S6.1 Spoiler thread...

I'm also still absorbing this episode. I can't wait to see what you thought!
/Didn't notice any Endgame spoilers, so I think you're safe there.

Endgame spoilers? This was so spoiler free that for the first time I am questioning whether we are in the same universe.

Honestly I don't even think the characters can answer that question.

SERIOUSLY! I wanted to kick my own behind for that little stunt towards the end!

Gosh, I hate it when real life gets in the way of my childish entertainment.    I wrote this all offline on my laptop while I was bored, so it's hella long. So there's a per-summary and a post-summary for the TLDR guys...

SEASON 6!

I pretty much came into the show spoiler free. I tuned out after the first preview (that previewed Gregg as Sarge). Minor spoilers contained in here based on the 30 second preview of next week's show.

Lets see. They wasted no time, and created four main arcs in Ep 1.

1. Daisy, Jemma, Piper and Davis are in deep space, as opposed to deep, deep space. (Come on guys, let's try not to get stupid here.) They're in the Zephyr, and they're using the alien transport device to get around. What could go wrong? Oh yeah, Jemma. Jemma could go wrong.

2. Mack, Yo-Yo, May and a bunch of characters I don't know yet (one of which is stupping Yo-Yo) are in the Lighthouse (which is very cool), tracking unsubs using software that Jemma wrote but have no idea what they're looking at. They're attempting to put an organization back together. (Apparently they are trying to put SHIELD back together? Who are they sanctioned by?)

A new recruit is a friend of Andrew. That's a nice touch. LOL that he's being sucked into the job he didn't want. Curiosity killed the cat, doncha know. (He may be the "outsider looking at SHIELD and what they do" character. I think it was Deke last season.) I somehow don't think he's in the series to start the Academy yet...

3. There are four seemingly ruthless characters (one of which is Gregg) who got sucked right out of Mad Max and into the MTU. I mean cutting your own forehead so it looks like you're a victim is pretty hardcore, even if you are a flake. There should be five, but that's what you get for teleporting into (or was it phasing through) a wall. (spoiler alert -->) Their wheels (a semi-truck) can be turned invisible. That must be handy.  Does anyone remember the helicarrier?

4. Fitz (who is still fresh from being the Doctor) is effed up again. He's awake because apparently Enoch (nice to see him back) couldn't move the ship they were on.

Other observations.
Sarge. (spoiler alert -->) "Something familiar about the name Coulson." Can you say "blue soap"?  You know, the multiverse is a large and interesting place...

Where's Deke? Admittedly, there was enough going on in this episode to introduce him later, but it's been a year. Hasn't he checked in yet? (He's given screen credit...)

Let's tie the two up together. Deke has the Framework up and running, and Sarge and his gang have somehow escaped it to accomplish something in the real world. No, I don't think so either.


So on with the show!

They summed up all of Season 5 in 2 minutes, 1.5 seconds. I timed it.   It's interesting that only Ruby made an appearance. No Talbot at all...

The opening prologue with Enoch was well done, except if Fitz is frozen, his head shouldn't move around like that when shaken, nor should he have facial hair growth. But I may be being to picky.

Enoch: Apologies Agent Fitz, we find ourselves in a bit of a conundrum. I was prepared to guard this vessel for the next 73 years, 261 days, but I must now calculate your best chances of survival. An extremely difficulty computation, considering the circumstance...

Enoch's ship is destroyed by some very nice VFX. Maybe the extended break will bring us some better effects. At least nicer than a spaceship landing on a faux Chicago...

Summarizing the timeline. The team is sent 78 years into the future. Four years later after figuring out what happened, Fitz is frozen to survive the next 74 years. So it's soon after they arrive in orbit that they're discovered and Enoch's ship is destroyed. Of course, it doesn't explain why Enoch couldn't have moved the ship after being discovered, but that would have been too easy...

Title card: ONE YEAR LATER...

That was ambiguous. One year later after what? After Enoch's ship was destoyed? After the team saved Earth?

Opening scene on the Zephyr:
This was a straight comedic scene, from Piper and Davis arguing like a married couple, to the aliens learning the Terran is Quake. Enter Jemma. Whoa. When did Jemma become a Vulcan? Is Daisy's little gun destroying trick a result of the super-sauce from Season 5?

Who's the main alien? Looks familiar. From one of the movies?

