Agents of SHIELD Season 3 Finale Recap: Absolution & Ascension – Episodes 321 & 322

Violet recaps the two-hour Season 3 finale of Agents of SHIELD, featuring Episodes 321 and 322, titled Absolution and Ascension, where the SHIELD team must prevent Hive from globally releasing the pathogen! Following the recap, both Violet and Josh share their thoughts about the episodes.

• His thoughts on the Season 3 finale of Agents of SHIELD
• Her thoughts on Agents of SHIELD, Season 3 Episodes 21 & 22: Absolution and Ascension

Recap of Agents of SHIELD, Season 3 Episode 21: Absolution:

Daisy awakens from a dream about her and Coulson being stuck in a containment unit on the alien planet. She is confined to the white room. Simmons comes down to check on her to see if she has anymore pertinent information to share, speaking to her from the other side of the doors. Simmons reveals that they have located a missile silo, and Daisy says that if that’s where they plan to do it (release the Primitive pathogen), then Hive and his followers will be there ahead of SHIELD.

Meanwhile, May is piloting the quinjet with Lincoln, Mack, and Yo-Yo en route to the missile silo. Inside the silo, Hive and his people seem to be ready for SHIELD.

Daisy tells Simmons that they need government kill codes hand delivered from a DOD official in order to shut down the missile launch, and that it’s not hackable, but Simmons says they are aware. General Talbot tries to get the kill code from General Andaz, but he isn’t willing to divulge it, because it would violate chain of command. General Andaz goes on to say that he doesn’t even have the codes, they’re held at the Defense Logistics Building. Overhearing this, Coulson heads there.

Over at the missile silo, the team works on getting an uplink.

While General Talbot was video conferencing with General Andaz, Fitz managed to copy Andaz’s face and voice into his computer. Fitz puts on some motion capture dots and he and Talbot stand in front of a green screen, where it now looks like Andaz and Talbot are standing together rather than Fitz and Talbot. They video conference someone over at the Defense Logistics Building, saying they’re sending an agent over to get the kill codes. Not long after, Coulson drives up, presents his credentials, and is handed a briefcase containing the kill codes.

Meanwhile, Hive’s guys begin the launch sequence, and the countdown begins. The SHIELD agents on site are able to secure the uplink, and Coulson reads out the very long kill code to Fitz with only 20 seconds remaining. They are able to override the launch, which angers Hive, who demands that Radcliffe fix it, and sends his guys to search for the SHIELD agents.

May heads over to the silo to secure the warhead, while Mack and Yo-Yo work together in a hallway to set up a trap to stop Hive. Mack tries to give Yo-Yo her cross back, but she says it was a gift, and won’t take it.

Back at SHIELD HQ, Simmons reports to Coulson that she doesn’t think Daisy knows what Absolution means.

Radcilffe looks at a manual and tries to to figure out how to manually launch the missile — with the help of two Primitives, who aren’t very helpful.

Hive figures out the room where Lincoln is hiding, and begins to have a “heart to heart” with him about Daisy. He tells Lincoln that Daisy loved Lincoln, or thought she did.  However, Hive says that he made Daisy whole, and could do the same for Lincoln. Lincoln reveals himself, and tells Hive he’s never going to see Daisy again.

Coulson goes down to visit Daisy to update her, and reassures her these are just protocols, and that no one blames her. However, Daisy seems to think that she should be blamed.  Coulson tries to convince Daisy that she was brainwashed, and is merely going through withdrawal effects right now. He says that she is going to get better, but that it will take time. Daisy tells Coulson to use the memory machine on her. Coulson admits they pulled the memory machine out of storage, but it’s not for her.

Lincoln goes to the hallway where Mack and Yo-Yo set up the trap for Hive, who follows. They set off the trap, which consists of Lincoln using his electrical powers, which he holds as long as he can, while Hive clutches his head in agony, and Mack and Yo-Yo make a run for it. Apparently they were trying to “fry his brain.” Lincoln lets go and runs off, leaving Hive cowering in pain on the floor, where James and Giyera soon find him. Hive tells them they have to go. Hive then continues to have flashbacks to his past lives as Will, Ward, and as Malick’s brother, and says random things that he had said as those people. James and Giyera realize that Hive has gone crazy.

