Hive had this HQ for one episode. Last episode they were in a town. Why didn't SHIELD send Lash to the town to kill Hive? They were willing to send a small, six person team - why not their rasta-Hulk?

And the modern one isn't the only definition, specially when one uses the term heroic, which really does refer back to the original meaning more, otherwise saying something like "heroic voice" makes little sense.

They wouldn't have needed a Trojan horse - that whole part of part and parcel of the plot you are disliking. Yes, the plan was fine, except that Andrew had different ideas of what priorities were, so why are YOU so resistant to the plot we had this episode?

What does Lash surviving a battle with Hive have to do with whether Daisy would still be under the sway of HIve or not post HIve's death?

"Lash is them playing smarter" - yeah, except they have had Lash in a box since episode 15. So if he is actually the solution, then the team have been complete imbeciles since then by not taking the "smart play" that entire time.

1. It makes no sense to break internal show logic just for the purpose of what is essentially a Kaiju fight.
2. Why would they want to, just for a Kaiju fight?
3. Of course we are - Hive's plan will fail, that is pre-ordained by the laws of television.

A deed can be heroic without it being done by anyone meeting the modern definition of "hero", which has decided that heroism is some intrinsic thing, as opposed to the original form, which was something bestowed on someone by others.

Google Gollum and hero - plenty of argument on that very point.

1. There is no reason to think that Daisy would remain "swayed" with Hive gone.
2. Daisy wasn't going to make it to the finale, the way thinsg were going.
3. Stopping a missile from launching or stopping a bomb from detonating has been done to death.

Coulson and Garrett had history, and that scene was played for laughs, as it came well after the actual denouement of the episode.

The deed of killing the final antagonist is heroic in and of itself - the motivations of the character are irrelevant. Having good motivations adds to the drama of the act, but it doesn't have anything to do with it being the big, heroic action.

Its a two hour finale - they have plenty of time there to get their big climax.

Killing Hive IS the heroic deed in an of itself. That its done in rage doesn't change that. The Hulk is a hero, even if all he does is smash.

Mack has been getting knocked out by people with powers - hardly a testament to him being inept.

What rampage? The imagined one from a finale? Seems to me that leaves you with Andrew trapped in Lash, unless you are imagining Lash committing suicide in some form.

Which is only possible if you accept that Andrew Garner essentially disappeared, which would be even more character assassination.

In this episode they:
1. Got Daisy back
2. Exposed the true nature of Hive's plan
3. Finished the Lash story.

The plan as described is to set off the warhead at high altitude and that is what spreads the virus over a high area.

Which is why they should have never made Andrew into Lash…

How can you write Lash being the hero who finally brings down Hive with his powers in a way that is more emotional than any sort of Kaiju battle, and that puts the focus on the team?