Not only is the title a reference to the final act, which is one of the most emotional moments of the entire series to date, but it also describes what this episode represents for Bobbi and Hunter: the apparent final mission with SHIELD before they launch into the unknown territory of their hopeful spinoff, Marvel’s Most Wanted. 

 

 

With only a pilot commitment, there’s every possibility that the spinoff will never take off and this will prove a minor deviation from their time on the series.  But even so, that final scene is pitch perfect, between the performances and the musical score.  I have the sense that “the spy’s goodbye” would never be pragmatic in a real espionage setting, since having everyone in one place and rather obviously toasting the departing agents is a bad idea, it made for one hell of a scene.  And it hurts all the more because these were two of the more popular characters on the show, so this loss could alter the chemistry of the series in a fundamental way.

 

One very nice aspect of the scene is how, without a word, each of the characters managed to convey something specific and perfectly in keeping with their personality and relationship to Bobbi and Hunter.  Particularly notable was the deep conflict and sorrow on Mack’s face, matched only by the haunted visage of Phil Coulson, looking more gutted here than in the wake of his apparent murder of Ward.  Bobbi and Hunter may be living on to have their own adventures (hopefully), but it won’t be the same, and it’s nice to see the writers acknowledging as much so well.

 

 

The good news is that the two agents left knowing that they did the right thing, and upheld the principles of SHIELD and the regard held for the rest of the team.  And they had important moments with other members of the team that resolved ongoing tensions.  Hunter’s issues with May were handled well, as he expressed his willingness to take a bullet for any of them.  By the end of the episode, that’s metaphorically what he did, with Bobbi as his side.

 

Theoretically, the rise of the Secret Warriors could fill some of the gaps in the overall skill set of the team, though it’s hard to see precisely how quickly that could happen.  Lincoln and Daisy both have plenty of power between them, but don’t have the experience to match.  Mack could step up rather well, which would actually be a nice way to follow through on the emotional aspects of the farewell scene.  It really comes down to the fieldwork aspects, though it could be a strong plot point if the writers use it as such.

 

 

The idea that the Russians might be developing their own plans for Inhumans is interesting because there was, in fact, a team of Russians called the Supreme Soviets that would mix it up with the Avengers and similar related teams now and then.  One of the members also manifested the Darkforce (Darkstar), in fact, so these are all potential nods to the source material.