TV REVIEW: Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s “Beginning of the End”

By Felicia Kudronowicz

Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season one came to a satisfying end this week with an episode appropriately titled “Beginning of the End.” This episode was everything a season finale should be: it was both fast paced and emotional, in addition to providing answers to old questions (while establishing some intriguing new ones, now that a second season is officially a go) but most importantly of all, it made me excited about season two.

The episode picks up right where we left off. Coulson, Triplett, May and Skye are working on hacking HYDRA’s database. They manage to escape the Cybertex soldiers and get what they came for. HYDRA seems a little shook up, but Garrett has gone full blown crazy with his new powers. He’s throwing stuff around, just to prove that he can. He even interrupts Quinn trying to seal a deal with the military. Garrett brutally murders the general in front of everyone. Not the best selling point. Quinn and Rayna decide to get the gravitonium they were promised and get the heck out of there. Ward has no idea what to do with himself now that his master doesn’t need him.

Next, we find out what happened to Fitz and Simmons. They landed 90 feet below the ocean in their little panic room pod. Without much hope of getting out, they start to discuss their theories of afterlife. Somehow through this conversation, they think of a way to burst the window open. Fitz rigs it so that one of them will have a chance and he decides to let Simmons have it.  She says she can’t do it because Fitz is her best friend and he responds that he has feelings for Simmons but never had the courage to tell her. They share an emotional hug, but no kiss. It appears that this love affair is one-sided. I am kind of glad they didn’t share a cliché kiss. Fitz bursts the glass open and Simmons makes it out, dragging an unconscious Fitz along. They reach the surface, but they are still in the middle of the ocean. Luckily Director Fury is there almost immediately thanks to Fitz’s homemade tracking device.

The rest of the team makes a plan to attack Garrett. They gain control of his base and Skye discovers that most of the people working for him were blackmailed into doing so. Ward and Skye have another face off that ends with May kicking the crap out him in the most satisfying scene of the season. The fight ends with May nail gunning Ward’s foot to the ground and kicking him in the face. It was excellent. I was still hoping Ward would redeem himself, but instead he ended up in SHIELD custody. In the meantime, Skye is able to hack into Dealthlok’s hard drive and send him a message from his son, which allows him to attack Garrett. Fury also makes it for the final battle and drops the rather huge news that Coulson is now the new director of SHIELD and it’s his job to rebuild it.

In the very last scene – a tantalising preview of what’s to come – we see Coulson writing code on a wall as if in a trance. Importantly, we also get a peek at Rayna talking to one of Skye’s parents, so it looks likely Skye’s origins will remain a focus in season two.

This finale was exciting, especially knowing that SHIELD is coming back in fall. The series said goodbye to its first big villain (Garrett) and also let Mike Peterson go, a nice touch since he was the team’s first case back in the pilot. The biggest cliffhanger of the season is what happened to Fitz. They never show him again, they just say he is alive but he could have severe brain damage. Let’s hope you’re okay, Fitz. There’s no Fitzsimmons without you!

I can’t wait for next season where we get to see SHIELD reorganized and maybe finally meet Skye’s monster parents. It will also be interesting to see if Ward is present at all. This series may have been slow to get off the ground, but it really gained momentum and focus in latter episodes. Hopefully they can carry this into next season. We’ll be watching.