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{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' |
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' series finale}} |
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{{Infobox television episode |
{{Infobox television episode |
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| title = The End Is at Hand{{nobold|" and "}}{{nowrap|What We're Fighting For}} |
| title = The End Is at Hand{{nobold|" and "}}{{nowrap|What We're Fighting For}} |
Revision as of 22:29, 13 August 2020
"The End Is at Hand" and "What We're Fighting For" | |
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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episodes | |
![]() Title card for "What We're Fighting For" | |
Episode nos. | Season 7 Episodes 12 and 13 |
Directed by |
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Written by | |
Cinematography by |
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Editing by |
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Original air date | August 12, 2020 |
Running time | 43 minutes (each) |
Guest appearances | |
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The two-part series finale of the American television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. consists of the twelfth and thirteenth episodes of the seventh season, "The End Is at Hand" and "What We're Fighting For". Based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D., it follows a Life Model Decoy of Phil Coulson and his team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents returning to their timeline as they race to stop the Chronicoms from succeeding in their plan. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and acknowledges the franchise's films. "The End Is at Hand" was written by Jeffrey Bell and directed by Chris Cheramie, while "What We're Fighting For" was written by Jed Whedon and directed by Kevin Tancharoen.
Clark Gregg reprises his role as Coulson from the film series, starring alongside Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Elizabeth Henstridge, Henry Simmons, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, and Jeff Ward. Iain De Caestecker also guest stars in the episode.
The episodes originally aired on ABC on August 12, 2020.
Plot
"The End Is at Hand"
![]() | This article needs an improved plot summary. (August 2020) |
Upon landing on the Chronicom ship, Daisy searches for Deke and Simmons while Sousa and Mack fend off a group of Chronicom soldiers. Sibyl plans for Daisy to find Simmons to jog her memory, but an impatient Nathaniel has Kora confront them. Daisy manages to talk her down, forcing Nathaniel to knock Kora out and have her powers transferred to him. The agents return to the Zephyr and escape the ship. With the Lighthouse the only S.H.I.E.L.D. base still standing, Garrett plants bombs to destroy it, but Coulson, Yo-Yo, and May capture him and neutralize his powers. When they force Garrett to stop the explosion, Nathaniel leaves Garrett to die, but they all manage to survive. Garrett decides to join the agents and teleport them to the bar, only for him to be killed by other agents who arrived there to hide. Everyone regroups and, with Simmons' help, create a "key" that she was struggling to remember. The key opens a portal that brings Fitz to them, but he is disappointed to learn Simmons does not remember him.
"What We're Fighting For"
![]() | This article needs an improved plot summary. (August 2020) |
Following Izel's defeat, Enoch took Fitz and Simmons away to help them build a time machine. Realizing they could, they also lived their lives together. Once they are ready, they return to Flint and Piper, and task them with guarding Fitz in a special container while Simmons leaves with the team. In the bar, the agents use the time drive to bring the Chronicoms to their timeline via the Quantum Realm. Deke volunteers to stay behind to help them, becoming the new leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the new timeline. Upon their return, Fitz, Simmons, Sousa, and Yo-Yo return to the Lighthouse while Coulson, May, Mack, and Daisy infiltrate the Chronicoms' ship to rescue Kora and confront Nathaniel. Coulson tricks Sibyl into sending her Chronicoms to the Lighthouse while May and Kora combine their abilities to give them empathy, ending their assault. Daisy destroys the Chronicoms' ships, killing Nathaniel and Sibyl. The agents rescue Daisy and Kora revives her. Fitz and Simmons return to the container and their daughter, Alya. One year later, the team gather to reminisce about their time together. Fitz and Simmons retire to raise Alya while May takes a teaching position at Coulson Academy. Mack continues to lead S.H.I.E.L.D., with Yo-Yo as one of his top agents. Daisy explores the cosmos with Sousa and Kora while Coulson travels the world.
