Marvel’s Agents Of SHIELD Season 3 Finale Recap: “Absolution”/”Ascension”
By Steve Lam
Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD celebrated the conclusion of Season Three with a two-part finale that had the team racing to stop Hive from executing his final goal—turning the world’s population into primitive Inhumans.
Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD has completed its third season with its most emotional and high-octane finale yet. With Coulson and his elite team of SHIELD agents trying to stop Hive from carrying out his goals, Daisy must also come to terms and forgive herself for what she’s done.
Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD Season 3 Finale Recap Part 1: “Absolution”
Not-So-Short Summary: On another planet, Daisy and Coulson are in an Inhuman containment module. Coulson doesn’t look too hot, and Daisy is trying to MacGyver something together. Coulson calling out her name melts into the …
Present Day: Daisy wakes up by herself inside of an Inhuman containment module.
The team is on its way to secure a nuclear missile. Lincoln hands Mac the kill switch to their vests in case they get Hive-controlled.
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Simmons enters Daisy’s containment cell and starts to interrogate her. Simmons is the only one she hasn’t hurt personally. Attempting to remember anything she can, Daisy informs them that the warhead is in a missile silo on an uncharted island.
Hive has his men try to detect SHIELD’s cloaking technology. However, our smart agents are already one step ahead—the quinjet emerges from underwater and finally lands on the island.
In Coulson’s office, Talbot argues with his superior, General Andaz, about giving him the kill code for the warhead. Andaz can’t authorize it. It doesn’t matter because the Fitz is already collecting data points for …
Mimicking Andaz. Fitz looks like an actor for Hollywood’s latest visual effects-laden film. As they contact the Undersecretary, a computer processes Fitz’s image and makes him appear like Andaz. Both Talbot and Fitz are successful in getting the Undersecretary to hand over the kill codes to Coulson—who so promptly speeds right in with his car and retrieves it.
Already short on time, Coulson reads a ridiculous amount of codes back to Fitz, who types it into the computer as quickly as possible. At the last moment, the team succeeds—the countdown for the missile is stopped. An infuriated Hive uses fear to force Radcliffe to fix it.
Hive leaves to search out SHIELD. He detects Lincoln in a dark room and calls him out.
Coulson visits Daisy at her containment module. He wants to know what “absolution” means. He comforts her by telling her that she’s only a temporary prisoner. However, Daisy doesn’t want to be forgiven and feels that she deserves blame for everything that has happened.
Hive continues to taunt Lincoln and dares him to kill him. He warns Lincoln that if he dies, he’ll only find another body. Lincoln sees an escape and runs, leading Hive right to Mac and Yo-Yo—who have been setting a trap, albeit a bit incomplete. But Yo-Yo quickly finishes with her speed it and with Lincoln’s help, charges it up.
The trap inundates Hive with excruciating pain, causing Ward’s memories to surface. When Hive’s team finds him, the Inhuman speaks as if he’s Ward and is also disoriented and confused. Hive finally commands his team to disconnect the warhead.
Yo-Yo finds the hostages and quickly releases them. May continues to fight the Primitive Inhumans. Right when one lunges at her, Radcliffe shoots the Primitive Inhuman, saving May. He’s elated that she’s SHIELD and begs to go with her, knowing that Hive will kill him at any time. May is too late in getting to the warhead as it floats off right out of her grasp.
The team exits with the hostages, but is intercepted by Hive. Yo-Yo quickly throws a special trap at Hive which imprisons him in a gel matrix containment unit—freezing him and rendering him harmless.
Back at SHIELD headquarters, Coulson inspects the frozen Hive. Talbot is impressed with the team’s performance and congratulates them. Meeting Radcliffe, Talbot commands him to turn all the Primitive Inhumans back to normal.
Against all security protocols, Mac pays Daisy a visit to tell her that Hive has been captured. Daisy is still immensely guilt-ridden for her actions. Mac forgives her no matter what. Daisy fights him, but he embraces her. She sobs in his arms.
Fitz discovers that Simmons has been planning a romantic getaway for them. She feels that they deserve a bit of fun after this whole Hive ordeal. Before leaving, Fitz finds a stray crucifix (the same one seen in Daisy’s vision).
Coulson initiates a lockdown for the base. As Fitz works in the hangar, he notices a crate with the label reading “Absolution, Montana.” The box suddenly explodes, releasing Hive’s pathogens. It instantly transforms one of the agents nearby into a Primitive Inhuman. The rest of the team watch everything transpire on security monitors. Fitz is unable to get to safety due to the lockdown. He tells Simmons about a mutual professor’s compiler theory. She goes right into action and is able to hack a door open. Fitz sees it and makes it in safely.
The newly transformed Primitive Inhumans see Hive’s gel matrix containment unit and break him out. Daisy—knowing what Hive is truly after—tells Mac that the Zephyr has high-altitude capabilities and has a functioning delivery system. She quickly hacks her cell containment module and is delivered into the Zephyr’s cargo hold.
As Hive enters the plane, Daisy exits her prison and greets him. She finally kneels down in front of Hive, begging him to take her back.
Next: And now, the conclusion ...