“The End” is episode twenty-two of season five of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the season finale.
In the previous episode, “The Force of Gravity”, using the Centipede serum and DNA from Daisy’s mother, Fitz and Simmons had come up with a way of curing Coulson, who has taken a definite turn for the worse. As in, he’s dying. They had also come up with a way of stopping Talbot, who has gone off the deep end, even though he thinks he’s being a hero. Talbot wants to find more gravitonium to increase his powers; he has already absorbed Creel after he became gravitonium. More is available under the Earth’s surface. Which, given the Earth was in bits in the future, is rather suggestive. Talbot had also found Robin, and wants her to show him where the gravitonium is.
Unfortunately, there’s only enough of the Centipede serum to heal Coulson or stop Talbot (using the Odium), not both. They can do one or the other. Which may explain why Future Yo-Yo said in “Past Life” that, in order to save the Earth, they had to let Coulson die. Presumably if Coulson is saved S.H.I.E.L.D. won’t be able to stop Talbot.
The episode opens with Coulson in a hospital bed whilst the others are arguing about what to do with the Centipede serum. If they use it on Coulson, it can’t be used on Talbot. However, they can’t get the serum into Talbot as no-one can get close to him. Fitz suggests that if Talbot absorbs someone, that could work.
Daisy doesn’t want to give up on Talbot as that’s not what Coulson would do. She wants to save Coulson so that he can talk Talbot down. Yo-Yo says they can’t use the serum on Coulson and takes it. She feels that she’s alone and no one is listening to her. Mack says that’s not true, that they are held together by hope, and that they will vote on the matter. At which point May smashes the vial of Odium, rendering the whole argument moot. Fitz and Simmons are going to create the remedy and Fitz says that everyone else should get ready for the end of the world.
Talbot is in his spaceship and wants Robin to mark on a globe of the planet where she saw him surrounded by liquid metal. Talbot says he needs Robin’s help to save the world. To get Robin to tell, Talbot has her mother taken away. So she tells. The ship lands in Chicago, on top of several buildings causing a lot of damage in the process.
Daisy says that Coulson has put her in charge – but that she doesn’t think she’s capable. So, as Daisy is in charge, she puts Mack in charge instead. Coulson agrees with this too. The team heads to Chicago, where they need to try and change the future, which is not definitely possible, using their knowledge of the future.
There’s a scene where an angry Daisy walks away from a Quinjet. The scene that Deke showed Daisy in “Orientation: Part Two” – that was recorded just before the world was quaked apart. Things seem to still be happening as they did, so can they be changed?