"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." promises to dramatically alter the fates of all its characters in tonight's season two fall finale. The game-changing results can only hope to put Fitz and Simmons back on the road to friendship after Fitz risked their relationship last season by confessing his love to Simmons, who didn't reciprocate.
Elizabeth Henstridge, who plays Jemma Simmons, doesn't know if the former FitzSimmons duo can recover, and said the two scientists will continue to struggle with their relationship moving forward.
"There's a fractured relationship there," Henstridge told reporters at The Paley Center For Media event "Cracking the Code" on Dec. 8. The British actress added that the two have to decide "whether they want to work through [their problems] and if they can be as close as they were."
Despite the troubles on screen, Henstridge enjoys the path that the show has taken with her and Iain De Caestecker, who plays Leo Fitz.
"It's a fun relationship to play with and Iain De Caestecker is phenomenal," she said.
The split between the two characters this season has allowed Simmons to discover her own abilities and gain confidence in her decisions. S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) recently sent her undercover to work as a scientist for HYDRA, and the experience taught her that she can accomplish things without Fitz by her side.
"She's had to prove herself over and over again and I think she's grown more confident and responsible for her own decisions," Henstridge said. "She's coming into her own. She's doing stuff that she never thought she could so that's always going to power a character forward."
When Raina blew her cover at HYDRA, Bobbi Morse a.k.a. Mockingbird, also working undercover, helped her escape the organization's headquarters. Simmons and Bobbi, played by Adrianne Palicki, have enjoyed a sisterly relationship since returning to the S.H.I.E.L.D. bunker, and the appreciation between the two women extends off screen as well.
"Adrianne is such a brilliant actress and just a lovely person. She's a very strong actor and she does a lot of her own stunts. It was magical to work with her, honestly," Henstridge said.
The Paley Center invited Henstridge, along with "Archer" star Aisha Tyler and "Silicon Valley" writer Carrie Kemper, to the event "Cracking the Code: Media Portrayals of Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math" to represent one of the women on television who plays a smart, competent, female scientist. The three women spoke with Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Girl Who Code, to better understand what media can do to encourage girls and young women to pursue the S.T.E.M. fields.
"I think the most important thing is we're starting a conversation that is really important and it's going to affect a lot of people's lives," Henstridge said about the event.
The 27-year-old actress, who came from a family of doctors, chose the role of Simmons because she was drawn to the character, but she does see how her character inspires young girls who may want to grow up to be real scientists. She met some of those young, aspiring female scientists recently when a group of girls won a competition through Disney to visit the "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." set.
"I got to speak to them and we hung out for a while. [The show] is creating a positive image of science for young girls because they told me it is... That's really special and I'm really proud to be a part of something that does that," Henstridge said.
