Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: How the Team Became a Family
At the heart of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has always been a group of engineers, scientists, soldiers, and Inhumans coming together to stop evil from prevailing — be it Hydra, Hive, the Kree, or Chronicoms — who wind up finding a deep, meaningful connection to the team and becoming a family.
The found family trope is one of my favorites, and it’s done exceptionally well on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Viewers were able to see how each member of the team initially struggled to become a functioning team out in the field, eventually growing closer as they face every trauma, tragedy, and happy events, gaining trust, love, and respect along the way.
CHLOE BENNET, CLARK GREGG
The early days saw a lot of disagreements and mistrust — though some of that mistrust does turn out to be warranted when it comes to Grant Ward’s choice to double-cross the team and try to kill them, at multiple points, throughout the first three seasons.
Beyond the experiences that have everyone from Coulson and May to Mack and Daisy re-evaluating the team’s importance in their lives, is everyone finding something in it that made those familial dynamics blossom in the span of seven seasons.
When we first meet Daisy during the pilot, she’s working for the Rising Tide, living in her van, and generally distrustful of everything that Coulson is offering her. It’s not the smoothest transition, and it takes a bit of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 for the dynamic to shift.
You see glimmers of it when FitzSimmons deals with the Chitauri helmet on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 Episode 6, “F.Z.Z.T.” and the way she tries to make up for leaking information to the Rising Tide.
But when she starts to trust and let people in, Daisy’s relationship with everyone on the bus, from Coulson to FitzSimmons, changes. It’s beautiful to see it continuously grow into what it’s become.
Daisy continually looked for somewhere to belong and found it in the team repeatedly. Whether it was her parents in Season 2 or Koraon on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 7 Episode 11, “Brand New Day,” she chose her team when they needed her—her family.
Daisy: I already have a sister to save, and her name is Jemma Simmons.
Daisy’s connection to Coulson specifically stands out, as she seemingly finds a father figure in him, a feeling that only strengthens after Season 2. It’s a beautiful, supportive relationship that is filled with love and hard truths, with Coulson there for her every step of the way.
From Coulson’s unwillingness to leave her behind in space on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5 Episode 10, “Past Life,” to the way he fought everyone in the face of a swayed Daisy during Season 3.
Her relationship with Fitz, Simmons, and Mack develops through the years as well, turning into a sibling-like dynamic, filled with teasing, keeping confidences, and at times arguing. Of course, the arguing was at a global threat-level — we all remember those Season 5 arguments — but they were arguments, nonetheless.
Daisy found her support system with her teammates, providing heartwarming, hilarious, and sweet moments. Like when she discovers her powers and confides in Fitz to keep her Inhuman abilities in the aftermath of the temple during Season 2. He offers her that comfort and assurance that she’s still the same person she was when she walked onto the Bus.
The second half of Season 5 does a lot to fracture their relationship, in the aftermath of his psychic split, with not much time after Fitz’s death to get them back on track. So, while we don’t get to see a wholly rehabilitated relationship between the two, there’s a tenuous unconditional familial dynamic there right up until the end.
She and Jemma seemingly found themselves alone up against insurmountable odds time and again, be it the LMDs during Season 4, Kasius during Season 5, or on a mission to find Cryo!Fitz during Season 6, showing exactly how far they came from their first pseudo mission of their own at The Hub back in Season 1.
It’s their shared experiences that make their space puff trip on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 6 Episode 3, “Fear and Loathing on Planet Kitson,” sweeter (and funnier) to watch. They get to take a beat, sharing their love and appreciation, bonding further in the process.
In Coulson’s case, he gave up the idea of having a family and a normal life for SHIELD. We get confirmation as much when we learn more about his past with Audrey, his conversations with May, and the Agents of Hydra Framework arc.
But along the way, he built a team that would become his family, with father figure-like moments with Simmons and Fitz, from being the “protective dad” during Jemma’s time undercover at Hydra to being the compassionate, grounded voice through Fitz’s search for Jemma in Season 3.
There’s even the lovely little elevator moment during the 100th episode, sending him down the aisle to Jemma.
Though Fitz was reluctant to join a team on the field, he soon finds his own support system and family-like structure with the team.
Mack finding a brother-like figure in Fitz in the face of his brain injury to the continual belief he got from the team when it came to his brain and heart, something that becomes a significant point in the lead-up and aftermath of Framework arc.
CLARK GREGG
The series finale sets the stage for one last mission that puts their family front and center, as they realize what they’re fighting for: a future for everyone they love. It’s a beautiful moment that brings everyone together and fully on board.
No matter where they are, whether it’s the new Academy, some other galaxy, or a helicarrier, they will always find the time and a way to head back to that room in the new framework, to reminisce, catch up, celebrate wins, and sit in the same space with these people that have become so integral to their lives.
The final emotional act highlights how far they’ve come, bringing together a group of people that found a stabilizing force in their lives, a group of people who believed in each other and pushed each other, and loved each other. A family.
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Are you going to miss this found family? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Brianna Martinez
Brianna spends her time away from briefs, legal research, and pleadings, watching TV and writing about it. She generally has a lot of feelings about TV, which you can read about here and on Twitter.
One thought on “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: How the Team Became a Family”
You spent most of this article discussing Daisy Johnson . . . or Phil Coulson. Everyone else was “the team”. This is such a misleading article.
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