Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 7 Episode 3 delved into the Area 51 conspiracy theory, and it was nothing short of fantastic.
Of course, S.H.I.E.L.D. would be the ones behind the top-secret military base, who else would be experimenting with space technology? If only S.H.I.E.L.D. was a real agency, or maybe it is?
I have no idea, but conspiracy theories are the definition of fun and immersing oneself into fiction is quite cathartic. And that is what made the 1955 episode so entertaining as two MCU shows collided.
It has been teased that Enver Gjokaj would appear on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 7 as Daniel Sousa, who was a main character on the unfortunately short-lived Marvel’s Agent Carter.
And now the show is cashing in on their promise, and we could not be more delighted with the result.
Coulson: Sorry, really.
Sousa: Let me out of here, right now!
Coulson: I’m a fan.
Simmons: He really is!
Daisy: We’re the good guys, I swear!
For everyone who did not watch Marvel’s Agent Carter, Sousa was Peggy Carter’s partner and eventual love interest. Now, we all know that Peggy was the love of Steve Rogers’ life, and it would have been very difficult for anyone to fill his shoes.
But Sousa was a kind, gentle man who fought for what was right. If anyone was going to be deserving of Peggy other than Captain America himself, it would be Sousa.
His entrance on this hour of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was epic, and Coulson’s behavior when interacting with him was representative of everyone who came to love Sousa on his original show.
What better way to pay homage to the roots of S.H.I.E.L.D. than to not only travel back in time to its beginnings but to also mention and show the prominent players who helped shape the organization?
It is also a joy to watch the main characters fangirl over their own personal heroes, in turn making them very relatable to comic book fans everywhere.
Coulson: We know Area 51 is a S.H.I.E.L.D. base.
Daisy: We do?
Coulson: All the Areas are.
Daisy: Wow, conspiracy me was so right.
From the moment the agents met Sousa, they all were in the slightest bit smitten with him, while still aware that they had a job to do.
It would definitely mess with the timeline if they revealed their true identities to him, but I couldn’t help but yell at my screen for them to do so. His reaction would most likely be hilarious, but also heartwarming.
With the cliffhanger that ended the hour, the odds are that Sousa will grace our screens again on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 7 Episode 4, so the possibilities are endless for interactions between him and the agents from the future.
With the arrival of Daniel Sousa, it was almost a given that Peggy Carter would be brought up in some capacity. But Simmons disguising herself as Agent Carter herself when showing up at Area 51 was brilliant.
It is well known that Peggy is one of the people that Simmons looks up to the most, and I am willing to bet this isn’t the first time she has dressed up like her hero.
Man: Welcome, sir. You are on our visitor list, but your secretary is not.
Coulson: Oh, she’s not my secretary. She’s my boss.
Simmons: I think you’ll agree, I don’t need to be on the list.
Man: Right. Sorry, ma’am. It’s an honor. Uh, right this way Miss Carter.
Coulson: You’re enjoying this way too much, Peggy.
If there was any possibility of Simmons actually getting the chance to meet Peggy, now would be it.
Maybe it just didn’t logistically work out for getting Hayley Atwell to appear on the show, but what a missed opportunity it would be if she does not pop up alongside Sousa on the next episode.
And since Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. does not seem to keep up with the continuity of the MCU films anymore, why not have Hayley Atwell guest star? It would make an already amazing final season all the more special.
Aside from the story revolving around Peggy Carter and Daniel Sousa, a few of the team members struggled with their own personal issues as they tried to stop the Chronicoms from killing a large amount of prominent S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
Daisy felt no remorse for ordering Deke to kill Freddy on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 7 Episode 2, but Deke had a change of heart after being told by Mack that he was, in fact, an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Given the fact that Deke was already feeling a bit of hesitancy when pointing his gun at Freddy, it was not far fetched for him to tell Daisy that he felt uncomfortable about how it all went down.
Deke: I’m not…Look, I’m not the guy you met in the Lighthouse, not anymore. And I don’t want to be.
Daisy: I know.
Deke has gone through a lot of character development since he first appeared on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5. While he still contains aspects of his goofy self, he’s a lot more willing to help others.
It is nice to see him standing up for his own beliefs, and Daisy respecting him for it. Every character on the show has their own set of opinions, and to see them respect each other instead of arguing is refreshing to see.
While Deke was going through an emotional change, both May and Yo-Yo were going through physical ones.
May has been almost Chronicom-like since she woke up on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 7 Episode 1. She has been unfeeling and ready to throw herself into action.
But once she did, it was clear that she was not ready for the experience of actually being in the field. It was almost as if May had had a panic attack when trying to spot the real Chronicom.
Whatever she is feeling, it is time to communicate it. Otherwise, she will start to spiral, and everyone just wants her to be happy, given all that she has had to go through.
Yo-Yo’s powers once again failed her, and the cause of it seems to be the Shrike that inhabited her on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 6 Episode 13.
I can’t help but think that’s a red herring. Could something else be messing with her speed? Maybe her new arms?
Whatever it is, now is not the time to lose one of the two agents with real powers, not counting Coulson, as the Chronicoms are going to be tough to beat.
Yo-Yo: So after everything we’ve seen, no one blinks twice at a woman pilot?
May: Women pilots in the 40s and 50s outflew the men. They had to since we were towing their targets for target practice.
Yo-Yo: Whoa, impressive. But still-
May: Sexist? Yeah.
And with the arrival of a new Chronicom, Sibyl, they just got a lot more intimidating. All of the Chronicoms we have seen so far have been so-called Hunters, but Sibyl is a Predictor.
The agents can take on brute force as seen on previous episodes, but it is another thing to deal with super-intelligent beings who can presumably predict the future. Let’s hope Fitz rejoins the team soon because they are going to need him.
What did you think, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Fanatics?
Do you hope Peggy makes an appearance? Do you love that the show is openly talking about racism instead of pretending it doesn’t exist?
And Coulson has to be okay after getting hit with the electronic, magnetic pulse, right?
Let me know in the comments, and do not forget that you can watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. online right here via TV Fanatic!
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. airs on Wednesdays at 10/9c on ABC.
Sarah Little is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.