Agents Of SHIELD: 5 Big Developments From Season 4, Episode 12

It's up to Phil Coulson and SHIELD to make sure the evil Darkhold doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Radcliffe is determined to get the book, and his Agent May LMD still is unaware her programmed mission is to retrieve it. Things heat up as the agent in charge of safeguarding the book has become a target.

Warning: Spoilers for Season 4, Episode 12 of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, "Hot Potato Soup," will be discussed below.

The Koenings Past Revealed

Coulson entrusted Agent Koening with the Darkhold because he knows how to make things disappear. The big question was, "Which Koening brother took the book?" Billy and Sam were together when some armed Russians managed to abduct Billy. He's later taken to a room in an old sub where Radcliffe is tied up. They threaten to torture him, but Radcliffe intervenes, revealing he wasn't being held captive. He maps Billy's brain to find out where the Darkhold is being kept.

It's later revealed there is a fourth Koening brother (Eric was killed in Season 1, Episode 19), and a sister. Thurston is also identical to the other Koenings, but he has nothing to do with SHIELD. Their sister, L.T., is a pretty tough agent and joined them on this mission. There's been a question among fans whether or not the Koenigs were LMDs. It turned out Sam and Billy were part of the original LMD program at SHIELD--as technicians.

The Superior Is Revealed

Billy comes face-to-face with the Superior, the person the Watchdogs and Senator Nadeer answers to. He was the captain of the Russian submarine. He felt people put too much faith into machines and men are the superior machines. He feels he is the superior man, and the Inhumans did not suffer for their great power or deserve to have it. He told Radcliffe they will destroy the Inhumans and the thing that brought them upon the world. The Superior's name true identity is Anton Ivanov, a reclusive industrialist with interests all over the world. Daisy was able to discover the name, and Coulson theorized he's the one funding Nadeer's crusade.

Fitz's Past

The Radcliffe LMD was pushing Fitz while they tried to get answers on the real Radcliffe's whereabouts. Fitz started to get rattled when the LMD mentioned the betrayals he's gone through, including being abandoned by his father. The LMD has all of Radcliffe's memories and said he knew Fitz's father. They were classmates and also rode the same train in Glasgow. He was apparently proud of Fitz when he was born. Radcliffe saw him a few months ago and was supposed to tell Fitz something. Fitz unplugs him, refusing to listen. Simmons later tells Mack that Fitz's dad always told him he was stupid and walked out on the family when Fitz was ten.

Agent May LMD And Her Mission

The Melinda May LMD was trying to get closer to Coulson. She commented that they've been making a lot of toasts lately and perhaps it's time to try something else. As they wait for Agent Koening to retrieve the Darkhold, she maked a move and kissed Coulson. The May LMD was given the Darkhold when the Russians show up. Coulson tried getting it from May, but she pulled a gun on him and told him to leave her alone. She couldn't give him the book, and Coulson realized it was because it wasn't in her program. She gets blasted by Daisy.

When a firefight broke out between SHIELD and the Russians, the May LMD got the Darkhold again from Koening, who was unaware she was an LMD. Because her leg was damaged from Daisy's blast, she crawled away as Radcliffe showed up. He took the book from her, saying, "Mission accomplished." He refused to take her with him. Later, the first Aida LMD and the Radcliffe one are incinerated, but Coulson couldn't bring himself to destroy the May one. If they can't get the real May back, the LMD would be all he'd have left of her.

The Superior's True Target Is Revealed

Radcliffe escapes with the Darkhold with a guy from the Watchdogs. Talking to Superior, he asks again who the real target is. The Superior says every time something strange happens in the world, there is one thing that is always there. He believes this is what is responsible for all the alien problems on Earth. When aliens such as the Chitauri, Kree, and Inhumans arrived, there was always a man standing behind in the shadows--Coulson. When asked if he can help them get to Coulson, Radcliffe looks over at the Darkhold and agrees.

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Our Thoughts

The reveal of the Superior's identity wasn't as exciting as we hoped. There doesn't appear to be any comic book connection for the character. He's a rich guy that hates things he considers unnatural. The revelation that the Koenings were human and not LMDs was a nice move to appease the quiet, lingering question we've had about them since Season 1. It was also good to see Fitz's past get fleshed out a little.

Now that the May LMD has been discovered, we'll have to wait to find out what Coulson's reaction was to the kiss they shared. They'll have to start the search for the real May. In the next episode, it appears Coulson and Mack will begin the search as Daisy, Mace, and the others have to deal with an Inhuman problem.