IR TV Review: MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.LD. - SERIES FINALE ("The End Is At Hand/What We're Fighting For") [ABC-S7]

The two-part series finale of "Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D." does exactly what it needs to do in creating a legacy structure while also understanding the undercurrent of family. Sometimes that is lost, especially in the bigger movies, with the texture of stakes. But it comes back down to little moments. There is a couple here, primarily in the 2nd part of the finale, maybe not as powerful as they could have been but still heartfelt. One is between two sisters and the other between a sister and someone close to her. As the progression moves from the first to the 2nd of the two part finale: "The End Is At Hand" to "What We're Fighting For", there is still definitely something to be said of that story but who knows if it can come to fruition but it is a good set up. Of course the essence of this last thrust of the series is moving in the texture of who will win and the aspect of different timelines. The last two episodes pull out the stops with effects that s for sure. Most TV series don't get this level of scope and in many ways, it gives it a good send off in that way. The "Groundog Day" type episode still takes the cake as the best episode of the season but in wrapping up the story it does key into the crucial character dynamics of the central team. The bad guys are a little more softly built, save for one, which is too bad because giving a measure of dimensionality which we did see with one character at the beginning of the season would have been interesting. After all, the context of Thanos in his quiet moments gave much more perspective to his nefarious intent but also a gravitas in his stakes. Giving away any more to the structure of what is happening will anchor and connect to the gist of how it affects the future phase since this was made with the next stories in mind. Textures of influence are seen but never directly correlated except once but the idea becomes how does the nature of the show differentiate and make that development better and richer. Ultimately "S.H.I.E.L.D." creates a larger universe than when it came into it. This last season pushed both the boundaries of storytelling but also of the nature of motivation while still staying within certain tropes. And that kind of journey is always a good thing,A-

By Tim Wassberg