History Recap / AgentsOfSHIELDS7E13WhatWereFightingFor

** After all the disrespect he's gotten from the team, Deke ends the series with a non-fatal HeroicSacrifice, is fondly remembered by his comrades afterwards, and he's even implied to become the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the altered timeline. Adding to this, because much of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been destroyed, that also includes HYDRA double-agents. Assuming none of them survived.

** The episode ends with Coulson [[Film/BackToTheFuture flying his car towards the screen]].

** Daisy's HeroicSacrifice versus Malick ends up with her succumbing to the vacuum of space, much like [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Star-Lord]] and [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 Yondu]] before her. Like Quill and unlike Yondu, she survives the experience.

** The Quantum Tunnel that Fitz builds looks '''exactly''' like the one Tony invents for the [[Film/AvengersEndgame Time Heist]].

* {{Deconstruction}}: Of the Time Heist in ''Film/AvengersEndgame''. While the Time Heist was mostly successful (it required one detour due to 2012's Hulk's interference) and Strange's predicted perfect timeline does come to pass (even with Thanos tracking the avengers down to earth is accounted for by Strange), the difference here is that Fitz is ''not'' Doctor Strange and it takes him several ''years'' with the timestream (with self-admitted procrastination and fornication) to get Time Travel up and running for the team. And even with all the elements needed for his plan to work, Fitz's prediction for the timeline isn't accurate; as saving Jiaying is a big part of his initial plan.

* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Kora's power allows her to revive Daisy after she quakes the Chronicom ship to kill Nathaniel.

!!Tropes in this episode:

* BookEnds: The shot of Coulson flying off in his new car recalls the shot of Coulson and Skye flying off in Lola at the end of the pilot.

** Fitz also saw many instances of the future and did everything he possibly could to give the team the best chance of completing the mission, much like Doctor Strange in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''.
** Daisy's HeroicSacrifice versus Malick ends up with her succumbing to the vacuum of space, much like [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Star-Lord]] and [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 Yondu]] before her. Like Quill and unlike Yondu, she survives the experience.

-->'''Mack''': We've been through too much together. It's a miracle we survived. ''(Looks at LMD Coulson)''' Well, except Coulson. And [[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS5E22TheEnd Fitz]].
-->'''Coulson:''' And [[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS1E13TRACKS Daisy]].
-->'''Simmons:''' [[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS6E13NewLife And May]].
-->'''Elena:''' Jeez, I was a [[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS6E13NewLife zombie]] once.
-->'''Fitz:''' So was [[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS2E9YeWhoEnterHere Mack]], [[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS2E10WhatTheyBecome actually]].
-->'''Elena:''' Really? Was I there for that?
-->'''Coulson:''' Look, if this is a contest, I [[Film/TheAvengers2012 died]] [[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS6E5TheOtherThing like]] [[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS6E13NewLife seven]] [[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS7E06AdaptOrDie times]].

** After all the disrespect he's gotten from the team, Deke ends the series with a non-fatal HeroicSacrifice, is fondly remembered by his comrades afterwards, and he's even implied to become the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the altered timeline.
*** Adding to this, because much of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been destroyed, that also includes HYDRA double-agents. Assuming none of them survived.

** Like in ''Nick Fury Vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.'', the climactic battle is in space above Earth; and like how the Chronicom Hunters are given empathy to flip them from enemies into allies, the comics' Delta [=LMDs=] developed empathy for humanity which made them choose to turn against their own creator/leader LMD and end his plans to dominate humanity.

** The ending scene of "[[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS6E13NewLife New Life]]" is shown with new context on how Enoch, Fitz, Simmons, and later the rest of the team [[StableTimeLoop set it up]]. The mysterious agents in hazmat suits were actually their future selves, and the blasts that destroyed Izel's Temple were fired by a Chronicom ship in space that was tricked into thinking that the departing ''Zephyr'' was the same version of it that dragged the fleet into the main [=MCU=] timeline with it.

-->'''Fitz''': She... is pivotal... Okay, we'll have to work around that...

-->'''Nathaniel''': You can't kill me without killing yourself.\\
'''Daisy''': [[PreMortemOneLiner That's the idea]].

-->'''Coulson''': This is what we're fighting for.\\
'''Daisy''': [[CentralTheme Family]].

* BrickJoke: In "[[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS7E08AfterBefore After, Before]]", Sousa asks, "what can she do?" about Elena's powers. When Elena displays her speed as the team takes back the Lighthouse in this episode, Sousa remarks, "So, ''that's'' what she can do."

** The Quantum Tunnel Fitz builds looks '''exactly''' like the one Tony invents for the [[Film/AvengersEndgame Time Heist]].

* ExpendableAlternateUniverse: Subverted. Fitz is willing to abandon the new timeline after grabbing the person they need from it, but Coulson insists on removing the Chronicoms so that this timeline's Earth will be able rebuild after everything that's happened.

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: One of the reasons Deke chooses to stay is that he knows how Daisy and Sousa have a thing going on and he wants her to be happy, since he's realized she'll never return his feelings.

