The Geekcap: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Emancipation"

At a nondescript bar, Coulson watches a new report recount a story regarding the Sokovia Accords. The law has passed under 117 countries, and Steve Rogers is now missing. May arrives to offer her condolences to Coulson on both the disappearance of Captain America and the death of Peggy Carter. With the Accords up, the government is going to be more interested in their work with Inhumans, leading to Coulson having a conversation with General Talbot. Talbot comes as a representation of the president who is now interested in learning about SHIELD’s activities. Coulson argues against the regulation method with the government’s hands in the matter and also reminds Talbot that not all of the Avengers were on board with them either. Still, as an appealing gesture to Talbot, Coulson allows Talbot to see their base which is present directly under the bar.

Daisy continuously hacks into the SHIELD database despite Fitz’s attempts to keep her out. In the middle of one session, she spots Lincoln trapped in the pod and wonders what he did. Hive interrupts her as she is locked out of the system once again. By tracking SHIELD, Hive is forced to constantly move in order to carry on with Radcliffe’s experiments. The doctor takes the rest of Daisy’s blood that he needs and states that the next experiment is ready. All they need are some test subjects.

Lincoln continues to wait in the pod as May gives him his meals. He still asks to be freed only for May to shut him down after his behavior. Since Lincoln’s immune system is still compromised, he’s better off in the pod. May advises that instead of trying to escape, he should try to stay straight, especially with Talbot on the base now.

Meanwhile, Fitz and Simmons work on the systems with Fitz being forced to Daisy-proof the computers rather than work on a new Hive solution. Fitz remarks that it would be easier with Mack, but Simmons remarks that he is still shaken up about what happened with Daisy. Even there, they believe that their work is useless. May, however, comes in and instructs them on working to fight against Hive. Though Hive is a parasite, May believe that if he is made up of humans, two of which they knew, he must have some drive. Now, they have to be on the offense.

Coulson gives Talbot a tour of the base. Coulson states that he will allow Talbot onto the base for exchange of keeping their Inhuman team secret. For additional collateral, Coulson introduces Talbot to Elena Rodriguez, who has returned to help after hearing about Daisy’s turn. Coulson explains that Elena has been working on her own against the Mexican cartel, meaning that her name on a list would be a price on her head. Talbot maintains that it is only for protection which Elena considers naïve. However, Coulson lets Elena demonstrate her powers by having her stealing Talbot’s pin before his eyes.

At a training facility, two men train a group of Watchdogs. While the Accords have regular people assured that the enhanced people are regulated, the Watchdogs believe the only solution is to take the Inhumans out head to head. From a report originally taken by the ATCU, they now believe they can find one.

Secretly, in the pod, Lincoln manages to make contact with Daisy. Together, they create a loop to fool the security feed while they continue to talk. They both admit to missing each other, especially since Lincoln admits he was only on SHIELD for her. Daisy states that she offered him a chance to escape, but he refused. Now, Lincoln states he only wants to be with her. Before they can talk further, Daisy informs him that the feed is about to be cut, ending their conversation. Lincoln is then reintroduced to Talbot by Coulson.

Elena finds Mack in the kitchen avoiding the team. She questions why he’s not doing anything since she came back all this way to help Daisy. He admits that he feels dismayed at the situation with Daisy and doesn’t want what happened to her to happen to anyone else. Elena helps to fix his brace and helps him sit down. He then asks her if she ever felt hopeless despite her faith with the threat of Armageddon upon them. She replies that he needs a beer and recalls a phrase from home: evil preys on the weak because it fears the strong. The only way evil succeeds is if they give up and run.

Elena: You need a beer and some faith.

Talbot explains to Lincoln the concept of registration which involves them assessing his strength and danger level. Lincoln accepts the concepts if it allows him to leave, but Coulson is still less warm to the option. Talbot questions that if Lincoln truly wanted to leave he could just take them all out right now. Since he doesn’t, Lincoln advises them to work with him.

Continuing the tour, Coulson finally reveals to Talbot their last Inhuman: a recaptured Lash. Talbot is furious that Coulson has a creature like Lash in their grasp without any oversight. Finally, Talbot asks about Daisy. Coulson states that she’s on a field mission, but Talbot reveals that he found footage of her with Grant Ward in a town that recently experienced a flying saucer invasion. Coulson asks why Talbot went to this trouble if he already knew Daisy was loose, but Talbot wanted to learn the details of the other Inhumans. With Daisy on the loose, Coulson agrees to fill him in on the rest of story.

The Watchdogs trace their lead to an Inhuman down an alley. There, they find James who takes a fiery chain and whips the fighters. Hive emerges and reveals that he orchestrated the hunt to capture them and ultimately turn them into what they hate.

In Coulson’s office, Fitz, Simmons, and Coulson explain to Talbot everything, including the alien planet and Hive’s powers. With Hive being able to control other Inhumans, Talbot becomes firmer in his belief for the Accords, preventing super-powered people from being taken behind their watch. With Hive planning to create his own Inhumans, the threat is even more serious. Coulson reminds Talbot that they prevented Hive’s plan by eliminating the Kree threat, but Simmons recalls that there is still some Kree blood Hive could use: the GH-325 in both Coulson and Daisy.

Hive and James then arrive with the Watchdogs as a new batch of test subjects for Radcliffe. With their change, Hive states he will free the Watchdogs from their hatred. They lock the group in a bin and flood the container with Radcliffe’s new formula. Outside, they hear the screams of the Watchdogs before they are immediately silenced. Radcliffe states that they simply need to wait.

Back at the pod, Lincoln reconnects with Daisy and agrees to escape if they can be together. Daisy concocts a plan using the things in his pod to help fool the alarm system and allow him off the base without alerting the team. With Daisy’s expertise, Lincoln is able to escape the pod and make his way down the hall. In Coulson’s office, Talbot once again argues to put the president in the loop of the Inhuman problem, but Coulson states that by the time they go through the red tape, Hive’s plan may already be complete. Lincoln makes his way through the base. He is almost spotted by May, but Daisy provides a distraction to lead him to another exit.

Fitz and Simmons explain that Hive has everything he needs to create a new Inhuman army if he uses Daisy’s blood. Furthermore, with the knowledge that Hive had stolen some kind of technology from the ATCU, he might be able to improve his plan. Coulson questions why Hive would be willing to sacrifice Daisy for a few Inhumans. With her knowledge and abilities, she could be worth 100 Inhumans. Fitz states that Hive might be able to make that many with Daisy. Unfortunately for the team, their argument against Talbot’s registration becomes even more undercut when discover Daisy’s loop trick. Meanwhile, Radcliffe and James then open the container to find that, among the cocoon crests, the Watchdogs have changed into deformed creatures.

The base begins an emergency lockdown to stop Lincoln’s escape. Mack returns to help Fitz and Simmons seal the base. However, he reminds the two that Daisy could still help Lincoln escape by manually controlling the quinjet. Mack then runs to stop Lincoln, but Lincoln is insistent on returning to Daisy. He shocks Mack off and runs to the jet.

Hive observes the new Inhumans. Despite their deformities, they quickly follow his orders. He then orders them to take Radcliffe who begs to be given another chance. However, Hive is satisfied with the results since they are still quick to follow him. Radcliffe states that they are merely abominations of his work, but Hive just states that they are part of the Inhuman race, part of him.

Lincoln informs Daisy that he is in the jet ready to be taken to her location. She assures him that they can escape together, but Hive reappears to reveal that Daisy lied to capture him for Hive. Hive shows her Radcliffe’s results, made by his parasites and her blood. However, he wants more. In order to achieve that, they may need to drain her completely.

To the team’s dismay, they watch the jet take off as they come to Mack’s aid. However, May returns with Lincoln in tow, revealing that Lincoln is not be taken to Hive. They question what was sent to Hive instead, but May responds that desperate times call for desperate measures. The jet arrives for Hive to greet it, only to have the sole inhabitant be Lash.

Lincoln explains to the team that he and May created a plan against Hive. Lincoln managed to convince Daisy that he wanted to escape while May managed to portray the plan as escaping from the base, even though Coulson managed the plan the entire time. While he did not mean to hurt Mack, Lincoln set the quinjet to take off with May making sure that Lash was onboard, knowing that Hive would be waiting to meet with the jet. May and Lincoln both believe that if every Inhuman has a purpose, Lash’s purpose might be to kill Hive.

