This action-packed finale brings the season to a close by hopefully putting a bow on the series long saga of the monoliths while also setting up the seventh and final season.  We also get to see Sarge’s true colors revealing that, although there are a few traces of Coulson, the agent we know and love is gone forever.

In the beginning of the episode after Flint materializes, Izel quickly recognizes that his rock-bending powers will be able to re-form the monoliths.  We discover that her goal is to use the power of the monoliths to bring her people to Earth and save them from extinction.  Some fans have pointed out that her song which activates the monolith has been a musical motif related to the monoliths throughout the show; which is a nice way to thematically tie together some of the seemingly unrelated storylines.  These monoliths have been a big part of the show since season two, and it’s nice to finally get some closure.  However, Izel wasn’t set up nearly as much as the monoliths; and now that her storyline is concluded, we have a complete idea of what her character brought to the show.

Izel was first introduced earlier in this season when she offered to help Fitz and Simmons get back to Earth.  Over the course of the season, it was revealed that she was the cause of the Shrike attacks and had very nefarious plans.  So, unlike the monoliths, Izel is a very new addition to the show and became the “big bad” very quickly.  Granted, she had some cool moments and her temporal ability that allows her to possess people created some really great dramatic moments.  However, that doesn’t necessarily make up for her lack of character development and flimsy motivation.

Meanwhile Deke, who has largely been comic relief this season, actually had some pretty great character growth in these two episodes.  We’ve seen him and Fitz argue, but it really came to the forefront in the finale showing Deke clearly trying to impress his grandparents.  He wants nothing more than for them to be proud of his accomplishments; which is something Fitz has trouble accepting.  Both Jeff Ward and Iain De Caestecker have done a phenomenal job developing their relationship.  Especially since they already had a relationship before Fitz died and are now starting back at the beginning.

After Deke reveals to Fitz and Simmons that his company is working in the lighthouse he explains himself saying, “I built this company because no one likes me. I built it because I’ve never belonged anywhere, because the place that I’m from doesn’t even exist anymore and because all my friends are gone and the woman I gave lemons to thinks that I’m a loser, so I went out into the world to try and be what everybody wants me to be and she still thinks that I’m nothing.”  Deke clearly has trouble fitting in, and his company is just a way for him to do something with his life.  His line about giving Daisy lemons is also a nice callback and emphasizes that he grew up in a very different culture.

Towards the end of the finale, we got a look at Sarge’s true form when Daisy used her powers to remove his Coulson “skin.”  It’s a terrifying realization after he just stabbed May, but it was a great way to establish that even though he looks like Coulson, he’s an entirely different being.  Sarge’s betrayal is made even more brutal because May and Daisy continue to see remnants of Coulson in Sarge’s personality.  May truly believes that part of Coulson lives on.  But once it’s made abundantly clear that Sarge is dangerous and needs to be stopped, May and Daisy don’t hesitate to end him.  And with the help of Mac, they’re finally able to stop both Sarge and Izel from destroying the Earth.

The showdown between May and Izel was intense, and it was awesome to see May wielding a sword.  However, May is still a human who just happened to have a sword in her stomach a few minutes prior.  Suspension of disbelief is one thing, but May being able to fight Izel so competently after she just sustained such a serious injury is incredibly far fetched.  Especially since she was hobbling around after Sarge threw her into the portal, then a few minutes later she was flipping around and fighting Izel.  With so much craziness going on in the show, there should at least be some level of realism when characters get injured and are in danger.  May’s ability to fight as if nothing had happened is way too convenient and should have been handled better.  But the fight was still cool.

VERDICT

4 magic swords out of 5.

There were some really great moments in this episode that pay off storylines that have been building for quite a while.  Izel could have been a more compelling villain; and even though she’s far from the “freak of the week” formula in season one, it would have been nice if she’d been a more complex and interesting character.  By the end of the season, all the characters have grown with a big part of the season focusing on their acceptance of Coulson’s death.  That particular plot line was made more complicated with the introduction of Sarge, but he turned out to be a great way to force the characters into accepting that Coulson is really gone.  However, with the introduction of LMD Coulson for season seven, it seems that while the characters have finally accepted Coulson’s death, the showrunners have not.

ONE-SHOTS

  • The fan theory of Coulson being a LMD is finally true, albeit in a very roundabout way.
  • Fitz and Simmons’ reaction to having to change the natural course of their lives was amazing.  That kind of stuff is old hat to them now.
  • Going into the past is a great way to avoid having to deal with the fallout from Infinity War and Endgame, however this does set up a potential crossover with Agent Carter depending on what time periods they explore.