Jemma: Give us what we want, and we'll let you live to cry about it.
Alien: You want fuel, it's yours. Take what you need.
Jemma: No. I mean yes, but no, we're looking for someone.
Alien: Someone else to shake down, or someone you want to eliminate?
(HAhahahaha...)
Jemma: We just want to bring him home.

Cut to the Lighthouse. Yeah, the Team's new home is the Lighthouse. Cool...

As the camera pans around Mack, the realization hits. I don't know any of these guys. They're not wearing red shirts, so...

Agent 1: Did Agent Simmons ever explain what these readings meant?
Agent 2: Started after she left, now she's light years away.

DOCUMENTATION JEMMA! Didn't they teach you that in the acadamy? Basic stuff...

May is introduced in Alpha Team. Yo-Yo in Bravo. There is also Charlie and Delta teams, which means SHIELD is now much larger than at the end of last season, with many more resources.

Cut to playground in Indiana. Someone will need to explain to me why the basketball become brittle and turns into a bunch of birds? Butterflies? And how did the weapon appear in Rocco's(?) hand to shoot down Alpha Team? It wasn't there when he was trying to help the other guy through...

He didn't kill the kid and did emotionally react when his buddy failed to arrive, so total mayhem doesn't seem to be his objective.


Team regroups back at HQ:
Yo-Yo: ...Try to catch the person who's creating these... I don't even know what to call them.
Agent Fox(?): Anomolies?
Mack: No.
May: We used that word up last year.

(HAhaha... Ming seems to be the one to deliver all these little stingers...)

Mack: We need workable theories, people. Anything. Even stupid ideas will work.
Yo-Yo: Our two brightest minds are MIA. Still no contact with them?
Mack: Not in months.
Agent Fox: Sir. Keller has a theory.
Keller (stares at Fox): Thanks. We've both been looking at these locations, trying to find a connection. This park, as well as the city bus with the holes torn through it, and the lake that froze solid in the middle of the desert?
Fox: They all sit on Ley Lines. Energy lines, that criss-cross the Earth in a sort of pattern.
Keller: Multiple cultures have believed in some version of this. Incan, Aborigine, Native American... Maybe we can use that to narrow the search and don't you all look at me like that, you said stupid ideas are welcome. I'm full of 'em.

I'm gonna like this guy. Too bad he's doing Yo-Yo.  And they specifically had a shot of May smiling at Keller's joke.  There are a few May character changes throughout the ep.  Oh, Ley Lines are real things.  Look it up.

Flip to Mack's office. Virtual Coulson is lecturing Mack from the Cube. I've got a bad feeling about this. I never considered Mack a "Leader", the same way as say, Coulson or Fury. I'm not sure he's ruthless enough. This is SHIELD after all.  SHIELD's always been a nefarious group.

And tomorrow will be a year since Coulson died?

There is a very cool transition from Mack's office to the Zephyr, which eventually resolves into the alien hanging upside down from a chain in Daisy's hands...  Nice job, Gregg...

Jemma: Your planet has 68% of the gravity we generate on this aircraft. While that makes it easier to life ore out of the ground, it makes your cells gelatinous, your bones porous. Now I'm no expert in Deriliun(?) anatomy, when I cut into your corpse, it will be by I assume enough time under this pressure and either your brain will hemorrhage or the weight of your organs will collapse your lungs...
Alien: I don't know anything!
Jemma: ...I'm curious which will come first.

Nice one Jemma. Teach some ruthlessness to Mack...

And through the alien interrogation, the Zephyr team finds the other half of Enoch's ship.

Cut to May/Yo-Yo training at the Lighthouse.
May: Your poker face needs work too.
Yo-Yo: I need a poker face when fighting?
May: Doesn't hurt. But I meant in the meeting today.
Yo-Yo: What are you talking about?
May: Agent Keller? He's obviously attracted to you. And you try hard not to laugh at his jokes, I'm betting it's mutual..
Yo-Yo: Is it against the rules or something?
May: No. That's my point. You should feel free to pursue it. Have a drink with him. No doubt Mack is picking up on it too, but, you shouldn't have to protect his feelings.
Yo-Yo: That's easy to say, how can I not?
May: He's a grown man.
Yo-Yo: Look, I tried everything, you know? I was willing to work on it, but...
May: ...he dove into his job 100%, locked himself in that office.
Yo-Yo: Mack didn't close his door to avoid distractions, he just closed the doors on me.
May: You two have been through a lot. But now it's been a year. And if last year's taught me anything, it's life isn't meant to be lived alone. I don't often give advice, but that's my advice.
Yo-Yo: Yeah, that was a lot of talking, are you okay?
May: And besides, Keller's cute.
Yo-Yo: Not my type.