Production
Development
After the sixth season finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. aired in August 2019, showrunners Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, and Jeffrey Bell revealed that the seventh season would feature the team trying to save the world from invasion by the Chronicoms. They use time travel to do this, allowing the season to explore the history of S.H.I.E.L.D.[1][2] Later that month, one of the season's episodes was revealed to be titled "The End Is at Hand" and written by Bell, while another was revealed to be titled "What We're Fighting For" and written by Whedon.[3] The two were confirmed to be the twelfth and thirteenth episodes of the season, along with the series finale, in August 2020. Chris Cheramie was revealed to have directed "The End Is at Hand", while Kevin Tancharoen was revealed to have directed "What We're Fighting For".[4]
Writing
"What We're Fighting For" returns to the events of the season six finale, "New Life". Whedon stated the writers knew that the seventh season would deal with time travel, "so we planted little stuff that would be easily avoidable if we didn’t end up tying up those loose ends."[5] For example, the people in hazmat suits during that episode turn out to be members of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team who have returned from the alternate timeline.[6] Whedon added figuring out how the events of the finale intersect with "New Life" became "a brain pretzel-twister".[5]
Coming up with the episode's ending sequence "was just blue sky" for Whedon after the first part of the episode had "so many moving parts" to it. Whedon acknowledged it was "just fun to think about" as there were "tons of great options" for the ending, saying, "We sort of tried to put everybody in a different-feeling thing and in a different place and separate them as much as possible." Maurissa Tancharoen added, "The emotional context of saying goodbye to this experience…is definitely something that’s reflected in where we leave our characters at the end of the show. So it is very personal to us, and I do think there’s a sense of hope for what’s to come for each of them."[7] Whedon tried to capture a bittersweet feeling for each of the characters in the final scene.[5]
I do think the one-year jump serves to amplify that bittersweet quality, because we, as the audience, are aware that they’ve been in their new lives, separate from each other, for a year. They’re established, they’re starting to settle into it. But seeing them in that room, and then learning that it’s a virtual room where they actually can’t reach out and touch one another, or give each other a hug... I think in that feeling of longing for one another and that feeling of the loss of what once was—it really lands the bond that they will have forever, even if they won’t be in each other’s lives.
—Maurissa Tancharoen[5]
The ending sees a one year time jump with the S.H.I.E.LD. team separated with new lives:
- Alphonso "Mack" MacKenzie is still a leader within S.H.I.E.L.D., supervising the construction of a new helicarrier, and Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent chasing 0-8-4s. Tancharoen commented the two "are still together in a relationship and working with one another — and proud of one another.[7] Yo-Yo actress Natalia Cordova-Buckley liked that the relationship had stabilized, with both being comfortable professionally, individually, and within their relationship.[8]
- Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons are retired, spending time with their daughter Ayla. Whedon felt "for a long time, we had a sense that Fitz and Simmons would be sort of out of S.H.I.E.L.D. and living the simpler life — while secretly working with Daisy on the side".[7] Simmons actress Elizabeth Henstridge called the couple's ending "definitely earned",[8] while Fitz actor Iain De Caestecker felt this was "a fitting end but a beginning, of another life, as well."[9]
- Melinda May has become an instructor at the Coulson S.H.I.E.L.D academy, teaching Flint. This career "made perfect sense" to the writers, with Tancharoen adding, "all of that just sums up her relationship with Coulson [and her as] the reluctant teacher. She has always been the wise teacher amongst the group, the sort of mother figure".[7] Actress Ming-Na Wen called this ending for her character "very fitting" since she had been a superior officer to many of the members on the team and now can "continue the S.H.I.E.L.D. legacy for future S.H.I.E.L.D. agents."[10]
- Daisy Johnson, her sister Kora, and Daniel Sousa work with S.H.I.E.L.D. aboard Zephry 3 as "astral ambassadors". Whedon said "it felt right" to have Daisy in space since "it feels vast, and we wanted someone to be out exploring that".[7] Additionally, having Daisy work with Kora mimics how Coulson first helped Daisy.[11]
