“Inescapable” is episode six of season six of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
In the previous episode, “The Other Thing”, Altarah, the Chronicom leader, wanted to know the secrets of time travel, so the Chronicom homeworld could be restored. Fitz was the one who could do it – possibly – and Enoch stated that Simmons could provide motivation. So, the others returned home, as Simmons said she was staying. Not that she would have had a lot of choice.
This episode opens with Simmons lying on a floor in a white room with curved walls as the lights come on. She wakes, and discovers that Fitz is there too. They talk about how they were looking for each other; Enoch told Fitz that Simmons had been sent 100 years into the future, if she can believe that. Simmons does believe that, because it happened. Fitz wants to know how she can possibly be here then.
That, according to Altarah who appears at that moment, is the question. Fitz asks who she is and Simmons starts explaining until Altarah interrupts – and explains herself. Fitz knows of the Chronicom homeworld, from Enoch. But he didn’t know that it no longer exists. Altarah shows them the world. Nothing lives there any longer. It was set ablaze, heated to the melting point then magma turned to stone. It is too late to save her home now. So, they must intervene at an earlier date.
If they cooperate with developing time travel, there will be no reason to detain them further. Fitz states that time travel is against the laws of physics. It’s impossible to travel; backwards in time, thanks to causality. Altarah tells him that Simmons claims otherwise. Fitz says this would cause paradoxes and Simmons tells him he has no idea.
According to Altarah, they have everything they need at their hands. They can instantly access all of their knowledge and memories and share them. Simmons is concerned that this is intrusive and not always safe. To solve time travel will require powerful tools and the only solution for them is to find one for Altarah. She then disappears. The first thing Fitz wants to do is ask Simmons something important. Something she can guess. Because he’s done it once before. Ask her to marry him. So, she agrees. Again.
Before doing any work, they tell each other their experiences. Recent ones, in Simmons’ case, because she isn’t sharing anything about her adventures in the future. Fitz thinks if they knew how she got back, they could solve this. Fitz is struggling with tenses – time travel – and asks why Simmons won’t just tell him what happened. Because she doesn’t want to, says a rather high-pitched voice. And where Simmons was is now a very young girl. Who runs away and enters a tunnel. Fitz follows, and ends up in Simmons’ bedroom. From when she was young. Fitz is beginning to think that their minds aren’t the key to the prison – they are the prison.
It seems he’s right. They are both wired up to a machine and Enoch is concerned that this could kill them. Altarah less so.
Little Simmons is in bed. She comes here to work out problems in her head, and lock up her troubles in music box. She wants Fitz to read her a story. When he refuses, she starts yelling for her father until he agrees. The story is about a boy and his imaginary friend lost amongst the stars. Fitz wants to know what the book is. It’s called Darkhold. And he drops the book and decides it’s time to leave. Altarah appears again; Fitz says he has just figured out their minds are the prison. It may be dangerous but, according to Altarah, the most powerful tools always are.
Enoch is concerned that using cerebral fusion machines on humans is risky and unethical. Because humans have emotional problems. Altarah is still not concerned; they lost their home.
Fitz is trying to get Simmons to become an adult again. So plays mind games, suggesting that an LMD would be useful. Fitz wants to know what Simmons is so afraid of. And the memories come up. The other gathered around a body bag at the Lighthouse., Inside it is Fitz. Fitz was afraid of paradoxes. Simmons tells him this is one of them.
There are memories of preparing the Zephyr after Fitz’s death, and Fitz discovers that Coulson was dying as well. Plus, memoires of their younger years. This isn’t the biggest problem. Fitz has a dark side, one that has been seen before. Simmons herself has issues, which she has kept repressed – something Fitz thinks is very English. And Simmons’ issues get out. They resemble something from a Japanese – or perhaps Korean – horror film. So, the two of them are trapped in their heads with their dark sides roaming free. It does give them a chance to talk – or yell – their issues out. Outside, Enoch is definitely not happy.
Nothing from Earth until the post-logo clip.