Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Round Table: Just Light Hive On Fire
Jay Ruymann
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Hive successfully created some sort of Inhuman on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 Episode 20. Too bad they're abominations, but does he care? No. Lash saved Daisy and died in the process, letting her return home, thanks to May and Lincoln's plan. Now they think Daisy is supposed to stop Hive.
Join TV Fanatics Meg Bonney, Jim Garner, Caralynn Lippo, Kathleen Wiedel, and Jay Ruymann, as they discuss Hive's lack of interest in fixing his experiments and who we'd like, or wouldn't like, the infamous fallen agent to be.
The Watchdogs were turned into abominations by Hive's experiment. React.
Meg: I can't say I wasn't a little happy to see him use such scum for his experiments but it was still pretty messed up. They all kind of looked like Deadpool in the terrible Wolverine movie.
Jim: BWHAAHAHA, Meg! (wipes eyes), they did look like Deadpool from the Wolverine movie. I have to agree with Meg. I wasn't that upset they they got used to test the effect of the process.
Caralynn: Haha, Meg! That's exactly right. Beyond that: Oh, poetic justice. It was actually really disturbing to see those creepy mushface abominations, and I can't say I was expecting to see the experiments turn out that way. This makes the whole Hive plan so much worse! At least if he turned the world into regular Inhumans they would have still been somewhat okay (despite being mind-controlled). Now, if he succeeds, everyone will be an apparently mindless, hideously deformed creature.
Kathleen: I wouldn't wish Deadpoolization on anyone! Especially like that. Yes, the Watchdogs were not nice people, but their fate was still horrible, transformed into quite-literally Inhuman abominations that can probably be only released from their abhorrent state by death.
Jay: I'm horrified and disgusted. I understand that the Watchdogs weren't great people, but what was done to them was beyond inhumane. It made me sick to my stomach to see the creatures they became and that Hive's reason for using them as guinea pigs was to turn them into what they hate. It really bothered me to watch.
What does it say about Hive and his mission that he accepted this obviously failed experiment?
Meg: He is oddly calm, like all the time. He is the most chill villain ever and sort of talks with a soothing yoga instructor voice. I was expecting him to freak out on the doctor but he seemed perfectly content with having the Watchdogs as his minions.
Jim: I don't think he saw it as a failure. He wanted them to be inhuman so he could control them and bring "peace" to the world. Being a mindless zombie-slave accomplishes his goals nicely.
Caralynn: It was really creepy, and I think even in their mind-controlled state Daisy and James registered how disturbing it was that Hive wanted to turn everyone into these strange, miserable creatures. He doesn't care at all about anyone's quality of life. He only cares about control. TOTAL megalomaniac.
Kathleen: You make an excellent point. As far as Hive is concerned, things worked out just fine.
Jay: It shows just how uninterested he is with actually caring about Inhumans and pretending they're all family. The facade is gone, and his true nature is revealed.
Lincoln and May tricked Daisy. Were you shocked by this partnership?
Meg: I was! May has been pretty nice to Lincoln but still tough so I wouldn't have pictured them off on their own cooking up a plan like this. I am so happy that they did though. I was really bummed to see Lincoln ditching the other agents like that and that Lash moment was AMAZING.
Jim: Totally didn't see it coming! I loved it.
Caralynn: "Lincoln did a thing and wasn't useless! Shock! Gasp! Awe!" That was basically the extent of my reaction. Great plan, though! Probably mostly May's idea.
Kathleen: I just about died laughing at Caralynn's response there. I was surprised at the partnership mostly because Lincoln has been pretty much self-absorbed up to this point, doing his own thing and ignoring orders and the like. It was definitely a pleasant surprise.
Jay: I'm with Caralynn.
Lash! The Inhuman to destroy all Inhumans. Why did you no one think of him? Are you disappointed with his death?
Meg: I was so excited to see him get off the jet! We all thought this showdown would happen and it finally did! I loved that it all tied back to that line he gave when he was the scary Lash. He said "I am the cure" and for Daisy, he was! I am so bummed that he died. I was really looking forward to him really joining the team.
Jim: I was kind of surprised that he died. I LOVED seeing him step off the plane and I cheered when he cured Daisy. Maybe they can use what he did to Daisy to prevent Hive from infecting others.