- The Life Model Decoy of Phil Coulson has taken a sabbatical, seeing various parts of the world. He also receives a restored version of his 1962 Chevrolet Corvette, Lola, from Mack.[12] Having Coulson getting in Lola was "the promise for him of a new adventure", and as the final shot of the series, was a "book end" that brought back "an iconic image from the pilot".[11]
- Deke Shaw remains in 1983 in the altered timeline "to embrace his inner rock god" and become the new S.H.I.E.L.D. leader for the remaining agents.[12][7] Bell said this was done so Deke's sacrifice would "make sense" for why it had to be him to stay behind.[7] Actor Jeff Ward called using his rock persona to cover being the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. "the ultimate hiding-in-plain-sight tactic".[8]
Ward revealed that series writer DJ Doyle had pitched a post-credits scene for the episode that was not shot, that featured someone approaching Deke sitting in a S.H.I.E.L.D. office wearing an eye patch. Ward added, since it was unclear if Nick Fury existed in the alternate timeline, Deke would have worn it because it is "a power and cool thing".[10]
Casting
With the season renewal, main cast members Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Elizabeth Henstridge, Henry Simmons, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, and Jeff Ward were confirmed to be returning from previous seasons as Melinda May, Daisy Johnson / Quake, Jemma Simmons, Alphonso "Mack" MacKenzie, Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez, and Deke Shaw, respectively.[13] Series star Clark Gregg also returns as his character Phil Coulson, portraying a Life Model Decoy (LMD) version of the character.[14]
Guest stars in the finale include Iain De Caestecker as Leo Fitz, and returning from earlier in the season, Tamara Taylor as Sibyl, Thomas E. Sullivan as Nathaniel Malick, Dianne Doan as Kora,[15][16] and Enver Gjokaj reprising his Agent Carter role of agent Daniel Sousa.[15][16][17] They are joined by Stephen Bishop as Brandon Gamble,[15][16] and Rachele Schank as a young Victoria Hand.
Additional guest stars in "The End Is at Hand" include James Paxton as John Garrett and Bill Cobbs.[15][4] For "What We're Fighting For", Joel Stoffer returns from earlier in the season as Enoch,[16] and returning from earlier in the series, Briana Venskus as agent Piper,[16] Maximilian Osinski as an LMD of agent Davis,[16][7] and Coy Stewart as Flint.[16] Harlow Happy Hexum portrays Alya, Fitz and Simmon's daughter.[16]
Filming and post-production
Filming wrapped on July 30, 2019,[18] while post-production work was completed around October 7, 2019.[19] 20 additional minutes of footage were cut from the episodes. While most were "unforgettable, humorous lines", some of the cut content was fight sequences and an origin scene in "The End Is at Hand" for the quantum machine. Regarding this cut content, Whedon said, "We really tried to preserve the end, and that end had to breathe, and have time to sit and be quiet and awkward... That was the thing that we tried most to preserve, and that’s intact."[20]
Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-ins
Fitz utilizes the Quantum Realm, seen in the Ant-Man films and Avengers: Endgame (2019), to travel to the altered time line with the S.H.I.E.L.D. team and to return them to the main timeline.[12]
Release
"The End Is at Hand" and "What We're Fighting For" were first aired in the United States on ABC on August 12, 2020.[4]
Reception
Critical response
The A.V. Club's Alex McLevy said the finale "managed to deliver a spectacle truly worthy of its outsized ambitions". For "The End Is at Hand", he felt the episode was "the best-looking, most visually sumptuous episode of the season", particularly the hangar interior which felt "epic in scale and scope to the story being told". Each of the three storylines in the episode "adeptly balances action, humor, and heart, and allows for some meaningful discussions without feeling too much like it’s hitting pause on all the high-intensity, clock-ticking action unfolding." As for the final scene in the bar, McLevy said having a young Victoria Hand and the 0-8-4s allowed "for a nice trip down memory lane, evoking memories of this show’s infancy". He gave the episode an "A-".[21] In "What We're Fighting For", McLevy enjoyed "how all-in this show went making a conclusion so proudly, unabashedly nerdy", and while the time-travel was the "most entertaining element" of the finale, it was "also the thing that causes it to be somewhat less impactful in its emotional resonance". He noted the episode featured "some exhilarating fight scenes and super-powered battles", particularly the Daisy and Nathaniel Malick fight, which is what many viewers "are hoping for when we sit down to watch a Marvel TV show". He felt the ending was "a surprisingly quiet, bittersweet note" that "is a little sad, a little funny, and feels over before it’s really begun." Speaking more to the ending, McLevy said, "there’s something almost more downbeat about an ending acknowledging the fact that even after world-altering events that forge permanent bonds, life just...goes on, in all its prosaic reality, the day-to-day intimacy that once existed an ever-more-distant memory." He gave "What We're Fighting For" a "B+".[21]
