the finale?????!!!!!
- Still no news on whether AoS will have a sixth season ,but all I can say is to keep hope alive for it.
The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D season 5 finale airs on Friday night, May 18th at 9/8 Central on ABC.