Why Does Simmons "Have" to Go Back?

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Who else was a little surprised when Simmons desperately told Bobbi that she “has to go back” to that planet?  I think we were all assuming that once she got back to Earth the focus would turn to her recovery, rather than right back to the planet.  That assumption was only reinforced when the Monolith was destroyed in the process of Fitz and Simmons returning to Earth.  And now Simmons wants to find a way back to the planet for some reason!  Considering how much trouble Fitz went through to get her back, she had better have a good reason for wanting to return.

In thinking through everything that has happened with Simmons, I came up with 3 logical reasons she could have for needing to go back to the planet.

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Psychological Reasons

This is a very broad category.  Essentially, this would encompass any reason which has to do with Simmons personally, rather than something on the other planet.

Given everything that she went through on that planet—and we don’t know the whole story—it is almost certain that the experience affected her on a deep psychological level.  Perhaps Simmons believes that she deserves to be on that planet because it is a punishment for something (as an example, punishment for having the Inhuman gene, if she pieced that connection together).  Perhaps she believes that she no longer fits in with regular society—a common reaction from people who spend large periods of time in isolation or captivity.  Perhaps she may even have been experimented on or otherwise unlocked some form of superpowers, and she does not want to risk her use of those powers hurting the people she cares about.  If she has a psychological reason for returning, I think that last option is the most likely one.

Whatever the ultimate reason, this category simply boils down to a matter of Simmons believing that she belongs on the other planet rather than Earth.  This kind of reason is, by definition, irrational, and it is unlikely that she would actually succeed in returning if this were the case.  The only way I see the others (especially Fitz) helping her out—and she will almost certainly need their help to repair the Monolith—is if there is some compelling reason on the other planet, as in the two below.

The Hunters

While on the other planet, Simmons was being hunted by someone or something (or some things).  What if the things hunting her have the ability to hurt people on Earth, and she needs to return to the planet to stop them there?  Alternatively, what if there are other people on the plant that are being hunted and Simmons feels an obligation to go back to help them?  We don’t know exactly who or what was hunting Simmons on the other planet, so it’s impossible to make any guesses as to what they are or why Simmons needs to go back and stop them, but this sounds like a fairly good theory.

If it is exclusively a case of there being a creature on the other planet which Simmons fears could hurt people on Earth, she would have to make a compelling argument for how that creature poses a danger to them.  After all, from what we know based on an interview with Jed Whedon, this planet isn’t in our solar system.  And even without that interview, there aren’t any options within our solar system which would not only have a higher gravity than Earth but also multiple large planets within sight range with the naked eye.

So if Simmons is trying to return to deal with the creature hunting her, I assume that the next option will also come into play to some extent.

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The Hunted

Simmons could mean that she has to return in order to help people that she met on the other planet.  Now, she has not said anything about meeting anyone while she was there, but that’s nothing to go on.  Considering that she was there for over half a year (based on the episode title for 3x05, “4,722 Hours,” which translates to approximately 6½ months), it’s unlikely that she could have survived without some help.

Where did these people who helped her come from?  Simply put, it is entirely possible that the people who were sucked into the Monolith over the course of its history have survived and formed a society.  Most likely these people are Inhumans—again, based on my assumption (shared by others) that the Monolith is triggered by the presence of extraterrestrial stimuli on Earth, in the same way that Gordon could sense Kree devices like the Monolith, experiments (the Inhumans), and the Kree energy that affected Mack.  However, unless there is a deposit of Terrigen Crystals already on the planet (unlikely unless it was another site of Kree experimentation), it is doubtful that any of those Inhumans have undergone Terrigenesis—and almost certain that any who have will be older, having come through the portal before it came into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody.

There are a number of theories as to why Simmons feels a need to return and help people, and any of them are valid.  My goal here isn’t to come up with a specific theory (there are too many variables, too many possibilities); my goal is simply to cover the broad range of possibilities.  I will say that I am hoping that they will not introduce her having a lover on the planet; I think that would make the plot needlessly complicated and risk turning Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. into a soap opera.  And considering that Lincoln’s introduction in the pilot was pretty much a scene from a soap opera…

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www.comicbook.com

How She Could Get Back

Assuming that her desire to return is more than purely psychological, how could it happen?  Given that the Monolith was smashed to pieces, it would not be the easiest thing in the world to open it again.  As such it is possible that they will need to find another one (would they just go down to Kree Monoliths ‘R Us?  Order from Amazon?  They’ve got everything on Amazon!).  However, I think it is more likely that Simmons will enlist the help of one or more Inhumans to repair this Monolith.  Daisy may be able to vibrate the pieces at the correct frequency to open the portal, though with it in pieces that may not work by itself.  If the Monolith is made of metal or a metallic substance, then Joey might be able to melt it back together once he has greater control over his powers.  If the Monolith is stone, however, they would probably need to introduce another Inhuman with the ability to control rock (Jason, a.k.a. Flint, is the first NuHuman to come to mind).  Alternatively, all three of those options could come into play together, with a pair of Inhumans working it back together and Daisy vibrating it to fuse the pieces together.

Regardless of how it happens, I think that if Simmons is determined enough, they will find a way.  And I highly doubt she will be doing it alone; I fully expect Fitz to help her and then to insist on joining her.  After all considering the trouble he went through to get her back, I don’t think he’s letting her out of his sight anytime soon, especially to go for a daytrip through a portal!

Conclusion

This isn’t the most detailed theory out there for what happened to Simmons and why she needs to go back.  If you just look around Reddit, you’ll find a dozen different theories:  Simmons is a vampire, the other planet is Orollan, Simmons got help from dead people, just to name a few.  Ultimately, we won’t know exactly what the answer is until the shows itself answers us.

I think the most likely explanation is a combination of the last 2:  she feels compelled to stop the creature hunting her in order to help the survivors on the planet.  I wouldn’t be surprised if her own trouble with re-acclimating to life on Earth also plays a part, but the focus is more on what’s on the other side of the portal than Simmons herself.

What do you think the explanation is?  Why do you think she needs to return?  Do you think Simmons is a vampire?  Let me know in the comments!

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