Trent Moore at Syfy Wire felt "seeing Simmons process her scrambled memories and slowly remember her life, and Fitz, was some beautiful acting by Elizabeth Henstridge." Other enjoyable moments for Moore were Mack and Sousa creating the makeshift Chronicom missile with duct tape ("a great bit of classic, goofy S.H.I.E.L.D. weirdness") and Deke's fart noise interrupting Sousa to say he would stay behind. While Moore felt the final plan was "a bit convoluted and McGuffin-y", he realized the show went out on a big story to justify that. As for the ending, Moore said it mostly worked, adding, "It’s hard to craft an ending, especially one with so many moving pieces and characters. But there’s no doubt this is a good one. Fans should enjoy it, and most importantly it leaves the door open to where fans can imagine all the adventures and stories that could still spin out after the series has long-ended."[12]
Christian Holub, writing for Entertainment Weekly, called Garrett getting trapped at the Lighthouse "delicious" since Holub had found the character "quite insufferable". The fight between Daisy and Nathaniel Malick gave "some fun Dragon Ball Z vibes... but ultimately I feel like it pales in comparison to Daisy’s climactic fight with Graviton from the end of season 5." As for the ending, Holub likened how the characters appeared virtually to a Zoom meeting and said "It’s about as good an ending as you could hope for any of these characters — especially FitzSimmons!" Giving the finale a "B", he concluded, "despite my many qualms about this season, I think it did wrap up the show (which over seven seasons has spanned multiple eras of Marvel superhero fiction) in a nice little bow."[6]
Reviewing the finale for Den of Geek, Dave Vitagliano gave the episode 4 out 5 stars. He said the finale "neatly ties up enough loose plot threads to keep even the staunchest critics happy and still leaves plenty of room for requisite fan service. Nevertheless, no one can accuse the writers of leaving any cards unplayed. The awakenings, the sacrifices, the reunions, and the redemptions were all completely earned and worthy of this final installment." The reunion of Fitz and Simmons was "one of the finale’s highlights", and given the introduction of their daughter, Vitagliano felt it was "hard to be disappointed with the conclusion of their arc." Vitagliano felt the showrunners took "extra care" with the ending to satisfy the fans, with "the most poignant exchange" coming when Daisy and Coulson say goodbye.[22]
Dominic Patten of Deadline Hollywood called the finale "an ambitious and ultimately successful conclusion for the very first live action Marvel television series and its longtime motto that 'not all heroes are super'," adding the episodes felt like a feature film opposed to two episodes of television.[11] CNN's Brian Lowry said the finale was "an old-fashioned affair tinged with nostalgia", aimed at those who had watched the series from the beginning. Regarding the ending scene, Lowry called it "inadvertently timely", also likening it to a Zoom call, and concluded, "While providing some closure, the finale left the door open to utilize some of these characters again, although given Marvel's priorities, that seems less likely."[23]
Compared to some of the more extravagant elements that have occurred over the series, Collider's Liz Shannon Miller called the series finale "a pretty lowkey affair, focused far more on character than plot". She concluded, "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was never perfect, but it was special, and the finale managed to nail the one thing we never remember about happy endings — no ending is happy forever. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t cherish the moments, while they last."[24] Awarding the finale an 8 out of 10, Matt Fowler writing for IGN called both episodes "rollicking affairs filled with action, heart, and humor". As for the ending, he felt it highlighted "how little the rest of the season meant" in that "it didn't really matter, overall, who the villains were, or what the threat to the planet was. The series has been all about these characters for years now and the rest of it's just 'big bad' dressing."[25]
References
- ^ Agard, Chancellor (August 2, 2019). "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. bosses explain what those twists mean for the final season". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 3, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (August 2, 2019). "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. EPs Break Down Those Trippy Season-Ending Twists, How Final Season Will Tap Into History". TVLine. Archived from the original on August 3, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
- ^ "Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D." Writers Guild of America West. Archived from the original on August 25, 2019. Retrieved August 25, 2019. Episodes with a credit date in 2019.
