In Miami, a bachelorette party is going on at a penthouse hotel apartment. A magician, the Amazing Mertz, is doing sleight of hand for the guests, including Elena. She gets a call from Mack and ignores it, but her friend Maria notices and teases her, asking if she's bringing Mack to the upcoming wedding. Maria grabs the phone and hits redial, but as Mack answers, all the lights in the city go out and the phone explodes. A helicopter plummets out of the sky and slams into a nearby building.
Soon the Inhuman Resistance sends out a message taking credit for the blackout. They demand that the governments of the world end registration. Jeffrey, Fitz, and Mack are watching, and Fitz says that the signal was untraceable. Mack wonders if an Inhuman with powers similar to Lincoln's might be responsible for the blackout. Burrows, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent with public relations, worries that the blackout could ruin S.H.I.E.L.D. going public again in a month. Mack reports that he lost contact with Elena in Miami an hour ago. When Jeffrey tells Mack and Fitz to head to Miami with Coulson, Mack warns him that Coulson wasn't too happy with Jeffrey's last order.
In the lab, Jemma and Coulson are monitoring Melinda's feeds from the secret S.H.I.E.L.D. facility where she was taken. Jemma is on the line to the scientists demanding to know who is in charge, and the scientist at the other end hangs up. She can't tell Coulson where Melinda is without Jeffrey's permission, just as Jeffrey comes in and tells them that Melinda is at a CDC facility in upstate New York. Chen is strapped to a table nearby and goes into convulsions, and then dies. Jemma tells the others that the same thing will happen to Melinda in an hour unless they take drastic measures. She says that there might be someone who can provide them with a cure, and Jeffrey tells her to do whatever it takes. When Coulson says that he's going with her, Jeffrey tells him that he's going to Miami because he needs an expert on Inhumans there. He says that Coulson would make the same call in his position, and Coulson agrees.
At the penthouse, Elena looks at the confusion spreading in the streets. She figures an EMP was responsible, and word is spreading that the Inhumans are responsible. When Maria wants to find her fiancé, Elena goes after her.
In LA, Robbie pulls over to get gas and says that his Uncle Elias worked at Momentum and he's going to see him. Daisy knows that Elias attempted to kill a man and is in prison, and Robbie explains that Elias was an electrical engineer at Momentum. A radio newscast mentions that there's another blackout in London and the Inhumans are responsible, and an EMP pulse hits the city.
At his lab at home, Holden is setting up the VR rig and orders Aida to hook up the equipment he needs. He snaps at her and then explains that he's concerned because of Melinda's condition. Holden puts Aida to "sleep" in her pod and says that he hopes he won't have to hide her away forever. Once he seals the pod, Holden goes to greet the arriving S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
Jemma brings Melinda in and explains that a "ghost" touched Melinda, infecting her with madness. She's hoping that they can use his transcranial head apparatus to find the problem and cure it. Jemma warns that they have less than six hours until certain deaths.
As he flies to Miami, Coulson listens to a newscast featuring Senator Rota Nadeer warning that the Inhumans are committing an act of war. Moscow has now been blacked out as well, and S.H.I.E.L.D. relocated Inhumans to all of it. Coulson figures that it doesn't feel right, and Fitz confirms that the Resistance is using EMP devices rather than powers. He assures the others that he has everything he needs to find the people responsible.
Robbie drives to rescue his wheelchair-bound little brother. His car still works because it has no electronics, and Daisy insists that the Inhumans wouldn't perform the blackout. She figures that Robbie wants to get rid of Ghost Rider, and he explains that he thought once he put away the gangers that put Gabe in a wheelchair, he'd be free. Then he started settling other people's scores, and then went after the guy that Elias beat up. If Robbie can finish Elias' job then he can get rid of the demon... or ride with it together.
Gabe moves down the street and several thugs spot him. They come over to harass him, just as Robbie pulls up and gets out. The thugs want Robbie's car, and the metal heats up. The men attack Daisy and Robbie, to take them all out. The leader puts a gun to Gabe's head, and Daisy disarms him with a seismic blast before moaning in pain as her arm bones fracture. Robbie asks if Gabe is good, and Gabe says that he's fine. Daisy introduces herself and Robbie carries his brother home.
At the penthouse in Miami, armed men break in and tell everyone to stay calm. The leader Briggs says that they're there for the Inhuman.
Jemma and Holden put the apparatus on Melinda and bring up the a hologram of her brain. They find what is apparently causing her nightmares, driving her adrenal system into overload. Jemma realizes that all of the victims were scared to death, and they have no idea how to fight it.
Coulson and the team head for the penthouse and Mack points out that the EMP only short-circuits electronics that turned on. He figures that she could have found an inactive phone and turned it on. Fitz figures that Elena was too busy celebrating to notice.
At the penthouse, the men say that they're there to protect the humans. They have information that an Inhuman is there, and ask anyone with knowledge of the Inhuman to step forward. Maria says that Inhumans are freaks, and Elena objects, insisting that they're people, too. A guest steps forward and tells Briggs that Mertz is the Inhuman, and the men drag Mertz forward. Mertz insists that he's not an Inhuman.
Jeffrey contacts Coulson and warns that there have been more blackouts. He says that he needs a win, and the power goes out, ending the transmission. Fitz realizes that it's a continuous-pulse EMP and none of their tech will work. He gets a slide rule and some glow rods, and the trio head off.