Talbot: Who in tarnation names these things?

Lash manages to fight off Hive by blasting away his parasites and wounding him temporarily. Hive sends the newly-turned Inhumans against him, but Lash takes them out one by one. Radcliffe and Daisy soon hear the fight, leading Radcliffe to try and help them escape. Daisy, however, tries to fight against Lash for Hive, but she then succumbs to her blood loss and falls. Lash comes to her and, instead of killing her, uses his powers to draw out and destroy the parasitical influence inside her. With Daisy now free from Hive’s influence, Lash carries Daisy back to the quinjet. Suddenly, Lash is stabbed by James’s fiery chain. Daisy blasts back James but sadly watches Lash die before her eyes. She then radios the base from the jet to say she’s coming home.

Daisy returns to the base in handcuffs flanked by guards, though the team is ultimately glad to see her. Simmons immediately takes her to the lab to diagnose her condition. Talbot questions whether or not this could still be a trick by Hive, but Mack replies that they just need to have a little faith. Lincoln deduces that from Lash’s death, his mission was not to kill Hive but to protect Daisy. Simmons, however, replies that whatever protected Daisy wasn’t Lash.

Simmons then arrives to state that Daisy seems to have been cured from Hive, though she is still weak from the blood loss and withdrawal. Otherwise, the agent should make a full recovery. Unfortunately, from the information Simmons has gathered from Daisy, she and Fitz believe that Hive is planning a massive shockwave to infect the planet and create more of the Inhuman monstrosities. Then, Talbot reveals that the item stolen from the ATCU was a warhead, exactly what Hive needs to complete this plan.

In Mack’s room, the agent is visited by Elena. She remarks that now he seems to have found some faith. With Daisy back, he should be happy, but Mack still has some doubts. To help him, Elena gives him her cross necklace, reminding him to keep the faith. 

SHIELD Notes

• Mack is now in possession of Elena's cross necklace. Does this mean anything towards Daisy's vision?
• James, who became Hellfire, finally used his signature fiery chain.
• The newly-turned Inhumans actually resemble a race from the comics known as the Alpha Primitives. These were a slave race created by the Inhumans themselves and only fitting since Radcliffe referred to them as the Alpha test.
• Who really names these things I wonder?

The Geekcap: 12 Monkeys "Emergence"

 Ramse returns to the base after sparing Deacon’s life. Despite the original sentence, Jones asks Ramse for help after Cole and Cassie were trapped in 1944. While Jones does not trust Ramse, she trusts Ramse’s relationship with Cole that he would help. In exchange for his help, Jones promises Ramse his freedom from the base and his death sentence with his son. In the lab, Adler prepares Ramse with a dose of new formula. Ramse asks how they plan to send the three of them back, but Adler replies that Jones is preparing for that. Jones reveals to Eckland that she is sending Ramse back only two days before the paradox in order to prevent Ramse from disrupting any other events. Eckland asks why is she doing this despite not trusting Ramse, leading Jones to reply that she is running low on options.

Ramse and Jones plan to have Ramse place a classified ad in the paper for the team to find in the future. Jones has a theory that by tracking the paper, they can bring all three back home. Ramse instead accuses her of being afraid of the events happening outside the base in the disaster. Nevertheless, he agrees to help and is sent back in time to 1944, only to be hit by a car once he arrives.

Ramse: I can only fix one of your mistakes at a time.

The team explore the outside area where the forests have turned red. The soldiers who stayed have been ravaged by time hundreds of years, becoming skeletons in the process. Whitley questions why if this happened because of Cole and Cassie’s travel. Jones meanwhile states that the cause will devastate the base in a matter of months. Whitley asks why it’s affecting them now, but Jones is mostly at a loss to her dismay. Whitley remarks that they are being watched by the Daughters and believes they know of what’s happening. Jones instead returns to the base.

Ramse wakes up in a 1944 hospital just as Cassie has arrived at the Emerson Hotel. The nurse takes his vitals and remarks that he heals rapidly despite also suffering from osteoporosis, unusual for a young man. He’s assured that this is September 1, 1944 and works to find Cole. However, the nurse refuses to let Ramse leave with his injuries. Ramse sneaks out of his room to reach a nurse’s counter. There, he finds a phone and calls the Emerson Hotel for James Cole, revealing to be the mysterious person who rang for him in the previous episode. Before he can speak to Cole, the nurse and security find and sedate Ramse for surgery.

Jones and Eckland watch the red storm draw closer to the base without any knowledge of what it is. Eckland also notices the Daughters spying on them. With no other option, Jones goes out to the forest to speak to an older Jennifer Goines about the events. Jones tries to get answers from the woman, but Jennifer proves to be more elusive. She refers to people as ants in a line who only know of three ants: the one in front, behind, and itself. Once the ant steps outside the line, however, it can truly witness time. Jennifer understands this as a primary and tries to explain it with a red leaf. Jones fires back that the leaf is just a reaction to the temporal anomaly and storms out after not receiving any clear answer.

In 1944, Cole and Cassie’s events play out as usual while Ramse tries to escape the hospital. He knocks out a visiting man, steals his clothes, and makes his way to the mental hospital just as Cole and Cassie arrive. Unfortunately, he crosses paths with the female messenger. She recognizes Ramse as the traveler and threatens to kill him since his cycle has completed. Ramse tries to convince her that he is on her side for the sake of protecting his son asked by the Witness to return. The messenger is touched by his story since hearing it from her childhood and realizing that he had something she will never have: a child. She states that she is destined to die on this day and doesn’t believe Ramse’s story, remarking that the Witness would not ask for anyone. The male messenger than handcuffs Ramse to a heater as the two continue their plans. Meanwhile, in 2044, Jones becomes even more frustrated with their inability to understand what’s happening. The events occur the same despite Ramse’s presence, though he follows the FBI taking Cole and Cassie.

The FBI agents take Cole and Cassie to a motel to find out what happened. The agent from the night before, Gale, questions Cole, who stays obstinate and instead believes that they should have splintered by now. He then tries Cassie by appealing to her less pleasant company after being caught killing Thomas Crawford and his son. Cassie simply states that they were trying to save the two and failed. Gale reveals the picture from the night as evidence that they were tracking the Crawfords and demands an answer for the term “splintered.” Before they can go further, Ramse steps in to rescue the two and beat Gale. Ramse calls for them to run, but Cole states they have to find out what happened to the female messenger. Cassie states that they have to return to 2044, a statement Gale hears in shock. Cole thanks him for his service and knocks the agent in the nose.

The three gather at the Emerson Hotel where Ramse explains the feeble plan. In the midst of their waiting, Cole still plans on searching for the female messenger to find out the army’s plan. Cassie questions why they should since she likely died in the paradox explosion, and they have nothing to work with at this point. Ramse, despite previous misgivings, ends up agreeing with Cassie and suggests they simply wait at the point he advertised for Jones to find them. He then leaves the room with Cassie following.

Cole: I was just starting to like this place. 

At the base in 2044, Eckland confronts Jones on why she is acting like an asshole. Jones simply replies that they know nothing about what’s happening, but Eckland has a different theory. He responds that she is more than a scientist: she is an explorer. Whenever she faces the unknown, she charges head-on, trying to understand and be right. It was one of the things he admired about her.

In 1944, Ramse and Cassie wait for the splinter time in the hotel bar. Ramse replies to Cassie that he understands that she hates him. However, she doesn’t have to hate Cole. Cassie says that she doesn’t hate Cole, and Ramse reveals that Cole is just beating himself over for what happened to her, that he considers it to be her fault. Ramse feels that Cole is loyal to a fault, showing that with both him and Cassie. Meanwhile, Cole tracks the female messenger and finds that she had survived the paradox.

Cole tracks her down to a hospital where crosses paths with Gale once again. Gale states that he knows Cole and Cassie didn’t kill Crawford and instead questions their real mission. He found that the jewelry Cole gave the receptionist is from a design that won’t premiere until next year and then found Ramse’s mysterious medical records. Cole then tells Gale part of the truth and convinces Gale to help him find the female messenger. They find her laying in a hospital bedroom, recovering from her injuries. The woman wakes also bemused by the situation. She had been raised to die that day in 1944 and now is free to do as she pleases, to have a child. She fights the men and nearly knocks out Cole. However, she says she is not meant to kill Cole as stated by the Witness. The woman escapes.

