Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4, Episode 16, "What If..." EXPECTATIONS

Image Courtesy
www.screenrant.com

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns for the third and final “pod” of episodes in season 4 tonight. Enter the Framework with “What If…” (4x16) at 10:00 PM Eastern/Pacific.  What do we expect from tonight's episode?

What happened in the last episode, “Self Control”?

Aida won. The LMDs took over S.H.I.E.L.D. (though Daisy was revealed to not have been replaced), forcing Daisy, Simmons, Yo-Yo, and Agent Piper’s STRIKE team to flee the base in the Zephyr. Daisy and Simmons enter into the Framework in order to get the rest of the team out and find out where they are being held.

Episode Synopsis for “What If…”:

“Hail the New World Order! Daisy and Simmons uncover secrets and lies in a world gone mad. With Hydra in control, they are our only hope to save everyone.”

Continuing plot points:

• Coulson is not Director anymore; he and Mack have a “buddy cop” routine going
• Who is the new Director as a person?  Where do his loyalties lie?
• Life-Model Decoys—what do they mean for S.H.I.E.L.D.?
• The aftermath of the Sokovia Accords/Superhuman Civil War
• Magic and the MCU
• AIDA’s New World Order inside the Framework

What I am looking for tonight:

• Some sort of explanation of what on Earth is going on with the Framework
• They will make it clear that Daisy is fully aware that the Framework is just a simulation
• We won’t have to wait too long to find out what happened to Simmons
• They will explain where all the main characters are and how they fit into the Framework
• I expect at least some nod to the real world, though we may not actually see the real world for an episode or two

What would be awesome but probably won’t happen:

I really want to see them just pull out all the stops with comic book references that they would never be able to sell in the real MCU. Maybe there will be an alternate reality version of Iron Man flying around.

So what are you looking for in tonight’s episode?  What is there that you really want to see but may not see at all?

If you want to get an email whenever I publish a new article, go to the top of the page and enter your email address in the box labeled “Subscribe to Mostly MCU Reviews” and click “Submit.”