I just watched one of the most wonderful “goodbye” scenes in all my years of television, and it came from a show I never would have expected was capable of such emotion: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
I’m behind on the show, still in mid-season 3, but even so, SPOILER WARNING! If you haven’t watched up to Season 3 Episode 13, you may not want to read any further.
I’m not going to talk much about the episode in its entirety, but for those who will never watch the show (even though you should) but are still interested, allow me to summarize:
Bobbi and Hunter, married couple and both agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are captured while on a mission and decide the best thing they can do for themselves, for the mission, and for their colleagues is to disavow themselves. That means they can no longer work for S.H.I.E.L.D. or any other government agencies. Their careers, and pretty much their lives as they knew them, are over.
Our goodbye scene begins in a bar, where Bobbi and Hunter are discussing what to do with their free time and where they should take their first vacation. They take a quick second to acknowledge they’re being following by someone in the “intelligence business” who is there to ensure they aren’t reverting to an agency life.
Their waitress drops off a shot from an “admirer.” One of their colleagues sent the drink and is in the same bar, but due to their situation, and the man following them, she can’t sit with them or even speak to them. An instant later, several other drinks show up at the table. All of their colleagues are spread throughout the bar, six of them in total.
Each one of the agents, with tears in their eyes, makes eye contact with Bobbi and Hunter and they all drink at the same time. The agents then exit the bar, one at a time, giving one last look, and silent goodbye, as they go.
What made this scene so phenomenal was that there was no dialogue yet so much was said. The looks these colleagues, and friends, gave each other held so much meaning.
They were happy to see each other one last night, but sadness, regret, and grief was plain on their faces. They had so much to say to each other, but at the same time, couldn’t exchange a single word. They could only find comfort in each other’s unanswered need to be comforted. No dialogue, no sob-filled monologue, could ever have compared to the emotion in these exchanges.
Especially Mack.
Mack is the big bald dude. When everyone else drinks, he waits. And then he and Bobbi have a separate drink between the two of them. They were partners (professionally) and owed their lives to one another on a number of occasions. Mack is the biggest, toughest looking dude in the room—in any room, really—yet no one looks more vulnerable in the moment. He has more tears in his eyes than anyone else. The poor guy looks on the verge of break down.
My description certainly doesn’t do the scene justice, so do yourself a favor and watch it. If you’ve already seen it, watch it again.
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