Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–…): Season 4, Episode 21 - The Return - full transcript

Coulson and the team's victory in the Framework is short-lived, as an even deadlier enemy looms against them all.

Previously on "Marvel's
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."...

Yo-Yo: We're being shot out of the sky.

- [Crashing]
- Daisy!

- Were you able to save Mack?
- I'm so sorry.

You saw it with your own eyes...

It's a computer program.

Mack: I don't want to live
in a world without Hope.

Everything I need...

- It's all right here.
- Fitz: What have I done?

Don't blame yourself.
The Framework messes

- with everybody's head.
- No, no, but I... I...



I killed people. And Director Mace.

[Gasps]

She's not a robot anymore.

Finally, you can touch the real me.

Fitz, move!



There are actually a few
funny passages in here.

[Machinery whirs, beeps]

Has the little puppet

finally made herself into a real girl?

[Scoffs]

I'm tired of talking to myself.

[Machinery humming, hissing]

May: Fitz, move!



- Coulson: Take the shot, May!
- Get out of the way, Fitz!

Just take the shot!



No.

No, no, no!

She has Inhuman powers now?!
Can we get a break, please?!

Can we get one break?!

Guess they weren't
assessing powers at Hydra

as much as collecting them.

Who even knows what Hydra
was doing in the Framework.

Oh, wait. You do, I guess, right?

Sorry. I'm...

having trouble sorting through the...

Two lives we lived?

You feel that, too, huh?

Nice to see you again.

Actual you.

- We're lucky we got out of there.
- The Superior: It wasn't luck.

You are only alive because I
had restrictions put on me.

Fortunately...

those restrictions
have just been lifted.

Who the hell is this guy?

Well, you missed a fair amount,
May, but the quick version is,

you can go ahead and shoot him.



[Grunting]

You are nothing now without

a S.H.I.E.L.D. to hide behind.



That's not all they're good for.

[Panting]

Robots...

is that a common occurrence now?

Like I said, you missed a fair amount.

[Door slams]



It's good to be back.

[Breathing heavily] How
many hits have we taken?

- Three.
- The Zephyr's like a tank.

- She's holding together.
- Yeah, but we had to pull the plug

on everything except for flight
control to keep the Framework

- running for you guys.
- So we can't fight back.

Or see where it's coming from.

Davis! Try any evasive
maneuver you can!

Not the only genius to
think of that, thanks,

but this thing also moves like a tank,

- so everybody get off my back.
- [Crashing, rumbling]

We need guns!

We've got power now that
these two are out, no?

We'll head to the avionics
bay and re-patch.

Piper, are you up for
manning the weapons?

I'm offended you had to ask.

- Is Mack okay?
- He's alive, yes.

What the hell happened?
Why didn't you s...

- Daisy: Not now, YoYo!
- Madre!

What do we do now?

Better hope Z-One can
take a few more hits.

- Who's firing on us, anyway?
- Coulson: We call him the Russian.

'Cause, you know, he's Russian.

Radcliffe teamed up
with him for protection.

After he replaced me

with a robot version of myself...

- Just to clarify.
- The technical term is "android,"

but yeah. You remember any of that?

I remember getting hit in the head.

Should've stayed in that damn spa.

You must've spotted the
decoy right away, right?

Yeah, 'cause you're
never robotic at all.

Oh, really?

How long did it take
you to figure it out?

Wow.

I'm hurt, Phil.

Guess we're not as close as I thought.

What finally tipped it?

A series of events.

Didn't get messy between us, did it?

Messy? That's a relative
term, wouldn't you say?

Okay. This ought to keep
this door shut for a while.

So, how did things end
with Robbie Reyes?

Last I remember,

we were chasing down his uncle.

Oh, you know, guy tried to become a God,

so we opened up a portal

beneath his quantum-power
cube, then Ghost Rider dragged

him to another dimension
with his hellfire chain.

So, things ended well, then.

Well as can be expected.

Man, what a run.

- After we escape this place,
- Yeah.

we're definitely opening
that bottle of Haig.

Yeah, totally.

Hey, but, listen...
Escape is not an option.

Mack has to stay plugged in.

If we wake him up, it'll fry his brain.

So we need to take control of the space.

By force.

I can barely stand.

Yeah, well, hopefully, we
won't have to do it alone.

Help should be on the way.

The fire's eating our oxygen!

We're losing air, people!

Okay, if you can get the fire out,
there's a thick, black power cable

that runs high along the
wall to the avionics bay.

I need you to tear that off the wall

and drag it up here so that we can...

