"'We spent the first chunk of the season establishing 'big S.H.I.E.L.D.,' with helicarriers and bases all over the world,' notes exec producer Maurissa Tancharoen. But as touched on in the first post-Winter Soldier episodes, 'That's stripped away, so we're taking our team on a journey of discovering what their purpose now is. We're putting them through the wringer, and that's only just begun.' Entering sweeps, Ward has commandeered the Bus -- with Skye on board, privately aware of his Hydra agenda -- while May is out to find ex-agent Maria Hill (played by Cobie Smulders, returning April 29), who last was seen on the big screen seeking employ with Tony Stark. '[Hill] is an example of a different way to deal with [the shutdown] - and that may be at odds with how Coulson's dealing with it,' says Whedon. As such, expect 'conversations full of conflict' when the two reunite. Says Tancharoen with a laugh, 'Phil is ready to speak his mind to quite a few people at this point!'"
As for the finale itself:
"The EPs sum up the season ender as 'too big,' to the point that, they joke (?), it's been a struggle to produce. Tancharoen elaborates slightly: 'We'll put some of the things that we've built over the course of this season to bed, as well as tee up mysteries for Season 2.' As for an encore spoiled by a certain Marvel-verse actor, Whedon playfully hedges, 'We don't know anything about that!'"
