Agents of S.H.E.L.D. Season 3 Episode 16: Paradise Lost Recap With Spoilers

The episode opens in 1970, just after the death of Gideon Malick's father. He pledges that he and his brother, Nathaniel, will continue to carry on their father's work. Nathaniel tells Gideon that they need to go meet with Daniel Whitehall in prison. Gideon argues, saying they're father never believed in Whitehall's Hydra, but Whitehall's men won't take no for an answer. Gideon and Nathaniel get in the car to go to the prison.

In the present, Gideon returns home and is greeted by his daughter, Stephanie. She tells him that Hive is already at their home and has summoned the inner circle. Hive appears and says he felt it was time to reveal his true self.

Coulson stares at the image of Hive in Ward's body that they captured from the Transia surveillance footage. May finds him there. She says Coulson doesn't have a lot of kills that he enjoyed under his belt, but reassures him that she would have done the same thing.

Daisy, Fitz, and Simmons are studying the remains of Hives victims and are joined by Mack. They believe Ward was possessed by the creature from the other planet, but they don't know how he strips his victim's bodies the way it does. If Hive now has Ward's memories, they don't understand why he hasn't come after them yet. They're summoned to Coulson's office.

Coulson figures Transia must have something Malick needs, and figuring out what will lead them to Hive. GT Agrochemical was taken over by a paramilitary force that started emptying their labs out only minutes after Malick's company took over. Most of the team is going to check it out, but Lincoln and Daisy are going to visit an Inhuman from Afterlife who may have some useful information.

Gideon tells Stephanie about the vision he saw when Charles touched him. He says he saw his own death at the hands of Hive.

Back in 1970, Whitehall tells the Malicks he wanted to speak to them before their first stone ceremony. He encourages them to choose his path in Hydra over their father's, science over religion. He implies that it wasn't luck that allowed their father to never be chosen in the ceremony, but sleight of hand. He encourages them to take a look at their father's copy of Paradise Lost.

In the present, Stephanie tries to reassure her father, but Gideon is convinced that Hive will kill him in front of the others that night. He believes Hive no longer needs him and that Hive will sacrifice him as a show of power to the others. Stephanie tells Gideon to remind Hive how important he is.

Daisy remembers the vision of an exploding Quinjet in space. Lincoln snaps her out of it, but she says she was wondering why Lincoln never brought up this mysterious Inhuman. Lincoln says the Inhuman is just a potential and that he believed he was crazy until Hive showed up. The Inhuman showed up at Afterlife and stole things from the archives, then ranted about an ancient Inhuman who could raise people from the dead. Jiaying banished him.

Fitz and Simmons show Coulson microscopic organisms that eat flesh. They believe Hive uses them to kill his enemies and reanimate dead flesh. Mack arrives with intel that Giyera is at the agrochemical facility.

Hive overlook a grotto on Malick's estate that has black and white stones. Hive tells Gideon that he's impressed with Stephanie. Malick wonders if Hive maintains the memories of all his previous hosts. Hive says it will all be made clear tonight.

Coulson briefs the team on Giyera. He can control non-biological objects in line of sight. Fitz has put handprint locks on the team's guns, but Coulson reminds them that Giyera was a trained special operative even before Terrigenesis.

Lincoln and Daisy arrive at the Inhuman potential's home in South Dakota. Lincoln warns Daisy to try not to use their powers, as he's pretty bitter about not having any himself. They walk through the barbed wire fence and the potential, James, walks outside. Daisy steps on a landmine in the yard. James believes they've been sent after him by Jiaying. Daisy uses her powers to hold down the landmine while she steps safely away, then allows it to explode. She then uses her powers to explode all the other mines in the yard. James reaches for his gun, but Lincoln zaps him.

Gideon remembers walking into his father's study on the night before the ceremony. Nathaniel looked in the book Whitehall mentioned and found a notched white stone to make sure he'd never draw a black stone from the bag. Nathaniel is completely disillusioned with their father. Gideon is disappointed with their father, but thinks of how long the Malick family has upheld the faith. He says they'll do the ceremony together, the right way, and throws the notched stone in the grotto.