- Got it.
- Oh. Well, okay, then.

- Great. Now where do we plug this into?
- Over here.



Daisy: [Groans]

You've got to be kidding me!

[Both grunting]



- Come on, Davis! What are you doing?!
- Prince, I swear, one more

word from you, I drop the
controls to kick your ass.

[Cables creaking]

Where is he?! Can you see anything?

No, Piper, I can only see what's...

right in front of me.

He's right in front of us!

Oh, he's heading straight for us!

Hey, hurry! This guy's going kamikaze!



[Energy humming]

[Targeting computer beeping]



Whoo! [Chuckles]

[Sighs]



Okay.

Give Davis the
coordinates of the oil rig.

We need to get there A.S.A.P.

Think about how confused our people are.

Especially Fitz.

He woke from the worst nightmare of all,

one in which he was the monster.



[Sighs]



[Sighs]

I had no idea.

I've only emulated human reactions,

but to actually feel...

The warm sand...

The water rushing over me...

I feel like I'm gonna throw up.



I'm sorry.

You must be overwhelmed...

Two lives' worth of memories.

Only one type of person
could do those things.

You did what you had to do

in order to survive the Framework.

But it was a simulation.

An illusion created by Radcliffe.

You were there.

Alongside me the whole time.

Allowing h-horrific acts of violence

to be carried out in your name.

You're implying I had a choice.

I was a slave...

Programmed to make the
adjustments Radcliffe required.

The world changed from there.

All I did was try to fit into it.

No, you lied about everything.

But I told you the truth
about this world.

Yeah, but... but you...
You manipulated me.

Every decision you made was your own.

Besides restoring your
relationship with your father,

the only other change I
made in your life was...

Introducing myself.

First day of class at academy...

Befriending you,

trying to understand

what it felt like to
connect with someone.

But I wasn't able to
actually feel anything.

Until today.

Feeling...

Love, wonder, joy...

For the very first time,

and I think my heart
might burst from it.

At last,

I get to make my own choices, and...



And the first thing I choose, Leopold...



... is you.





It's not that simple!

Then explain it to me. What stopped you?

- He was right there with you, no?
- Yes, but he didn't want to come.

Oh, you only bring back the people
that matter to you, not to me!

You know what? I've
known Mack longer than you,

- and he means as much to me
- You promised! You promised me!

I tried!

- He didn't want to come back!
- Who cares?!

You knock him over the
head, you break his legs,

you kick him through the
exit! It was a video game!

He didn't want to leave Hope!

Hope? His daughter?

You knew about her?



Because I didn't.

Not until I saw her face.

She's dead.

Yeah, well, in there, she's 10.

And she's bright and adorable,

and she means the world to him,

even if it's not a real world.

I'm sorry.

He wouldn't have left her for anything.

Even me.

He didn't remember you, Yo-Yo.

I'm so sorry.

Then I'll go remind him.

What? No, no, no. No. Do not...

- I 'll go get him out myself.
- Do not do that.

Besides the fact that going
into that world as an Inhuman

is the worst idea ever,
we need you here,

making sure that the
real Mack stays alive,

or it'll all be for nothing.

Coulson and May just
woke up next to Mack

with no idea where they are
or what they're up against.

I know where we are, I think.

In the '50s, the Soviets built

top-secret submarine refueling stations

under oil-drilling platforms.

This might be one.

You can tell from the
one fish we've seen,

or did you learn that in
a S.H.I.E.L.D. briefing?

Neither. I know from
being a history teacher.

I was kind of a Cold War buff.

Can't believe I'm seeing
this with his own eyes.

Well, you almost make it
sound like it's good news.

[Sighs] Not a lot of help
here. We have saline,

all the B12 we could ever need...

So we're safe from a hangover.

Mm. And Epinephrine.

Emergency dose.

That's too dangerous.



Might give me enough Adrenaline
to take on some terminators.

I'll find a way to take them
myself. I don't want any

- more bad to happen to you.
- Me?

I got out unscathed. Jeffrey didn't.

He should be in here
with us, still in the fight.

I need to take one for the team.

You'll be useless afterwards,
unconscious or unresponsive.

Well, so you give me mouth-to-mouth.

What's up?

You mad that I was Hydra in there?

I don't blame you for that.

Then, what?



Did something weird
happen with my robot self?



Did I make a move on you?

Phil, did I try to...

Kill you?

Kill me... Yep.

That's what happened.

You tried. It was messed up.

Well, let's add it to the list.

Just make sure I'm still breathing
when the team arrives, huh?

So, you can't go any faster?

