Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D: Aida's Plan Revealed

AIDA's season-long plan is finally coming to a head in next week's episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. After struggling with issues of personhood during the first half of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s fourth season, AIDA slowly began taking control of her life and her destiny. The first part of that plan ended with many of our heroes inside the Framework, forced to live out an artificial reality lorded over by AIDA as Madame Hydra. With the agents slowly waking up, however, she's now attempting to move into the final stage of her ultimate plan.

Last night's episode not only offered us one of the most political S.H.I.E.L.D. speeches yet, but finally revealed what the mysterious Project Looking Glass was. While the full extent of it isn't yet known, it will provide AIDA with the means to finally create a human body for herself and unshackle her mind from the parameters Radcliffe built. Beyond that, the power of the Darkhold, AIDA's plans for Fitz, and the fate of our heroes lie in the balance.

Thanks to a new promo from ABC for next week's episode, we finally have a glimpse of what the final confrontation will look like. As AIDA and Fitz move to complete Looking Glass, our agents will try and escape the Framework. Unfortunately, their real bodies are under threat. You can also check out the synopsis for the episode below, which teases the return of some other familiar faces:

“IT’S THE END OF S.H.I.E.L.D.’S WORLD, ON ABC’S ‘MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.’

“Farewell, Cruel World!” – The clock is ticking for Daisy and Simmons to get the team out of the Framework, but not everyone is ready and willing to leave, on “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” TUESDAY, MAY 2 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network.

“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” stars Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, Chloe Bennet as Daisy Johnson, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons, Henry Simmons as Agent Alphonso “Mack” MacKenzie and John Hannah as Holden Radcliffe.

Guest starring are Natalia Cordova-Buckley as Elena “Yo-Yo” Rodriguez, Mallory Jansen as Madame Hydra/Aida, Jordan Rivera as Hope Mackenzie, Briana Venskus as Agent Piper, Maximilian Osinski as Agent Davis, Patrick Cavanaugh as Burrows, David O’Hara as Alistair, Ricardo Walker as Agent Prince, Rheagan Wallace as Marilyn and Richard Whiten as Gedrick.

“Farewell, Cruel World!” was written by Brent Fletcher and directed by Vincent Misiano.”

Whether or not everyone gets out, we'll certainly be spending some time in the real world. Last we saw Yo-Yo and Agents Piper, Davis, and Price, they were flying in the Zephyr and watching over Daisy and Jemma while their minds were in the Framework. With the Russian on their tails, we'll hopefully get to see them back in action after having been missing for a few weeks.

Meanwhile, the synopsis also teases the trouble with simply leaving the Framework. While most everyone has chosen to join the side of good or wake up, Fitz is firmly with AIDA. Mack, meanwhile, will have to chose between returning to Yo-Yo, who he doesn't seem to remember, or stay with his daughter. It'll likely be the most emotional part about the leaving the Framework, though every character will surely return with some mental baggage.