Izel has everything she needs to open a portal to another dimension, with more beings like her waiting to come and possess/destroy all humanity. But a few agents are on the scene, with Sarge in tow, to mount a rescue of Mack and Yo-Yo and maybe still save the day. Meanwhile, at the Lighthouse, FitzSimmons have a big problem of their own. A force of Chronicoms invades, seeing S.H.I.E.L.D. as the only threat preventing their takeover of Earth to claim it as their new homeworld.
I feel like Izel was introduced too late in season six to be as effective a villain as those in years past. Similarly, her relationship with Sarge was revealed too late for the audience to build much engagement around their final reckoning -- I dare say there'd be no drama in it at all if Sarge didn't happen to have Coulson's face. And as for the way Izel was ultimately defeated? Kind of a big snooze. "Kill the King/Queen, kill all the drones" is fast becoming the most overused trope in fantasy and science fiction, a weak attempt to have your cake (a seemingly insurmountable load of jeopardy) and eat it too (still surmounting it in the end).
But despite that, I did find more to like than to be critical of in these concluding two episodes. The reactions to the near deaths of May and Yo-Yo felt potent and earned. Sure, I knew neither of them was actually going to die (well... honestly, I did have a little doubt about May, the second time), but the reactions of the characters were genuine and a nice way to raise the stakes. Watching May get stabbed on live feed, watching Yo-Yo gasp for the breath to beg to be killed... it was powerful stuff.
There were also good moments that weren't so dark. Deke finally earned being called "Agent" by Mack, and actually saved the day more than once. It was a great win for his character, who still remains a fun source of comic relief while now being someone we can take a little more seriously.
I also really liked how the Sarge storyline was ultimately resolved. They didn't take the obvious out of turning him into some form of Coulson, nor did they go the Ward route of leaving him alive to become the main villain for the next season of the show. They just closed off this story, ended Sarge, and concocted a new way to keep Clark Gregg on the show -- a solution I feel like will be stronger all around.
I do wish a little less time had been spent on the invading Chronicoms, though. To me, it felt like it was crowding out a real resolution of season six at times. I feel like we could have used a bit more of May fighting in the other alien dimension, or of Izel and Sarge's final confrontation, or of Deke rising to the occasion. Instead, we got a lot of track laid for the seventh and final season.
On the other hand, it sure feels like that season is going to be more interesting than the one we just finished. So... we're doing time travel, huh? Just like Avengers: Endgame, this will be an opportunity to conclude everything by revisiting beloved elements from the series' past. (Presumably, also like Endgame, altering the past won't actually alter the future, but will instead cause a splintered reality. Otherwise, the crisis could be resolved simply by preventing the destruction of the Chronicoms' previous homeworld.) Who knows... maybe season seven will even give an opportunity for Hayley Atwell to reprise her role as Peggy Carter one more time? (Those of us who liked the TV series Agent Carter would sure appreciate it.) And you know we have to end up seeing Ward one more time, don't we?
But that's a matter for 2020. (Or perhaps later this year, if some other new ABC show flames out so fast that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is brought off the bench to fill the hole.) For now, we can put the completed season six on the shelf. I give these final two hours a B.
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