The following contains spoilers for the episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that ABC originally aired on May 17, 2016.
Hive and Grant Ward are dead. Lincoln is dead. Coulson is no longer the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Daisy went rogue. Dr. Radcliffe didn’t go to jail and he’s about to launch the old Life Model Decoy program.
A dark vision will forever change the future of S.H.I.E.L.D. The #AgentsofSHIELD season finale is TONIGHT at 9|8c. https://t.co/fTZImvd75B
— Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (@AgentsofSHIELD) May 17, 2016
The two-hour Season 3 finale consisted of Episode 21 (“Absolution”) and Episode 22 (“Ascension”) airing back-to-back.
Hive and S.H.I.E.L.D.
While few things ever seen to be definite or permanent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s hard to imagine that Brett Dalton would be brought back to fight against S.H.I.E.L.D. for a fourth consecutive season, especially after the explosion and Lincoln’s sacrifice. The body of Grant Ward no longer exists and neither does the monster known as Hive. With the new mantra that every Inhuman has a purpose, Lincoln found his when he sacrificed himself to save his planet and his girl.
You can never have too much of the #ShotgunAxe ! #AgentsofSHIELD pic.twitter.com/d2yTJmpy9q
— Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (@AgentsofSHIELD) May 18, 2016
The agency that is S.H.I.E.L.D. exists beyond Agents , as Phil Coulson has heavy ties to Captain America , Iron Man , and the entire Avengers franchise. So when it was revealed at the end of the the season finale that someone had taken Agent Coulson’s place as the Director, the role could have an impact on not just Season 4 of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. , but upcoming Marvel Comics movies like Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Avengers: Infinity War — Part 1 (2018).
RELATED REPORTS BY THE INQUISITR:
- MCU: ‘Doctor Strange’ Begins Shooting As ‘Captain America’ Trailer Released
- Marvel Cinematic Universe: ‘Agents of SHIELD’ Recap — A Connection with ‘Daredevil’
- Was Chris Evans Caught Staring At Elizabeth Olsen’s Breasts At ‘Captain America: Civil War’ Premiere?
- ‘Agent Carter’ Season 2 Finale Recap [Marvel Cinematic Universe]
- Can ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ Compete With Marvel’s ‘Civil War’ And ‘Dawn Of Justice’ At The Box Office?
Fitz and Simmons
While there was yet work to do, Simmons was trying to plan a getaway for the couple affectionately referred to as FitzSimmons. She was very excited about the incredibly “romantic” activity she had planned for the two of them on a beach resort: snorkeling.
R.I.P. Agent Fitz? #FallenAgent #AgentsofSHIELD https://t.co/BVhlSXG9NP
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) May 17, 2016
Unfortunately for Fitz, he had some serious work to do. Proving that he’s meant for more that just the lab, it is Fitz who ultimately kills Hive’s right-hand man Giyera.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. — Season 4
While S.H.I.E.L.D. didn’t leave any annoyingly unresolved loose ends, they provided enough to pique the interest of anyone from the casual fan to a longtime follower of the MCU. As mentioned above, an important question remains: who is the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Additionally, we know that Daisy has gone rogue six months after the death of Hive and Lincoln. As Coulson and Mack try to capture her, she alludes their team rather easily. What is her new agenda and why is S.H.I.E.L.D. trying to stop her?
Wait….what?! ????? #AgentsofSHIELD pic.twitter.com/mhiBuDIJK4
— Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (@AgentsofSHIELD) May 18, 2016
Finally, Dr. Radcliffe had been cleared of all charges for creating Hive’s Primitives. As the season concludes, he is talking to an AI system while uploading something labeled “L.M.D. Phase 1.” Dr. Radcliffe tells the AI that “today is your birthday” as the shape of a human figure can be seen vaguely behind a bright white light.
As referenced once by Iron Man, a “life model decoy” in laymen’s terms is a robot that is virtually indistinguishable from a human that can be used by its owner/handler to speak, act, and even think on their behalf.
Where to watch
ABC aired Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on Tuesday evenings at 9/8c, but will not be on the air again until Season 4 and will reportedly have a new later time slot. The five most recent episodes of S.H.I.E.L.D. are available to stream on-demand at ABC’s website.
Beginning Wednesdays, replays of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. can also be streamed on-demand with a Hulu Plus subscription. MCU fans with a Netflix subscription can also stream the first two seasons of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D .
[Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]