Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4 Episode 22 Review: World's End
Lee Jutton
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The episode was titled "World's End," but seeing as the show was renewed for a fifth season shortly before it aired, one had a feeling that this wasn't the last we'd be seeing of our favorite agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
But, that doesn't mean the season finale wasn't packed with other surprises – including a bizarre cliffhanger ending I didn't see coming.
On Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4 Episode 22, Aida attempted to tear the world apart in a fit of rage over what she felt was Fitz's betrayal.
When little kids are upset, they lash out. They do petty things because it makes them feel better in the moment. They haven't yet understood that they can't always get what they want and will scream until they get it anyway.
So, imagine a toddler, with no ability to control their emotions, but plenty of superhero abilities, like teleportation and electrocution. Pretty scary, right?
Now I understand why humans have written so many sad songs.
Aida
That's basically Aida post-humanity. She had the emotional maturity of a baby but the intelligence of an adult woman – and the powers of something altogether out of this world.
S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't figure out how to stop this dangerous creature dead set on destroying the world. Then, Robbie Reyes drove up in his car, and everything changed.
It is overwhelming. That's why I decided to only feel one of them. Vengeance. It's hot and clean and sharp like a knife.
Aida [on her new feelings]
God bless Gabriel Luna, who channeled the tortured soul of Rebel Without a Cause James Dean in his star-making performance as Robbie Reyes this past fall before Robbie was swallowed by a hellmouth that took him to another dimension.
Luna was so good, I was worried I'd miss him too much over the rest of the season, but the writers pleasantly surprised me – instead of falling apart, the show got even better.
When I'm there, I'm just a passenger. Ghost Rider drives.
Robbie [to Daisy]
But, that didn't mean Robbie's return wasn't incredibly welcome, both for me at home and for the S.H.I.E.L.D. team. (Especially Daisy.)
As Ghost Rider comes from the same dark matter as Aida's powers, he was the only one who can defeat her. So, in order to trick her into presenting herself to him, Coulson made a deal with Ghost Rider – a deal that remains a mystery to everyone except him and Robbie.
Missed it again. You two together and we missed it. Damn!
Coulson [to Daisy and Robbie]
The deal? Coulson allowed Ghost Rider to embody him instead of Robbie for a few moments, to catch Aida by surprise and destroy her.
And destroy he did. Her pretty face was burned to a crisp, like a marshmallow that fell into a campfire. A fittingly disturbing end.
Once Aida had been dispatched, Robbie disappeared back into the other dimension with the Darkhold in tow, preventing its powers from being exploited by anyone in our world ever again.
Fingers crossed that this isn't the last we see of Robbie Reyes. Even if he doesn't return to S.H.I.E.L.D., I could see him fitting in well in the Netflix world alongside characters like the Punisher and Daredevil.
However, he and Daisy make a great pair, and I'd love to see them kick ass, take names and potentially start to get a little bit closer in future episodes.
At the beginning of the season, I didn't think Daisy was ready for another relationship so soon after Lincoln's demise, but now, I wouldn't mind seeing her and Robbie get together. Their fight chemistry speaks volumes!
This must be Aida's revenge after I quaked her skinny ass out that window.
Daisy
All of the big S.H.I.E.L.D. relationships were front and center in "World's End". Fitz and Simmons tried to work together despite everything they had been through, and Coulson came clean to May about drinking their special whiskey with her robot counterpart.
Both sets of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents seem like they'll be in a much better place now that they can take time to breathe, absorb everything that happened with their LMD and Framework counterparts and – once they've managed to abandon that baggage – start fresh.
But, neither Fitzsimmons nor Philinda had anything on the emotional rollercoaster that was the reunion of Mack and Yo-Yo. (Do we have a clever portmanteau for them, too? We should.)
Yo-Yo forced her away into a Framework that was falling apart around her in an attempt to convince Mack to come home. Yet even after she told Mack how much she loved him, he was still unwilling to leave Hope.
That flame-headed demon was born in the same darkness that created you. You'll have to be careful.
Ivanov [to Aida]
Normally, Yo-Yo is tough as hell, which made watching her break down in desperate tears over Mack's refusal to leave a world he was all too aware was not real all the more upsetting.
