“The Sign” is episode twelve of season six of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
In the previous episode, “From the Ashes”, Izel had taken Yo-Yo and Mack to the temple and told them she couldn’t complete the ritual because the monoliths had been destroyed. But their minds would create them for her. She opened up the gravitonium device, and what was created was Flint, from the dystopian future that was prevented.
This episode begins slightly before Flint is created. He asks how he got there, when he appears, and states that it isn’t the Lighthouse. Also, why has Izel locked up his friends? Izel is interested that Yo-Yo and Mack fear Flint. He tells Izel she has now idea what he can do, forming a dagger out of sand. Izel says that Flint is special, like Yo-Yo. When Flint hurls the dagger at Izel, she catches it. She thought they would create the monoliths; instead they brought someone who can build them. Flint tells Izel he won’t help her. She doesn’t need his help, and possesses him, starting to rebuild the monoliths.
May is talking to Sarge, who is sharpening his sword – Daisy believed that she saw Coulson inside him – and Daisy is briefing the troops – Benson having told them where Izel was heading. Sarge says that all he feels is rage, and May doesn’t want to be near when it comes out. May says they’ve dealt with something like this before, and Robbie was able to control it. Sarge isn’t sure he can. May will be there to help.
Fitz, Simmons and Deke have come up with something to stop Izel possessing people. Deke has made many of them; Daisy, Fitz and Simmons are impressed. Sarge’s daggers have been melted into bullets. As to whether these will stop Izel; no-one knows. Sarge and his sword are their best hope.
On the Quinjet, Daisy and May are talking about Sarge. If Izel opens a gateway, May plans to send the thing inside Sarge back where it came from. Sure, it might kill him. But it also might not.
Flint has finished creating the monoliths and Izel leaves him, causing him to collapse on the floor. She says that Terrans are extraordinary, but weak. Her people are gathering on the other side of the door for when it opens. Meanwhile, she heads outside and summons the Shrike, telling them to bring her an army.
When the others arrive at the Zephyr, it’s been crippled. Sarge tells them that they always thought Izel could listen in to their communications, so they go radio dark. Back at the Lighthouse, Fitz and Simmons are saying they could use a distraction, one to lure Izel out. Deke asks what if they could get past Izel? There’s something he’s been working on that might work. Just promise they won’t be mad. Why would they be mad? Because it’s kind of already here.
Flint comes around and Yo-Yo and Mack explain to him how he got to be there. He frees them but Izel returns, possesses Yo-Yo and breaks Flint’s leg. She says that humans are so predictable.
Deke reminds Fitz and Simmons how excited they were he made the other Izel-prevention cuffs so quickly. Well, hold onto that. Because it looks as if Deke has brought his company to the Lighthouse. He introduces Fitz and Simmons, and tells everyone they identify as being his grandparents, so to just go with that. Deke’s surprise is the ‘Shaw Drive’ – which it appears is a jump drive he essentially stole. Patent pending. Deke doubts evil aliens have good patent lawyers. On the accusation, from Fitz, that Deke has stolen a lot of stuff, he says he simply reuses good ideas. That? That’s not the Framework; it’s an advanced gaming system. Fitz did tell Deke that profit drives science after all. The drive does work. Mostly. They’ve done tests and most of the mice survived. It just needs a bit more work.
In the jungle, Sarge says he always had the sword. He never asked questions about it, thinking it was simply more memories that Izel had stolen. When a human taken over by a Shrike appears, Sarge shoots it. He says he should have thought of Shrike-killing bullets, but he’s never been on a planet that is so into guns before. Those taken over by the Shrike are already dead. Daisy says she thinks she killed most of the Shrike at the tower. Err, that would be a no. Daisy is now pretty sure she just jinxed them by saying that.
Sarge is showing definite elements of Coulson. Everyone is up against what are basically Shrike zombies; Mack compares it to a Romero movie. Which gives Deke an idea he believes no-one will have thought of before, one where you kill zombies. Simmons humours him on this. Fitz and Deke start squabbling, Deke spills some personal stuff and clearly feels he has to prove something as a result. Doing something fairly foolish.
Events are building up to the season finale, “New Life”. There’s a rather strong suggestion that the Chronicoms may be involved in this; in the previous episode, Atarah was killed by Malachi, who thought her plan to save Chronica 2 was inferior to his one to create Chronica 3.