Should you watch it, wiki it, or wait for the recap? It’s the finale! Of course you should watch it!
Nick Fury returns to aid Coulson and his team against Garrett and Hydra in their final confrontation. Meanwhile Ward comes face to face with Skye and May and must face the consequences of his traitorous actions. But will even Nick Fury’s assistance be enough to stop a super-powered Garrett?
So it’s the season finale, and “Beginning of the End” closes the final plot arc for season one that began, fittingly, with “End of the Beginning.” Don’t you like these symbolic endings? It has Coulson charging into action, a Nick Fury cameo, the Ward-May fight we’ve all been looking for, and the consummation of a long simmering romance that’s been played up since the first episode!
In case you’re wondering – no Helicarrier or Tricarrier in this episode. Or any Avengers. Apart from Nick Fury, the episodes firmly focuses on our Agents of SHIELD, underscoring the point that this television series is about the titular agents, and that without them, the world would be a much darker place.And that shows the series has its feet planted on the right ground and its heart in the right place when it uses strong characters and masterful stories to intrigue and hold its audiences. Guest stars are nice, but that’s exactly what they are compared to the main characters – guest stars.
Highlights:
The battle royale
Coulson and Triplett begin their attack by crashing an armoured truck through the gate. I’ve attempted to write a car ramming scene for ages (the closest I came to it was in the Season 3 finale of Point of Entry, heh) and this was what I envisioned – missiles firing left, right, centre, and plenty of cannon fodder for explosions. Although it would have been more evocative to have the entire team involved in the fight, the truck crash scene was fun enough for me.
Nick Fury
He may be a gimmick, but he definitely livens up any scene he’s in and also adds a sense of gravity and weight to the situation. In other words, his appearance ups the ante for our heroes, because it lends credence to the bad guys – the big bad is a huge enough threat that even Nick Fury has to step in! Fortunately, he has everything under control, and even gives Coulson back his blaster (which I learnt is called the Coulson’s Revenge) to finish the situation.
Resolving Ward’s betrayal
Ward finally gets a tongue lashing from Skye, then a much more brutal, physical lashing from May. Although I’m not entirely against Ward, it’s satisfying to see him getting put in his place for his crimes and his overall betrayal of the team. Given that he’s continuing on as a series regular, I’m keen to see how they overlook his multiple, cold-blooded murders.
Fitz and Simmons kiss!
I’m a geek. They are a geek couple. I’ve been rooting for them since episode. The whole “will they or won’t they” dynamic was played out for a whole season, taking second fiddle to Ward and his women. Every time it looked like they would make a move, it just fizzled out. Finally, on the brink of death, they kiss. Finally!
Then Fitz goes out of commission. Oh well.
Coulson’s reward
In the end, Nick Fury rewards Coulson with not one, but two titles, both of which are well deserved. First is Coulson’s status as an Avenger. It’s not that it’s not been hinted at, but the topic hasn’t really been brought up in the series all that much. It’s a nice nod to his death in the Avengers though. Second, Coulson becomes the new Director of SHIELD. That’s a huge promotion, and sets the series arc for Season Two. All I can is, Coulson deserved it.
Letdowns:
Garrett’s fate
I had kind of expected Garrett to be a bit more powerful, or at least more powerful than Deathlok – but that didn’t happen. When he finally gets his Deathlok upgrades, I was also hoping to see him flex his new robotic muscle – but again, he didn’t. It’s not that Garrett was a bad villain, he was fairly interesting. It’s just that he was never much of a threat against our heroes.
“Beginning of the End” is a solid season finale to end what has been a series that has grown into its own story and mythology, all while paying homage to the various corners of the Marvel Universe. There are still some unresolved plotlines, like the Rising Tide, Skye’s mother (so tantalisingly teased in the tag/stinger), and May’s former marriage (I haven’t forgotten that one!). Season Two promises to be another heck of a ride, and here’s to the Season Two premiere!
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