“Wake Up” is episode eleven of season four of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
In the previous episode, “The Patriot”, it was revealed that Director Mace was not actually an Inhuman, but that his super strength came from regular injections of a drug (rather more like the Patriot from the comic books in other words than it had originally seemed). The drug was based on the one that Daisy’s father had created, which was not met with widespread joy, even though ‘most’ of the problems had been solved. It also turned out that Mace’s heroics in Vienna were actually an accident which was then misinterpreted, despite his protests as he tried to tell people what actually happened. Mace offered to step down as head of S.H.I.E.L.D. but Coulson said that he should remain and deal with the political side whilst leaving Coulson to deal with operations. During the rescue of Coulson, Mack and Mace, Fake May had been injured and she’s discovered that, under her skin, she has metal parts. Quite what she’s going to make of that is a good question.
This episode starts five days ago, when Agent May was going to Radcliffe’s to pick up Aida. Radcliffe suggests that reading the Darkhold help him understand what went wrong with Aida, but May tells him that she is going to destroy the Darkhold herself. Radcliffe calls Aida, supposedly to get her ready, but actually to activate something called the ‘Sunset Protocol.’ When May arrives, Aida disables her and uploads all of her memories to Fake May, who, when activated, continues on as if nothing had happened. Then it goes to one day ago, with Real May in the simulation from which she escaped before being subdued, once again, by Aida (the new version anyway; the original is a bit worse for wear).
Now it’s the present, and Aida is curious as to why they are keeping Real May alive, as she isn’t needed. Radcliffe says that they don’t kill people, except as a very last resort and, even if there is a problem with Fake May, they have a second android inside S.H.I.E.L.D.
Daisy is going to the Capitol to sign the Sokovia Accords, now that’s she’s an official agent again, in a committee that Senator Nadeer is on. Coulson is going to take the opportunity to bug the senator’s office so that they can find out what she’s planning in advance instead of reacting afterwards. General Talbot is really not happy with this idea. Things do not go well. Mack was supposed to be on the mission but takes some personal time instead. With him acting strangely secretive, the immediate assumption is that he might be the second android. That’s probably far too obvious though.
At Radcliffe’s, Real May makes another attempt at escape which appears to be going better. Back at base, Fitz has decided to try and find out what went wrong with Aida, despite Simmons’s misgivings. So he downloaded Aida’s memory before putting her head into storage. Fake May wants to find out what happened to her that resulted in her becoming part machine – as far as she believes, she isn’t a fake.