History Recap / AgentsOfSHIELDS7E05ATroutInTheMilk

* KickTheSonOfABitch: Deke gunning down the unarmed, elderly Wilfred Malick, avenging Malick's many crimes, some of the worst of which occur in this very episode.

'''Coulson:''' [[{{Beat}}]] A combination of both, actually.

'''Stoner:''' [[~STTAs~]]... Synthetic or organic?\\

'''Stoner:''' [[-STTAs-]]... Synthetic or organic?\\

!!Tropes in this episode:

* BirdsOfAFeather: Sousa's behavior in the episode is quite similar to that of Captain America's in ''The Avengers'' and ''Captain America: The Winter Soldier''. Like Cap, he has to deal with vastly different technology because of literally waking up in a future time period and the gray morality of SHIELD in the present. He even has to help stop Project Insight, just in another time period.

** There is a shot of a can of Bendeery English Ale, a favorite of Lance Hunter.

* {{Cliffhanger}}: May & Coulson have been captured in the Lighthouse, Deke & Yo-Yo are alone on the ground, Daisy & Sousa are captured by Nathaniel, and the Zephyr just revealed its position to any Chronicom vessel.

** The jumpsuits worn by those working in the Lighthouse were taken from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s comic-accurate blue suits from the 70s ''[[ComicBook/NickFury Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD]]'' comics.

** Gabe Jones and Jim Morita being on the kill list nods to members of the comics' ''Howling Commandos'' becoming officers of comics' ''S.H.I.E.L.D.''.

** Coulson, May, and Daisy when they realise that Wilfred Malick is still alive and planning to launch Project Insight 38 years ahead of schedule.

* SadisticChoice: After realising that his parents are in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, Mack has to choose between the plan to flood the Lighthouse (which would kill his parents) or using the ''Zephyr'' to shoot down the Insight rocket (which would expose their position to the Chronicoms and paint a huge target on their backs). Unable to bring himself to let his parents die, he opts for the latter.
* ShoutOut: Enoch, a time-traveling mechanical being that looks human, [[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay says "come with me if you want to]] [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness continue to exist"]].

* SpecialEditionTitle: This one has a Creator/QuinnMartin-style 70s intro, complete with a cheesy voice-over for each cast member.
* SpottingTheThread: Wilfred immediately recognizes Coulson at the party, being more perceptive about potential time travellers after his encounters with Deke and now that the Chronicoms are aiding him.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Enoch was forced to give up regular day-to-day operations of the bar due to how it'd be difficult to continue running a business when you don't appear to age a day over a 40-year span.

* AbsenteeActor: Five episodes running, no Iain De Castecker as Fitz.

* SpecialEditionTitle: This one has a 70s intro, complete with a cheesy voice-over for each cast member.

* RealityEnsues: Enoch was forced to give up regular day-to-day operations of the bar due to how it'd be difficult to continue running a business when you don't appear to age a day over a 40-year span.

* NotSoDifferent:
** When Sousa angrily confronts Jemma over her recklessness with tech she doesn't understand, Deke points out that Sousa isn't the only one who got plucked from his old life.
** Both Wilfred and Mack prove willing to risk their goals for the lives of people they love.

** Back when they first met him, the Malick brothers showed some contempt for Whitehall; here, Nathaniel dismissively describes him as having "[[ThoseWackyNazis a total Mein Kampff vibe]]".

** The whole situation around Deke killing Malick is very similar to the one where Ward killed the fake Clairvoyant back in Season 1, aside from Deke not being a Hydra mole like Ward was. Deke even provides a similar PostMortemOneLiner as Victoria Hand did back then.

* PostMortemOneLiner: As Wilfred goes on and on about how the Chronicoms already know every move the team will make, Deke guns him down, asking if they saw ''that'' coming.

* EiffelTowerEffect: The EstablishingShot of New York City at the beginning of the episode includes the World Trade Center, this year (1973) was actually the year construction finished and the buildings were inaugurated.

* FishOutOfTemporalWater: Sousa takes some adjusting to get used to the crazier fashions and technological advances of the 1970s and later dismisses Daisy's laptop because of its size. He's then amazed by Daisy's smartphone.

* ShoutOut: Enoch, a time-traveling mechanical being that looks human, [[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay says "come with me if you want to continue to exist"]].

* SadisticChoice: After realising that his parents are in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, Mack has to choose between the plan to flood the Lighthouse (which would kill his parents[[note]]and possibly prevent his existence, depending on when Mack was born. It's worth noting that Henry Simmons was born in 1970, but his character may be much younger than that.[[/note]]) or using the ''Zephyr'' to shoot down the Insight rocket (which would expose their position to the Chronicoms and paint a huge target on their backs). Unable to bring himself to let his parents die, he opts for the latter.

** Daisy's remark to Gideon ("Don't worry, I'll pay you back later") refers to the fact that she's the one responsible for his death when Hive has her kill him after enthralling her. In which [[FaceDeathWithDignity he accepted]] since Hive [[OutlivingOnesOffspring killed his daughter]] for [[DirtyCoward his cowardice]].
** Nathaniel calling to get Whitehall's procedure to take Daisy's power refers to Whitehall rejuvenating himself employing Jyaning's organs.

* SpecialEditionTitle: This one has a 70s intro, complete with a cheesey voice-over for each cast member.

* CallForward:
** Daisy's remark to Gideon ("Don't worry, I'll pay you back later") refers to the fact that she's the one responsible for his death when Hive has her kill him after enthralling her.

* YouHaveToBelieveMe: Coulson actually tries to convince Rick Stoner of what is going on. He even thinks he might be coming through to him, but a suspicious May touches Stoner, then knocks him unconscious as she can feel that it isn't working.

** The jumpsuits worn by those working in the Lighthouse were taken from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s comic-accurate blue suits from the 70's ''[[ComicBook/NickFury Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD]]'' comics.

* EscalatingWar: The Chronicoms are starting to get ''very'' irritated by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s constantly thwarting their plan, so they maneuver the team into a no-win scenario situation in a last-ditch effort to take them out.

* {{Cliffhanger}}: May & Coulson have been captured in the Lighthouse, Deke & Yo-Yo are alone on the ground, and the Zephyr just revealed its position to any Chronicom vessel.