Failure is this a narrative tool, mostly because audiences do not expect things to go so wrong even when the heroes are currently winning. Such is the case with this week’s Agents of SHIELD that has Daisy barely escaping with her life and Coulson sacrificing himself to indirectly attain measures of success despite heavy losses. Even Mack, by jettisoning his parents, foiling the Chronicon’s infiltration is a success of sorts, although the rescue assignment that is supposed was a clear bust. These stories make for the season midpoints as the characters confront the most overwhelming odds framing what will be their hopeless comeback in the back half.
In the beginning, the Mackenzie family reunion looked easy, and Yoyo warning the director he was walking right into a trap by trying to free his parents appeared to be an unwarranted concern. “Where are the guards?” Viewers may have wondered. “Why were they able to walk in there and get all the way into the hangar?” Even the trust Mack managed to assemble by likening the door to some brake caliper initially seemed almost too casual, such as a emotional moment while they were on the run. But of course, Chronicoms posing as Mack’s parents were laying the trap, and there was no way since the doppelgängers weren’t acting robotic, we could have foreseen the greatest outcome.
In that sense, Agents of SHIELD linked its various story threads by gradually showing discoveries that may be applied across situations, particularly with regard to May’s ability to feel the emotions (or lack thereof) of other people. Coulson’s epiphany about the Chronicoms’ learned response was couched about her disinterest in his LMD resurrection within his conversation with May. May’s empathic powers led to Stoner having the ability to trust his captives since they rescued him by a faceless departure, but they also led to Mack having to watch his mum’s face as he pushed her out of the airplane, an injury that almost overshadows the success of stopping the Chronicon ruse.
Since their arc was a bit distressed at times, Daisy and thank goodness Sousa were on board Z1, however. Daisy’s delirious mutterings reminded us that Nathaniel’s transfusions were like what Daniel Whitehall did to her mother to steal her abilities, but though Quake’s powers were not as stable or restorative, sadly for youthful Malick, the bone-cracking results (along with the bit of glass Daisy secreted away) enabled Sousa to carry Daisy off, an escape which would have been in doubt. And was there something more to Sousa’s choice? Was that a spark of developing fondness in Daniel’s eyes? We wouldn’t object!
Coulson was given a similar opportunity when she talked so openly to him by Sybil, the Predictor. The Chronicles have been victims of their shortsightedness with regard to humanity earlier, but there is great ignorance in believing that humanity’s mortality would allow the immortal sentient machines to wait them out and take over the entire world, which Coulson’s inspirational address does a great job of demonstrating. But if the crowd was on board with death being Coulson’s superpower — and the origins of Representatives of SHIELD as a series reinforce that notion — no one could have expected his volatile way to solve the lockdown and the stirring Hunters.
This unexpectedness permeated the week’s Representatives of SHIELD, for example, explanation it provided for Simmons’ odd behavior this year. Deke may be mistaken for misunderstanding Enoch’s goals since his type is liable for all their woes. It had been unclear to the audiences what was happening unless they freeze-framed the computer display, which clarified what the implant was doing. There was plenty of tension surrounding the repairs, but even more, drama was provided from the reminder that Fitz was where he could see the moves the Chronicoms made all.
Whether Deke can keep the secret of Simmons’ knowledge or the memory surfaces, there is a sense of foreboding before Daisy is seen recovering from the health care pod. In reality, this fear leads perfectly into the biggest shock of that Mack and Deke have been left behind in an era between the present and 1976! Agents of SHIELD has pulled us deeper and deeper into its time travel narrative in season 7, and even though, such as May, we’ve got full confidence that Coulson will somehow live and that Mack and Deke will find their way back into the group, the consequences raise the stakes over and over, week after week.