Agents of SHIELD season 7, episode 6 review: Adapt or Die
Facing a new threat, the team had to either “Adapt or Die” in Agents of SHIELD season 7, episode 6.
Agents of SHIELD season 7, episode 6, “Adapt or Die,” began immediately after the previous episode of the Marvel TV series, “A Trout in the Milk,” so abruptly ended: On July 4, 1976, just after Mack (Henry Simmons) foiled the HYDRA/Chronicom plot to unleash Project Insight four decades too early.
That was one of many troubling situations the team found themselves in, as Daisy (Chloe Bennet) and Sousa (Enver Gjokaj) were first knocked out and then kidnapped by Nathaniel Malick, who is still alive in this timeline.
What’s more, Nathaniel is going to undertake the later work of Daniel Whitehall and Dr. Calvin Zabo in experimenting on Inhumans.
Also, Enoch (Joel Stoffer) is mad at everyone and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) has been having memory issues.
Discovery requires….repetition of experimentation
In the C-plot of “Adapt or Die,” Sousa and Malick woke up in handcuffs in an old barn, where they verbally spar with Nathaniel, who, while not a believer in HYDRA and Hive, is intent on stealing their (supposed) Inhuman abilities for himself after getting instructions on the procedure from Dr. Whitehall.
So Daisy is subjected to experimental surgery just like her mother before her, though Nathaniel believes Sousa carries Jiaying’s anti-aging genes. (Spoiler: He doesn’t.)
Monkeying around with genetics is dangerous business, as Nathaniel soon learns. He’s unable to control the earthquake, which pulverize his bones and then fatally bury him in a pile of rubble after the barn is demolished.
The main point of this plot seemed to further Sousa’s relationship with Daisy, though it didn’t particularly add to the story.
Happy Bicentennial, agents
Nice timing that the first holiday-themed episode of the series, taking place on the Fourth of July, would air in real life just days before.
Inside the Lighthouse, the Coulson LMD (Clark Gregg) and May (Ming-Na Wen) are able to convince General Stoner (Patrick Warburton) about the Chronicom threat (and face-stealing), while Mack and Yo-Yo sneak his parents out of their captivity, not without difficulties of their own.
Once that’s accomplished, Coulson hooks into the Chronicoms’ digital meetup gizmo and debates Sibyl the Predictor as she gloats in her nefarious scheme.
Zephyr One, we may have a problem onboard
Onboard the Zephyr, since SHIELD accidentally launched missiles in their direction, the time drive is damaged, which is quite a problem – Simmons is the only one who can fix it, and she can’t remember how to do that.
So after pestering from her grandson, she lets Deke in on a secret: She knows Fitz’s (Iain De Caesticker) location, where he is directing their operations, but can’t tell anyone else lest the Chronicoms steal that information (because of the mind-link from 6.06, “Inescapable“).
Ultimately, they are able to repair the time drive, but not before there’s a minor hiccup.
Summary
“Adapt or Die” saw plenty of both for an episode that was somewhat lackluster. As noted, Nathaniel imploded, then Coulson blew himself up to destroy the Chronicom Hunters (after giving a rousing speech on the meaning of sacrifice).
The Chronicoms have learned how to steal personalities as well as faces, based on their meeting with Coulson on the train in 1955 LA.
And speaking of sacrifice, there was a lot of that as well. By rebooting her inhibitor chip, Simmons erased the knowledge of where Fitz is. Mack’s parents turn out to be Chronicoms, as he battles (again) with the weight of not being able to have a normal life in close contact with his extended family.
Finally in the tag scene, Mack is grieving the loss of his parents as Deke tries to console him, when the Zephyr jumps again, leaving the two of them stranded.
C. “Adapt or Die” answers a lot of questions, but at the expense of character development and excessive action.. Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. S7E6. Adapt or Die
SHIELD shrapnel
- Simmons would name her inhibitor device, haha. (After all, if Tony Stark and Peter Parker can, why shouldn’t she?) “Diana” is a pretty good name.
- While this was the first official episode to have a holiday theme, “Repairs” (1.09) played heavily into the supernatural realm, which would later be explored further early in season 4. “Repairs” aired a few weeks after Halloween, and possibly was intended as a tie-in.
- Nathaniel made for a very good over-the-top villain.
- Mack’s younger brother Ruben (played by Friday Night Lights‘ Gaius Charles in 3.14 “Watchdogs”) was mentioned, as the MacKenzies were planning on having a picnic with extended family.
- The speakeasy in New York City was likely the Playground base from season 2, though I’m not certain about this.
- Agents of SHIELD’s final season is now halfway complete, assuming the series finale pairs the final two episodes, as has been the standard practice all previous seasons.
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