The only fuel left is
in the center wing tank.

And we burned all of
our electrical power

keeping you guys plugged
into the Framework.

So, no problem. Don't mention it.

But why didn't you touch
down at any point?

- Recharge and refuel?
- [Sighs]

We should show them.



Like I said, with an
explosion that size,

we still have a lot to sift through
at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.

The entire area is sealed off,
but, no, I can't rule out

Daisy Johnson's involvement. Tommy?

It's been playing on every channel.

Reporter: Sir, any truth to
reports that Director Jeffrey

Mace's body has, in fact, been found?

I have no new information about that,

but I can assure you, the
manhunt for the members

within S.H.I.E.L.D. who remain
at large is still our top priority.

We can only assume that
they're behind this attack.

Look, they're terrorists,
and we're not gonna rest

until we take them down and
find out exactly who's responsible.

You thought this would
make the transition easier.

I knew you'd be sorting
through two lives, so...

I tried to please both.

It's a familiar space.

But I thought we could
decorate it together.

It's too much. I know.
It was a silly idea.

Sentimental attachment to objects

was hard for me to understand.

Until now.

Now taste, touch,

every sense gives me a rush.

I've felt your touch before.

But now I get to experience

the ecstasy you felt each time.

Do you...

Do you have empathy?

Can you imagine how
somebody else might feel?

I can. Especially you.

How confusing this must be.

So you can imagine

how your actions could be perceived.

You were ruthless.

I was ruthless to win the
heart of the man I love,

the man you grew to be.

My father's son.

I thought his presence is
what you'd have wished for.

I'm sorry.

I was just programmed to make you happy.

To make all of you happy.

Who?

Radcliffe, our team, yeah.

Who else is on that list?

Oh, no.

What did you promise the Russian?



What's waiting back
there for my friends?

[Electricity crackles]

- _
- [Speaking Russian]

[Door creaks]



[Cracking]



_

[Grunting]

[Electricity crackles]

[May grunting]



[Screams]

[Grunts]

[Breathing heavily]

[Groans]



Hey. Well-done.

You, too.

Doesn't make sense, though.

Yeah. If they wanted to kill us,

they could've just flooded the place.

Why were they stalling?

That's all of it.

Detach the submarine and
launch the torpedoes.

Shame.

I will miss that place.



Come on, stay awake.

We need to find a way to the surface.

Um... And I haven't been
totally honest with you

about what happened when
you were not around.

I knew something was up.

What are you not telling me?

- I drank the bottle of Haig.
- What?! You piece of...

[Explosion]

[Alarm blaring]

We got to get to the surface!

- We can't leave Mack!
- You'll drown down here!

I'll get you up top, then
I'll come back for him!

- Come on!
- [Grunts]

[Blaring continues]

[Man speaking Russian]

Come on.

They could be fighting for their lives.

You need to go back and
get them out of there.

I-I-I'm... I'm sorry.

I'm... I'm... I'm having
trouble thinking clearly,

- an-analyzing the situation.
- Okay. Hey.

Hey, no, no. Don't think, don't think.

What do you feel that you should do?

I don't know.

- I'm scared.
- Okay.

Agent May had a gun, ready to kill me.

I don't want to die.

[Voice breaking] I'm afraid to die.

But... But...

But you feel compassion, yeah?

Because if... If you really believe

that you are capable of love...

And being loved.

If you really believe
that, that... that...

That all the hurtful things you did

were not your choice,

make your own choice now.

Do the right thing.

Focus on empathy,

- not fear.
- Yes.

Think... Think about
what they're feeling,

the people that you put in
a life-or-death situation.

Ophelia...

They don't want to die, either.

Please, save them.

- [Alarm blaring]
- [Speaking Russian]

Where have you been?

I want you to call off your dogs.

Leave the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents alone.

I can't wait to hear this.

I'm now realizing the
pain that I've caused,

and I don't want to hurt anyone else.

[Chuckles] Congratulations.

You're as close to
human as you'll ever get,

suffering from the one thing

that you kept trying to remove...

Regret.

Do you understand irony yet?
'Cause this is a good example.

Give the order to stop... Now!

You no longer control me, remember?



You are free to do whatever you want,

but so am I. You promised me joy.

This will bring me joy.

- Don't you have empathy?
- You watched, unaffected,

as I took a hammer to the
bones of the Director's corpse.

I couldn't feel this then!

Now you are like an infant,

unable to process these
new emotions or the idea

that you don't always get
everything that you want.

And you have yet to experience

the thrill that killing can bring.