Meanwhile, the Zephyr team finds Fitz's chamber. It's empty.
Piper: At least it's not a dead body.
Davis: Yeah, but it's a dead end.


Post commercial break, back in the Lighthouse. Keller and Yo-Yo conversation:
Yo-Yo: Agent May is onto us.
Keller: Really? 'Cause, I've been playing it pretty cool. She knows?
Yo-Yo: Suspects. I may be playing it too cool.
Keller: So, you... uh... put on the brakes, call off the night shift? I was already planning on going full nerd-herd this evening anyways...
Yo-Yo: It would probably be wise.
Keller: It's all good. You know where to find me.
Yo-Yo: Watch it. We'll just take some time.
Keller: 'Cause it's wise.
Yo-Yo: For me. It's for myself. I'm not afraid of Mack finding out.
Keller: Well, I am. He is not... small. Honestly, I have too much respect for the guy, much rather we tell him about it than have him stumble on it. He has enough to deal with.
Yo-Yo: Yeah, and he just started to trust you, you don't want to mess that up.
Keller: Absolutely do not. It's your call.

I'm not sure why the show runners are going here. Keller seems like a decent guy. There's bound to be a Keller/Mack confrontation sometime...


In the bar, one of Mack's "grounding" places.
May: Thought I'd find you here.
Mack: It's a safe bet most nights.
May: Not a bad ritual.
Mack: Taking advice from Coulson's files. He said find a way to keep your feet on the ground, and stay in touch with the people you fight for.
May: So this is your grounding wire?
Mack: It's one of three. Boss man in the morning, bar tender at night and Baptist Church on Sundays.
May: Don't say you're here on SHIELD business, you just like the beers they have on tap.
Mack: Well, I'm glad you joined me for one.
May: Actually, I'm here on SHIELD business. (Drops file on bar.) I'm close on a department head.
Mack: Close? () saying "no"?
May: No. I need you to get the "yes".
Mack: Name the time and place.
May: Here. Now.
Mack: Well, let's not bring him here, Melinda. This is my sacred space.
May: (smirking) I thought that was the Church. Anyway, he's at the end of the bar.

Dr. Marcus Benson: This the guy? (May nods.)
Mack: Alphonso Mackenzie. Director of SHIELD. You can call me Mack. (Benson ignores Mack.)
May: Mack, this is Dr. Marcus Benson, Director of Natural Sciences, at Culver University.
Dr. Marcus Benson: You can call me whatever you want.
May: Andrew's favorite teacher, then colleague, then friend. An IQ of 160, doesn't hurt.
Dr. Marcus Benson: This lady said more to me in one phone call, then she did in all the years she was married to Garner. But no details, of course, and I didn't need 'em. I'm not going to chase boogeymen men like she does.
Mack: And yet, you drove two hours to get here.
Dr. Marcus Benson: That's because of the University. I built that department from the ground up, and now they're cancelling my classes, and lightning my load and I can't tell if it's because of this (points toward his drink) or this (thumbs at May.) No good spies, meddling in other people's business.
May: I didn't meddle. And admit it. Your drinking has gotten worse.
Dr. Marcus Benson: So you did spy. I used to share a cocktail with the love of my life. But when he died, this became a way of remembering him. Or forget, I don't know.
Mack: Well, I hoping you haven't drown you curiosity and I'll still get the best of you. We lost someone too, you know. A leader. A teacher. We don't want to forget. We tried to fill the hole he left behind. To rebuild. But we need brains.
Dr. Marcus Benson: You're talking plural. I only have the one. (Points to head.)
Mack: We want you to find more. SHIELD Academy. Not overnight. We're hoping for a year or two, we need you to build it from the ground up. In his name. SHIELD's second chance. And from what I can gather, yours too...
Dr. Marcus Benson: In the meantime. Boogeymen?
Mack (waffling): I'm not going to lie. We have some pressing questions. (Benson gets up.)
May: In fields you theorized could only exist, Benson...
Dr. Marcus Benson: This is not what I wanted. I'm too old, too () for this.
Mack: You're our best option. Two of our brightest minds are in deep space, they can't make contact and until they jump back we need you on this, or innocent people will die.
Dr. Marcus Benson: Did you say, "Deep space?"