Jones returns to Jennifer for definite answers. Jennifer then gives Jones a special herbal tea to give her visions of her explanations. Jennifer, both old and young, explains that time works with men rather than around it. Special people, known as primaries, work as the gears of time to support the movement. However, if these primaries are killed, time is fractured. The world will be plummeted to a red forest where there is no past and no future. This is the goal of the Army of the 12 Monkeys.

Gale returns with Cole to the hotel to meet up with Cassie and Ramse. Despite the strangeness, Gale wants to help Cole on his mission. Cole states that he can’t right now but perhaps in the future. In 2044, Adler finds Ramse’s ad in the paper and is able to lock onto the group’s location. The three then says their goodbyes to Gale as they splinter in front of him back to 2044.

Jones fills in the group on what they learned. Cassie deduces that the messengers used bones from the primaries’ past to kill them, which Jones refers to as using time against itself. Although the thought is not scientific in the least, the cause of nature still presents firsts. If the messengers continue their plans, they are destined to a red forest, a hell in time. Cassie, meanwhile, also questions why Ramse is still here. Jones argues that Ramse had helped him that time, but Cassie still argues on what Ramse had done, causing a larger argument. Cole silences them stating that they have already failed in stopping the army from the fracture. However, they agree to continue as they always had, taking clues piece by piece on the messengers’ actions.

In 1944, Gale examines room 607 after the three’s departure. He signs the back of the picture of Cole and Cassie with the date they needed and places it on a desk for the future. In 1971, the female messenger, now an old woman, speaks with her son. Upon her death, he will now carry on the mission for the army. She drops a handful of flower petals, signifying her own death. Finally, in 2016, Jennifer walks herself to a clinic and asks to put an end to the voices. There, she is spotted by the messenger’s son, the Pallid Man.

Notes from 2044

• The army's plan is revealed: to kill all of the primaries. But what do they have to gain?
• The Pallid Man makes his return from season one! If you notice following the paradox explosion, his mother, the messenger, bears the same scar on her face as he has from his paradox encounter!
• The tea Jennifer gives Jones looks eerily similar to the mix given to Cassie in episode six "The Red Forest." 

The Geekcap: Legends of Tomorrow "River of Time"

In Ancient Egypt 1700 B.C., the first Vandal Savage interrogates his prisoner Rip Hunter. He questions why Rip attacked him and asks who he is. Rip states that he is the one who will stop him. Savage questions what Rip knows about the future, but Rip says that all he needs to know is that he will always try to stop him.

In present day, Rory breaks out one of Rip’s prized bottles to toast Savage’s capture. However, the team continues to question what to do about Savage now that Carter is in custody. Stein and Kendra obviously question murdering Savage especially with the potential side effect of losing Carter, but Snart reminds them that killing Savage was always part of the plan. Losing Carter shouldn’t outweigh their mission, and every second they keep Savage alive on the ship risks the people they care about at home. Ray and Jax arrive with some interesting news. Ray has been examining the schematics of the robot and finds that its creation is more advanced than even 2166. In other words, Savage has been found with manipulating the timeline, making him a criminal of the Time Masters. With this evidence, bringing Savage to justice will no longer make the team criminals to the council.

Rip then interrogates Savage on the technology. Savage reveals that since seeing Rip again in 1975 he realized that time travel could be the only option for his reappearance. Since then, he has found his own way to move through time. That was the reason Rip had problems tracking Savage throughout the timeline. Furthermore, Savage argues that he is looking to save the world just like Rip claims, by preserving it in his image. Rip states that he wants to save his family, but Savage states that he has held his own children as they died of age. He is playing a much bigger game than any of the Time Masters, proclaiming himself as a master of time. Rip leaves the man and orders Gideon to fly them back to the vanishing point. Gideon argues that the power has been drained since Ray used the cell to fight the robot, but Rip insists that they move quickly.

Kendra confronts Carter whom they’ve restrained in the back. Carter believes himself to be a ward of Vandal Savage, but Kendra tries to remind him that he is Carter Hall, formerly Prince Khufu. Carter recognizes her as Kendra Saunders but still believes her to be an enemy as told to him by Savage. He warns that if they do not let him go he will kill them where they stand.

Rip examines the ship when Sara comes to speak to him. Sara wonders why Rip continues to be so desperate when the timeline hasn’t changed. Rip believes that the circumstances will change once they bring Savage to the vanishing point. Sara wonders if he’s pushing the ship too hard, but Rip says that he knows the ship better than anyone. It can take the stress. Suddenly, the power begins to blow out, leading them to be stuck in the time stream.

Stein asks about their condition, but Rip states it can be fixed. Even if the drive can’t work, Rip reminds him that there is a jump ship on the Waverider that is powered to take them back to 2016. Stein fears about Savage onboard, but Rip plans to handle that by sending Sara to check on the prisoner. Meanwhile, Rip takes Jax to help him fix the time drive.

Sara checks on Savage to make sure he was still secure. Savage then questions Sara on her sister Laurel, something Sara ignores. He then remarks that the only reason Rip chose them was for their ability to be manipulated. He warns that Rip is obsessed with saving his family, more than he cares for the safety of his crew. Sara leaves without responding to that.

Jax works with the temporal core despite Stein’s worry for his safety. Once he re-configures the core, Jax is blasted back with temporal radiation. He then flashes back to the moment before he left for the Waverider. He was fixing up a car before he was visited by his mother. She stops by to offer him a watch that was originally a gift to his father and reminds him about coming to dinner with her and his grandfather. Jax remembers but says he has to meet with someone at the university. In the present, Rip and Stein drag Jax from the room. He looks fine, but Gideon reveals that Jax’s internal systems are aging rapidly. Snart and Rory meanwhile talk over things in the kitchen. With the debate open for Savage’s death, the two realize how unnecessary they are at this point. Through this situation, they decide to try and find their own way out.

With Jax’s corrections, Rip works with Gideon to reboot the ship’s system to continue the trip. In the midst of this, however, he still asks Gideon for any changes in his family’s timeline. Gideon responds there is still no change which leads Sara to question why he keeps asking. Rip says that he still retains hope in change as seen by their mission. Sara reveals that Savage stated that Rip would sell out the team for his mission. Rip then reveals that that part is true. Moreover, he even questions whether or not sending Jax to fix the core was his own way of sacrificing the team for his own goals.

Rory- Why are all of the snacks in the future sugar free?

Kendra and Ray return to try and convince Carter of his past. She shows him a picture of their son in hopes that he remembers, but, when she gets too close, he attacks her. Ray pulls her from his grasp and punches Carter to knock him out. With no results, Ray storms into the prison to force the solution out of Savage. Recognizing his rage, Savage recalls his own past love for Kendra and reveals that the two has a relationship in one of her past lives before she remembered. Ray calls the idea perverse, but Savage says that the situation ended the same with Kendra returning to Carter, just like it will for Ray’s relationship. Ray refuses to believe him, but, after leaving Savage, he spots Kendra reciting a love poem to Carter in hopes for him to remember. Kendra tries to explain her feelings, but Ray states that he can’t stay in a relationship where he’s just Carter’s placeholder.

We then flashback to the moment before Ray left with the Waverider as he talks to Felicity at Palmer Tech. Felicity asks why he wants to go risk his life fighting an immortal bad guy when he could stay and do some good. Ray responds that since the world believes him to be dead, there is nothing he can do here. However, by traveling through time, he can truly make a difference. Felicity wishes him luck and hopes that he finds a girl in the past or future for that matter. Ray responds that he’s going to save the world, not fall in love.

Jax is taken to the hospital bed where he aged to be nearly sixty-three years. However, with the power sent to fix the time core, all they can do is wait to arrive at the vanishing point. With Jax’s life in jeopardy, Snart and Rory finally go to confront Rip. Since Rip refuses to kill Savage if they can bring him to the Time Masters, Snart and Rory decide to take the jump ship home. When Rip asks Sara if she too will leave, she simply responds that she isn’t one to back away from a fight. We then flashback to Sara’s last moments in 2016 where she visited Nyssa locked up in Nanda Parbat for destroying the Lazarus Pit. Sara offers to break Nyssa free, but Nyssa replies that if she truly loved her, she would leave and never look back.