Maybe I'll experience
that now... with you.

Destroy this body, sure. It
was designed only for killing.

My head, which you severed,

is controlling many of
these machines now.

And you don't know where it is.

So do what you want to this body.

My plan is in motion.

And nothing can stop it now.

[Torpedo firing]

- _
- [Man speaking Russian]

Fitz: What happened?

What's going on?

[Explosion]

Oh.

Perfect timing. Hi, everybody.

She's very weak.



- And Mack?
- Down below.

We have to keep him
attached to the equipment

- so before we can wheel him o...
- [Explosion]

- Geez. You okay?
- Yeah.

[Grunts]

Go!

[Both grunt]

No more elevator.

Where are the stairs?

They've collapsed, too.

You need to get off the rig now.

Repeat... The structure
is about to crumble!

Guys, you need to get in
the containment module

- and in the air!
- No.

You got to get in here
before this rig down down!

No, I won't leave without
Mack, not this time!





There's no time!

No! We can't leave without Mack!

- Yo-Yo, no, come on! We got to go!
- No!



Get out of there now! You have to...

[Breathing heavily]



You did it.

[Laughs]

You did it.

[ICER fires]



Jemma?



I have Mack. Let's go home.



[Monitors beeping]

May: My God.

Who did this?

You did.

To stop him from coming after us.

- Who?
- You.





Looks like we weren't
detected flying in.

We can't stay long. Probably
shouldn't have come here.

We have to refuel.
Also, we had no choice.

- Because of that room?
- It's the only place

that can contain Aida's
teleportation ability.

It's outfitted with technology
we used to stop Gordon,

the first guy we encountered
with that particular skill set.

She'll remain inside until we can
decide what we want to do with her.

Why don't we chop off
her head like last time?

- You need a volunteer?
- Let's take a moment

and think about that, Sweeney Todd.

- She's a real person now, and she...
- She saved Mack.

She made herself real

in order to escape
Radcliffe's programming, so...

- Now maybe she's different.
- I highly doubt that.

People don't name themselves
"Madame Hydra" if they're open-minded.

She did what you said in the Framework,

- seems better safe than sorry.
- No more killing.

There's been enough killing.

Which leads to the next question.

What do we do with Fitz?



What do the two of you remember
of your Framework lives?

As much as I remember about this life.

- The only difference is, I know...
- It wasn't real.

So it's like you woke up from a dream.

No.

Not a dream, Simmons.

A life.



But this is you, right?

I mean...

Does it feel...

As real as...

[Shuddered breathing]



She's afraid Fitz will be the same guy

he was in the Framework.

No. She's afraid he
still loves someone else.



Aida would've categorized this as irony.

But I see it as poetic.

A simulated view...

My punishment...

Now that I can tell the difference.

You did a good thing back there...

Saving Mack.

Thank you.

It was the best moment of my life.

Do you think they'll ever
be able to forgive me?

Perhaps they...

they need to make me feel pain

to understand theirs.

They may be able to forgive you.

It's me they won't forgive.

They shouldn't.

We both did things we regret.

I know you're struggling
with who you were in there...

Fitz: No, I'm not. I'm
struggling with who I am.

I did those things,

not some other man or a decoy.

Me.

It was learned behavior,

programmed into you by an

- overbearing father figure.
- Just like Ward.

[Scoffs]

I'm just like Ward.

[Sighs]

How can she even look me in the eye?

Or even stand the sight of me at all?

How can she stomach it?

The memory of seeing
me shoot that woman...

[Sighs deeply]

Um, you know, the reason I...

wanted to get closer to you
in the first place was...

... to try to understand what
you two felt for each other...

You and Jemma.

- And I finally do.
- Yeah.

What we felt...

Past tense.

'Cause my future with Jemma's dead.

Killed that, too.

It's okay.

It's okay.

There isn't room in my
heart for two people.

You were everything to me.

I know.

But as devoted as I was to
you in the Framework...

I understand you better now.

How deeply you love.

You do understand me, don't you?

Yes, Leopold.

Now I do.

It's sad...

But beautiful. [Chuckles]

Like a...

A pain that...

feels good,

- if that makes sense.
- Yeah.

You understand that my
love will never fade.

No, I know.

Poor thing. You're a romantic.

And there's only room in your heart...

For her.



What?

[Sniffles]

What?

What do you mean "her"?

Listen...

- What about me?
- Yeah, no, I...

In... I mean, in... in...
in the Framework,

you... you were my whole world,

- but...
- "But"?

But what, Leopold?

I just... I only mean that...

[Chuckles]

- Jemma...
- No!!

