Time to say G.O.O.D.B.Y.E. to the Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Wednesday, August 12. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, 9 p.m., special time, two-hour series finale): It’s been gratifying to watch Marvel’s longest-lived television show experience a creative resurgence in its final season, though it certainly makes it harder to say goodbye. Still, it’s hard not to eagerly anticipate tonight’s two-hour finale, thanks to a doozy of cliffhanger. Here’s Alex McLevy on the explosive end—literally and figuratively—of last week’s episode:
The arrival of Chronicom hunters was obviously meant to be the big, exciting payoff to all the table-setting this episode. After escaping to space, Malick and company summon the alien vessels to their location, and rain down destruction upon every S.H.I.E.L.D. outpost on the planet. Along with the too-short fight between May and Kora that ended with a blast of the Inhuman’s powers, and Yo-Yo’s rapid mopping of the floor with the two prisoners, it was a nice moment of visual energy in an episode that suffered from a dearth of them. (I remain pretty shocked by just how infrequently this season has allowed any character to use their powers.) But frankly, I can’t imagine anyone finding that more meaningful than the tease right before the final act break, when Jemma comes back to consciousness after an elliptical conversation from the past (Fitz telling her she has to forget more than just his location), and when Deke asks if Nathaniel found Fitz, she blankly replies, “Fitz? Who’s Fitz?”
Well, ho-ly shit. Here we go.
We’d like to raise a glass to McLevy, Liz Shannon Miller, Kate Kulzick, Oliver Sava, and all the other fine writers who’ve covered this show over the last seven seasons. And Alex isn’t done just yet—look for his final recap tonight.
Can you binge it? Yes, you sure can. The first six seasons are alive and well on Netflix, while a handful of episodes from this season can be streamed on Hulu and on ABC’s website (with a login from a cable provider).
Regular coverage
Wild cards
(Un)Well (Netflix, 3:01 a.m., complete first season): Netflix’s latest docuseries takes a long, hard look at the wellness industry. Expect bees, essential oils, breastmilk, and more.
Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn (HBO, 9 p.m., documentary special premiere): Muta’Ali Muhammad’s documentary revisits the life and death of Hawkins, a Black teenager murdered in 1989 in Brooklyn by a group of white men. Its timeliness should be distressingly obvious.