Finally, Stein approaches Savage. He asks about the immortality ritual he witnessed Savage hosting in October 1975. Savage agrees to help but states that he needs Carter’s blood to continue it. Stein recognizes that Savage is trying to pit him and Ray against Carter and proclaims that he will find another way to save Jax. Instead, Stein leads Jax to the jump ship where he reveals that he had made some modifications to the machine. While it will take Jax back to 2016, it will also reverse his aging condition. Jax refuses to leave the team, so Stein once again sedates him to force him on the ship. With Jax secured, he sends the jump ship back to 2016, much to Snart and Rory’s dismay. We finally flashback to Stein’s last moments in 2016. His wife Clarice offers to take him on a date, but Stein replies that he’s going to meet with someone on his latest research: time travel. He, however, promises that he will make it and proclaims that he has always loved her.

In his frustration, Ray confronts Savage to state that Kendra is free to make her own choices. Savage simply calls Ray a coward and dares him to fight back to prove him wrong. Ray enters the prison and proceeds to fight Savage. However, Savage eventually gains the upper hand and chokes Ray into submission. With Ray out, Savage escapes his prison. When Rip finally fixes the systems, Gideon suddenly loses power. The team is at Savage’s mercy.

Sara: I was in League of Assassins, not NASA!

In the emergency, Rip sends Snart, Rory, Kendra, and a revived Ray to handle Savage while Stein manually handles the engine. Sara, meanwhile, must serve as the manual navigator through time to the vanishing point. The three struggle against Savage with Carter eventually fighting against them as well. Savage takes out Snart and Rory while Ray and Kendra are forced to fight Carter. In the attack, Rip chooses to help his team, leaving Sara to captain the ship. He arrives just in time to take a devastating laser blast from Savage who then takes out Ray. However, just as Savage is about to kill Kendra, Carter regains his memories and fights off the tyrant. Savage manages to stab Carter, but Kendra is able to knock out Savage, saving the team.

The team takes Carter to the hospital bed, revealing that he’s alive but requires rest. Kendra once again speaks to Ray, but he still feels unsure about their relationship now that Carter is back. Sara finally reaches the Vanishing Point, the Time Masters’ Council at the end of time. Immediately, they are taken in as fugitives, but Rip argues their case by planning to take Savage into custody. He takes hold of Savage who last questions how Rip escaped from the prison almost 4000 years ago. Rip argues that sometimes the best escape plans are the simplest, and the Vanishing Point guards will not be as easily manipulated as his team. Sara then asks Rip what he let her captain the ship. He replies that he had to defend his team.

Rip takes Savage to the Time Masters and presents his case. He shows proof that Savage has manipulated the timeline for his own gain through the robot and his confession in the prison. The Time Master listens to the case but then orders Savage to be returned to Earth and for Rip’s team to be arrested. The Time Master is revealed to be on Savage’s side, explaining their hunt for the Waverider. The team is then taken into custody.

Notes of Tomorrow

• For those who want an update on the timeline, it looks like the Legends left sometime between episodes eleven and fifteen in Arrow. Felicity is still in her wheelchair!
• Looks like Jax has been sent back to 2016. Do you think he'll return?

The Geekcap: Arrow "Genesis"

 The remaining HIVE leaders panic over what to do over Damian Dahrk’s return when the man appears in person with Malcolm, Murmur, and Andy Diggle. Following the group’s abandonment of him in prison, he asks the leaders on the process of Genesis and decides that, after escaping prison on his own, he no longer needs their help in anything. A man shoots at him only for Dahrk to stop the bullet and send it back at him. He also kills an additional figure and plans to continue the already-starting Genesis plot.

In the lair, Felicity finds the reports of the dead figures, recognizing them as heads of HIVE. Oliver deduces that Dahrk is taking his revenge on the members of HIVE who abandoned him in prison. Diggle believes that now is the perfect time to attack Dahrk, but Oliver reminds him that Dahrk is too powerful. Oliver then reveals that, through his connection to Constantine, he may have found someone who could train him in magic. Thea wonders why they can’t all train in magic, but Oliver says that the process is said to be dangerous. He will only allow himself to be subjected to it, though Felicity looks on questioningly. With this mission at hand, Thea asks Oliver if she can go with Alex for a weekend vacation after her offered. Oliver agrees and also suggests the rest of the team to take a break as well.

Diggle returns to Argus to see Lyla, who is still not entirely happy about being trapped in a bunker. Diggle reminds her that Andy has been through their home and knows about Argus, so they need to be protected. Lyla understands for her part, at least for the sake of their daughter Sara. Diggle, nevertheless, plans to continue his search for Andy in the city. While the protection continues, Lyla asks Diggle to pick up some diapers on the way.

Felicity finds Oliver living in the basement of the lair. He begins packing his things for his trip to Hub City to meet with a shaman. Felicity questions Oliver’s journey, but Oliver states that he has seen this power turn some men dark and would do anything to avenge Laurel’s death. Understanding this, Felicity announces that she will accompany him as she has already booked the rooms for the both of them. Oliver recognizes that he cannot talk Felicity out of this and allows her to come.

When Diggle begins returning to Argus, he finds an alert on his phone sensing Andy’s presence. He quickly runs into an abandoned building, only to trade shooting blows with Andy himself. Diggle tries to avoid blows when he receives a call from Lyla. She informs him about Andy in the middle of the attack. She advises him to stand down and wait for backup, but Diggle is insistent on going after his brother. Lyla orders him to wait, but Diggle instead hangs up and follows Andy.

Oliver and Felicity arrive in an underground casino in Hub City. According to Oliver, Constantine told him there was a shaman who would be willing to train him near the blackjack table. Felicity, an expert in counting cards, does her part to wait and play on the table. Meanwhile, Thea wakes up in an empty bed in a quaint house. She calls for Alex but doesn’t get an answer. She then finds him making eggs in the kitchen. He remarks how she must have been tired since she slept through the whole trip. Thea doesn’t recall what happened, but she’s still happy to see Alex. After playing a little blackjack, Felicity gives a woman next to her a stack of chips to encourage her to keep playing, and the woman reveals herself to be the shaman Ersin Fortuna.

Felicity: It's not gambling if I'm playing.

Diggle continues chasing Andy in the building. However, he’s stopped and knocked off-guard by additional ghosts. Andy then knocks him out to hold him up for torture. He warns Diggle that Dahrk is coming for him. Diggle rebukes Dahrk’s threat, though Andy still regard him as a savior. Diggle then brings up that by working for Dahrk, Andy is foregoing his old life, the one with his wife and child. Andy responds by stabbing his brother, claiming that HIVE is family now.

Fortuna explains her position as an immortal shaman and guides Oliver and Felicity to the backroom which connects to a Nexus portal. She explains that Hub City as well as Star City and Lian Yu contain Nexus portals to magical realms, something people like Dahrk have already used to their advantage. Being a shaman, she usually stays out of the affairs of men, unless they owe her money. Fortuna reveals an idol similar to Dahrk’s but reveals that he does not gain his power from it. Instead, Dahrk gains his power from the dark by killing others. With every death, Dahrk grows more powerful. For Oliver to win, he must harness the light. If not, he will only fuel Dahrk’s power.

Thea walks with Alex down a neighborhood. While Alex is at peace, Thea is on edge, feeling that the city is too perfect, especially since she can’t get any signal on her phone. Alex simply believes that Thea is stressed from her time in the city, but Thea then claims that the background noises of birds and dogs barking are on a loop. When this sounds paranoid, she decides to forego her nerves and follow Alex.

With Diggle apparently unconscious, Andy and the ghosts proceed to take Diggle down from his restraints. Diggle, however, fights back against his captors and manages to handcuff Andy to a post while aiming a gun at his face. Andy goads him to shoot, but Diggle refuses, stating that one of them can still be human. Diggle quickly escapes.

Fortuna begins to start the training. Felicity asks about what kind of totem Oliver can use, but Fortuna states that the tattoo given to him by Constantine will be fine. She sends Oliver a taste of dark magic which Oliver manages to resist decently. She then furthers the push, sending Oliver on a path in the darkest parts of his mind. He sees visions of Malcolm, Deathstroke, and Dahrk beating him in the room as well as visions of his past. He sees Tommy’s death, Moira’s death, his death, a vision of Taiana, and, finally, Felicity’s leaving before returning to the present. Fortuna states that he is unable to face his own darkness, and she sends him off, unable to teach him any further.

