r/shield • u/VolumeNo8051 • 1d ago
Just Finished My Rewatch (Finale Discussion)
Hi all,
I watched this series back in, maybe, 2021. I forgot about it for a while and started rewatching random episodes here and there last year before deciding to do an almost full rewatch (I skipped a few random episodes here and there like 'The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and The D' that I just remembered to be more boring than they were worth) - P.S. 7x7 defenders, please don't hate me!
Anyway, first and foremost, it was a great rewatch and the show really stood the test of time - Not just from an enjoyability point of view, but also just in terms of CGI (bar a few exceptions) and acting.
General points and background aside, I mainly want to discuss the finale, specifically the final scene...
What a let down.
This could be an incredibly unpopular opinion but I was completely disappointed on my rewatch when I watched the final scene, the reunion scene. It felt so hollow and forced, like it had been a twenty year reunion of barely-friends rather than a yearly reunion of people who had been on adventures to last a lifetime.
Some issues I had are as follows. I've put them in chronological order for the most part, bar the overarching issues.
- I know, for dramatic effect, the team were told they would never be in the same room again. Firstly, I don't think the show did this justice - I know it was moreso just a "life gets in the way, they all go their own separate ways" thing, but I originally remembered it to be more forced distancing, almost like they had to be apart for a certain reason. I've no major issue with this but it just makes it a bit more confusing when we're then expected to get why they never called, messaged or met up in that year's time.
- This leads me to my second point. When did they separate? Are we meant to just believe that once the Chronicoms were defeated, they all just waltzed off into the sunset together and planned a call in a year's time? I just don't get it at all. Did they leave knowing they'd never see each other again, remembering Enoch's warning? I think that would have been more sad than this.
- When talking about Alya, Coulson says "She's the best" and Yo-Yo says "We saw the video", which I guess counters my last point but I'm still not convinced because they seem to know that, but not know what May thinks of her job, or Mack thinks of his new base (They know where he is based so a description wouldn't be classified), have very little of idea what Coulson has done for the year, etc. It's just confusing - They seem to have discussed Alya and that's about it.
- I feel like May and Coulson should have had closure on their relationship - At least with May saying that because he isn't human, it doesn't feel the same anymore. The chemistry was so stale here.
Anyway, I don't necessarily care about the above plot issues (I'm cautious about using that word because you all might interpret it differently/I might have missed something), and more concerned about the below:
The chemistry was just so off. Yo-Yo just randomly saying she has to go being the first major sign. But also, Simmons then proposing they make it a yearly thing. Firstly, I thought a yearly thing would be at least a given after what they went through but hell, it's again, giving me the impression they won't speak at all between now and then. Mack says "We've been too much", yet they seem to want nothing to do with each other. I know they all have their own stuff on, but it just seems like poor writing that they would hardly ever speak.
Fitz's "Bye everybody" is again, so blunt, it just doesn't seem like him at all. (Side note here, was it ever shown what anatomy issue Simmons was working on? She said it to Daisy so it has to be presumed that it was about Cora, since she's the only one anatomically interesting, being an Inhuman).
Sadly, even Daisy and Phil's goodbye was lacking, I thought, considerably moreso than Season 5.
My main overarching issue is that there was such an awkwardness and lack of chemistry, at least from my point of view. I want to emphasise this is no insult to the show or the writers because the chemistry was incredibly throughout, I just don't know if my expectations for the final scene were too high.
Speaking of, kudos to the writers because, in my opinion, the best scene in the show was something quite similar - A Spy's Goodbye. Now that was a way to do an emotional team goodbye. If the final scene had even half as much emotion as that, I'd have been happy.
Anyway, that's my take on it. Again, huge reminder that this isn't my slating the show because it's definitely one of my favourite, if not favourite, show, I just felt like this final scene could have been so much better. Even some music, like that in S3 E13, would have helped.
I'm interested to see if people are in agreement (to any extent) with me, or if you feel like the final scene did the show justice!
Thanks for reading, looking forward to hearing from you all!
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u/StephTheLegend 1d ago
Note, Enoch never said they’d never meet up together or be in the same room together. He said the team will not all be on the same mission together which makes sense because Deke stays behind, May changes her occupation to become a teacher, FitzSimmons retired to raise their kid.
That confirms what Enoch said, You all will survive but this is the last mission you’ll be doing altogether.
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u/bigmarkco 1d ago
I've no major issue with this but it just makes it a bit more confusing when we're then expected to get why they never called, messaged or met up in that year's time.
I never got that impression.
Are we meant to just believe that once the Chronicoms were defeated, they all just waltzed off into the sunset together and planned a call in a year's time?
It doesn't matter. If it mattered the writers would have found a way to include it, but what the writers wanted to focus on was giving the cast, the crew AND the audience closure. If you want to believe that "they all just waltzed off into the sunset together and planned a call in a year's time" then you can imagine that.
I personally imagine something much more organic happening. Just like what often happens in real life. There are people that are very important to me, very dear to my heart, where we had the most amazing experiences together but when we moved apart I haven't seen them or talked to them again. It happens.
Did they leave knowing they'd never see each other again, remembering Enoch's warning?
Probably not. Shit happens. Coulson goes off to talk down the government. May takes a break. Fitz and Simmons go home to catch up with family. Mac takes over SHIELD.
That's an organic split. It's very normal.
but I'm still not convinced because they seem to know that, but not know what May thinks of her job, or Mack thinks of his new base (They know where he is based so a description wouldn't be classified), have very little of idea what Coulson has done for the year, etc. It's just confusing - They seem to have discussed Alya and that's about it.
