'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Recap: 'Absolution' & 'Ascension'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

Sometimes, you get an episode of your favorite show that in many ways, takes your breath away and leaves you at a loss for words because it decides to go all out and leave nothing on the table. These are the kind of episodes that turn out to be game changers if you will, simply because nothing will ever be the same after the story comes to a close and that's exactly the kind of episode that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. delivered to us last night. 

"Absolution" and "Ascension" were a pair of episodes that took incredible risks, with both the story and the characters and every single one of them paid off because for the first time ever in the history of the show, our beloved agents were truly put to the test against an invincible enemy. We've never seen them fail like this. We've never seen them hurt like this and we've never seen them suffer loss like this and well...this finale served as a crowning jewel for the series because this is exactly what the show has been lacking; solid challenges and stakes that force them to rise to the occasion and thanks to that powerhouse ending, the entire landscape of the show has likely changed for the better. 

But before we get to that, let's talk about those challenges that the team dealt with because at first, all was well. S.H.I.E.L.D. was able to take the fight to Hive at last and not only confuse and disable him mentally for a time; but they were even able to disrupt and defeat his plan to turn a sizeable chunk of mankind into his own special brand of Inhumans. But Hive's intelligence and foresight was finally on full display in this episode since he was able to undo everything that S.H.I.E.L.D. had accomplished and that's when things got ugly. 

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When all was said and done, the team was bruised, battered and bleeding in their desperate last ditch effort to board Zephyr One and keep the Inhuman Nuke from detonating over Europe and well, they looked defeated and broken and desperate...but nothing was going to stop them. No matter the cost, they were ready to sacrifice their all to make sure that mankind would be spared from a horrific fate as one of those awful abominations.

But while it was incredible to see the team unite like this and fight with every ounce of their strength, nothing they did can compare to the sacrifice that Lincoln made to fly the Quinjet into space with Hive aboard to put an end to all of this. It was a beautiful and heroic scene, one that even redeemed Hive and Ward in its own special way as both men waited patiently for the end...but the effects of his sacrifice are what mattered more. Because the other hard part of this episode to watch was Daisy's downward spiral. Shattered mentally, it was painful to see her beg Hive to return to his world of bliss and then to see her lose the man she loved...you knew it broke her spirit completely.

Which is why the final ten minutes, when we flashed forward six months...made sense. Daisy had become a vigilante, using her powers to rob banks to become an Inhuman Robin Hood, giving to those less fortunate than her and running from the law and well...that ending leaves plenty of questions on the table for season four. For starters, what happened to the team? Since we only saw Mack and Coulson after Daisy, did the battle with Hive shatter the rest of the group as well? I'm also wondering now, is Coulson no longer the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.? His comments seemed to suggest that the mistakes he made this season had him removed from his position. Either way, what an incredible episode. Every single second of this one was an absolute joy to watch and I cannot wait to see what season four looks like after this game changer of a finale. Until next season. 

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