In honor of the series finale of Agents of SHIELD, The Marvel Report staff wanted to share their favorite memories, parting thoughts, and give a “spy’s goodbye” to the show that kicked off the modern Marvel Television era.
Breeze Riley, Managing Editor
Although you would never guess it by how sad I am the show is ending, I wasn’t always an Agents of SHIELD fan. In fact, I missed the first season entirely since I was living out of the country at the time.
But after seeing fellow TMR writers sing the show’s praises, I decided to give it a try. When I did start the show, I fell hard. Because how could you not fall in love with this amazing team? It was obvious everyone involved on-screen and behind the scenes cared so much about these characters and their journeys. So I did too. Agents of SHIELD proved TV could be an equally powerful tool for telling Marvel’s stories and laid the groundwork for a whole era of Marvel TV.
I can’t even begin to compare my fandom to some of the amazing dedicated fans I’ve met over the years, but this show has meant more to me than most shows ever will. Part of what makes the show amazing is the chemistry of the whole team. Their family on screen and off made fans feel like they were part of something. Of course, I do have some favorite characters. FitzSimmons captured my heart immediately. The FitzSimmons wedding occurred while I was on a vacation, and yes I made sure I was back in the hotel room in time to watch it and cry along. Just like I’ll be crying along with everyone watching the finale. And as a female comic book fan who still gets frustrated by the relative lack of representation, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how important SHIELD‘s commitment to having a roster of diverse female heroes was for the genre. Melinda May, Daisy Johnson, Jemma Simmons, Bobbi Morse and Yo-Yo Rodriguez. THANK YOU!
And Deke may have been a latecomer but what Jeff Ward and the writers have managed to do with the character over three seasons is truly remarkable. (Deke Squad for life!)
I’ve also been lucky to engage with the show through conventions and press opportunities. Although we couldn’t have predicted last year’s Hall H would be their final in-person panel, it was a perfect retrospective for the show. And to get to interview the cast during my first SDCC as press was a highlight of my time at TMR (I’ll never forget Chloe and Jeff just cracking up the entire interview). I’m sad to see this journey end, but I thank everyone involved in making this show possible for everything they’ve given us fans these past 7 years.
Miranda Miller, Staff Writer
Seven years of memories have left a permanent tattoo on my heart. There aren’t enough words I can use to describe how much this show and this cast has impacted my life. This show was one of the very first I latched onto as a nerd, and I quickly became a part of a family that isn’t afraid to be who they are.
So for one last time, I say this: AGENTS…ASSEMBLE!
I came into the show around S2 while I was in college, and the episode I remember watching was the S2 finale. Let’s just say that was a traumatic experience first joining the fandom. But that was the moment I was hooked. After that, I formed an immediate attachment to these characters Especially Daisy and Jemma for some reason, something about these two ladies really resonated with me. Both care deeply about their friends, their values, family, and most importantly their friendship. I didn’t just see myself in these characters, these characters reminded me of my best friend and I and how we’re always there for each other, just like Daisy and Jemma. Even when this show is over, these two amazing, well rounded characters will forever be in my heart.
The first year I got to meet part of the cast was 2016, and that year I got to meet Daisy Johnson herself: Chloe Bennet; one of the chillest people ever. As a gift, I brought her an Agent of SHIELD comic book with Quake on the cover because she told me she could never find anything with Quake on it. Not only did she give me a hug, but she also wrote, “Miranda, you’re the BEST!” on my autograph. I had the biggest smile on my face for the rest of that day.
2017 was the year I met FitzSimmons, aka Iain and Elizabeth. Not only are they both the sweetest, most down to earth people I’ve ever met, their panel was incredibly hilarious. When it was my turn, I brought up the fact that in the Framework Fitz was called “The Doctor” and way back in S1 it was confirmed Jemma Simmons was a Doctor Who fan, so I asked which companion they’d like to be rescued by. Their answer: Karen Gillan’s Amy Pond. I got Elizabeth Henstridge to laugh at my Doctor Who joke. That was the greatest accomplishment of my life.
2019 was the year I knew it felt like a dream, but meeting Ming-Na Wen was totally real. If I were to tell five year old me that in 21 years, I would get to meet Mulan I probably would’ve said to myself I was crazy. But I wasn’t. I got to tell her some of my best childhood memories were all thanks to her. She was so kind and such a sweetheart. I felt extremely humbled to tell a Disney legend that she shaped my life for the better.
Not only has the cast left a lasting memory for me, but everyone who as written, directed, stunted and created the effects on the show as well. This living cell of a television masterpiece will forever live in my mind rent free, as one of the best shows to have ever existed.
Kate C., Staff Writer
Agents of SHIELD has been such a big part of my life for the past eight years, it’s difficult to imagine my life without it. From the weekly live tweets to going to cons to meet the cast, to the lasting friendships with people in the fandom…
It all started with watching Clark Gregg play Agent Coulson way back in 2008. I remember the announcement, the online geeking out with fandom friends, not quite believing that #CoulsonLives had resulted in Marvel actually resurrecting a character and then giving him his own show. And then watching that very first episode, hearing about the series being picked up. Like the cast, we didn’t know that we’d even get a second season let alone seven amazing seasons of some of the best storytelling on TV.
I will forever treasure the memories of meeting Chloe for the first time in my Quake cosplay, of goofing off with fandom friends at SDCC, of celebrating one more season each time it was renewed, and so much more. And even though we knew the end was coming, it didn’t make it any easier to say goodbye.