Natalia Cordova gave the performance of the night as Yo-Yo revealed an emotional vulnerability that she had previously managed to keep well-hidden beneath her wry wit and leather jacket.
The earth is just one territory in a war that's been going on forever.
Robbie
In the end, Yo-Yo decided to match Mack's sacrifice; if he was going to stay in the Framework for the one person he knew he loved, she would do the same, and stay with him.
However, right after they made the decision to embrace this tragic fate, Hope disappeared with the rest of the residents of the Framework and left the two of them behind in a living room that was rapidly flickering out around them.
Yo-Yo: I came here for Mack.
Radcliffe: A valiant, but foolish, endeavor.
The way the Framework fizzled out was reminiscent of Michel Gondry's masterful science-fiction romance Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which used similar visual techniques to illustrate the erasure of memories.
Gondry utilized such potent images as dishes falling off of shelves as a house collapsed around the protagonists and a woman disappearing out of the arms of her lover mid-embrace.
I couldn't help but be reminded of Gondry's film – one of my all-time favorites – when everyone on the school bus with Mack and Yo-Yo disappeared, or when Radcliffe's whiskey glass silently hit the sand as he was cut off mid-farewell.
Call me sweet one more time and I'll rip the titanium spines out of all of you tin cans.
Aida [to Ivanov]
That last moment was particularly powerful, and a fitting way to say farewell to what was one of the most topsy-turvy character arcs in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. history. Radcliffe remained a bit rascally up until the very end, even as he somewhat redeemed himself.
While Radcliffe and Hope were doomed to disappear, Yo-Yo and Mack manage to make it out of the Framework after all, and had an intense reunion with the rest of their very relieved team.
Yo-Yo was worried that her attempts to drag Mack away from Hope would have poisoned him against her, but it actually did the opposite: it made him realize that he wanted to have that kind of family life again, but with Yo-Yo.
You built an empire by eliminating the regrets of others. How does that taste on your tongue?
Ivanov [to Aida]
So, what could have ripped apart my favorite S.H.I.E.L.D. couple actually brought them closer together than ever before. I will pick up Radcliffe's abandoned whiskey and drink to that!
I was going to say that I hope we pick up in the fall with them having eloped to a tropical island for a much-needed vacation, but the S.H.I.E.L.D. team were pretty far from beaches by the time the credits rolled.
After being taken into custody during a diner meal set up to resemble the Last Supper, Coulson woke up in space. Which for him must be a dream come true, in some ways. After all, he is king of the fanboys.
They were murdered by a vanishing banshee made from matter from another dimension.
Coulson [to Talbot]
But, who took them there, and why? Is it related to the Inhuman royal family in any way? Not likely – ABC has said there will be no cross-overs between the recently renewed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and it's newest Marvel property.
Nonetheless, I am happy that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will get another season to finish its story. I'm a firm believed that no television show should ever go beyond six seasons, and for this particular one, I think five will be the perfect amount.
My big wish for season five? Give the show its old time slot back. There's no reason to air it as late as 10:00 pm EST. Adding more sex and violence into the mix to make it more like the Netflix shows isn't going to get new people to start watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. now.
I hope the show's writers build on the strong character arcs and relationships they established this season and give the team an exciting storyline that manages to tie up any remaining loose ends – and, I hope it all airs at 9:00 pm EST.
You know, Robot May was way more supportive.
Coulson [to May]
What did you think of "World's End"? How long do you think it will take for Fitz to deal with the emotional fallout of the Framework? What kind of deal did Coulson make with Ghost Rider? Will this be the last we see of Robbie Reyes? (Hopefully not. Give him a show!)
And, most importantly: will Inhumans suck as much as the initial publicity shots and teaser trailer imply?
Between Medusa's dollar-store orange wig and the bad acting in the teaser following the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. finale, I'm not feeling too optimistic. Fingers crossed that ABC will have at least splurged on enough CGI to make Lockjaw look remotely decent!
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Inhumans will both be airing on ABC this fall. In the meantime, you can always watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. online via TV Fanatic.
Lee Jutton was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She went into retirement in July of 2017. Follow her on Twitter.