And in deep space, we cut to the Zephyr.
Daisy: I feel... Gut punched.
Piper: I'm sorry. I'm worried about Simmons.
Daisy: She's never let doubt creep in. Not even for a second. I think it's partially because...
Piper: 'cause she'll totally lose it if she does.
Daisy: Yeah...
Jemma opens pod.
Piper: We found a launch mechanism, maybe there was an escape pod or something.
Daisy: I appreciate the bright side. I mean, I hope so. But either way... either way, it's time to head home. Yeah, head home and regroup.
Piper. Thank God. I mean, one more week with Davis, and you'll find a dead body.
Davis: Yes, because one more week with you, and I will definitely kill myself.
Daisy: You guys never wavered. You stayed on when the rest of the crew got off. Thank you. I know this is a lot more than what you guys bargained for. I think we'll all benefit from getting back to familiar territory. To loved ones. We need them, and they may need us...

Jemma gets in the pod. Gosh,what could go wrong.


Cut to the Mad Max team, in a wooded area, at night.   Two others join up with Rocco.
Rocco: Didn't know if you'd get through.
Man: You wanna drop the blaster?
Rocco: Safety first.
Woman: Where's Tanka(?)?
Rocco: Didn't make it.
Man: What do you mean, "Didn't make it?" What the hell happened?
Rocco: Bad crossing.
Woman: He came through something they built here. A native structure?
Rocco: He turned to concrete.
Woman: And now he's a butterfly.
Man: What about Sarge, he's coming through.
Woman: Is his crossing clear?
Rocco: Nope. It's a museum.
Man: Museum. We'll let's get there, and blow it straight to hell.


Back on the Zephyr, Jemma finds the plaque on the inside of the pod.
Daisy: Simmons, wha...
Jemma: Found something inside the chamber.
Daisy: An engraving? What does it...
Jemma: ?? script. Translated it means, "low temperature suspension chamber."
Piper: You learned to read alien?
Jemma: Of course, what have you been doing for the last year? (Piper, Daisy exchage looks.) Underneath that phrase was a word. , I've seen it before, it's a planet. Here. It must be where the chamber was made, and that's where Fitz would go. He would have stared at it, read it, and headed there to find a way to freeze himself again.
Daisy: That's deep, deep space.
Jemma: No, I know how he thinks. That's where he'd go, and we have to follow.
Daisy: Jemma, this is a long shot, even for us. This is barely a clue.
Piper: It's not much.
Davis: It's nothing. Sorry, this...
Jemma: I know I'm right. I can feel it in my gut.
Daisy: Going that deep is not smart. We have to consider heading home and regrouping before we jump into the juicy center of the Milky Way...
Jemma: No, we can't let this trail go cold. Davis, you set the coordinates and...
Davis: No.
Jemma: What?
Davis: I said no. I'm sorry, but this is crazy. I want to find Fitz as much as anyone, but we don't even know if we can get back from that deep in space. Piper, back me up...
Piper: Look, as much as I hate to agree with Davis, he's right. Tactically going home might be our best bet of finding Fitz.
Daisy: We can restock. We can refuel.
Jemma: Don't talk tactics, he's family.
Davis: Yeah, other people have family too.
Piper: Davis has a kid, remember?
Davis: I haven't seen him in months...
(Argument continues for a couple more lines, then... PROXIMITY WARNING)
Jemma: The Confederacy.
Piper: How'd they find us?
Davis: Simmons, kill switch.
(More confusion, Simmons shuts down power.)
Piper: A scout?
Davis: A destroyer.
Jemma: If they didn't think we were so strong they could have sent smaller ships.
Daisy: We weren't spotted, were we?
Piper: No, we'd be dust.
Davis: If we stay under the wings, we may go unnoticed.
Jemma: We don't need to whisper, sound can't travel in a vacuum.
Davis: Makes me feel better...
(See, this is what you get when I'm bored.  Entire passages of unneeded dialog.)