May finds Radcliffe and the Primitives. Three Primitives attack May, and she fights back.

Meanwhile, Yo-Yo finds and rescues the crew that was working at the silo.

Hive seems to have a breakthrough and tells James and Giyera that they need to disconnect the warhead for Absolution. But then he continues to have flashbacks.

Radcliffe shoots the last standing Primitive and asks May if SHIELD sent her. She tells Radcliffe that she’s with SHIELD, and he seems pleased to hear it. Just then, the top of the silo opens, and Giyera, flying a plane above, takes the warhead off the top of the missile, and begins bringing it up to the plane.

Everyone evacuates the building, and Hive comes running out, asking what they did to him. Lincoln tells him, “The only thing we could think of.” Yo-Yo then quickly places device onto the ground where Hive is standing, and a containment unit drops over him. Hive is now frozen in place in amber. The team triumphantly marvels that they just caught Hive.

The team brings Hive’s containment unit back to SHIELD HQ. Coulson and Talbot debrief. Talbot wants someone to reverse what was done to the Watchdogs who were turned into Primitives. May walks up just then with Radcliffe and tells him to start with him, since he’s the one who did it to them. Radcliffe tells them that the process is irreversible, but Talbot threatens him, telling him to find a solution. Fitz and Simmons step in to work with Radcliffe.

Coulson tells Lincoln he thinks he would make a great SHIELD agent, but Lincoln says that he doesn’t think that he wants it, and that once they’re done with Hive, he’s done with all of it. Coulson tries to convince Lincoln otherwise, but to no avail.

Mack goes down to talk to Daisy, even entering the room rather than talking to her through the doors. He informs her that they caught Hive. Daisy tells him they’re not partners anymore, and tells him to leave. Mack forgives Daisy for what she did. He tries to hug her, but she keeps fighting him off. However, she finally gives in and allows him to hug her, as she breaks down crying.

Fitz gets frustrated about not being able to find a solution. He discovers that Simmons is secretly trying to book a romantic trip for the two of them. Fitz gets an alert that he needs to make an inspection before they bring Hive into the facility. On his way out, he notices the cross necklace and picks it up. Simmons says she thinks it’s Yo-Yo’s, and Fitz puts it in his pocket.

Mack and Daisy talk about Hive. Daisy thinks that Hive is the devil, and says that he can’t be contained, he has to be destroyed. Mack tries to convince Daisy that she’s safe, and tells her that Coulson is sealing up the base.

Fitz goes down the the hangar to make his inspections on the containment unit Hive is in. He asks O’Brien about when the hangar door, which is stuck open, will be fixed, but they’re still working on it. Fitz notices a label on a large package that reads: Manufactured in Absolution, Montana. He tries to warn O’Brien, but just then, there’s an explosion, and mist comes out — the Primitive pathogen. O’Brien quickly turns into a Primitive and rushes toward Fitz. Another man tries to run out the door, but Primitive O’Brien drags the man away toward the gas. Fitz tries to leave, but the doors are locked. Meanwhile, more and more Primitives are created, while a few other men shoot to keep them back. While all this is happening, Coulson and the others are looking at the security footage, communicating with Fitz, wondering what to do. Fitz brings up some sort of theory to Simmons, who springs into action, and they’re able to get the back doors to open. Fitz escapes, and is able to save one man.

The Primitives then go over to the containment unit holding Hive and break it apart, allowing Hive to escape.

Daisy and Mack watch this on the monitor as it’s happening, and as Daisy sees Hive eyeing the Zephyr, she explains to Mack that she told Hive everything — including the Zephyr plans and its high altitude capabilities. They realize that Hive now has a delivery system for the pathogen. Mack rushes off to tell the others.

The SHIELD agents watch as Hive walks into the ship, and try to figure out a way to stop him from taking it. Meanwhile, Daisy hacks her way out of her room, having the module ascend into the hangar. Daisy confronts Hive, who is having trouble with his memories. She kneels before Hive and begs him to take her back.

