So bad. They decided to take what could be a badass plot arc and turn it into a love triangle.

 

It's odd, because I generally despise love triangles as a way to add drama to a narrative, but this instance doesn't seem to bother me so much. Maybe because the way it happened is actually plausible, under extreme duress.

Also, Fitz is my favorite character and I just love what they've done with him. I have faith that no matter what happens, he will quietly BAMF his way out the other side with principles intact.

Yes, I just used BAMF as a verb.

 

Well, I did NOT see that coming. I'm wondering if I missed something obvious that would have pointed to it.

 

I don't think so. If you missed it, so did I. My mother-in-law complained that it felt completely out of left field.

 

There were theories on the Shield subreddit since the end of the previous episode about it. You could check those out for some clues.

 

Some of the clues I noticed before this episode.

The Von Strucker kid running out of the place scared was my first clue which made me think back to previous episodes.

His weird reason for abandoning May at the start of the season was probably his terrigenesis.

The fact the only other suspect, since the bad guy must be someone we've seen already, that could have access to the information was the ATCU guy and he was with Coulson and Rosalind when Lash was first shown.

 

Yeah it wasn`t that surprising. It was clear that something was off with him though I admit that I didn`t think he would be the monster himself and not just connected to it. I am a bit unhappy about it since I hate few things more than recycling the cast for villians (it seems just stupid/unrealistic to me though I understand the marketing reasons behind such a thing) and I hope that it won`t drag on forever but I guess it will to some interesting character interactions.

 

First May, now Coulson. Both love Hydra.

 

I feel like Price may not be Hydra. She's obviously not on the level, but the guy she was talking to was on the World Security Council, so she may just think of him as a highly influential figure. Going by the promos, though, things will be going down between the ATCU and Shield next episode, so we should find out more then.

 

The Hydra backstory was pretty awesome.

Seems Will is the big bad.

Also - fucking hell - Grant fucking Ward.

 

This show really has gotten incredibly good.

Ward is still a subpar character, but he just has so many great villain one liners. The plane bit was epic.

 

Really? Think Ward is one of the best characters atm.

 

Yeah, Ward's awesome, I just wish they'd give him a motivation with a little more gravitas than simple revenge. Also, I totally called Price being clean (at least for now). And yeah, I think given how Fitz!Simmons is going down, they might have to have Will turn out to be evil or something, because a heroic sacrifice isn't going to cut it in terms of closure.

 

Yeah, its a way to have Simmons confront to herself just how GOOD Fitz is, seems shes starting to realise but that would help a lot.

 

Wasn`t that already made clear in the end of the simmons episode?I seem to remember that it showed him killing his collogues in cold blood instead of the lie he told her...

 

A tendril of fear is creeping down my spine that Ward is about to get a serious redemption arc, and it'll go something like this:

1. End of last show, it was made clear by Gideon Malick the focus of Hydra moving forward must be getting the portal and opening/controlling it.

2. Ward and Co. will find a way to get either another portal, the reconstituted portal, or that portal and reconstitute it themselves.

3. Somewhere along the way, it will be learned that Daisy/Skye/Black-Haired-Hacker-Chick-Inhuman was the one keeping it open with her powers.

4. Malick Demands Ward get her.

5. Ward goes along with plan, and then delivers her to safety instead, showing he's still in love with her, or whatever it was they had.

6. As follow-through, there'll be some kind of reference by Ward to the fact he never lied to her.
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I sincerely hope not, but the minute I heard Malick mention the need for whatever kept the portal open, that was the first thought that popped into my mind.

 

In order for Ward to stay he'll need a permanent redemption arc.

I don't want to see another Sylar. Villains that last longer than two seasons just show complete good guy ineptitude.

Ward either needs to die or get redeemed. He can't stay a villain for long; villains need to get defeated.

Not sure which one I would prefer. I like Ward, but I don't see a realistic way for redemption at this point.

 

I don't think Ward needs either. Him being redeemed would be a huge copout, but I think the fact that he's constantly becoming enmeshed in others' schemes could shift the focus from defeating him to defeating the main threat (Whitehall, Mallick) while letting him survive like a dangerous cockroach.

 

It was the same with Sylar in Heroes. Sylar was not the main villain after season one. He was just there because the writers didn't want to kill him. They just didn't know what to do with him.

I do not want Ward going the same route.

 

I kinda suspect they might make him Inhuman and wipe his memories. Death without the death essentially. That is the only way I see him surviving. Redemption is pretty impossible at this point.