So instead of goodbyes, I’m saying thanks to the finest cast and crew. Thank you to Mo and Jed for sticking it out and fighting tooth and nail for our beloved show; to Clark, Chloe, Ming, Lil, Iain, Natalia, Henry, Jeff, Nick, Adrianne and all the guest stars for knocking it out of the park week after week for the last eight years. To the writers for putting their heart and soul into each episode. To Mark, Ann, Whitney, Shay, Wendi and RJ for showing us all the BTS magic. You made these past eight years unforgettable, and I for one will be holding out a shot tonight as the finale airs for a spy’s goodbye.
Charlie Ashby, Staff Writer
I remember being in the cinema in 2012, watching The Avengers, and feeling the gut-punch that was Agent Coulson’s death. This was a character we had followed through the MCU in that entire first wave, and despite being this secretive SHIELD agent – fans fell in love with him. Maybe it was Clark Gregg’s charming good looks or the fact that deep down Agent Coulson was a fan like us, but the character really resonated for a lot of people – so much so that online the #SaveCoulson hashtag was born, and resulted in Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD.
The show itself had a lot of weight to carry. Spinning off from one of the most popular movies (now franchise) must have added plenty of pressure to the entire cast/crew. Everyone says that the first half of the season is a bit slow and that you need to give it a chance. That’s true, but for me personally – I was won over just purely by the characters and the dynamics that it introduced. Skye, played by Chloe Bennet, was the perfect character to use as the audience’s ‘in’ to this magnificent world. After a mind-blowing mid-season cliffhanger which tied into 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it was clear that this was no ‘lesser’ than the movies on-screen.
Instead, throughout seven excellent seasons of television, we’ve watched this incredible family struggle, thrive, laugh, cry, live, die – all while saving the world from greater threats. Even better than that, the audience became a part of that family – feeling every single emotion as these characters evolved and developed. In 2013, I was excited to watch one of my favourite characters return from the dead. In 2020, I can look back and say that I also got a lot more out of this show – a whole found family’s worth. I just want to thank Maurissa Tancharoen, Jed Whedon, Jeff Bell, Clark Gregg, Chloe Bennet, Elizabeth Henstridge, Iain De Caestecker, Henry Simmons, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, Jeff Ward – and the entire BTS crew and cast from all seven seasons. Thank you all for the stories and for delivering the BEST part of the MCU. – Love Charlie!
Lisa Lower, Contributor
All good things must come to an end, but I’d be happy for this show to continue on forever. Watching Agents of SHIELD has been the glue that helped cement the bonds of many friendships and has introduced me to a fandom of people that has impacted my life in so many ways. Watching the show evolve from where it started has been truly amazing and I’m so glad I’ve been able to witness it from the beginning. Thank you to the amazing cast and crew for making the fans feel like we are a part of the SHIELD family.
Andy Behbakht, Founder/Editor-In-Chief
Many of you may not remember when @TheMarvelReport used to be @SHIELDRadio but my journey with Agents of SHIELD began all the way back in 2012 when I was getting into podcasting. I was there in 2013 when the pilot screened at San Diego Comic-Con on the second row in Ballroom 20 after having camped out all night long to get into that panel. I was one of the people to start chanting Coulson over and over again when Clark Gregg came out because of my undying love for him and this legend of a character he has been playing for all these years. Agents of SHIELD was a defining chapter in my life as not just a fan but also a reporter as this is a show I have been covering for all these years.
When I had decided to wrap up my SHIELD podcasting days; that was where the idea of The Marvel Report was created together with some amazing friends that I still call family to this day. What Marvel TV has accomplished with this incredible series is going to stand as one of the strongest chapters in the MCU’s entire history. With the rich stories, the adaptations of various comic book elements as well as creating new original voices that have now become Marvel canon, are just some of the layers that have made this not just one of the best comic book series of all time, but one of the best TV shows of all time.
Every season, when I kept thinking “how are they going to top last season?!”, the writers always managed to shock me year after year which is why I have remained dedicated to the show’s whole run. Whenever I have the “who is your favorite Avenger” talk with anyone who asks me, I always say that Coulson is one of them. To me, Coulson is us, the everyday man whose biggest superpower is his heart and passion to fight for the greater good in every way he can. Coulson doesn’t need a shield (no matter how much he loves Steve’s shield) or an iron suit to be a superhero: his character alone was what made him a hero. To then actually get to meet the man during my first year as a member of the press, I can’t stress enough how much I was in tears after that moment.
Having gotten the honor to interview this amazing cast and creative team year after year is something that I will never forget. Even if they could NEVER give us spoilers (because, duh, Level 7 Access!), just hearing their passion for this show was incredible in itself. But not only has this show been what made The Marvel Report possible, but it is what expanded my second family with friends who I hold near and dear to my heart every day.
All good things eventually have to come to an end, but it doesn’t make this day any less sad. While we will have other Marvel shows coming, nothing will ever capture the specialness that Agents of SHIELD had for 7 years straight. Its legacy of powerful storytelling, a diverse cast of characters, and the message that anyone can be a hero will never leave me. Should anyone from the show be reading this: what you have accomplished for 7 years, thank you for your dedication, your hard work and your passion in giving us Marvel fans one of the most incredible television experiences of our generation.
Thank you for always being so gracious and supportive of TMR every time we met up at interviews at conventions. Whatever the future holds for all of you, I wish you all the success in the world, and should any of those next chapters include new Marvel adventures, I will be reporting for duty. Tonight is bittersweet, to say the least, but even though it’s the end, I will forever be grateful that we got to have you on our screens in our living rooms for 7 marvelous years.