It has only been a few weeks since Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood left Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and many fans are still feeling distraught. Yet while the characters' send-off may tug at the heartstrings, this is actually a good thing for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. — and not just because the actors, as, respectively, Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter, will return in Marvel's Most Wanted, the latest series from ABC set in this epic universe. Update: According to The Hollywood Reporter, ABC will not move forward with Marvel's Most Wanted.
Earlier: I'm not saying that the characters won't be missed, or that they overstayed their welcome. But the dynamic between the divorced secret agents is so compelling that it often distracted from the rest of the series. While Bobbi and Hunter had engaging relationships with May, Mack, Fitz, and Coulson, their strongest bond has always been with each other, and as sad as it is to see them leave Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., I am thrilled for what's next. A whole series about the antics of and complicated relationship between these two sounds like a treat, especially considering that the spinoff has also cast Oded Fehr, Fernanda Andrade, and Delroy Lindo.
I also think that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be able to become a more focused show without Bobbi and Hunter. It'll allow Daisy to bring in more Inhumans to her Secret Warriors team, and I wouldn't complain if Mack's brother Ruben joined the team, as well. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. exists in a massive universe and has a lot of characters, and as we get closer to Captain America: Civil War, it's going to need to find a focus. Bobbi and Hunter, despite being loyal to Coulson, were never really a part of the fight, and so with them gone, the series can double down in its effort to fight Hydra and protect super-powered individuals. I barely remember the last time that Daisy and Coulson, who are technically the stars of this series, really took the spotlight, but maybe now's their chance.
Plus, on Marvel's Most Wanted, Bobbi and Hunter won't need to worry about Inhumans. Nothing that was great about Bobbi and Hunter was ever about Inhumans, and nothing that was great about Inhumans ever involved Bobbi and Hunter. It also gets Bobbi and Hunter out of Hive's path, and I'm not complaining about that. They're all free of each other now.
I also think that it's important for a show like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which has such high stakes, to demonstrate that death isn't the only way out for its characters. In the long run, everyone will benefit from this split.
Images: John Fleenor, Kelsey McNeal/ABC; Giphy
