“Inside Voices” is episode sixteen of season five of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
In the previous episode, “Rise and Shine”, Coulson was in a former HYDRA academy. General Hale told Coulson about HYDRA’s deal with the Confederacy, a deal that Coulson thought was a bad idea – and Hale agreed. She wants to change the deal, which is why she wanted HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D. to team up.
Daniel Whitehall had been working on a project, a particle infusion chamber, which is what the gravitonium is for. Ruby was supposed to be the person who was the recipient of the project, but Hale says she is not ready. Hale thinks that Daisy might be instead be better, and be worthy of Whitehall’s codename – Destroyer of Worlds. At which point Coulson realised that the project was a very bad idea, but his attempt to convince Hale that he had been to the future, and back, did not go well.
Coulson is now in solitary, without any furniture, and is talking to Hale through the CCTV. Hale is carrying out an experiment on the gravitonium with Creel; she says that he can become a hero. They know very little about gravitonium, and no-one understands it, and if Creel touches it they will learn more. Ruby suggests that they speak to Coulson instead. This does not go that well; Creel sees Dr. Franklin Hall, who was absorbed by the gravitonium in “The Asset”. And keeps seeing glimpses of him afterwards – and hears voices. More than one.
The particle infusion chamber also needs assembling, and von Strucker concealed the details, so Werner is needed to help with this. Ruby also seems to be less than happy with how her mother is handling things. Especially as Daisy might become the Destroyer of Worlds instead.
Daisy and May are heading out to find Robin, as Daisy believes they need Robin’s help to find Coulson. Yo-Yo is testing her new prosthetic arms, and Mack is a bit concerned that she’s pushing too hard. Yo-Yo doesn’t quite have full control over them yet as it turns out. Simmons wants Daisy to free Fitz, but she refuses. Deke actually approves of what Fitz did to Daisy in “The Devil Complex”; Fitz is not terribly impressed with his grandson.
Robin, when brought in, hasn’t been talking or drawing for a couple of weeks. The reason why can be guessed in advance. At the Lighthouse, Simmons decides to use the fact that she and Fitz have to survive for Deke to be born in a rather risky way. Like Yo-Yo, Simmons believes that they cannot die either.
The post-logo scene is from four years ago, and reveals some more about the gravitonium.
This episode was directed by Salli Richardson-Whitfield, who played Allison Blake in Eureka.