Thea finally confronts Alex on the town. She doesn’t remember how she got there, and he hasn’t said where they are. Furthermore, she can prove the sounds are on a loop as she perfectly predicts the cycle. In his nervousness, Alex begins to take a bottle of pills. Thea takes the bottle, only to recognize the pills as the ones from HIVE. Realization sets in as she bolts from the house.

Diggle returns to the Argus bunker to Lyla. While she’s glad to see him okay, she rebukes him for not following orders. Diggle insists that he had to stop Andy after what happened to Laurel, but Lyla states that he isn’t acting like the man she married but the man she divorced. The best way to deal with Andy is through justice, and Lyla advises Diggle to keep things together.

Lyla: “You are not acting like the man I married. You’re the man I divorced.”

At the casino, Oliver mourns the fact that he could not succeed. Felicity reminds him that Fortuna would not offer to teach him if she didn’t think he could succeed, but Oliver simply states that Felicity is the one who brings his light, just as she brought Fortuna to him through her actions. Felicity advises against him pitying himself, but he just accepts that he always reverts to the man on the island, just as Felicity said. She responds that she only said that since she was hurt. While none of them are perfect, they can continue to make themselves better.

Dahrk arrives to release Andy and reveals that the attack was a trick to track Diggle to Argus. Diggle realizes the plan since they let him live and finds the bunker under attack. The Argus bunker is revealed to be a mobile safe on a truck, continuously moving to avoid detection. Now, they are being shot at by Andy and other ghosts. Lyla realizes that they are after Argus materials from her by tracking Diggle. While the truck stands the attack from the ghosts, it stops at the hands of Damian Dahrk himself. With Diggle and Sara in danger, she fears that she will give in to Dahrk’s demands. Diggle changes tactics by escaping the truck on a motorcycle. Dahrk easily incapacitates Lyla but finds himself outwitted when he sees that Diggle has also taken Sara in his escape.

Diggle deals with another chase by Andy and some ghosts while trying to protect Sara. Just when his cornered by some guards, a van careens down the alley, knocking them down. Felicity arrives to tell Diggle that Oliver is on his way. She takes baby Sara while Diggle deals with his brother.

Dahrk tortures Lyla until Oliver manages to arrive with an arrow to his back. However, he still falls to Dahrk’s magic as he fights back. Diggle fights Andy and once again ends with a gun pointed at his brother’s head. When Dahrk proceeds attack Oliver with his magic, however, Oliver resists and breaks free. To his surprise, he sees that Dahrk has escaped and then tends to Lyla. Andy meanwhile taunts Diggle, stating that Dahrk has escaped just as he had. He further states that Lyla and Sara can’t be protected forever as Genesis is coming. With that threat, Diggle finally shoots and kills his brother point blank. Oliver arrives to tell him that Lyla is safe as Diggle admits that he murdered his brother.

Back at the lair, Felicity talks to Oliver about what happened. Oliver reveals that he fought off Dahrk by recalling her voice. He then heard Diggle, Thea, and Laurel telling him not to give up hope. Diggle then takes care of Lyla as she comforts him on Andy’s death. However, he claims that Andy reached for his gun before he was shot. Lyla nevertheless says that Andy was not his brother when he threatened friends and family. Suddenly, Lyla looks to her wrist to find a scar, realizing that Rubicon has been stolen.

Lyla fills in the team that since the last attack on Argus, she had Rubicon inserted inside her skin to protect it from HIVE. Rubicon turns out to be a program allowing the user to prevent nuclear missile fire. However, in HIVE’s hands, the program can be corrupted, leaving Dahrk with the control over nuclear missiles. Genesis, they believe, will be Dahrk’s attempt to destroy the world and recreate it in his image.

Thea, in her escape, finds herself confronted with ghosts. When she tries to run away, she runs into a dome wall, revealing the city to be a base underneath Star City.

Arrow Notes

• Hub City may not be a Nexus portal in the comics, but it is the home to the infamous character The Question.
• Multiversal Nexus is more commonly known as the center of the DC Multiverse. Looks like the Arrowverse might be bigger than we thought!
• Apparently, Felicity is a big Phil Collins fan. I wish Genesis would reunite too!
• That was a pretty dead-on impression of John Constantine by Oliver Queen, don't you think?
• We get a brief glimpse into the possible fate of Taiana on the island. Could she be what Oliver referred to as "turning good people dark"?

The Geekcap: The Flash "Rupture"

With Barry still lacking in his speed, Cisco and Iris come up with the idea to project a hologram using Barry under motion capture to stop a police chase. While the criminals prove to be faster than the projection, the team manage to win by circling the car, causing it to stop from the blinding light. Unfortunately, Harry reminds them that eventually the city will discover that the Flash is fake. The only solution he can develop is to recreate the particle accelerator explosion. Cisco and Iris argue against him since the explosion created many criminal metahumans and opened fifty portals to Earth-2, but Harry reminds them that what they’re doing now want stop Zoom or bring back Caitlin. He claims to know exactly what they need to recreate the explosion and contain the threat, but Barry’s still unsure.

Barry goes to visit his father in a remote cabin. Henry is glad to see his son but wonders why a speedster needs a car. Barry reveals that he gave up his speed to save Wally, Joe’s son, but now Jay has taken Caitlin. Henry presses further and reveals that Garrick, Jay’s last name, is his mother’s maiden name. In order to stop Zoom, Barry reveals the plan to recreate the explosion. Henry isn’t excited to have his son struck by lightning and instead questions whether Barry can still be a hero without powers.

At STAR Labs, Cisco, Harry, and Jesse begin designs to recreate the explosion, though Harry is frustrated with Cisco’s lack of progress. Before Cisco can respond, he has a brief vision of his brother Dante. Since he doesn’t understand what it means, he immediately leaves to see what’s wrong. Barry then arrives with his father who plans to stay after being out of his son’s life for so long. Iris is happy to see Henry back, but he’s uncertain about what the lab has planned.

At the CCPD, Wally comes to Joe for advice and help. Wally reveals that since being rescued he believes that fixing cars is not a suitable path for him anymore. Now he wants to help. Joe recognizes the West attitude of wanting to help others but still advises Wally to stick to fixing cars since it’s a much safer option. At that moment, Zoom arrives at the base with Caitlin in tow to take over the city. With their weapons useless, the police are at the mercy of Zoom until Caitlin begs him not to murder them. He spares the lives of the officers but warns death for anyone who disobeys him. The rest of the cops evacuate the precinct.

The team gather to plan around Zoom’s return. Harry recalls that Zoom went through the same process on his Earth by murdering the police. Joe recalls Caitlin talking Zoom out of murdering the cops which is all they can rely on for now. The only thing that can stop him, Harry reiterates, is the Flash. Henry argues against risking Barry’s life while the rest of the team try to come up with a plan to protect the cops as well as Wally and Jesse from being taken once again. Barry suggests to Joe to gather the police at Jitters until they can stop Zoom.

Back at the station, Caitlin is handcuffed to a desk under Jay’s watch. Caitlin warns him that he will be stopped, but Jay scoffs at the idea of Barry being a threat. Caitlin questions why she should be taken to which Jay responds that he won’t be alone. He’s seen the darkness in her like Killer Frost and believes that it’s just a matter of time before it’s unlocked.

Cisco meets with his brother Dante at a tavern to make sure he’s safe. Though Dante still proves to be insufferable to his brother, he is otherwise okay and unsure about Cisco’s worries. Meanwhile, Harry and Joe reinforce the basement hideout to hold Wally and Jesse until Zoom is taken care of for good. Wally still wants to help, but Joe insists he stays and provides the two with a tablet to communicate with them (though, as Jesse notices, no bathroom).

Harry continues to figure how to contain the particle accelerator explosion when Joe speaks to him. Harry still defends his idea, but Joe is unsure how to work with Barry. Henry arrives and further argues against the idea. Harry reminds Henry that the machine is for the sake of thousands of lives beyond Barry, but Henry replies that the plan could still kill Barry regardless. Furthermore, even with his speed, Barry did not prove to be a match for Zoom. Barry arrives to hear the men arguing. While he understands that each man has a point, he still cannot come up with a decision.

