13 best Agents of SHIELD episodes ranked from worst to best

1. As I Have Always Been (Season 7, Episode 9)

Recovering from the damage Nathaniel Mallick did, Daisy wakes up in a healing pod aboard Zephyr One before learning they’re in a time storm. Mack reveals they can’t jump due to the Time Drive’s damage, and Deke announces they’re heading toward a time vortex, which would remove them from existence. Suddenly, the Time Drive activates, and Daisy wakes up in the healing pod again. Experiencing the same events again, she realizes she’s stuck in a time loop.

After a few loops, Daisy wakes up Coulson, who reveals that this is actually her 87th loop and that her memories reset every time she dies, which happened 14 times. Catching her up to speed, Coulson says their only option is to fix the Time Drive. He also draws her attention to the fact that the vortex is shrinking. Daisy tells the team about the loops, and Deke suggests that Simmons remove D.I.A.N.A., the implant designed to suppress the memories of Fitz’s location, to remember how to fix the Time Drive.

After some convincing, Simmons agrees, but she and Daisy get murdered when they try. After repeating the events that result in her waking Coulson, they try to narrow down a list of suspects. They make several attempts to remove D.I.A.N.A., but nothing works. Eventually, Coulson realizes Enoch is the killer. Enoch denies it but attacks them when they try to remove it in front of him. Enoch reveals that Simmons programmed to protect it, even if it meant killing her and the team. Following dozens of unsuccessful loops of them trying to distract Enoch long enough to remove D.I.A.N.A., they finally do.

Simmons reveals that they need a component called an Electrochron Displacement Mechanism, which Enoch has, but that taking it would be like removing a human’s heart. Less than a kilometer from the vortex, Daisy calls Simmons and Enoch to the L.M.D. lab, informing them of the situation. While Simmons protests, Enoch immediately rips it out of his chest and offers it to them without hesitation. Daisy and Coulson stay with him as he dies.

Although the time loop trope has been used hundreds of times in media, the episode, directed by Elizabeth Henstridge, makes it feel fresh. The editing also played a big part, giving us a sense of the repetitive nature without feeling tedious. It also allows for slower moments, like the conversation between Sousa and Daisy that leads to their first kiss. Despite Enoch getting added in later seasons, he quickly became a fan favorite. While it was disappointing he didn’t get to survive to the end, it was a beautiful farewell to the character and a terrific episode that demonstrates what the show has always been good at— using interesting sci-fi concepts to tell emotionally engaging stories.