7 years ago vs nowI know I’ve been fixated on the hug in “Melinda,” but I just honestly think it’s one of the most important moments for May in the episode because it shows her growth during those seven intervening years. The moment with the hands in the immediate aftermath of Bahrain is incredibly significant as a visual demonstration of the trauma that she suffered because of that mission, and it explains a lot of what we generally interpreted as her being “prickly” in season one. In fact, all those times that she shied away from physical contact (initially wanting to stitch herself up in “T.R.A.C.K.S.,” for example) were lingering effects of Bahrain’s emotional and psychological impact on her.
But here we have the present day, when she doesn’t initiate the hug with Jemma but allows it to happen without visibly flinching away. She’s a little uncomfortable, sure, but she smiles at Jemma’s reaction - at long last, she’s allowing herself to move on from that trauma. I believe that letting herself get close to the team and form strong bonds with people like Jemma is helping her move past her pain, and, although she will never be able to leave Bahrain behind, perhaps she’s finally allowing herself to heal.
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