Is ‘Agents of SHIELD’ Worth Finishing? Fans Discuss the Finale’s Payoff
Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD recently wrapped up a seven-season run on ABC. No matter what you think of the show, that’s an impressive feat. Making the show even more noteworthy is the fact that it was tied into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, often dependent on the events of those films to help drive its plot. The fact that the show was able to coexist with that universe while also establishing its own unique narrative was certainly a feather in its cap.
But fans who haven’t watched it yet may be asking if it’s worth it. Let’s take a closer look at whether you should invest the time in the show after its controversial finale. (Warning: this post WILL include spoilers about the show’s ending, so tread carefully if you’d rather not consider the implication of the ending).
An ‘Agents of SHIELD’ overview
Debuting in 2013, Agents of SHIELD chronicled the lesser-known heroes of the Marvel universe: the SHIELD agents who provide support to the efforts of superheroes like the Avengers. They were led by Agent Phil Coulson. Coulson was famously killed during the original Avengers film, only to be resurrected through state-of-the-art technology during the show.
The show began by closely reacting to the events of the MCU but eventually became its own entity. As the story and characters developed, it became less dependent on the MCU. Within the MCU, SHIELD was disbanded after the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In the show, SHIELD eventually returns. So how did they get there?
Discussing the Agents of SHIELD finale
The show had a relatively understated finale. According to CNN, it saw the team return to Earth after quite a long run trekking through time and space. It also involved the team establishing an alternate timeline in which SHIELD still exists through the use of the Quantum Realm, a plot device introduced in the MCU films. The threat the team faced was from a group known as the Chromicons, who were attempting to obliterate SHIELD from history.
In the end, each of the characters receives their own happy ending even though they all go their separate ways. Coulson gets his own sports car to cruise around in, and the alternate timeline allows SHIELD to flourish yet again. It was a great end for Coulson, who the show has put through the wringer. Not only did he come back from death to begin the show, but he also died several times during the show’s run.
Say what you want about the series finale, but it was a complete ending. Being complete doesn’t always translate to being effective, however.
Is Agents of SHIELD worth finishing?
Finales can be a tricky thing to execute. If you tie up too many loose ends, it may strain credibility. If you leave too many plot threads dangling, fans may complain that it was unsatisfying. MCU fans took to Reddit to talk about whether Agents of SHIELD is worth finishing as a series and from some of their comments, it appears as though the show struck a good balance.
One fan commented that it’s worth it because the show does such a good job setting up plot lines in the previous season then paying them off in the final go-around:
“If you binge S6 and S7 then you will enjoy it because a lot of things said in S6 happen in the S7 finale.”
With Marvel pivoting to a focus on developing shows for Disney+, we’re not likely to see anything like Agents of SHIELD anytime soon: a network show that feels like a network show operating within the boundaries of a comic book universe. For that, and for having a finale that left fans ultimately satisfied, the show should be commended and seems to be worth finishing.
