“Option Two” is episode nineteen of season five of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
In the previous episode, “All Roads Lead…”, Werner von Strucker had started infusing Ruby with the gravitonium, but it wasn’t going well. It was stopped, only partly done, but it definitely didn’t go well. Ruby accidentally killed Werner by touching him, which crushed his head. Daisy and General Hale were trying to talk Ruby down, and may have been succeeding, when Yo-Yo arrived. Yo-Yo was possibly holding a bit of a grudge over ruby chopping her arms off in “All the Comforts of Home” – and sliced Ruby’s throat open. Yo-Yo believes she saved the world by doing so, but Hale had vanished. She’s used the device to meet with the Confederacy, and it seems that Hale now doesn’t really care what happens. Understandable, really, but this may well have made things worse. Hale is willing to let the Confederacy destroy S.H.I.E.L.D.
Coulson and Mack were able to stop General Talbot from taking Robin, and also from killing himself. So, that part at least went fairly well.
This episode seemingly opens in the outer solar system, going inwards, as Talbot is lying in a bed, muttering numbers.
Coulson is briefing the others; the plan is to use Zephyr One to get into orbit and slingshot the gravitonium into the Sun, destroying it. Zephyr One is not yet ready to do this though.
May has been talking to Mack’s friend, Candyman Caine, who was seen in “Principia”. They need to take care of Robin and Holly, to make them safe, and Caine can help. Daisy offers to take them to safety. Daisy is also not happy with Yo-Yo, saying that she killed Ruby simply out of revenge, and that she should have followed orders. The matter degenerates into an argument, with Coulson listening, until he breaks it up and tells everyone to go do their jobs.
May had also been talking to Caine about Cybertek, the Deathlok programme and a means of saving Coulson’s life. Something he had told her not to do. So, as Daisy leaves, May tells her about Caine and says she should go dark once she’s left.
Deke is lecturing Fitz about multiverse theory, saying that he’s proof they exist. Fitz says that Deke is simply proof that they are stuck in a loop. Fitz and Simmons are also loading some of the gravitonium to power the Zephyr’s space engines, and Fitz says that the only way they will know if they have successfully prevented the future is if Deke blinks out of existence (if there’s a multiverse, he wouldn’t, which would mean they lack proof).
Talbot is still muttering numbers, and then he calls for Coulson. He asks Coulson why he would have been going to the hanger when he took Robin, and says that one thing he knows is that places have a landing assist beacon. He then repeats the numbers to Coulson, wanting to know that they aren’t what he thinks they are – unfortunately, they are, they’re the Lighthouse’s location. And an alien spaceship moves into position above it, and jams all communications.
An automated message from General Rick Stoner starts up again, saying that an apocalypse level event has been detected. The Lighthouse has a number of options for dealing with these, depending on the event, which are presented on the main computer. Sadly, Coulson doesn’t bother listening to the entire list, selecting ‘nuclear apocalypse’ (option two) – just before ‘alien invasion’ appears as an option. May tells Coulson that you always listen to the complete list. With this selected, the Lighthouse is now sealed for 15 years. Bit of an oops.
The alien, Qovas, appears on the monitor and demands the gravitonium. Perhaps the advanced space aliens can’t make it themselves. Yo-Yo finally reveals to the other what future Yo-Yo had said in “Past Life” – that Coulson was dying and that they needed to let him die, and it’s all happening again. However, Robin said that Coulson could put all the pieces together. So, which is it?
The Lighthouse is under attack by dangerous and practically unkillable aliens, which is not a good sign. Talbot makes a decision that may have unfortunate consequences.
There’s a passing mention to events in New York. What was happening in New York at this time was the opening of Avengers: Infinity War. So, what will that mean for continuity? Will the final events of Infinity War be considered to take place between season five and season six?