Let's talk Agents of SHIELD (Season 4) [Unmarked Spoilers Ahead]

[JamesStone]

So, I've just watched the 16th episode of this season and ooooooohhh boooyyy is it cool.


Agents struggled hard to find an identity before they were allowed to go balls to the fucking wall during and after the Winter Soldier, and so far they've managed to not dissapoint.

After a great season 3 (with an admittedly underwhelming ending - was expecting more cool CGI battles between HIVE and Lash), the show has managed to never be predictable in this new season.

Which leads us to the Framework. Speculative alt-fiction done right (looking at you, Captain HYDRA).
What're your thoughts on the direction the show has taken?
What do you expect/hope to see next, and what are your theories?


Personally, I want to see HIVE again. HYDRA was formed in its inception to serve HIVE after all, even if its biggest branch diverged from the plans. Does Framework!HYDRA shares the same goals, or is this the more run-of-the-mill Nazi-lite HYDRA? Is this Inhuman racism, prosecution and arrest all a plan to give Hive what he wants? Does Aida even know about this version of HYDRA? Signs point to yes, seeing as Coulson is teaching them kids the organization is thousands of years old, but it's all in the air.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

Definitely a strong shot of nightmare fuel to the arm that Season 4 needed combined with It's a Wonderful Life. I just wish it didn't keep encountering so many hiatuses (hiati? Haiti? Or should we just call it Going to the Magical Place?). I doubt we'll see Hive back since he's something Aida/Madame Hydra won't be able to control. Project Looking Glass is probably something else.

I feel like the cast, especially Fitz, is really getting into this whole 'alternate dystopian facist universe' vibe. Many actors have called out the recent excesses of the current U.S. government, but the entire main cast of AoS doing that is something that I remember from a few months ago. Now they have a setting in which to really effectively bring across the nightmarish reality of when such a government is allowed to hold power for too long. And that is all that shall be said about that.

As for why Aida is out to eradicate Inhumans both in and outside of the framework, we'll have to wait and see. In the short-term, her LMDs can't duplicate Inhuman powers, but the plan as far as we know it wasn't anything past 'replace all the top operatives at SHIELD so they will stop trying to find us and take back the Darkhold from us'. Perhaps project Looking Glass involves using the Darkhold's magic in some way to alter the Framework even further in her favour... or perhaps make the Framework real, and the real world fake? (shivers)

Whatever happens, I'm stoked for the Season 4 home stretch and hoping they can get one more season after that to wrap everything up.