Once they get to Robbie's apartment, he says that they have to do something about Daisy's arm. Daisy says that she can't go to a hospital and asks what he does if he gets hurt. Robbie says that he doesn't get hurt and points out that the cut she gave him earlier has hatched. He explains that any wounds that he gets heal, and warns Daisy that he doesn't know how to help her. Daisy notices Elias in the family photos and Robbie explains that Elias raised them. As Robbie goes, he tells Daisy that Gabe doesn't know about his other self and never will.
Briggs' men continue beating Mertz, who insists that he just has sleight of hand. Unconvinced, Briggs has one of his men shoot him. Elena disarms him at superspeed and they figure Mertz did it. Brigg draws his gun and his gun disappears as well. Maria sees Elena with the gun and realizes that she's the Inhuman. As the Resistance men move in, Coulson, Mack, and Fitz arrive and attack the intruders. Briggs grabs Maria and Coulson punches him unconscious. Afterward, Elena tells Maria that she's still the same. Disgusted, Maria tells her to stay away from her and walks off. Elena tells her teammates that the Resistance men knew that she was there, even though she's registered.
Melinda gets worse and Holden tells Jemma that they'll have to kill Melinda.
Coulson interrogates Briggs and fires a shot into his chest. Briggs is wearing Kevlar, and Mack confirms that it's advanced military tech. Coulson figures that it's a setup and Mack sees a flower tattoo on Briggs' wrist, and realizes that he's connected to the Watchdogs.
As Daisy puts ice on her breaks, Gabe asks her how she knows Robbie. She says that Robbie gave her a ride, and asks how Gabe ended up a wheelchair. The teenager says that he was in the wrong place in the wrong time, and he takes care of Robbie. Gabe insists that Robbie would go off the tracks without him, and wonders if Daisy is a bad person.
Elena searches the Watchdogs and finds a list of Inhumans from the Registration List. The government tracks assets on the move, and that's how they found Elena. Fitz says that he can solve the blackouts and starts making compasses out of needles and corks.
Holden tells Jemma that if they shut down and reboot Melinda's brain then it will set back to "default." Jemma thinks that it's crazy, but Holden points out that they don't have any other options. They prepare a shot and Jemma administers it to Melinda, "killing" her. She flatlines and they start counting down the seven minutes for her brain to reach minimal activity threshold before her brain is irreparably damaged.
Fitz explains that the pulse is magnetic and he can use the compasses to track it.
As Jemma prepares to revive Melinda, they lose power from an EMP pulse. Jemma starts administering CPR
Jeffrey realizes that they've lost DC, and gets a call from the President. He gives Jeffrey one more hour to resolve the matter or he'll send soldiers into the blackout zones to take out the Inhumans.
Fitz finds the EMP generator and the team heads out.
Jemma insists that she's not going to lose Melinda, and orders he to come back. Holden suggests that they could jumpstart her heart, and gets an idea. He removes Aida's power cell and brings it in, and Jemma uses it to jumpstart Melinda's heart. Melinda revives... alive and sane. Jemma, relieved, hugs her, and Melinda wonders what she missed.
Coulson and the others go to the coordinates and they hear men talking up ahead. Watchdogs are guarding the EMP generator, and Elena speeds around holding a light stick. Once they're distracted, she disarms them at superspeed and then Coulson and the others come in and take the men out. Fitz disables the EMP generator and they turn the power back on to the city. Coulson confirms that they have passports and visas and figures someone has taken the Watchdogs global.
Daisy tells Gabe that people don’t like the Inhumans because they're different. The power comes back up and Gabe says that she should go to the hospital. He knows that she's Quake based on what she did earlier, and assures her that her secret is safe with him… as long as she stays away from Robbie because he needs good people around him and she isn't it.
Coulson tells Jeffrey about the Watchdog's involvement, and says that maybe it's time for the rollout. When Jeffrey objects, Coulson says that it's time to know when it's important to throw out the plan. He tells Jeffrey that it's up to him to decide and walks out.
In the mess, Mack finally tells Elena that they know she's been communicating with Daisy behind their backs. Elena says that they should respect what Daisy wants, and knows about Ghost Rider. She says that there's nothing between them, just as Fitz and Coulson arrive. Fitz has a list of the people that worked at Momentum, and they see Jeffrey on the news. He tells the press that the Inhumans were not responsible for the blackouts, and they were caused by human extremists.
As Gabe watches the news, Robbie returns home with meds for Daisy. He realizes that she's not there, and Gabe claims that he doesn't know where she went.
Jeffrey announces that S.H.I.E.L.D. is back in town and ended the blackouts. Melinda calls and tells Coulson that she's okay, and says that he should be making the statement. Coulson tells her that he's right where he belongs.
In her van, Daisy listens to the news as Jeffrey talks about trust. As she takes her meds, Daisy turns off the radio.
Nadeer is at her brother's place watching a pre-recorded statement she made that the Inhumans are controlling S.H.I.E.L.D. and are responsible for the blackout. She receives a report that the Watchdogs eliminated 17 Inhumans and says goodbye to her petrified brother, and then says that she'll be back in a few days to check in.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 12, 2016