At the tavern, Cisco decides to leave after seeing that his brother his safe. Suddenly, he spots the news report on Zoom’s attack on the precinct. He races off back to the lab. Dante, however, tags along to ask for a ride home. Before they can argue, they are blasted aside by a new metahuman named Rupture with a scythe who is after Vibe. Rupture believes that Vibe was the one who killed his brother Reverb, revealing himself to be Dante’s doppelganger. Despite Dante’s shock, the two are able to escape the attack and return to STAR Labs.

Harry fills them in on Rupture’s powers, reminding them that this is part of Zoom’s plan. He will gather the metahumans to take over the city. Cisco further reveals that Zoom must have told Rupture that Vibe was the one behind Reverb’s death, making the metahuman even more dangerous. However, since Rupture gets his power from his scythe, there may be a way they can stop him. Since he no longer has his powers, Barry continues to question what he should do.

Iris then speaks to Barry as he remarks that even with his father here the decision isn’t easy. She then replies that she understands the decision is difficult, mostly because she doesn’t know if she could go through what happened the last time he was struck by lightning. Iris then recalls the time when he planned to leave for Earth-2 where she feared that he was leaving because he had nothing keeping him back. Barry believes it was because of Patty, but Iris admits that she has thought a lot about them. With the two married in both the future and Earth-2, she believes that they might be meant to be. Barry asks why she’s telling him now. She simply responds that she wants him to know that the last time he confessed his feelings she didn’t think of them “in that way.” Now she wants him to know that she cares about him whether he is a speedster or not.

Jesse: Can we come out now?

Joe/Harry: No!

At the CCPD, Caitlin manages to sneak a phone from an evidence bin to contact the team. By a corner, she spots Zoom talking to Rupture about the police. Since the police believe that they have been spared, he plans to send Rupture to kill them all. Caitlin quickly sends the team a warning about Jitters before Jay confronts her. She rebukes him for planning to kill the police, but Jay says he needs to keep his status. She responds that, just like changing his voice, he just wants people to fear him. Jay responds that it is just as she said: he’s a monster. The team at the lab receives the message just as Barry reaches his decision. Barry believes that the city needs the Flash but only until the particle accelerator explosion can be contained. Until then, they need to defeat Rupture without his speed. Meanwhile, the cops prepare to face Rupture.

Cisco plans to help Barry but is interrupted by Dante. He found a letter Cisco planned to send to him before going to Earth-2 and wants an explanation for him going to another universe. Cisco explains that his friends needed him to “vibe” for them, revealing to his brother that he was a metahuman affected by the particle accelerator. Dante wonders why he didn’t tell him, but Cisco responds that they were never really close. He then leaves to help Barry.

With the use of the hologram, “The Flash” faces Rupture. With the Flash speeding back and forth from the blasts, the police attack the distracted Rupture and manage to incapacitate him to the surprise of the team. However, Jay sees the report on the news, realizing that Caitlin warned the team of the threat. He arrives to Jitters and, in a brief second, kills all but Joe and Captain Singh. He even murders Rupture after stating that he was as disappointing as his brother, to the horror of Cisco. Barry runs in himself to stop the villain, but even he knows it’s useless. Zoom then reveals to the city the Flash they have seen is only a hologram since the real Flash has been defeated. He warns the captain against trying another stunt like this again and threatens Barry, despite sparing him for Caitlin.

The team returns to STAR Labs with Cisco tearfully hugging his brother promising to work at being closer together. In the meantime, Wally tries to find a way out of the room to help the others. Jesse advises against it since they don’t have any powers and she doesn’t want to be captured by Zoom again. However, he manages to convince her by reminding her how quick and smart she can be. She could easily think of a way out of the vault. Flattered, she tries her hand at the door.

In the lab, the team is devastated at the new prospect. Harry warns that Zoom will next gather an army of metahumans to fight against the city. The group argues that there can’t be that many left, but Harry reveals an extensive list from his world, and with the Flash no longer a threat, more will surely appear. With everything threatened, Barry decides to go through the process to stop Zoom once and for all. They plan to hook Barry up to the original accelerator, allowing Harry to flood the dark matter to Barry instead of outside STAR Labs. Meanwhile, Cisco will utilize the wand used against the Weather Wizard to create the lightning bolt to strike Barry. Before Barry can go through with it, both Henry and Iris say some words to Barry. Iris reminds him that nothing will change her feelings for him while Henry adds that he doesn’t have to do this if he doesn’t want it. Barry states the Flash is the best he can be, and he needs a chance to become that again. Harry begins the process.

Cisco: Expecto patronum!

Jesse manages to hotwire the door open right when the accelerator is ignited. Wally and Jesse run to find out what’s happening. Harry injects Barry with numerous chemicals as he painfully awaits the lightning bolt strike. The plan is successful as lightning strikes Barry in a spectacle that even Jay spots outside the city. However, right when the lightning stirkes, Barry begins to evaporate in the light, causing a massive shockwave that rattles the lab and knocks Wally and Jesse unconscious. To the group’s horror, they find Barry’s suit, but Barry is gone. Even Zoom arrives and remarks that in their quest to create the Flash, they’ve killed him.

Flash Notes

• Henry reveals that his mother's maiden name was Garrick. Perhaps there may be a connection between Zoom and Barry after all?
• The episode ends with Wally and Jesse being blasted by the explosion caused by the accelerator. This could be one step further for the two to develop their speed powers to become Kid Flash and Jesse Quick!
• Just where did Barry go? In one situation from the comics, Barry actually ends up as part of the Speed Force! That's always an option!

The Geekcap: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Failed Experiments"

Years ago, Kree soldiers captured a hunter-gatherer in the wild. They experimented on him by injecting their own blood into his system until he eventually underwent the first form of Terrigenesis as an Inhuman. In the present, the Inhuman became Hive, and he explains his origins to Daisy. In addition, he gathers remaining descendants of Hydra members who escaped the downfall of the organization. With these members, he plans to follow through on their dedication.

Back at the base, Lincoln asks May about any news regarding Daisy. May is less privy to talk about it to Lincoln since he was so willing to hurt Alicia to find Daisy. Lincoln insists that he wanted to find Daisy, but May reminds him that they’ve all known Daisy longer and didn’t fall apart like he did. Since they can’t trust him in the field swayed or not, he has to remains in the base. In the lab, Fitz and Simmons continue to experiment on possibly finding a cure for the parasite following their awkward encounters with Hive-swayed Daisy and Ward speaking as Will. Unfortunately, they find that any sample they would try on human DNA would result in death with no idea how it would affect someone like Daisy fighting back. The only way to truly test a vaccine would be to have an Inhuman to test it, leading to Lincoln volunteering himself.

Simmons: You’re right; I only had to listen to the disgusting face of Grant Ward pretend to be my dead boyfriend.

Fitz: Yep, yours is worse.

In the meantime, Coulson scans security footage until he finds Daisy in a small South Wyoming town now occupied by the military after the water was poisoned. Mack believes that if Daisy was caught on surveillance, she must actually want SHIELD to find her. Coulson, however, believes she’s leading them to a trap since she helped design the system to track people in the first place. Nevertheless, Mack retains some hope that, despite Hive’s influence, the real Daisy somewhere is still on their side.

Hive questions Daisy’s original partnership with SHIELD though Daisy says that SHIELD is there to protect people. Hive disagrees since SHIELD only creates weapons of war, something Daisy reminds him was the Kree’s intentions with them. She states that sometimes the greatest miracles happen by accident. He then explains that he was sealed by the Kree due to the connection he created among Inhumans which sparked fear of those with powers. In this world, only billionaires can create metal suits, and only the military can create super soldiers. Now, with Radcliffe’s experimentation, he can make everyone the same. Sadly, when Radcliffe fires the experiment, the remaining test subjects liquidate under the tampering.

Mack and May gather a team of agents to the location in order to take out Hive and possibly rescue Daisy. Mack informs the group that since they don’t know what they’re facing with Hive or the Inhumans, everyone, including May, will be equipped with some form of weapon to fight. May believes that Mack is taking the mission purposefully, an accusation Mack agrees with surprisingly. He believes that with Lincoln distracted with being accused, Coulson distracted with Malick, and him distracted with the absence of Bobbi and Hunter, there was no one to keep an eye out for Daisy after she changed. Now he plans to do something about it.

