'Agents of SHIELD' Season 7 Episode 3: Agent Sousa knew Hydra had infiltrated the agency in the 1950s
Spoilers for 'Agents of SHIELD' Season 7 Episode 3 'Alien Commies From The Future'
Hydra had infiltrated SHIELD as early as the 1950s and one man already knew of it when the rest of the world, including SHIELD, came to know of it only in 2014. The agents, while infiltrating Area 51 (or better known as a SHIELD base) run into Daniel Sousa (Enver Gjokaj) and while he arrests Simmons (Elisabeth Henstridge) and LMD Coulson (Clark Gregg) for impersonation. After detaining the duo, he then meets Daisy Johnson (Chloe Bennett) who disguises herself as a CIA agent.
After she manages to successfully convince Sousa that she wasn't another fake, although she was, the agent asks her the actual reason for her to show up. "Is this about the report I sent you guys?" he asks to which Daisy gives a diplomatic response, "I can neither confirm nor deny that."
"Well, I hope so," Sousa says. "Because if SHIELD has been infiltrated with sleepers post-World War II, we need to root it out right now, before it takes hold." And even though Daisy uses this conversation to free Coulson and Simmons, it provides a major connection to the events that unfold in the future. In Sousa's case, it was a brilliant decision to make a note and alert the authorities to take action. Even though it is pretty clear now they hadn't.
The conversation between the two ties back to 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' where Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) are exposed to this truth by Arnim Zola (Toby Jones). The movie sees the destruction of SHIELD and 'Agents of SHIELD' Season 1 shows how the organization was rebuilding post the events of 'Winter Soldier'. For now, the episode promises one more encounter with Sousa and it remains to be seen if Daisy uses the information to save SHIELD in the future.
Only time will tell if the agents will change history in their attempt to stop the Chronicoms. 'Agents of SHIELD' Season 7 airs Wednesdays 10 pm ET on ABC.