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'Agents of SHIELD' Season 7 Episode 2 reveals the true origins of LMDs and their ties to the Chronicoms

Koenig's grandkids were a huge part of early research into LMDs before the project was abandoned. Eventually, the LMD project would be revisited by Dr. Holden Radcliffe who would complete the endeavor

Spoilers for 'Agents of SHIELD' Season 7 Episode 2 'Know Your Onions'

'Agents of SHIELD' Season 7 is briskly moving forward, wrapping up its 1931 storyline with Episode 2 and stepping into the next time period on its trip through SHIELD history. While the rest of the team manage to make the trip to the future, Enoch (Joel Stoffer) was unfortunately left behind in 1931 where it looks like he's going to be setting a lot of things in motion for the future of SHIELD.

In Episode 2 'Know Your Onions', the team brings Ernest Hazard Koenig (Patton Oswalt) aboard the Zephyr, revealing to him that they are from the future and part of an organization called SHIELD. Koenig is fascinated by all the cool technology aboard the ship, especially Enoch. After he's left behind in the past, Enoch meets Koenig and begins working for him but Koenig insists on two conditions. Firstly, he wants to know all about SHIELD and how he can help them, and secondly, he wants to know everything there is to know about Chronicoms. 

As we all know, the Koenig family become part of SHIELD right from its early days as the SSR and Koenig's grandchildren become important SHIELD agents. But that second condition lays the groundwork for one of SHIELD's most fascinating innovations, the Life Model Decoys (LMDs). Koenig's grandkids were a huge part of early research into LMDs before the project was abandoned.

Eventually, the LMD project would be revisited by Dr Holden Radcliffe (John Hannah) who would complete the endeavor. Later still, that technology would be further enhanced using Chronicom technology to create the Phil Coulson LMD (Clark Gregg) who appears in the final season. In other words, Enoch is technically the one who starts SHIELD on the long journey towards creating advanced LMDs who can replace an agent after their deaths or serve as stand-ins for high-risk missions. If Enoch wasn't left behind in the past, the Coulson LMD may not exist in the future and none of this would be the same. That's time-travel for you.

'Agents of SHIELD' Season 7 airs on Wednesdays at 10 pm ET on ABC.