Recap of Agents of SHIELD, Season 3 Episode 22: Ascension:

It turns out that Lash’s powers have made Daisy immune to Hive, so it doesn’t work when he tries to sway her, and she uses her own quake powers to attack Hive. They fight, but despite Daisy stabbing him several times, thanks to Hive’s healing abilities, he wins out, and knocks her out when she gets distracted by James and Giyera flying the quinjet into the hangar, then puts her on the Zephyr to be held captive in a containment unit.

Meanwhile, SHIELD HQ is being attacked by the Primitives, who, since they were SHIELD agents, know their way around the building. When Mack and Yo-Yo go to secure the armory, Yo-Yo uses her powers to take the bullet for Mack. Mack, Yo-Yo, Lincoln, Coulson, and Radcliffe barricade themselves in a room to hide from the Primitives. The only thing they can do for Yo-Yo is use a blowtorch to cauterize her wound, which she asks that Mack do. While hiding by a furnace, Simmons figures out that the Primitives’ eyesight is affected by extreme heat, so she turns the heat up, which blinds the Primitives, and they all run to Coulson’s office. There, Coulson calls for help, and orders the others to stay with Yo-Yo, while he takes the quinjet to the Zephyr to stop Hive.

While this has been going on, Fitz and May have stowed away on the Zephyr, which Hive has been able to pilot because of his memories as Ward and Will. There they fight off a couple Primitives, and find Daisy, who explains what happened with Hive. However, Giyera sneaks up on them and knocks May out. Fitz is able to get Giyera to believe his bluff, which allows Fitz to shoot Giyera several times. It begins to get cold because of the high altitude, so Fitz gives Daisy his jacket — where she finds the cross necklace in the pocket.

Coulson docks the quinjet on the Zephyr, and Hive goes to have a chat with him, even showing his true face. But then it turns out this was all a distraction — Hive has actually been talking to a hologram of Coulson, while Simmons, Mack, Lincoln, and the real Coulson are elsewhere on the Zephyr. They meet up with Daisy, May, and Fitz. James attacks them, but Lincoln fights him. Unfortunately, though Lincoln defeats James, James was able to use his powers to wound Lincoln pretty badly.

FitzSimmons take care of Lincoln, and the team regroups. Coulson then reveals his plan: move the warhead to the quinjet, then have the quinjet remotely fly the warhead into space, where the pathogen won’t hurt anyone. Daisy quickly volunteers herself for that job, including flying it herself to make sure nothing goes wrong, while the others are left to fight off the Primitives. Hive goes after Daisy, who is using her powers to move the warhead to the quinjet. However, Lincoln has snuck onto the quinjet and uses his powers to fry the manual control system so that Hive can’t override the controls, then zaps Daisy off of the quinjet, leaving him and Hive alone on the quinjet.

Daisy rushes to talk to Lincoln on the comm system, and he tells her that this was his purpose, as he was the only one who could fry the manual controls. Daisy finds out that she no longer has the cross necklace — Lincoln stole it from her. They exchange a tearful goodbye, and Lincoln tells Daisy he loves her, just before they lose contact with each other. Coulson and Fitz break the news to Daisy that there’s nothing they can do. Lincoln and Hive float and have a final conversation as they face the countdown to their death. The SHIELD team watches the explosion from the Zephyr.

Six Months Later

Coulson and Mack have managed to track down Daisy, who is now known as Quake, as she has been causing earthquakes, according to a newspaper headline. They watch from a window as she approaches Charlie Hinton’s wife and daughter, who thank Daisy for her help. Daisy gives the girl the robin carving her father made. Coulson calls in the team to apprehend Daisy, but they’re too late. She uses her powers to launch herself into the sky.

Meanwhile, Radcliffe talks with his AI, AIDA. It seems that his name has been cleared and Fitz has joined his LMD project. They are celebrating AIDA’s birthday — Radcliffe has created a synthetic human body for her.

 

Scenes from Agents of SHIELD, Season 4 Episode 1: The Ghost

Preview of Season 4 Episode 1 of Agents of SHIELD

What did you think of the Season 3 finale of Agents of SHIELD? Let us know in the comments below!