- ^ a b c "(#712/713) "The End is at Hand/What We're Fighting For"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ a b c d McLevy, Alex (August 12, 2020). "The Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. showrunners reveal the plan behind that grand series finale". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ a b Holub, Christian (August 12, 2020). "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series finale recap: One last job". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Mitovich, Matt Webb (August 12, 2020). "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Series Finale: EPs Discuss Why Who Wound Up Where — And [Spoiler]'s Selfless Sacrifice". TVLine. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ a b c Kile, Meredith B. (August 12, 2020). "'Agents of SHIELD' Says Goodbye to the Team in Series Finale: Where Everyone Ended Up in That Epic Final Scene". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (August 12, 2020). "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Stars Weigh In on Series' Final FitzSimmons Twist — Plus, the Real Reason Behind Fitz's Absence". TVLine. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ a b Agard, Chancellor (August 12, 2020). "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. cast reacts to their characters' finale fates". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ a b c Patten, Dominic (August 12, 2020). "'Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.' EPs On Tonight's Series Finale, Legacy Of Marvel Show & Fulfilling Their Mission Statement". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Moore, Trent (August 12, 2020). "Who Lives, Who's Lost: This is How it All Ends in the Series Finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (November 16, 2018). "'Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D' Renewed For Season 7 By ABC". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (April 14, 2020). "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Gets Final Season Premiere Date". TVLine. Archived from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Harjo, Noretta (August 12, 2020). "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Recap (S07E12): The End is at Hand". Geek Girl Authority. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Harjo, Noretta (August 12, 2020). "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Series Finale Recap: (S07E13) What We're Fighting For". Geek Girl Authority. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ Agard, Chancellor (April 15, 2020). "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. brings back Agent Carter character in season 7 first look". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 15, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (July 30, 2019). "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Team Shares Emotional Spy's Goodbyes as Filming on Next Year's Series Finale Wraps". TVLine. Archived from the original on July 31, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
- ^ Live with Lil! Agents of SHIELD ep 701. Elizabeth Henstridge. May 27, 2020. Event occurs at 48:18. Retrieved July 17, 2020 – via YouTube.
- ^ Radish, Christina (August 12, 2020). "'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Showrunners Explain the Toughest (and Easiest) Choices Made for the Series Finale". Collider. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ a b McLevy, Alex (August 12, 2020). "Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. ends with massive spectacle and a bittersweet goodbye". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ Vitagliano, Dave (August 12, 2020). "Agents of SHIELD Series Finale Review". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ Lowry, Brian (August 12, 2020). "'Marvel's Agents of SHIELD' marks the end of an era with its series finale on ABC". CNN. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ Miller, Liz Shannon (August 13, 2020). "The 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D' Series Finale Proved That All Endings (Including the Happy Ones) Are Bittersweet". Collider. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ Fowler, Matt (August 12, 2020). "Agents of SHIELD: Season 7 Finale Review". IGN. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.