Stephanie informs Gideon that the inner circle has arrived. Gideon greets the inner circle, and the Hive appears. The others are doubtful at first, but promises they'll all get what they deserve, and reveals his true form.

S.H.I.E.L.D. moves in on GT Agrochemical, but the labs has been emptied out. They find alarge, dead insects left behind.

James wakes up. Lincoln asks for information on the ancient information James used to talk about. James is surprised Jiaying allowed Lincoln to undergo Terrigenesis. Lincoln says they're with S.H.I.E.L.D., and Daisy informs him of Jiaying's death and Afterlife's destruction. Lincoln offers a Terrigen Crystal in exchange for the information they're seeking.

Coulson tells them the team to gather up what's left of the experiments for analysis. He's informed that Giyera is heading their way. Coulson lures Giyera into an empty room where May is waiting. They fight hand to hand. Giyera proves a challenge, but May finallay beats him.

Giyera is bound and taken into custody on a gurney. Ftiz finds that Giyera sent the data to an abandoned oil field in Schoonbeek, on the Dutch-German border. Giyera begins to wake and they lock him in a containment unit.

James says most of what he stole was junk, but shows them an orb that Daisy identifies as Kree. He doesn't know what it does, but he learned that it was taken by the ancient inhuman, Alveus, who was one of the first Inhumans and bred to be powerful enough to lead the Kree's Inhuman army. He led the Inhuman revolt against the Kree, and the Kree were forced to ally themselves with regular humans to banish him. The Inhumans at Afterlife were descended from those original Inhumans. Lincoln and Daisy swipe the orb without handing over the Crystal. James says that Lincoln almost murdered his last girlfriend. Lincoln and Daisy leave.

Stephanie pours Gideon a drink, and he toasts to her. She shows him a copy of Paradise Lost that Hive gave her as a gift. Gideon says he's not questioning Hive anymore.

Simmons tells Coulson that Agrochemical was studying invasive, swarm organisms and trying to modify plants to resist them. Simmons also says that she thinks Hive doesn't control the organisms, but that he is the organisms, a kind of parasite.

Coulson remembers crushing Ward's chest. Fitz asks him if something is wrong. Fitz says they do what they have to do, what Coulson told him. Coulson says it was true for Fitz, but when he killed Ward it was payback and Ward won.

Mack tries to get information from Giyera, but Giyera isn't offering any. Giyera espouses some philosophy, that those who are worthy will inherit a better world.

Gideon inspects his father's copy of Paradise Lost. Hive finds him there, with Stephanie at his side. Hive has the notched stone in his hand. They remember Gideon palming the stone and throwing another in the lake, then using it to avoid being chosen as the traveler. Nathaniel was chosen instead. Hive says Gideon and his father were cowards too afraid to make sacrifices. Stephanie tells Hive to do what he has to. Hive says this needs to be made right, but he still needs a Malick by his side. He kisses Stephanie, then consumes her flesh. He tells Gideon that he now understands sacrifice.

Daisy asks Lincoln what James was talking about it. Lincoln says he tried to hide that side of himself from Daisy, but agrees to tell her about it. Before he became Inhuman, he struggled with the feeling of emptiness they have before Terrigenesis. He coped with alcohol and a violent temper. He got drunk and angry one night and tried to go out for a drive. His girlfriend tried to talk him down and got in the car with him. He crashed them into a lamppost. Gordon saved them by bringing them to Afterlife. Daisy tells Lincoln about her second vision of the future, and tells him that someone on their team is going to die.

Giyera breaks out of his containment unit. He kills the guard and goes after Fitz. Mack grabs Giyera from behind, but Giyera takes him down. Coulson tries to punch Giyera with his artificial hand, but Giyera holds it in place and knocks him down. He goes to the cockpit and sends the Zephyr One into a nosedive, then lands it safely at the oil field. The S.H.I.E.L.D. team is knocked out. May manages to get a distress message to Daisy before Giyera and Hydra take control of the plane.

Daisy receives the message. She panics, saying everyone on the team is on that plane. Lincoln reminds Daisy that she put together the Secret Warriors for a reason. She says to call them in.

Hive brings Gideon the good news. He says sacrifice is never easy, but the scales have been balanced and Gideon has nothing else to fear.

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