[CaptainCrunch]

Fantastic episode with one real problem is that it moved at such a fast pace that you hardly had time to take a breath. However when they slowed things down it was because they wanted to interject something utterly soul crushing.

just some thoughts

Spoiler!

May is a complete monster in this world. She used Mack and his daughter Hope to expose Daisy which lead to her capture by Fitz

Clearly Mack's big regret in the real world was his daughter, so in the end when he joins shield that big regret because that he was ashamed of selling out Daisy in front of his daughter.

Aida/Ophelia has always been about becoming more then her programming to feel and be a real person and you can see that when she rages at Radcliffe about being treated like a thing or a slave. Her rage was directed completely at Radcliffe for using her and keeping her in a closet. Her whole quest in this world is basically to control this world and on top of that prove that she's human through her relationship with Fitz.

Speaking of Fitz, it was a heartbreaking scene when Simmons convinced Ward not to kill Fitz by stating that he was brain washed, and she was in love with him and he wouldn't hurt anyone, only to see him shoot and kill Agnes brutally. There was a moment when Fitz had confronted Ophelia about Simmons being in this world where it seemed like he was remembering, but then he easily killed Agnes and tortured a captured Daisy who he knows is a unhuman.

Speaking of Radcliffe it was clear that he is completely in denial that his actions caused this hell. He thought the Framework was going to be a paradise even though Ophelia/Aida had manipulated events in the frame work to create this world. He also tried to convince Fitz that he was a good guy and was shocked at the final death of Agnes.

Coulson was the comedy foil in this episode, he clearly felt that something in the world was wrong but he was convinced that it was the soap that Hydra made them use that was brainwashing them so there was a great comedy string about Coulson bragging about making his own soap. It was also funny to see the former head of Shield, the ass kicker Coulson as the fish out of water .

Mace is the head of the resistance, and Coulson completely geeked out about his uniform. But this is a different Mace, self assured and decisive in what he does.

Grant Ward is not Grant Ward we know that and Radcliffe was confused until he realized that this wasn't hive but the fellow before that. But you have to wonder, if Aida/Ophelia can manipulate the entire Frame work, why can't she manipulate Grant Ward. Could this be a long con by Ward who will betray them again.

Elizabeth Henstridge has been amazing this ear in her role as Simnons and you could literally feel her heart break when the love of her life Fitz ruthlessly executed Agnes.

When he has Daisy dragged off to be tortured he snarled that he knows exactly who he is. Iain De Caestacker has really nailed down the sadistic doctor.

This is probably the second strongest story line in the run of this series only slightly behind the rise of Hydra storyline.

Like I said a great episode that maybe needed to have a little less story line if only so we could absorb the tragedies and the soap stuff.