At the end of last week’s final season premiere, Coulson and Daisy realized that in order to save S.H.I.E.L.D. from the Chronicoms, they must save Hydra. And the “thread” is none other than Freddy, aka Wilfred Malick, the father of the future head of Hydra, Gideon Malick. Agent May has also finally woken up, but not much is yet known about her current condition and how she’s mentally doing. Also, a change Daisy is desperate to make to the future could erase the events of Captain America: The First Avenger.
Find out what happens in the second episode of the final season of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., “Know Your Onions.”
At the speakeasy, Daisy is going through papers while Coulson is trying to save the woman in red after being shot, much to Koenig’s dismay. Koenig tells Coulson it’s been nothing but trouble ever since the two of them showed up. Jemma and Yo-Yo arrive at the speakeasy. Jemma starts to perform an operation to take the bullet out while Coulson tells Yo-Yo they found out why Freddy’s the target. Last name: Malick. As in Hail Hydra. Although Mack and Deke can’t be reached, they know that the mission is to protect Freddy at all costs or that there will be consequences. If Hydra doesn’t form, then S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t form in response. Daisy says it doesn’t have to and to think about all the future lives they’ll save if there’s no Freddy Malick. Coulson tells her they can’t disrupt the timeline. If they take out Malick, something even worse could rise up in his place. They’ll just deal with it when they come back, right? Jemma points out it’ll be a future they won’t recognize. Killing Malick was the Chronicoms’ intent; they do know the consequences. Koenig interrupts them, saying they need to disappear. The word is out, and the police are swarming every gin joint looking for Freddy.
Coulson goes over the walkie to contact Enoch, saying they’re coming back and need to find a way to reach Mack. Enoch says he could find a way to boost the signal on the radio transmitter, but there’s something else they may need to deal with. Enoch tells them that May is awake, and Jemma tells him it’s too soon; they have no idea what kind of side effects or complications she’ll have. Enoch needs to sedate her and put her back in the healing pod. “I will do my best, but she does not seem to be in the mood to take orders.” On the Zephyr, May is working on her pull-ups, and Enoch suggests she should be getting some rest.
“I’ll rest when I’m dead.”
Enoch shows May the sedative that Jemma prescribed, but just as quickly, May injects it into Enoch. Enoch tells May everyone is on a mission, and she wonders why she’s still there. The last thing she remembers is that she fought her way through the spirit world, killed Izel, and then woke up in the pod. Enoch tells May she’s far from home and is currently in the year 1931. “I’m hungry.”
Cops are right outside the speakeasy, and there’s only one way in or out. They pound on the door and come right in. The officers search around the place, kicking open doors for any signs of the agents. They’re all hiding in an office, and so far, they’re safe. The woman in red finally wakes up, and just before she has a chance to scream, Jemma covers her mouth. The cops are about to leave, but a bottle falls and shatters on the ground in the office the agents are hiding in, and the officers stop in their tracks, one of them going back in there. Another officer shouts he found the getaway car, and they all leave before they spot the agents.
Back out in the speakeasy, Daisy tells the woman, Viola, they’re going to get her to a hospital, but they need some answers first. Viola says she’s a friend of Freddy’s father; she was just trying to help him get a leg up. “Any friend of the Malick is no friend of ours.” Jemma spots a blue substance on Viola’s shoes. She takes it off carefully with a knife and uses alcohol, salt, and silver to identify and prove her hypothesis. After some time, Jemma has finally figured out what it is, saying the compound is part of a formula that first appeared in Germany during World War II. It was synthesized by a German scientist named Abraham Erskine and first used by a man named Johann Schmidt. The Red Skull.
“Freddy Malick is about to deliver the key ingredient used to create the Super Soldier Serum.”
Daisy says if they don’t stop Freddy, he’s going to build up Hydra and create the Red Skull. Coulson says he already did; they can’t fix the mistakes of the past. With all due respect, Daisy tells him it’s not his call to make. Mack is the Director and doesn’t have all the information. Just then, May’s voice comes in over the walkie, and Jemma tells her they’re coming back to the Zephyr and there’s no need to worry about Mack and Deke. However, May says she’ll just find them herself. Coulson tells Jemma they need to complete the mission, then they’ll deal with May. Daisy talks to Viola one more time; now that she knows what she is, she’s going to ask one more time where Freddy is going to end up. “On the right side of history. You can’t stop progress.” They don’t want to stop anything; they just want to find their friends. “Well, then you can go to Hell.” Koenig says he’s been there, Hell’s Harbor. Where the double-crossers go to double-cross the double-crossers. Viola tells them they’ll never make it there in time unless they can fly, and there’s no trains fast enough. They can fly, and Koenig says he’ll tell them where to go if he comes along. Freddy is his responsibility, too, and he wants answers.
