Spoilers ahead for the fifth episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5, called "Rewind."
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn't been quite the same since back in Season 3 when Bobbi and Hunter were given a spy's farewell and left the show. At the time, fans thought they would see Bobbi and Hunter back in primetime as stars of a spinoff, but that never happened, and we've been without the dysfunctional duo ever since. Fortunately, "Rewind" brought Hunter back to spring Fitz from jail and help him on his big mission, and it may have revealed exactly how both Bobbi and Hunter can return in the rest of Season 5.
"Rewind" was a pretty wild ride for Hunter and Fitz, as what started as a jailbreak ended with the two breaking back into the facility to steal a cryo-freeze pod and (as it turned out) a plane full of confiscated S.H.I.E.L.D. gear. They were acting off of the tips of a sentient being by the name of Enoch, a pre-teen Inhuman "seer" named Robin, and Robin's mom Polly who tried to help interpret her daughter's ambiguous prophecies. Unfortunately for Robin and Polly, meeting with Fitz and Hunter put them on the radar of some very bad people. With Fitz heading to the future with Enoch, mother and daughter were going to be in a lot of danger. After all, Enoch made for quite a protector with his technology that seemed to stop time.
This is where Hunter and Bobbi come in. Upon learning that Enoch and Fitz would be leaving, Hunter promised that he and Bobbi would look after Robin and Polly. According to Hunter, Bobbi could use a good cause, and he seemed to bond with Robin a bit during the episode. While Bobbi and Hunter do tend to fight a lot when together -- in fact, actor Nick Blood recently said that Bobbi would probably be absent from the episode because she needed some time away from Hunter -- they can also band together when united in a common goal. What more worthy goal than protecting the life of a little girl who had become an Inhuman and could hardly understand her own powers?
Admittedly, protecting Robin and Polly means that Bobbi and Hunter won't be joining the agents in the thick of the action in 2091, but the agents will be coming back from space eventually, and "Rewind" ended on a cliffhanger when it comes to Robin. The military bigwig who had been in charge of keeping Fitz in custody was determined to get her hands on Robin and use her as a weapon, claiming that it would be best to get the girl on their side. When two of her people failed to retrieve Polly or Fitz, she shot them both in the head. She's obviously willing to kill and do whatever it takes to get what she wants, and she wants Robin.
If this military woman and her people are going to be the new villains in another Season 5 arc, Fitz and Co. would almost certainly need to cross paths with Polly and Robin again, and crossing paths with them would almost certainly mean crossing paths with Hunter and Bobbi. Now, I'll be the first to admit that there is a big reason why this might not happen. Adrianne Palicki, who plays Bobbi on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., landed the role of the leading lady on Fox's new hit series The Orville. She may not be available to reprise her role in Season 5, even if Nick Blood is able to come back as Hunter. Still, we can hope. S.H.I.E.L.D. has set the stage for both of them to possibly be back at some point in the rest of Season 5.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will return with a new episode on Friday, January 5 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. For the other dates you need to know in 2018, take a look at our 2018 midseason TV premiere schedule and our 2018 Netflix guide. Not all shows were as lucky as S.H.I.E.L.D. to be saved despite hints of getting the axe, and you can find all those that won't be back on our 2017 cancellation rundown.
