So, I goofed. Last week’s episode was “Identity and Change,” this week’s is “No Regrets.” So we’ve got the titles swapped around now, and will fix that all up. My mistake aside, this was quite an episode for Agents of SHIELD, so let’s toss up that SPOILER warning and dive on in.
1. Triplet Returns
Mace and Coulson go on a daring rescue mission, infiltrating a Hydra Reeducation Center. Who do they rescue? An old friend, Agent Trip. Although he died suddenly during the Inhuman story arc, the Framework has been bringing back a few characters, so it’s nice to see Trip back.
And considering the timeline didn’t start changing until around the time May saved the child in Bahrain, it makes sense he’d still have his grandfather’s Howling Commando gadgets. I missed those, they were a nice addition to the show, so it’s nice to have them back, even if it’s temporary.
2. Super-Powered Throwdown
With May on Hydra’s side, and Mace actually Inhuman in this world, we get a pretty cool fight scene. May’s hopped up on the same super serum that gave Mace his powers in the real world, so they’re both hitting each other with some high levels of strength.
That said, the fight has some ups and downs. We get some indications of their strength when they can block hammers bare-handed or toss each other into walls, but a lot of it does seem to be May shouting and swinging wildly. Yet we also get some nice flips and moves from each combatant, so while I can’t call it the best fight scene Agents of SHIELD has ever had, it was still pretty good.
3. Daddy Issues
As many a fan has theorized, Fitz’s regret was all his time spent without a father. That’s a pretty big thing to change the course of his life, so it explains how he turned out so vastly different. Also, as indicated before, his father is not a good man. Exactly what his purpose at Hydra is was left a little vague, but he seems to serve two purposes: 1. To remind Fitz to be a merciless asshole, and 2. To keep Fitz hooked up with Madame Hydra.
Speaking of, I guess her name is Ophelia now. Naturally, the Hamlet connection is the first thing that comes to mind, so that’s something to keep in mind as we see her progress. In fact, I’m going to refresh my Shakespearean knowledge just to keep an eye out for any parallels.
We also get a sly confirmation that Fitz’s lines include a few references to today’s Republican politicians, when he tossed out the line “Nevertheless, she persisted.” It’s subtle, but the connotation is there. Make of that what you will.
4. Goodbye, Director Jeff
If there’s one thing I’ve consistently given Agents of SHIELD credit for, it’s the show’s ability to properly kill off characters. We get that once again with Director Jeffrey Mace’s heroic sacrifice.
He said earlier in the episode that everything he’d done in the Framework had meaning, and rejected Simmons’s claim that nothing in that world mattered because it wasn’t real. True to his word, he believes so strongly in the virtual reality he’s in that he’s willing to sacrifice his life to save a child, even though we as viewers know the kid is part of the simulation. That said, he also saves Coulson and the rest of his team, and sets May on the path towards redemption, so it definitely serves a purpose.
So, Jeffrey Mace died a hero as Patriot. In his last moments, he held up a collapsing building to allow his team a chance to escape. It was dramatic, it was powerful, and it was a fitting end to the character. We see his vital signs stop in the world outside the Framework, so we know this death is for keeps, but it wasn’t for naught.
5. May’s Turn
At last, May’s getting things back on track. We’ve seen already how AIDA fixing her “one regret” has led to so many more, and how it was tearing her apart. So Mace’s heroic sacrifice, in part to save a child, might have been the metaphorical last straw, setting her on the path to redemption.
Naturally, that path involves getting Daisy’s help to wreck everything Hydra has, so next episode should be very entertaining.
I still think the AIDA’s algorithms for how everything plays out after changing one regret is complete nonsense, of course, and the characters seem to agree with me. Seeing as May was the first one to be trapped in the Framework, though, it’s only fitting that she’s the one to bring it down.