Caralynn: I'm disappointed! It was so sudden and completely tragic that the death followed so closely on the heels of the reveal that there was still a little bit of Andrew left in him, the part that saved Daisy. I love Jim's idea and hadn't thought of that! Perhaps FitzSimmons can use Lash's corpse to concoct something useful. That would be a great postmortem redemption for Lash/Andrew.
Kathleen: I agree with Caralynn and Jim. His appearance and redemption were fantastic, though it was sad that he died. Again, though, it was great that Andrew was able to redeem himself, even in a small way, for all the death and destruction he caused as Lash. And saving Daisy isn't actually small!
Jay: I'm very disappointed. Now him stating he was the cure makes sense, but this reveal was over and done in the five seconds it took for him to die.
Lash had the power to stop Hive, but died saving Daisy. How do you think Hive can be stopped now?
Meg: Lincoln. I think Lincoln's purpose is to kill Hive but I am not sure how. I love the idea of "Ward" facing off against Lincoln like that. I think it's going to epic, BUT I am not looking forward to losing Brett Dalton. Is there a way we can kill Hive but keep him?
Jim: This is a comic book TV show, Meg, OF COURSE there are ways to kill Hive and keep Brett. Cloning comes to mind, or a vaccine, or an alternate universe Ward... see lots of ways. As far as how to stop Hive, I would love to see an inoculation of humans and Inhumans that cuts him off from controlling everyone. The he would basically be powerless (other than melting humans) so he could be contained or dropped in the sun.
Caralynn: I'm with Meg, on all counts. I do NOT want to lose Brett Dalton, but they've made pretty clear that 1) Ward is dead-for-real and 2) Hive is not the kind of villain who can be "redeemed" or something ridiculous like that. I think once Hive's defeated, Brett will be gone, unfortunately. I would love to see Lincoln sacrifice himself to save the world/defeat Hive. It would also make sense because Lincoln has been the one ALL SEASON parroting that line about all Inhumans being there for a purpose. It would be so fitting.
Kathleen: Has anyone considered lighting Hive on fire? Maybe Agent Koenig has some spare napalm laying around the base.
Jay: They made it pretty clear that Daisy has the power to defeat Hive, but I don't see how given that she was so easily brainwashed by him. Daisy is their solution for everything, and while it would be interesting and give Lincoln's character some purpose, I don't think that's where they're headed after having Lash save Daisy.
Things aren't looking good for Mack, now that Yoyo gave him her cross necklace that's seen in the flash forward. Who do you think will be the fallen agent?
Meg: I don't think it will be Mack. I think it will be May. I think her story has run it's course and she is sort of hanging back as the Mama bird right now. It sucks, but I think that it will be her. With Andrew gone, she may be the one most likely to sacrifice herself. Everyone is going to be watching that necklace like a hawk next week!
Jim: Agreed, Meg, everyone will be watching to see who had the necklace when the music stops. Heck, they even showed several people having the necklace in there hands. I suspect Lincoln will end up being the fallen agent. Given that the Inhuman movie was delayed I think AOS will continue to focus on the Inhumans, thus I don't think Daisy or Coulson would be on the block, and I pray it isn't FitzSimmon or Yoyo.
Caralynn: It is definitely not Mack now that they've hinted at it so heavily. Too obvious. I desperately don't want it to be May, Daisy, Coulson, FitzSimmons, or Yoyo because I think there is more story left to tell with each of those characters. I haven't grown very attached to Joey (he simply hasn't been around enough), but I think it's important to keep the cast as diverse as possible and to explore new characters like him (while shedding old ones that never truly caught on).
I would be OK losing Lincoln (see my last answer above). Like I said, I just feel like Lincoln's character never truly caught on. He never felt like a real part of the team himself (he stated it, time and again), and he never felt like a real part of the team to me either.
Kathleen: Basically, it's going to be anyone but Mack at this point. The most likely candidates in my eyes are either May or Lincoln. Either one is in a prime position (from a character and plot perspective) for a heroic sacrifice to save the day.
Jay: At this point, I could see it being May. With Andrew now dead, he was the last thread of a singular story for her, and it would make sense for her character to make the sacrifice for the team.
Jay Ruymann was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He retired in January 2018.
