Coulson lies unconscious in the medbay. Piper finds Deke out in the hallway, and in the next room the team are debating whether to use the Centipede technology to save Coulson or kill Talbot. Fitz suggests that they let someone with the serum be absorbed into Talbot, and Elena volunteers to do it. Daisy insists that Coulson would never give up on Talbot, and says that Coulson is the only one who can talk Talbot through it. She goes to the vials of serum, but Elena grabs them at superspeed. She insists that she's not the bad guy and they just don't want Coulson to die.
Mack tells Daisy to stand behind, and Elena says that they won't listen to her and even Mack won't stand by her. Mack says that hope is holding them together and they never give up, and they cling to hope. He suggests that they vote, and Melinda destroys the vials. Elena collapses to her knees, sobbing, and Melinda tells her that she's sorry. When Mack goes to Elena, she pushes him away. Melinda gives the tech to Fitz, and he says that he and Jemma will prepare the remedy while everyone else prepares for the end of the world.
In space, Talbot tells Robin to tell him where the Gravitonium is. When she refuses, Talbot says that he's the savior who is going to protect Earth but he needs some help. When she still refuses, Talbot threatens to take her powers but she says that she won't. Talbot admits that he won't because she's a kid, but will find a way to win her over. Once he walks away, Polly tells Robin not to help Talbot. Robin warns that if she doesn't, it will be the last time Robin sees her mother. Ramorath drag Polly away, and Talbot tells Robin that she won't see her mother again until he gets what he wants.
One Robin has given him the Gravitonium's location, Talbot takes his shuttle to Chicago and brings it down among the buildings.
Elena goes out in the hallway, and Mack approaches her. She says that he's going to die, and he tells her that everyone dies and then they'll have to answer for what they did while they were alive. Elena says that it's not God she's afraid of as Mack walks away. She goes to the medbay where Coulson has woken up, and she tells him that eventually he'll be up. Elena tells him that she never argued for him to die, but just not to bet everything on him. Coulson agrees with her, and Elena walks out.
Daisy finds Deke leading the reclamation efforts on the Lighthouse, and he says that he'll be gone when they come back from their mission to stop Talbot. She wonders why, and Deke shows her his room filled with everything that he's found. He says that he's a damaged person from a damaged world, and he wants to see the world before it's destroyed. If they do stop Talbot, it will break the time loop and he'll disappear with his timeline. Deke tells Daisy that they're the first group he ever saw that were willing to die for each other, and that if she wants to lead then she has to fix the situation with Coulson. Piper tells them that Talbot has been spotted in Chicago and they're leaving.
Jemma shows Coulson the serum injector, and he says that they've seen what happens when they don't let nature take its course When Jemma starts respond, Melinda comes in and asks her to leave. Once she goes, Melinda tells Coulson that he wouldn't wake up when they made the decision, but now the decision is his. They want to see him rejoin the fight, but it's up to him to decide if more time is worth it. They agree that they've been made it clear how it feels, and Melinda asks him not to leave her behind. she pushes the box with the serum toward him and walks out.
In Chicago, Talbot descends to the street as the people run in terror. He concentrates, sensing the Gravitonium, and raises a pillar in the center of the street. The Gravitonium is in it, and Talbot absorbs it into his body.
As the Zephyr flies to Chicago, the team prepare for a fight. The tracker they placed on Robin shows her inside of the shuttle, and Mack says that they have to rescue her and get the civilians to safety. Daisy calls Elena up and tells everyone that she let the emotions get the best of her. She figures that means that she shouldn't lead, and says that she can't hold the team together but Mack can. Daisy says that Mack is their moral center, and he's a general who they can rally behind. Everyone agrees, and Coulson walks in and agrees. He tells Daisy that it's time to suit up, and then asks Mack what they do. Mack says that they save lives.
Officer Zbszewski orders Talbot to surrender, but Talbot he refuses to let anyone interrupt him. As Zbszewski prepares to fire, Mack calls everyone's cell phones and says that they're there to help and will evacuate all civilians. The Zephyr lands and the team gets the civilians aboard. The agents evacuate the damaged buildings before they collapse, and Robin climbs down and finds them. She goes to Melinda and tells her that they took Polly. Mack goes aboard Talbot's ship to search for Polly.
Coulson tells Daisy that he's not going with her to confront Talbot. He admits that he can barely stand, and Daisy realizes that he didn't take the serum. Coulson says that it didn't feel like the way to go, and says that he's sorry. Daisy tells him that he's the only one who can reach Talbot, but Coulson says that they're beyond that and tells Daisy to appeal to Talbot as a military man. She says that she can't do it alone, and Coulson tells her that he's trained her to do it. If she can't get through to him, then she needs to beat him. Daisy goes after telling Coulson to fly back and take the serum because they fought each other for him.