Okay. All right. Look, calm down,

calm down. We're
just talking. This is...

This is a new emotion for you.

No!

Oh, God.

I clawed my way through that world,

worked myself to the
bone to have a choice...

To have bones and blood

and freedom and love!

And... No!

Okay, please, please...
Just... just... just...

Remember... Remember
that sensation you had

about helping people earlier?
Let's... Let's return to that mood.

I chose you!

We need to extract Fitz from that room!

Man: Hands in the air!

Don't move!

Slow down. We're not the enemy here.

- Let's just keep our cool...
- Talbot: You shut your robot mouth.

Or I'll have these men
weld it shut for you.



I chose you! Now you choose me!

That's not how it works.

You can't control everyone anymore!

Watch. We will build a life together,

whether you want to or not!



We're stuck in here?



What did you do?!



No! [Grunts]



Fitz, I got you!

Go, go, go, go, go!

- [Screaming]
- Grab him!



You're lucky she didn't kill you.
At least the machinery in there

- will keep her power contained.
- No.

That's not her only power.

[Electricity crackles]

[Screaming]

We're not robots, Glenn.

Yes, they are! They're all robots.

You assume each and every
one of them is a damn C-3PO

unless you hear otherwise from me!

And this one!

If she so much as blinks, take her down.

- Am I clear?
- Man: Yes, sir.

- Is that really necessary?
- Necessary?!

It's essential.

Unless you can explain
to me in 50 words or less

why I found Jeffrey Mace's
body washed up on the beach

with his bones quaked apart,

days after I found this base in flames,

flesh melting off of robot bodies,

12 S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in critical

with burns or broken bones.

Three dead... Double hits to the heart

and crushed frickin' skulls!



Can you explain that?

I can try.

Fitz: Wait. Ever...
Everybody should get out.

- Leave me here alone.
- Piper: Not a chance.

She can't be stopped.

Freeze! Right there!

Piper: All right, guys.

It's never too late to
start a conversation.



No, no!

Don't shoot! That was not us!
That thing is not a friendly!

- We've got to get you out of here.
- No.

No. Wait. Wait!

And then the base under the
oil rig fell into the sea.

You expect me to believe a word of that?

- [Gunshots]
- Man: She's everywhere!

- [Gunshots continue]
- Aah!

What's that mean, Coulson?
"She's everywhere."

Who's everywhere?

Where's that Speedy Gonzalez girl?

Who's attacking us?!

Aida got out.

[Breathing heavily]

- We should be good here.
- No!

She'll find us.

[Whoosh]

- [Grunts]
- [Bones crack]

- No!
- [Body thuds]

[Breathing heavily]

[Gasps]



Get out of here!

No! No!

No! Wait!

Leave me!

You can't stop her!

[Gunshots]



May! Take off now!

We have to move! If she
can find us, she'll kill us all!

Davis had her down for the count.

They won't listen to me!
She can't be stopped!



May! May!

You're the only other person

that knows about the Inhumans we tested.



Hey!

Try it.



Let's see what happens.

Davis...

We already left him.

[Panting]

I'm sorry, but he's already dead.



If you drop your guns,
you can come with us.

Coulson: I don't suggest staying,

but the Zephyr's leaving
with or without you.

Fall back!



Search the base for any other threats

and any bodies!



[Crying]

May needs to keep us on the move.

Or Aida will be on us like a
flash. Even Yo-Yo couldn't...

Wait a minute. Where was
Yo-Yo during that standoff?

No.

[Monitors beeping]

No.

Yo-Yo has no idea what she's in for.

For that matter, neither do we.

It's called heartbreak, kroshka.

Not even your new powers can repair it.

Only time can heal that wound.

Go on.

[Groans]

To be human is to suffer.

You are far from human.

I've read that book.

We both know there are
things beyond this universe.

And you may, in fact, be one of them.

I am nothing but torn
and twisted insides!

I can't stand it.

I don't want it.



I can make you feel something else.



That book helps build worlds.

My plan will rebuild the world

that you have grown accustomed to...

one where Inhumans are hunted.

And we control the rest.

It doesn't hurt that both
of us are unstoppable.

But your plan is flawed.

It's too clean.

I want them to suffer.

[Bottle shatters]

Now...



... make me feel something else.



[Grunting]

[Gasping]

All better now?



We lost three men, sir.

- To what?
- I'm not sure.

There's nothing else
here. The place is empty.

All right. Clear out.

We'll have Hazmat come in at dawn.



[Machinery humming]



We'll return in a moment.

No!