At the lab, Lincoln tries to convince Coulson, Fitz, and Simmons to experiment on him for a cure. Simmons is less willing to go through with it since if the experiment fails, his immune system may shut down killing him. Lincoln emphasizes that if there is a chance he should take since he understands the risks as a doctor. Coulson then forbids Lincoln from following through on the trial but first asks Fitz for his opinion. Despite agreeing with Simmons on the risks, Fitz believes that Lincoln should do what it takes. Simmons reminds him that Daisy would not want someone acting cavalier for her sake, but Fitz says Daisy has no choice in this.

Back in the town, Daisy hangs with James at a bar. She asks what made him leave off in a trailer, and he admits that he didn’t feel connected with the people in society. He then wonders what Daisy came from since SHIELD is out to stop them. Eventually, they’d come to stop her. Daisy replies that if the people at SHIELD will go through Hive’s plan, they will all be on one side. Neither of them would have to fight.

Meanwhile, Hive rebukes Radcliffe for the failed trials. Radcliffe admits that the blood he gave him was from the dead host rather than an Inhuman, so the trial couldn’t work. He reveals that the only way the experiment could work is if they had Kree blood, the same that created Hive. Hive suggests he could just kill Radcliffe and take over his body for his brains, but Radcliffe persists that he can make the experiment work if they had the blood. Hive then unveils the Kree artifacts placed together to form a machine. He tells Radcliffe that he will have what he needs soon.

Aboard the Zephyr One, the team prepare to examine the town. Although Coulson cannot be there in person, he will monitor the attack from their helmet cameras. Mack asks the director what they should do if their weapons should fail against Hive to which the director responds that they should run very fast. Back at the base, Fitz and Simmons meet over coffee. Fitz apologizes for taking a different position from Simmons. Simmons, however, states that if she was going to stay with someone who never disagreed with her, she would have stayed with her old boyfriend Milton. She then reminds him that their disagreements in work doesn’t have to affect their relationship outside of work. Before they continue, they spot Lincoln in the lab injecting the experimental cure into his system. Too late to stop him, the vaccine courses through his system, causing him to convulse and send the lab to a power blowout. Simmons offers to inject him with a counter-solution, but Lincoln refuses. He believes the cure will work.

Coulson: I suggest running…very fast…away.

May and Mack spot James entering a bar, recognizing him as the Inhuman in South Dakota, and decide that he would be the best place to start. May enters the bar posing as a Hydra worker questioning about the new developments. James reveals to her his powers and offers to discuss more with her, not without a little flirting.

Hive then meets with Daisy to evaluate her priorities. While she’s proven loyal to him, she was also made by SHIELD, and he wonders what she would do should SHIELD attack them. Daisy offers that if the experiments work, they wouldn’t have to fight, but Hive persists. Daisy then replies that she would rip their hearts out should they come after him.

Fitz and Simmons take Lincoln to the hospital bed and examine his vitals. Lincoln tries to appeal to Fitz, but Fitz throws back that Coulson ordered him not to try this. They are not on the same side here. Simmons then arrives to drill Lincoln’s brain for a sample. In order to find out if the cure worked, she needs to examine a tissue sample from his brain, something he would have known if he asked questions instead of acted rashly.

Back at the bar, May continues to talk to James about his abilities. James admits that he didn’t change as a person after transforming, but he claims that May could find out for herself. He reveals that Hive’s plan is to turn humans into Inhumans. He believes that the creature is now in the old mining facility outside town. With all she needs, May proceeds to knock James out and returns to Mack with the news.

Unfortunately, Hive introduces another wrinkle to the plan. He invited the ones who created him to the planet: the Kree. The team finds the Kree devices providing a radio transmission to call the aliens who destroy the facility immediately. These soldiers are not regular Kree but reapers, members of the race which abandoned their world and has been circling this solar system ever since. Daisy questions why he would do that since the Kree are the one thing that could destroy him. Hive understands, but this was the one way to ensure his plan could work. Also, he plans to face the ones who created him and, should it come down to it, rip their hearts out as she suggested. In the meantime, he entrusts her to gather the Kree blood needed for the experiment.

The Kree arrive and begin killing off the Inhuman guards, including Alisha. Mack and May stay behind, questioning what to make of these new players while the other SHIELD agents try to process aliens landing on Earth. In the long run, they realize, the Kree reapers might do the work for them. One of the reapers finally approaches the garage housing Radcliffe only for Daisy to fight back. She takes him on physically at first, then uses her powers to incapacitate him. Finally, she breaks his spine and orders Radcliffe to drain the creature of its blood. Hive faces the other reaper, his creator, elsewhere.

Agent Piper: Fricking aliens just landed. We're not gonna take a moment to let that soak in?

As Radcliffe begins draining the Kree, Daisy is confronted by Mack who says he came to help her while Daisy says she can help him by turning him into an Inhuman. Daisy insists that she doesn’t need help from SHIELD anymore, but Mack reminds her that they care about her, just like he does. Daisy then remarks that SHIELD only took them in because it could turn them, a hacker or a mechanic, into soldiers, and Bobbi and Hunter already left SHIELD because there was nothing worth coming back. For his best interests, he has to leave if he doesn’t agree. Mack instead removes his weapon and refuses to leave since he cares too much about her. Daisy finally states that while she cared about Mack like a brother, he could barely take care of the brother he had, touching a nerve. Still, Mack wants to help Daisy and decides the best way to do so is throwing a splinter bomb, destroying the Kree reaper. Distraught at the loss of the experiment, Daisy attacks Mack.

At the same time, Hive attacks the other Kree reaper. He matches the creature blow for blow, taunting that he is no longer the weak sample they tortured years ago. The reaper fires back that he’s just a failed experiment, a mistake, but Hive responds that sometimes the greatest miracles come from mistakes, echoing Daisy’s words.  He then uses his powers to kill the reaper. The team take this time to fire at the Inhuman, only to be shocked that their weapons prove useless. They are forced to run.

Daisy continues attacking Mack, using her powers to beat him as well. Mack refuses to fight his friend, but Daisy is proving ruthless. She mourns that they could have had a connection, but Mack persists that it isn’t real. She doesn’t want to do this. She then begins to rupture his chest, only to be shot at by SHIELD. The team take Mack back on an emergency pod, leaving Daisy in the hands of Hive.

The team recuperate at the base tending to Mack’s wounds. Simmons is shocked that Daisy would cause them, leading Mack to believe that they were right. Daisy is too far gone. Fitz then reiterates that Hive wants to turn humans into Inhumans despite the genetic markers preventing certain people from changing. They have no idea how he could accomplish this or how they could stop him. Meanwhile, Simmons also tends to Lincoln in a pod and informs him that the team arrived an hour earlier. Lincoln wants to talk to them, but Simmons reminds him that his immune system has shut down, leaving him vulnerable to every little infection. Now, he must remain on the base. Lincoln then asks Simmons to inform Coulson on the vaccine, but Simmons says she can’t since the vaccine proved useless. They have no cure for Daisy.

In the town, Hive reveals to Daisy the heart of the Kree reaper he killed, as they discussed earlier. He is less impressed that she let SHIELD get away instead of killing them, proving that her connection with them may be stronger than they thought. Daisy instead claims that she’s done with SHIELD since they attacked back but provides valuable information. He requires Kree blood for the experiment, and she has it: the GH-325 the team injected in her after she was shot. She offers herself to be drained as part of the experiment. 

S.H.I.E.L.D. Notes

• “Only a billionaire can build iron suits, only a military can make super soldiers, which can only lead to a war of its own.” Looks like Hive was predicting Civil War this whole time!
• Daisy references the GH-325 in her system. The drug was originally introduced and used in season one's episode "T.A.H.I.T.I." where it's revealed Coulson has the same drug in his body as well. Could there be a connection?
• Briana Venskus who plays Agent Piper should look familiar this year. She also played an agent of the DEO in Supergirl!
• Looks like May has officially taken the Calvary name as her own!

The Geekcap: 12 Monkeys "One Hundred Years"

In 1944, a woman prepares for a night as her military husband calls for her to leave. Suddenly, the lights in her room flicker. In the back, the female messenger appears and kills the woman while another messenger kills her husband. The two then pose as the couple to sneak into a party where their destinies are set to be fulfilled.

In 2044, the group make adjustments to the machine while loud music is played by Dr. Eckland. According to Adler’s research, the six messengers that escaped have already made multiple rifts in the timeline, making their current plans hard to decipher. Jones quickly shouts at Eckland to turn off the music which he obliges with a wink. Jones then responds to Adler that at this point the best they can do now is adapt to the new normal.

