History Recap / AgentsOfSHIELDS5E5Rewind

* ArbitrarySkepticism: After six months of carefully eliminating every other possibility, Fitz theorizes that the team was abducted by aliens. The Army dismisses this out of hand, despite the fact that New York was invaded by aliens, an alien helped save the city, and one of the current hot-button political issues is centered around the descendants of alien experiments. It also turns out that this theory is correct, albeit incomplete.

* BaitAndSwitch: When trying to infiltrate the Army Base to recover Enoch's cryosleep pod, they bring with them two boxes that Fitz says when opened, will unleash an object implied to be ominous and threatening that could either help them, or cause them to fail their mission if they are not careful after they are deployed. What are these objects? Rusty's pet ferrets.

** What happened to Fitz after Team Coulson was kidnapped? The army came to the diner, arrested Fitz, and he was held prisoner for six months in a black site until Hunter rescued him.

** Lance Hunter returns in this episode, as do Polly and Robin Hinton. [[IncrediblyLamePun The plane that replaced the "Bus" (Zephyr One) also came back.]]

* SeenItAll: Fitz barely blink when Hunter tells him that his and Bobbi's wedding was interrupted by ''ninjas''. Justified, considering what Fitz experienced across the show.

* AndNowForSomethingCompletelyDifferent: The first four episodes of the season took place in a base in outer space, while the settings in this episode are out in the open air.

* BaitAndSwitch: When trying to infiltrate the Army Base to recover Zephyr One, they bring with them two boxes that Fitz says when opened, will unleash an object implied to be ominous and threatening that could either help them, or cause them to fail their mission if they are not careful after they are deployed. What are these objects? Rusty's pet ferrets.

* BadBoss: General Hale. Not only does she break multiple laws regarding civil rights and due process, but she ''executes'' her two subordinates for failing her. As such, the episode leaves it ambiguous whether she's actually working for the United States Government and not an enemy power. Later episodes confirm that [[spoiler:she's HYDRA]].

** Another Gun is set up here: Fitz's pod that he uses to get to the future. [[spoiler: Simmons intends to extract this Fitz from the pod after his original self dies in the finale.]]

* ChekhovsGun: Many of these set up in Episode 1 are fired here, including the child pictures, and Coulson's use of his non functional hand. The only one that is still not completely fired is the bottles of liquid in Enoch's home; they are seen again, but their purpose is not yet identified.

** Another Gun is set up here: Fitz's pod that he uses to get to the future. [[spoiler]] Simmons intends to extract this Fitz from the pod after his original self dies in the finale.[[/spoiler]]

* {{Expy}}: Enoch is one for Uatu the Watcher. He's also not too far removed from the similar-looking bald man who appeared frequently in ''Series/{{Fringe}}''.

* TheBadGuyWins: A newspaper that Fitz reads after being rescued has a headline stating "S.H.I.E.L.D. Defunded and Dissolved". This, together with the absence of its core members means that there is no known version of the organization still around. Also, since this is the ''second'' time in a brief period of time that S.H.I.E.L.D. was dissolved, it might not come back again. In short, it is just as Anton Ivanov wanted.

* BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil: Hunter talks about a more metaphoric one to console Fitz about his Framework persona; "every light has a shadow". Thus, a guy as friendly and kind as Fitz also has it in him to be ruthless.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Fitz gets downright scary in his quest to be united with his friends. Not so surprising anymore, considering what we went through in the Framework.

* BroHug: Fitz and Hunter when the latter came to rescue the former, and before Fitz goes to cryo-sleep.

** The device Enoch used to paralyze Team Coulson is used again so Fitz and co can get away from the pursuing agents.

* ChekhovsGun: Many of these set up in Episode 1 are fired here, including the child pictures, and Coulson's use of his non functional hand. The only one that is still not completely fired is the bottles of liquid in Enoch's home, they are seen again, but its purpose is not yet identified.

** Fitz obsession with chimpanzees is shown again, as he draws monkey faces on his wall to count the days in lieu of tallies.
* ADayInTheLimelight: After Fitz is shoved out of the picture during the first four episodes, this is one episode that is now dedicated to him for this season.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Polly Hinton describes the situation Robin is living after terrigenesis in ways similar to how one would the describe an autistic child.

* GunsAkimbo: Interestingly, ''Fitz'' of all people does this to a bunch of soldiers after finding some [=ICERs=] on Zephyr One. Hunter is amazed. Its implied his skills are the result of his time in the Framework.

* InspectorJavert: Evans and Lucas, the Air Force officers who spend the episode interrogating Fitz clearly have the best of intentions at heart, [[OutsideContextProblem but the situation is so outside their understanding]] that all they can do is yell at Fitz, even after they realize he doesn't know anything. Their boss, on the other hand, is just evil--but also out of her depth.

** The identity of the bald man who kidnaps the S.H.I.E.L.D. team is revealed, and his apparent motive for doing so, is also explained. His name is Enoch, a self proclaimed anthropologist and observer of the human race, hailing from a species known as the Chronicom.

* StarCrossedLovers: Fitz once again mentions how the universe seemingly goes out of its way to keep him and Jemma seperated.
* SwappedRoles: Normally, Hunter is supposed to be the badass but in this case, it is Fitz when he takes out a bunch of soldiers using a pair of icers. Fitz even has the audacity to tell Hunter to start the plane when normally it would be Fitz, the engineer.

* TimeSkip: At least six months passes between the team's abduction and the setting of the episode. Then another 74 years when Fitz wakes up in the stinger.
* TookALevelInBadass: Fitz takes out a bunch of military goons with a pair of icers, to Hunter's amazement. He also threatens to kill Enoch. It appears to be the result of the Framework, where Fitz was a cold-blooded HYDRA leader, which he takes advantage of now to be an actual badass.

* UncannyValley: InvokedTrope. While he looks human thanks to his disguise, Enoch's mannerisms are bit off, making him seem somewhat alien.

* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Hunter cheers Fitz up, who is still beating himself up over his actions in the Framework, by telling him that even the best persons have a darkness inside of them.

* AndNowForSomethingCompletelyDifferent: Considering the first four episodes were taking place in a base in outer space, the settings in this episode actually are out in the open air.

* TheAtoner: Fitz openly admits being responsible for Jeffrey Mace's death and is ready to go to prison for it. His entire behaviour during the episode is wrecked with guilt for his deeds in the Framework.

** On the Marvel mythology side, Enoch also shares a lot of characteristics with the Rigellian Recorders. It's weird that the creators chose not to make an explicit link, as this arc is thematically close to Thor: Ragnarok and the Recorders featured heavily in Thor's space adventures in the 70s.

* BadBoss: General Hale. Not only does she break multiple laws regarding civil rights and due process, but she ''executes'' her two subordinates for failing her. (As such, the episode leaves it ambiguous whether she's actually working for the United States Government and not an enemy power.)