Back on Memorial Day weekend in 2008, I went to my local Drive-In Theater for their Holiday Triple Feature. After an evening that included an animated trip to Who-Ville and watching an old man survive a nuclear explosion in a refrigerator, Jon Favreau’s Iron Man began, and I remember thinking it would be another so-so Marvel movie, but it ended up being the highlight of the night for me. I remember vividly that there was one single line of dialogue that sold me on what Marvel was actually up to. No, it wasn’t Robert Downey Jr. declaring “I am Iron Man”. It was Clark Greg as Agent Phil Coulson saying, “Just call us S.H.I.E.L.D”. My jaw dropped. Instantly, my mind went back to watching the 90’s and animated Spider-Man series on Saturday mornings where Spidey had several interactions with Nick Fury and his Government Agency, S.H.I.E.L.D.
Over the next few films in the MCU, Coulson played a big part in setting up the MCU we know today. He would pop in for a scene for a laugh and to help build the world around him. Then, in The Avengers, he gave the titular team something to...avenge. A few months later, it was announced that the MCU would be branching out into television with “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D”, a series revolving around Coulson and his newly assembled team of S.H.I.E.L.D Agents. From the day of the announcement, I was excited. Now, seven seasons later, the adventures of Coulson and his team have finally come to a satisfying end.
In a summer of Covid-19 with no summer blockbusters or new entries into the MCU, the final season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D was a wonderful escape every week. In their final mission, the team finds themselves traveling through S.H.I.E.L.D’s past to save its future. The time-travel premise of the season is very similar to DC’s Legends of Tomorrow on The CW, but delivers many easter eggs and surprises that Marvel fans will enjoy.
While Coulson is the heart of the show, the rest of his team each get their own moment to shine in the final season. After seven years of growth and getting to know these characters, each one’s final journey has a great, emotional payoff for the audience. Throughout the final season, you can tell the cast is enjoying their final adventures as these characters. With special themed episodes, including a Film Noir tribute and a Star Trek-inspired time-loop story, the final season changes things up from each episode to the next. The final episode is a wonderful farewell to Coulson and his team that stays focused on the story but still gives the characters their final bows before the end. Personally, the final season ranks as one of the best of the series, right up there with the season with Ghost Rider. (Yes, he’s on this show. Sorry, he’s not played by Nic Cage.)
One of my largest overall complaints about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D had been how the show started ignoring the major events of the MCU that took place over Infinity War and Endgame. After 5 seasons of watching week to week, I decided to hold off on the 6th season and eventually watched in a flu-induced daze which led to me sleeping through several episodes (which was most likely for the best). BUT, the final season made me forget my issues with the continuity and made me realize that the show eventually benefited from branching out on its own.
While it’s bittersweet that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D has ended, I am glad that the cast and crew had the chance to deliver one last story with a set ending for the show. With Marvel Television being folded into the control of its older big brother, Marvel Studios, many other shows that were part of the television branch of the MCU did not get their chance to have a set finale. Now instead of shows that are NEVER referenced in the movies, we’ll be getting shows on Disney+ that you will HAVE to see to get the references in the movies, like Falcon and the Winter Soldier and WandaVision.
If you are a fan of the Marvel films but have not watched Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, it is a fun watch. The show does spend some time early on treading water but hits its stride by the end of the first season and keeps it going for the rest of its run. The show has something for everyone and is full of adventure, mystery, romance and your typical Marvel quips.
Seasons 1-6 of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D are available on DVD, Blu-Ray and to stream on Netflix. The Final Season is available for purchase on iTunes and Prime Video.
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Victims and Villains is written Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey (and produced by), Caless Davis, Dan Rockwood, & Brandon Miller. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. This post was edited by Cam Smith. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is property of Marvel Studios & ABC Television. We do not own nor claim any rights.
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