** Like in ''Nick Fury Vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.'', the climactic battle is in space above Earth; and like the Chronicom Hunters are given empathy to flip them from enemies into allies, the comics' Delta [=LMDs=] developed empathy for humanity which made them choose to turn against their own creator/leader LMD and end his plans to dominate humanity.
** The closing ends with Coulson flying off in a flying sports-car like the ones originally from Creator/JimSteranko's ''S.H.I.E.L.D.'' comics run; and which was also demonstrated as a (faulty) prototype [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger by Howard Stark]].
* NegatedMomentOfAwesome: Sousa tries to make a big, moving speech due to planning to stay behind, but Deke unceremoniously interrupts him and points out that he himself should stay behind, as Sousa doesn't have the technical know-how and obviously has a thing for Daisy that Deke would rather not see ruined.

** The ending scene of "[[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS6E13NewLife New Life]]" is shown with new context on how Enoch, Fitz, Simmons, and later the rest of the team [[StableTimeLoop set it up]]. The mysterious agents in hazmat suits were actually their future selves, and the blasts that destroyed Izel's Temple were fired by a Chronicom ship in space that was tricked into thinking the departing ''Zephyr'' was the same version of it that dragged the fleet into the main [=MCU=] timeline with it.

** The code to open Coulson's case is 1-3-6, which is number of this episode.

-->'''Fitz''': She...is pivotal...Okay, we'll have to work around that...
* StableTimeLoop: The entirety of Season 7 is revealed to be one. Enoch stole a Timestream data core from the Chronicoms, which Fitz uses to discern which timelines result in them winning over the invading Chronicoms (pulling a [[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Dr.]] [[Film/AvengersEndgame Strange]] in the process). He realizes that the only outcome where they win involves creating an alternate timeline using the Time Monolith to bring a specific individual back to their timeline. When the Chronicoms head to the past he gets the team to follow them using the Time Monolith. The whole point of travelling to 1930 was to seed that timeline with the components for the Quantum Tunnel, so that when the team eventually reaches that moment, he can call them to assemble the device. Then when they get back to the main timeline, he sets the original team's mission into motion, where they travel back through time using the Time Monolith.

** Yo-Yo is still working for S.H.I.E.L.D., and is even on a mission during their virtual conference (with Piper and a [[ReplacementGoldfish enhanced LMD version of Davis]]).

* YearInsideHourOutside: From Flint and Piper's perspective, all of Season 7, on top of all the time Fitz and Simmons spent together (four or five years, at least) took place over a matter of minutes, if that.

* BackForTheFinale: Malachi, Piper, Davis, and Flint appear for the first time since Season 6.

** Coulson lets Fitz's location slip to Sibyl, knowing that she'll immediately order all Chronicom Hunters to converge on the Lighthouse, giving the team access to Sibyl's control over the Hunters, allowing them to reprogram the Hunters and end the war.

-->'''Mack''': We've been through too much together. It's a miracle we survived. ''(Looks at LMD Couldson)''' Well, except Coulson. And Fitz.
-->'''Coulson:''' And Daisy.
-->'''Simmons:''' And May.
-->'''Elena:''' Jeez, I was a zombie once.
-->'''Fitz:''' So was Mack, actually.

-->'''Coulson:''' Look, if this is a contest, I died like seven times.

* BilingualBonus: Possibly unintentional, but the word "Alya" can translate as "sky" in Turkish and Arabic. So it's quite possible that [=FitzSimmons=] chose that name for their daughter not just to honor the star system where she was born, but to honor one of their dearest friends, Daisy (formerly Skye) Johnson.

* SmugSmiler: Coulson sarcastically lampshades Sibyl's tendency for creepy smiles, offering one of his own when the team's plan comes into effect.

* ChekhovsGun: Kora's failed attempt to restore Jiaying turns out to have been a setup for her successful revival of Daisy.

** The guards around Sibyl and Coulson fail to react when May drops through the ceiling on top of Sibyl and then pauses to deliver a one-liner, before May and Phil commence to fight and curb stomp them.

** Sibyl's guards around her and Coulson fail to react when May drops through the ceiling on top of Sibyl and then pauses to deliver a one-liner, before May and Phil commence to fight and curb stomp them.

* StableTimeLoop: The entirety of Season 7 is revealed to be one. Enoch stole a Timestream data core from the Chronicoms, which Fitz uses to discern which timelines result in them winning over the invading Chronicoms (pulling a [[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Dr.]] [[Film/AvengersEndgame Strange]] in the process). He realizes that the only outcome where they win involves creating an alternate timeline using the Time Monolith to bring a specific individual back to their timeline. When the Chronicoms head to the past he gets the team to follow them using the Time Monolith. The whole point of travelling to 1930 was to seed that timeline with the components for the Quantum Tunnel, so that when the team eventually reaches that moment, he can call them to assemble the device. Then when they get back to the main timeline, he sets the original team's mission into motion, where they travel back through time using the Time Monolith.