Synopsis 5×08: On the surface of the earth, the team struggles to understand the visions of Robin, in an attempt to save the world.
Time travel is such a tricky thing to pull off. Ask Stargate, and there many, many attempts at it. (Some better than others, to be sure.) And it potentially remains to be seen, but this season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. seems to be struggling with the concept.
I initially liked the idea of time travel. It happens in the comics all the time. Heck, time distortion is even how Captain America survived the attack in the Civil War series. (Not the films though; the Russo’s debunked that.) But for AoS, they seem to be faltering somewhat. It appears that some cataclysmic event occurred (thanks, Daisy), which led to the near destruction of humanity. The team continued to exist, working with the help of visions from Robin to perfect time travel. What is unclear is whether they were successful or not.
Did the team create the time travel device that allowed them to be in the future to retroactively save the past? Have they attempted to go to the future before? Is it that this current team we are watching will perfect the time travel device allowing their past selves to enter the future? If they save the future, what happens to them in the past? Or in the future? Did this season even happen?
All questions that will be unlikely to be solved. I mean, Lost never fully explained their time loop world. But perhaps AoS will follow the Days of Future Past format, which mostly ignored the convoluted nature of the film franchise’s timeline and retconned aspects of the series that were terrible. (Here’s looking at you, Phoenix.) I doubt it, but one can dream, right? (Dreaming is another way to explain confusing storylines. Again, Lost tried that.)
With the team reunited on the surface, they work to detangle the web of Robin’s visions, with the complication that viewers are able to see some of her past visions as well. Or at least visions from the past of this earth that was destroyed, but which may never happen because the team may alter the timeline and save it.
The team, although struggling to save the world (save the cheerleader, save the world, anyone?), must also struggle against humans who wish to kill them and prevent the destruction of the world. They also have Sinara to worry about, who arrives on the surface of the planet on Kasius’ orders. Earth is about to get wild.
With one final vision, Robin whispers to May that Flint just might be the spark that lights the flame that will burn the Kree down. Viva la Revolucion!
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