On the Zephyr, May, dressed up in her usual fighting suit, starts to leave, but Enoch stops her, holding a gun up. May says he doesn’t have the guts to pull that trigger, and although he may not have an intestinal digestive system, Enoch begins to say he’s very capable of applying pressure. Before he’s able to finish his sentence, May punches him in the face and knocks the gun out of his hand. May goes down the stairs, and Enoch jumps over the railing, telling her he doesn’t want to harm her, and they start fighting. May opens the Zephyr, repeatedly hitting Enoch with a fire extinguisher. The car pulls up, and Coulson calls out to her, telling her to stand down. May sees that it isn’t Sarge, but not actually Coulson, either. “Well, yes and no.” Coulson was dead, but May doesn’t seem a bit surprised. “You still are.”
Daisy and Coulson watch May in her healing pod, who is now soundly asleep. She wasn’t even fazed when she saw Coulson, and Jemma says it’s very strange. May let Jemma sedate her without any resistance; she was completely calm and relaxed as if nothing had happened. Enoch says that May is clearly malfunctioning; she wanted to be on the mission and didn’t appreciate his advice. Even though he wasn’t able to contact Mack, Enoch did make considerable advances.
Yo-Yo says they’ll be landing in five minutes, and Koenig is still trying to make sense of all this. Where are they from? “We’re from right here, just not right now.” Coulson breaks the news that they’re from the early 21st century and are part of a secret organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. They protect the world from evil threats, and Freddy is going to be one of those threats. Daisy chimes in, saying Freddy and his family will be responsible for thousands of deaths in the future. An alarm beeps, and a timer comes on the screen. Jemma says the Time Window is closing, and in 17 minutes, the Zephyr will leave 1931, with or without them. Daisy reaches Deke, telling him they’re on their way to them. But they have to be ready to leave as soon as they get there. Deke tells Daisy that Mack is with Freddy, and Daisy tells him that Freddy is not what he seems; he is very dangerous. Daisy tells Deke to not let Freddy out of his sight, and Deke says to not worry. He’s got him in his sights and his finger on the trigger. Realizing that Deke has a gun, Daisy tells him to take the shot; they can’t pass up this opportunity. If Deke kills him right now, he will save thousands of lives. “But he’s just a kid.” Daisy says they don’t have time to debate this, Mack’s in danger.
Mack goes through the different bottles of alcohol that Freddy has and sees one of them with the small beaker. Mack pours out the alcohol, seeing the beaker more clearly now. Mack tries to get answers from Freddy, and Deke tells him he’s Wilfred Malick. That ring any bells? Head of Hydra. Deke cocks the gun and points it at Freddy, saying he has orders to kill him. It was Daisy’s call; they don’t have time to argue. Mack says there is no argument and orders Deke to put the gun down. Freddy pleads with Deke, saying he never hurt anyone. Deke puts the gun down for a second, then puts it back up. He shoots at Freddy, but Freddy runs toward him. Chronicoms show up and start shooting their blasters at them. On the Zephyr, Coulson says this is now an extraction. He and Daisy will find Mack and Deke and get them back there. Koenig will find Freddy. Enoch suggests he could be helpful, too; considering he’s a Chronicom, he is the best chance against other Chronicoms.
“Let’s get ready to roll.”
Mack, Deke, and Freddy hide from the Chronicoms, and Mack tells Freddy that’s their future if they don’t get him out of there alive. How are they supposed to do that when they don’t have any weapons? “Speak for yourself.” Mack runs up to one of the Chronicoms, trying to get the blaster from him, fighting him. Coulson, Daisy, and Koenig drive by shooting, and Mack successfully grabs the blaster, but it’s all out of ammo. He uses it to punch the Chronicom and knocks him out after a few hits. Coulson and Daisy give Deke and Mack guns, shooting at the Chronicoms. Koenig and Enoch split up to find Freddy while Daisy, Deke, Coulson, and Mack try to hold off the Chronicoms. They only have three and a half minutes until the Zephyr jumps to the future.
Koenig finds Freddy, who is getting a gun ready. He tells Freddy that he’s better than this; he’s a good kid.
“But don’t make the same choices your dad made.”
Freddy’s going to be somebody, not a coward like his dad. Koenig puts his hands up, telling Freddy they can talk about this, but Freddy aims the gun at him. Koenig tries to talk to him, and Freddy shoots him. “You think you know me? You don’t know me. You don’t know nothin’.” Freddy manages to get away.
One of the Chronicoms says they’ve failed. Hydra will rise, and S.H.I.E.L.D. will form. The window is closing; they need to go. Daisy notices they’ve stopped firing and Coulson sees that they’re gone. They have two minutes, and they get into the car. Enoch finds Koenig, who is still conscious and sitting on the ground, and he knows that he’s been shot. Over a walkie, Coulson tells Enoch they’re running out of time, and Enoch tells him that Freddy has made his delivery, he’s alive, and the future is secure. Coulson says he needs to get back to the ship now. Koenig tells Enoch to go; he’ll be fine.
Jemma and Yo-Yo are waiting on the Zephyr as Mack, Deke, Daisy, and Coulson run to it, safely making it. Enoch’s on his way, but they only have 30 seconds until they jump. They need to close the doors now, or the ship will be torn apart. Jemma starts to close it, and they see Enoch running toward them. However, it’s too late, and the Zephyr makes the jump, leaving Enoch in 1931.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. airs every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT on ABC and is available On Demand and on Hulu the following day.
