Over the last month I've watched all 5 season on Netwflix and was astounded how the plots, story, depth, characters, and acting just kept improving! I love this show and thought ep 522, "The End," was a PERFECT way to say goodbye to our beloved reluctant heroes. I'm also pretty geeked that we'll be getting a season 6, that I'm confidant will feel more like an epilogue than anything else.
Okay, my thoughts on breaking the time loop. Please lmk if I'm wrong on this.
I believe the first person to break the time loop was Robin, when she told her mother that it would be the last time they would see each other IF she did not tell Talbot the location of the gravitonium, which she had not done before in the loop. Clearly she did this time. Thus, Talbot's attack on Chicago. After that, the time loop changes came pretty fast and furious with Coulson not taking the serum, Daisy using the odium to destroy Talbot, May & Fitz going into the ship to save Mac and Polly, etc. While I would have liked to have seen Deke "blink" out of existence, I didn't need to see it to know what transpired. I also really enjoyed the final scene with the remaining team setting off to find space capsule Fitz - It was a kind of Empire Strikes Back somber but hopeful vibe to it.
Anyway, damn! This show has had some fantastic writing that I only dream other shows like The Walking Dead could have achieved and maintained. I would be more than happy and content to end the show here, on this super high note.