The Agents of SHIELD are playing hot potato with a deadly talisman, and the poor sobs don't even know it.

Coulson's team went up against fate once before, and not only did they momentarily lose Daisy to Hive's insidious schemes, but providence roundly doled out a soul-crushing beating. The SHIELD team learned that there are some things in the universe that are completely out of their control, and one of those unavoidable flukes appears to be the presence of Yo-Yo's necklace during the season's most devastating scene.

Now that Elena has handed the cross to the only other agent with a lick of spirituality - it's hard to believe in God when the Devil keeps knocking down your front door - Mack's life is on the line.

"I think that Mack is the voice a little bit of a person with faith," executive producer Jed Whedon told IGN. "His world view has been rattled, I would say in the last year, two years. So for us, I don't know if we're necessarily making a statement about faith as much as we are playing with the idea of destiny."

Is it Mack's destiny to die, or will Yo-Yo's necklace find it's way into space without him? For now, Whedon is happy to leave fans guessing.

"No, but obviously we don't want to reveal any of that," the writer teased. "But it will have impact -- hopefully, for the audience. [laughs] But definitely for our show."

At least fans won't have to wait too much longer to find out the truth. Season 3 will come to an explosive end this Tuesday with "Absolution" and "Ascension."

"It's a showdown a season in the making as S.H.I.E.L.D. takes on Hive, and when his master plan is finally revealed, the team must spring into action," ABC teased. "Who will live, and who will die? Things heat up in the exciting two-hour season finale of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD."

Find out more when Agents of SHIELD airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. Click the video below to see a preview for the finale.

Tags: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television ABC Marvel