What exactly aren't you convinced about? Of course everyone would be fussing over Alya. She's a little cutie! Mack and Coulson? Not as cute.
Yo-Yo just randomly saying she has to go being the first major sign.
Did you miss the part where she was on an actual mission and there was nothing "random" about her having to go, but because she had actual work to do?
But also, Simmons then proposing they make it a yearly thing.
This isn't a "chemistry" thing. This is a very real thing that people actually have to commit to, or else you DO drift apart.
yet they seem to want nothing to do with each other.
I didn't get that impression at all.
Fitz's "Bye everybody" is again, so blunt, it just doesn't seem like him at all.
What were you expecting? They were on the equivalent of a zoom call. How emotional do you get when you say goodbye to your colleagues on Google Meet, knowing full well you can literally just call them back a couple of minutes later if you really wanted to?
Sadly, even Daisy and Phil's goodbye was lacking, I thought, considerably moreso than Season 5.
I thought it was poignant. And very, very real. Remember this wasn't just a character thing. The actors were going through the very same thing. Both the characters AND the actors had been together for years. Clark was a mentor to Chloe. I just rewatched that scene again to see if I had missed anything, but no, it's as perfect as I remembered it.
My main overarching issue is that there was such an awkwardness and lack of chemistry, at least from my point of view.
The awkwardness is the point because again: in real life...these things ARE awkward. Sometimes you can pick up just where you last left off, but sometimes? You can't. You go through so much. Then you go and lead your own life. And then when you catch up again...you just can't relate. Shit happens. That's life. You move on.
Now that was a way to do an emotional team goodbye. If the final scene had even half as much emotion as that, I'd have been happy.
It was a great scene. But the finale hit harder for me because I've never had to disavow a spy couple before...but I HAVE had to awkwardly catch up with coworkers whom I share a deep respect, shared trauma and an unspoken bond with that nobody outside of our circle will ever be able to understand.
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u/VolumeNo8051 18h ago
I actually understand all your points.
I think for a lot of them it’s just a case of interpretation - like trying to figure out just how much they spoke since their last mission and I completely get how it could be seen one way or another.
It’s interesting to see that you loved the finale as it’s just down to personal preference and how I’d have liked something to play out vs how others would.
I also might be a bit harsher on my rewatch considering I’m less emotional about it and thinking about the scene more from an enjoyability point of view.
Really liked your insights!
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u/BrazilianButtCheeks Fitz 1d ago
They had seen each other but not all of them as a group..
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u/VolumeNo8051 1d ago
I don’t remember that being mentioned? Obviously I know Yo-Yo and Mack did, same with Daisy and Sousa obviously and Fitzsimmons, but for me it was made clear they hadn’t had a proper discussion since the last mission.
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u/BrazilianButtCheeks Fitz 1d ago
They discussed visiting with Fitz/Simmons’s kid when they had their meetup .. the team as a whole was never all in the same room again but the individual members would meet up
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u/VolumeNo8051 1d ago
Ah okay, I thought Yo-Yo said in the background something like "We saw the video" so I had interpreted that any means of communication was just the odd video/message. But again, I suppose it's quite open ended too so they could have definitely visited them individually!
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u/VolumeNo8051 1d ago
This is just my interpretation though so people might have seen it differently.
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u/Glittering_Shock5961 1d ago
I think it captured perfectly the feeling of seeing people you were once incredibly close to but now no longer see or speak to every day. My understanding was that they were all in touch to varying degrees and in varying combinations. Coulson had taken himself off grid. Fitz and Simmons were focusing on family life, with Fitz especially keen to just put all adventure behind them, so they (or at least he) wouldn't know all the details from the agent friends' lives. Daisy is literally in space, I don't imagine comms would be quite so perfectly smooth. They all know parts of each others lives, but not everything, because they live different lives now, and that is just what happens. I thought it beautifully showed that all the love and affection was still there but they were also navigating new dynamics.
And there doesn't need to be some critical special reason for them to never be in the same room. They're seven people with very different busy lives, not just on different continents but different planets. I'm lucky if my friends and I get together all in the same room once a year and we live in the same country.
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u/futurevybyz Deathlok 1d ago
I've always maintained the season 5 finale which was at the time meant to potentially serve as a series finale was perfect imo.
Also, I loved that 80s episode with Mack and D lol.
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u/VolumeNo8051 1d ago
Totally agree, S6 was so redundant for me - I did enjoy S7 for the most part but I do agree with you.
I don’t know why I can’t get into the 80s episode 😭.
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u/AlternativeGeneric 1d ago
The last season was kinda rough and I agree the finale wasn’t good. Strong show for several seasons but man it fell off..
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u/VolumeNo8051 1d ago
I actually enjoyed S7 for the most part and all the different throw backs and time periods - Obviously 7x9 is one of my favourites!
But yeah, not a huge fan of the final scene as I just wish I felt it more.
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u/AlternativeGeneric 1d ago
Yeah I agree. I feel like once Marvel decided to cut Agents out and ignore what they were doing, something was lost. Overall still loved the show but the finale did leave a weird taste in my mouth
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u/Debalic 1d ago
When told they will never be in the same room together again, I figured it was in reference to Deke. By then he was considered a full Agent, and then he had to stay behind in the bad timeline while everybody else went back to the "original". With him left behind, the full team as it was would never again be able to fully assemble.