Back at the Lighthouse, the team is looking at Tanka, the guy frozen in the wall.
Dr. Marcus Benson: Is it too late to turn down this job?
Mack: What do you make of it?
Dr. Marcus Benson: Well, I'd have a theory if he was encased in concrete, but he's partially made of concrete. That's not all. He has components.
Mack: Cybernetic?
Dr. Marcus Benson: Looks like. This on his neck? Tell me that's not a lens of some sort.
(Tanka comes alive.)
Tanka: (repeats a word-batchokootic?) You can't stop it. It's coming.
Mack: Stop what? What's coming?
Tanka: (repeats word) Wave goodbye. (Tanka refreezes)
May: Hell, Benson. You didn't detect a heartbeat?
Dr. Marcus Benson: Heartbeat? He doesn't have a heart!
(Device falls out of Tanka's jacket. Everyone backs away except for Benson.)
Yo-Yo: Tell me that's not a time bomb.
Dr. Marcus Benson (picks up device): Bomb no. Time yes. And a place.

Mack (entering Lighthouse HQ): We may have our next location. Fox, put in these coordinates.
40 12 14.7N 85 24 40.3W. (Those coordinates are for Muncie, Indiana, the intersection of Warwick Road and Meadow Lane, right next to Ball State University.)
Fox: Ha! Look at that. Right on a Ley Line. Just sayin'...
Mack: You're right. Keller, take Fox with you; May, Yo-Yo, take point.
Yo-Yo: We'll get on the road. You get on the coms and let us know where we're going.

Cut to the Mad Max crew arriving at the Museum of Natural History in Muncie, Indiana. (There is no Museum of Natural History in Muncie, Indiana. Just sayin'...)

Back in space,
Davis: We're dead meat. The confederate ship is turning. Get ready. Looks like we've been spotted.
Piper: No, I don't think so.
Davis: Well, you've always been dumb as a bag of bricks.
Piper: I'll put money on it.
Davis: Of course you will. 'Cause if I win, we'll be dead and you won't have to pay me.
And the Confederate ship fires on the Zephyr.

Commercial break. When we return, the Zephyr is still on the run.

Davis: Front shielding is down! (What? The Zephyr has shields?)
Daisy: Piper, we need to jump!
Piper loads the alien transport device from S5. Wait. PIPER LOADS THE ALIEN TRANSPORT DEVICE FROM S5???
Piper: We're primed!
Davis: Hurry!
Daisy (to Jemma): Enter the coordinates for Earth. Let's get out of here.
Jemma: The coordinates are already locked in. I'm sorry.
Aaaand the Zephyr jumps. Probably not for Earth...


Back in Muncie, Indiana...
SHIELD arrives. Max Max woman purposely cuts her head to look like a victim.
And the facade to the museum explodes in a spectacular fashion.

A black semi-truck is pulled through to this reality, and out steps "Sarge".
Sarge (to Fox): Let her go.
Fox: You
Sarge: I don't ask twice.
Fox: You're from SHIELD.
Sarge (shoots Fox): Never heard of it.

And the semi pulls away. 


Epilogue:
A shadowy figure is working on something in a dark room full of junk.
An alien voice shouts and pounds on a door.
Shadowy figure (in alien language, subtitled): Shut it. I'll be there in a moment. Tell the controller to cool down.
Shadowy figure injects something into his neck. Shadowy figure turns around.... And it's Fitz.
Fitz: Let's do this.

Fade to black: In Loving Memory of Stan Lee.  (They could have had a better tribute.  Didn't they have any b-roll or outtake from when he was on the show?)


Post show comments.
Not a bad job by Gregg directing. I think he needs some more experience, but most of his timing was okay, considering the pace of the show. I wonder how much of the comedic stuff came from him. It felt like there were a few Gregg jokes in there, especially the opening scene on the Zephyr.


Well, we've had a broken Fitz, a broken Jemma, then another broken Fitz, and now we get a broken Fitz *and* a broken Jemma. Come on guys, let's let 'em live a little.

I think the "Zephyr in space" thread should die early, though it'd be cool if they got themselves a real ship like the Benetar. The team's best resources are needed back home, though I admit that that schism in talent may be a main plot device. (Like the splitting of MCU superheroes in Infinity War.)

backroadjunkie, when you said you're not sure Sarge and his team are evil, it got me thinking. Maybe he's an alternate version of Coulson and Butterfly is kind of the alternate world's version of Daisy? By that, I mean she's like a daughter to Sarge?

I had a similar thought during the episode. They weren't as "do no harm" as our favorite characters but they didn't seem "evil" either. More like they felt they had a job to do whatever the cost (sound familiar??)