FitzSimmons
Chilli (@ChilliCim)
Jemma Anne Simmons to me, personally, is such a relatable, fun, strong-willed, compassionate character.
Her progressive journey after the initial fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been one of both heart-achingly termoil and joyous self-discovery and accomplishments. I credit the directors and the gorgeous Elizabeth Hendstridge for such a fabulous portrayal of an ever-evolving, headstrong character.
From the (literal) lows of the Atlantic ocean, reaching out of her initial comfort zone in going undercover in HYDRA, dealing with the adverse affects of Fitz’s hypoxia and Daisy’s terrigenesis outcomes, Jemma Simmons takes everything in her stride. Her growing wittiness and sarcastic comments brings enormous amounts of joy to my heart and – specifically in the later seasons – has proved that she can protect herself and those around her on many different occasions.
Jemma Simmons is not a character defined by her relationship or looks, but by her own genius, growing confidence, unyielding faith, nerdiness and overall badassness.
Tim Ludy (@underthecapes)
The Doctor, The Marauder, The Darkness of Leopold Fitz
When I sat down to write about my favorite Agents of SHIELD character I assumed it would be one of the bad-asses like Quake, Cavalry, or the shotgun-ax-wielding Mack. But when it came to who has the most emotional moments, character growth and complexities, it is Fitz.
The writers seem to understand what they have with Iain De Caestecker. They regularly give him powerful and emotional scenes and storylines. Unfortunately this also means they’ve tortured him for seasons on end. His battle with the symptoms of asphyxia in season 2 was painful to watch. The scene where he confronted Ward, struggling to hold himself together, was equally difficult to bear. The most emotional scene of the show is still in Season 3 when he was the only one who believed they could save Jemma from the Monolith. When he breaks down in complete desperation and beats his hands against the stone, it affected us all pretty deeply.
Even after getting Jemma back, their relationship wasn’t happily ever after. As Fitz says in season 5, “Distance is our curse.” It was moving to see him process everything he did while in the Framework. Fitz believing he ruined his relationship with Jemma forever was (hopefully) the peak of their suffering.
That’s what makes him so interesting though. After all Fitz has been through, watching him grow as a character has been the most rewarding part. He struggles with the darkness inside him. Even though he believes he is a bad person, we can see these trials have only made him stronger (and more of a badass). As SHIELD passes it’s 100th episode, I look forward to Fitz and all the other agents continuing to grow together.