Meanwhile, Cole and Deacon fight in the prison until Cassie comes to stop them. Deacon’s furious at Cole for defending Ramse, but Cole fires back against him, questioning Cassie why they let Deacon to the base in the first place. Deacon then goes back against Cole on Cassie’s behalf since he was there to help her survive. Cassie nevertheless asks Deacon to calm down as she works with Cole, though she questions how Cole can defend his relationship with Ramse. Cole asks Cassie the same question regarding Deacon.

The group then track an anomaly in 1944, the time of the photo, to the death of a man named Thomas Crawford by an unnamed couple on September 1, 1944 at a Columbia University party. Through further research and Ramse’s insights from the army, they discovered that Crawford’s grave was then dug up after his death in 2044. Cassie questions why the messengers would be interested in a time period decades before the introduction of any viral or time travel theories, but Cole and Jones believe that 1944 could provide a new beginning for the army. Cole reminds Cassie that he traveled back to 1987 under the same premise, only for Cassie to remind him how well that ended. Since Cole and Cassie are meant to be present in 1944, Jones agrees to send both of them back in time, even though Cassie is unused to concept of time travel. Jones still argues that Cole is used to time travel while only Cassie can recognize the messengers in other time periods.

Cole, Cassie, and Jones then prepare for the travel one hundred years into the past. To assist them, Jones offers Cole a box of her old jewelry, useless in the present but invaluable in the past. Unfortunately, since they can only send them back one at a time with Cassie arriving hours or even days after Cole. Cole then suggests meeting at the Emerson Hotel as a rendezvous point. Before he leaves, Jones remarks to Cole that having Deacon has been a help to the base with a fortified defense but also acknowledges that Ramse has helped them at this time. Cole offers that they could show their appreciation to Ramse by letting him see his son. Cole is first sent to the past. After Deacon warns Cassie to be careful, Cassie is also sent back and sees Manhattan 1944.

As planned, Cassie goes to the Emerson Hotel and is immediately accosted by the bellboy for her unsuitable clothing. Cole then comes to her defense by claiming that she is his wife Cassandra Cole, at least for the sake that the hotel only takes couples if they are married. Cassie is less than thrilled at the prospect, but Cole then fills her in on his situation as he has acquired a room, proper clothes (thanks to the use of the old photo), and a new lifestyle after revealing that he has been in 1944 for two months. Cassie warns him about straying from the mission, but Cole then reveals that he got them into a Columbia University through a large donation. Cassie’s satisfied with the plan but tears the photo in two. Since they plan on taking the photo tonight anyway, having them both could cause a paradox. Before they prepare, the bellboy arrives with a phone call for James Cole. He answers the phone but finds no one on the other end.

Cole and Cassie arrive at the party. Almost immediately, a photographer offers to take their picture. While it takes a try, the two pose for the future picture. A woman from the university also welcomes Cole to the party when Cassie introduces herself as Cole’s sister. The woman then congratulates Cassie on her brother’s donation which includes a valuable necklace he gave to the woman himself. While Cassie looks for the messengers, Cole stops by a bar where two FBI agents are conversing about their pasts. One agent asks Cole about his history in the war, though Cole can only answer vaguely. Cassie then spots one of the messengers talking to Crawford and beginning to lead him to a back room. Cassie then interrupts Cole speaking with the agent by simply claiming that he fought against the Japanese in 1942 and suffered immense torture and wounds, including “down there.” He doesn’t have to answer to them. With the agents taken care of, Cole and Cassie search for Crawford.

Cole: Why did it have to be "down there"?

The messenger takes Crawford while her partner incapacitates him. They tie him and surround him with flower petals to begin a ritual. Finally, she stabs the man with a bone. However, she is then disappointed with the result, revealing that they may have made a mistake. Crawford was not a primary. The two escape just as Cole and Cassie find the room and the dead Crawford. Cassie wonders what they wanted with Crawford when she then spots a framed drawing of a monkey.

Back in 2044, Ramse spends time with his son Sam playing a game. While they have a good time, Sam asks what happened to him after his mother died. Ramse simply says that he went away for a while, but he can tell Sam believes he did something wrong as he ended up in the prison. Jones then arrives to escort Sam out as she talks to Ramse in private. She assures Ramse that Sam will always have a place at the base though she admits having Ramse there has shaken foundations. Ramse believes that means Deacon, but Jones relates to him that she has only loved three people: her father, her husband, and her daughter. All three were taken by the virus that Ramse helped to create to save a son he barely knows. Ramse argues that she has a time machine. She could always save her daughter herself. Jones instead fires back that her goals were always in line with saving billions of lives while his were meant to destroy them. With that, it looks like Ramse is not meant to last at the base. He asks if he could see his son one last time. Jones replies that he already did.

The police as well as the FBI agents investigate Crawford’s murder, feeling just as confused as Cole and Cassie before them. Cole and Cassie, in the meantime, return to their room at Emerson to wait for Jones to tether them back to 2044. Cole, however, then finds that behind the picture frame is a certificate made out to Thomas Crawford Jr., Crawford’s son. He was sent to a Mission Cross Mental Institution after hearing voices and incessant behavior. Cole then deduces that Crawford Jr. must be a Primary just like Jennifer since he experiences the same symptoms. Cassie is reluctant to find Tommy Crawford, but Cole snaps back at her choice to kill people more quickly but feel hesitant now. Cassie then reveals that she cannot trust Cole in this situation ever since he let Aaron die to protect her. Because of that, she can’t be certain of what Cole would do. Nevertheless, she agrees to help find the younger Crawford.

At the mental institution, Tommy Crawford murmurs to himself as he draws large monkey images on his walls. He turns to the door and exclaims that the monkeys have finally come for him. Back at the 2044 prison, Ramse wakes up to Deacon knocking him out with the back of his gun.

Cole and Cassie arrive at the institution but quickly find the guard and doctor murdered. They search Tommy’s room 313 only to find the wall paintings of the monkeys, the red forest, and the words “catch me if you can.” Cassie wonders how Tommy could have known this would happen, but Cole suspects that Tommy, like Jennifer, is connected to time on a different level. Cassie questions what this has to do with the plague, but Cole believes that perhaps the plague is only part of the plan. The two run into the messengers and are held up at gunpoint. Fortunately, they are saved by Tommy who causes a distraction while Cassie shoots the male messenger. However, the female messenger takes Cole hostage since Cassie ultimately refuses to take a shot with Cole in danger. With the two gone, Cassie takes Tommy to figure a new plan with Tommy recognizing Cassie by name. When she asks how he knows that, he simply points to his head.

Cassie: There is no such thing as fate.

Tommy then reveals that the messengers were sent to kill him today using a collarbone stolen from his grave. He recognizes himself as a primary, which he refers to as part of the brain of all that is time. The female messenger in the meantime straps Cole to a table and electrocutes him as an incentive for Cassie to save him.

Back in the future, Deacon with the help of his gang lead Ramse in the middle of a forest to kill him once and for all.

Cassie agrees to trade Tommy for Cole. As Tommy walks by Cole, he secretly whispers to him that the only failure is giving up. Once Tommy reaches the messenger, Cassie shouts at him to run, but Tommy stays where he is. He reminds Cassie that this was the day he was meant to die since the Witness has spoken. The messenger takes Tommy and locks them in a room where she begins the ritual. Cole and Cassie manage to break down the door but not before the messenger stabs Tommy. This time, the stab causes a paradox as the old collarbone touches Tommy’s living one, creating an explosion throughout the room.

The police and FBI agents come to examine the institution after the paradox. There, they find the dead body of Tommy Crawford as well as the unconscious bodies of Cole, Cassie, and the messenger. In the future, Deacon prepares to kill Ramse, but the world around the two begins shifting. The forest turns red, and rifts appear out of nowhere and kills some of the men. Ramse manages to take one of the guns and aims it at Deacon. However, in the midst of the chaos, Ramse choose to let his gun down and escape with Deacon out of the chaos of time shifting. 

Notes

• If Tommy's message to Cole sounds familiar, it should. It's the same advice Cole's father gave to him in "Paradox." Wonder what that could mean?
• For those of you keen viewers, you may have also noticed that 313, the number for Tommy's room, is also a primary number just like 607!
• Looks like a little more happened between Deacon and Cassie in those months in 2044...