Mack searches the ship and finds Polly trapped in a cell.
Fitz finds Melinda and Robin, and says that in the future neither of them make it.
Mack pries the cell door open, and Polly slips out.
As Talbot prepare to tear apart Chicago, Daisy runs down the street and blasts herself into him, knocking him into a bus. She tells him that people are dying, and Talbot says that it's war and needs to arm himself. Daisy says that he's becoming the enemy.
Two Ramorath confront Mack and Polly, and he tells Polly to run. Fitz and Melinda arrive and take out the Ramorath.
The Zephyr heads back to the Lighthouse, and Davis realizes that Coulson has collapsed.
Talbot insists that he's doing everything for his son, and Daisy says that he's scared of his father. She tells him that he's a hero and offers her hand, and Talbot takes it. Daisy points out all of the responders who have signed up for it just like she and Talbot did, to protect humanity. She says that they need to join forces, and Talbot tells her that Hale told her the same thing before she tortured it. Coulson says it before he stabs Talbot in the back, and Talbot insists that only he can fix it. He pulls Daisy to him, says that they should join forces, and flies into the air.
Melinda and the others bring Polly back to Robin, and they head out of the building.
Davis brings Coulson in and tells Jemma and Elena that Coulson didn't take the serum.
Talbot flies back down to the city and slams Daisy into the street.
the impact causes a collapse, bringing rubble down on Fitz.
Elena wonders why Coulson listened to him, and wonders what she's done. Jemma runs to the medbay as Elena tries to revive Coulson.
Talbot says that he can get the rest of the Gravitonium once he quakes the ground apart. He grabs her and says that he needs every weapon, and prepares to absorb her.
Jemma discovers that the serum is gone.
Robin tells Polly that something is different.
Jemma runs back to Elena and Coulson, and says that something is wrong. Deke arrives as the Lighthouse explodes in sparks.
Melinda and Mack try to rescue Fitz.
Daisy injects herself with the serum as Coulson absorbs her. She then quakes Talbot away, and he attacks her. Daisy quakes him into the sky.
Coulson wakes up, coughing.
Melinda and Mack find Fitz and confirm that he's okay.
Talbot drifts through space toward the sun, frozen from exposure.
The agents dig Fitz partway free, and they realize that the rubble has cut him in half. Mack takes his friend's hand and says that he did good, and Fitz says that he thinks his legs are broken. He dies and Mack breaks into tears.
In the medbay, Jemma makes an unconscious Coulson comfortable. Mack comes in and tells her that her husband is dead.
Later, Jemma carves a headstone "in remembrance" and packs Fitz's things away.
Elena finds Mack sitting in the hallway and joins him. He hugs her close.
Jemma gets Fitz's pocket tool from his quarters.
Daisy burns all of Robin's sketches.
Melinda smashes the last piece of rock.
Davis puts a S.H.I.E.L.D. badge up in the Zephyr cockpit.
The team gathers in the Zephyr cargo bay and shares a drink. Coulson says that it's a celebration, not a funeral, and they talk about how they first came together. Finally says that his teammates are heroes, and they've all suffered losses. When Coulson tells them that they have to move on, Jemma says that they remember people in their hearts but they never move on. She tells Coulson that Fitz will be sad that he missed Coulson's retirement party.
Davis polishes Coulson's badge in the cockpit.
Jemma gives Coulson a photo of the city above as a reminder that the team always wins despite the odds. Coulson figures that Fitz will be disappointed when he wakes up from suspended animation in space, and discovers what he missed. The senior agent assures Jemma that she'll find Fitz wherever he is floating in the void. He then offers a toast to all of them. Afterward, Elena hugs Coulson and thanks him. Mack says that he'll call Coulson for advice, but Coulson says that Mack won't need it and he's tossing his phone away. He then tells Daisy that what time he has left will be well spent, and he left a letter to Daisy on her bunk saying how proud he is of her. Coulson say that he's proud of her, and Daisy breaks into tears, hugs him, and says that she loves him. Coulson says that he loves her, and then walks out onto the beach in Tahiti where Melinda is waiting. Once the Zephyr leaves, Melinda asks Coulson if there's anything else on his bucket list. He says that he has one thing left: parasailing. They hold each other's hands.
Daisy asks Mack where they're going first.
Written by Gadfly on May 19, 2018