Can Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD keep history intact and let Sousa die? Or will they find a way to rewrite history and keep their own future the same?
Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD puts everything on the line in this week’s episode, even taking us back to black and white, because that’s how LMD Coulson currently sees the world.
Thankfully Coulson knows what happens during the course of the day, so he can cover as Sousa’s scientist contact. They need to deliver a package to Howard Stark and keep it from the Russians. His “contact” to connect his call to the Zephyr is Enoch! He’s back!
The meetup is a lounge car on the 510 to Los Angeles. Yo-Yo and Deke are heading to Dr. Lindmore’s home to get the “package.” Unfortunately, Dr. Lindmore has had a face-stealing run-in with the Chronicoms. Elena gets the package, but Deke gets taken by the Chronicoms.
Elena calls Enoch to connect her to the Zephyr… he really is just a glorified operator at this point. The problem is that she was supposed to meet Coulson and Sousa and deliver the package. Which leaves Coulson attempting to wing things.
The Chronicoms intercept Coulson as Sousa takes a break to visit the drink car. His offer? Give them Earth and the humans Coulson loves will earn their charity. Coulson doesn’t take it—it doesn’t sound great.
Instead, they attempt to kill Sousa early. Mack and Daisy show up to help Sousa beat off the cronies. And they have the package! Sousa comes aboard the Zephyr with relative ease… not even caring about all of the tech like Koenig.
For saving his life, Sousa confides in them: SHIELD has been infiltrated by Hydra. “Yep” and “Got it” are the reactions from the team, since Sousa’s about sixty years too early for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It’s then that Coulson has the realization as to why Sousa was killed:
Hydra. Turns out, his supervisor is Wilfred Malick! Which is who’s standing in front of Deke at this very moment! Somehow Deke manages to get back on Wilfred’s good side by reminding him that he didn’t shoot him back in 1931.
“It’s easier to let a bad man live than let a good man die” is a Coulson-ism from the mouth of Mack. He makes the call to try to save Sousa… just as Sousa takes off on an Indian motorcycle to his drop.
Instead, Coulson takes the bullet in Sousa’s place. He and Mack ice him and take him aboard the Zephyr. Coulson takes two bullets, falls face first into a pool, and Hydra thinks they killed Daniel Sousa.
As history required.
I was right! I’m so happy! Sousa is now aboard the Agents of SHIELD! He’s not a fan of being “dead,” but he’s catching on quickly. So where are we now?
Welcome to the 1970s.
Post-Credits Stinger
One lone Chronicom stayed behind in 1955 to team up with Malick. That doesn’t bode well!
Badass Moment of the Week
It was awesome to see Sousa in action again. Him taking out most of the bad guys in the drink car was refreshing. Special shout out to Deke spitballing as a toaster salesman.
Best One-Liner
“A pompous ass” is how Sousa describes Howard Stark. That checks out.
Man, that intro really looks like the preshow for the Tower of Terror. Honestly the whole thing feels like the Hollywood Tower Hotel, which makes me very happy.
May’s still a little out of whack. She gets very excited for the Rosetta Stone of SHIELD, which is just a brick of… whatever. And then she seems to lose her memories momentarily upon seeing Sousa in the Zephyr. She went into a world where they don’t feel and now she’s lost control of her own emotions. That sounds familiar…
Turns out she feels everyone else’s emotions when they touch her! It’s like Mantis!
Next week’s Agents of SHIELD looks like we get a visit from Patrick Warburton’s Rick Stoner! And Enoch will be back in action with the team! Now if we could just find Fitz…