The episode was written by Drew Z. Greenberg and directed by series regular Elizabeth Henstridge in her directorial debut.

Clark Gregg reprises his role as Coulson from the film series, starring alongside Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Elizabeth Henstridge, Henry Simmons, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, and Jeff Ward.

Before her directorial efforts, Henstridge began shadowing other directors on the series beginning in the third season after expressing interest in directing to ABC beforehand.

Henstridge's directing for the time loop story was inspired by other series and films featuring similar plots, such as Russian Doll and Groundhog Day (1993).

Critics praised Henstridge's direction, its balance of humor and emotional weight, and the performances of Gregg, Bennet, and Stoffer.

Being the only ones who can still remember everything that has happened throughout the multiple loops, Daisy Johnson and Phil Coulson attempt to figure out how to save everyone while ensuring the former does not die at the risk of losing her memories.

Johnson and Coulson learn that Jemma Simmons' memories are suppressed by a brain implant designed to prevent her from remembering Leo Fitz's location.

Daniel Sousa volunteers to test if the device has been booby-trapped to prevent Johnson's memories from being erased and ends up poisoned.

Meanwhile, Coulson deduces that the saboteur is the team's Chronicom ally Enoch, who has been unwittingly programmed to prevent the brain implant's removal at all costs.

aired in August 2019, showrunners Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, and Jeffrey Bell revealed that the seventh season would feature the team trying to save the world from invasion by the Chronicoms.

[4] That November, series regular Elizabeth Henstridge was revealed to have directed the episode,[5] making her directorial debut.

She continued, "to have a man who is so supportive and in celebration of such strong women, was brilliant... We earned some really great moments of emotional revelation.

Stoffer also appreciated that Enoch reveals important information during the scene when he tells Daisy that he has seen the future and the team's mission will be their last one together.

[19] With the season renewal, main cast members Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Henstridge, Henry Simmons, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, and Jeff Ward were confirmed to be returning from previous seasons as Melinda May, Daisy Johnson / Quake, Jemma Simmons, Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie, Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez, and Deke Shaw, respectively.

"[8] Greenberg decided early on that he wanted Act 5 of the episode, featuring Enoch's death, to be like a play, and he felt that Henstridge, Stoffer, Bennet, and Gregg made this work in the final scene.

He praised Henstridge's direction, feeling she brought an "excellent and light touch to material that could've easily gotten too precious by half".

He added that the episode did "a fantastic job of balancing the world-saving stakes and humor of trial and error" and called Enoch's death "a brutal, heartbreaking scene", saying the character had "a fitting heroic end".

[17] Writing for Den of Geek, Michael Ahr felt time loop episode could be "a dangerous prospect" but "As I Have Always Been" does "everything right, from varying the camera angles to break up the duplicate scenes to pausing for reflection with both comedic and tragic results."

's Wesley Coburn gave the episode an "A+", saying it was "a wild, heartbreaking ride, combining elements of Groundhog Day, The Good Place, and Final Destination into one of the most impactful closing scenes ever.

The site highlighted the evolution of Enoch since his introduction in the fifth season, and praised Stoffer for making the character his own which made his death scene so powerful: "We hung on his every measured, soft-spoken word, marveling at how this robot had become so attuned to human ways."