“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Season 3 started a love triangle in episode 5. The entire hour focused on Simmons’ (Elizabeth Henstridge) time on an alien plant and revealed that she was not alone. During her six months there, she fell in love with Will (Dillon Casey), and she told Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) that she needed to go back and save her new love. Fitz is onboard to rebuild the portal, but his relationship with Simmons is about to get complicated.

“Time is of the essence and they don't have time to dissect how they feel right now,” Henstridge explained to the Hollywood Reporter. “They're focusing on getting Will back and doing the right, humane thing. The fact that Fitz is willing to help means there is still hope for their relationship. Whether that can ever be romantic now, I don't know. We're going to see them struggle with that, because Jemma never stopped loving Fitz. She just felt like she was never going to see him again.”

That’s not to say she doesn’t love Will, though. Henstridge revealed that Simmons is in love with both men, which makes the situation even more difficult. “It’s a very different type of love than what she has for Fitz,” Henstridge told Entertainment Weekly. “It only turned romantic when she had lost all hope, and she was ready to just fall off the edge of that cliff. She gets back, and she’s just done. She’s never been this way before. She’s never been in a situation where she didn’t think she could intellectually solve it. He lifts her up and that moment is so pure and primal. That’s the basis of their romantic relationship.”

Henstridge obviously couldn’t reveal if they ever rebuild the portal, but she said the process of trying to get back is going to be a long one. Fitz jumped right into planning how to open the portal again, but they can't distract themselves with the work forever. The scientists will eventually have to deal with their complicated emotions.

“It's a long task, and I think throughout that task, FitzSimmons will be working very closely and that's going to kick up a whole host of issues surrounding their relationship,” the actress warned E! Online. “There's a huge elephant in the room, and it's going to get called out a few times, and it's going to be painful. Get the tissues ready because it gets worse before it gets better.”

“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Season 3 airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.

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