S02.E18: The Frenemy Of My Enemy

[ElectricBoogaloo]

A dangerous new alliance is formed as Coulson and Hunter turn to the last person anyone would expect – Grant Ward! As the war between S.H.I.E.L.D. factions continues, Skye and Lincoln will find themselves drawn into this conflict.

 

Promo:

[ottoDbusdriver]

Nearly all of the non-Age of Ultron clips in that preview are from previous episodes of AoS -- so other than saying watch next week, it really wasn't a preview of anything.

[paigow]

HYDRA can track Gordon...Why can't SHIELD?

[Spartan Girl]

Cal may be a crazy bastard, but somehow he manages to make me feel sorry for him. Almost.

God I'm so sick of looking at Ward's smug face. I can't believe he had the nerve to ask Fitz how he was doing. I knew his "remorse" wasn't genuine. Since a bunch of ABC shows are killing off some of their main characters lately, can Ward be next?

[Lantern7]

I feel bad for Cal. He needs a hug. With his luck, it'll be from Raina, and it'll take hours to get the quills out.

[benteen]

Am I the only one who felt bad for Cal?  Cal is a dangerous psycho who needs to be away from people but KM is so much fun in the role and succeeds in making him sympathetic to a degree.

 

Great episode!  This show seems to get stronger the closer it gets to a Marvel movie released.  Loved both storylines with the Ward/Hydra stuff and the Skye/Cal/Inhuman stuff.  Lot of superpowers being thrown around now which is cool.  Liking Deathlok but that poor bastard can't catch a break, can he?

[Donny Ketchum]

@APSimpson:

 

PLEASE STOP HOPING FOR WARD TO RETURN TO THE TEAM FULL-TIME!  This episode showed that it's not gonna happen.  Deathlok got taken in large part because of him tonight, and he pretty much told Kara (I think pretty honestly, too) that he was just using Coulson to gain their own endgame and had no intention of being erased, despite agreeing to it.  Add in the promo calling him their "greatest enemy," and I think he's gonna be off the team pretty much indefinitely.

 

I will say it does seem like he's honestly moving on with Kara, though.  He does seem to still have his feelings for Skye, but it's pretty clear he knows she doesn't feel the same way about him.

 

As for the rest, Simmons shouldn't get mad at May at all.  She was right that Bobbi, Mack, and the rest of the "real SHIELD" would've found out about the box eventually.  I like that May seems more open to trying to combine forces with the two SHIELDs.  Seems Coulson is willing to, as well.

 

Lincoln should've just stayed out of this.  Deathlok was taken in part because of Ward, but he still could've gotten out if it hadn't been for him stepping in when he shouldn't have.

God I'm so sick of looking at Ward's smug face. I can't believe he had the nerve to ask Fitz how he was doing. I knew his "remorse" wasn't genuine.

That really was the worst, wasn't it?  I cheered when Fitz tried to jump him and wish that Coulson and Hunter hadn't stopped him.

[Jediknight]

Oh how I was hoping Hunter was going to slug Ward for saying "So Fitz, how you been?" with that smug smile on his face.  I'd hope for Fitz for some revenge, but Hunter could do more damage.  Hunter and Fitz make for a fantastic duo, and that's been all season.

 

Please show, don't even think about doing a redemption arc for Ward.

[SnoGirl]

It's offical. I love Hunter and Fitz as friends. The two of them together on the Quinjet and then when Ward was around, I just loved the way Hunter was looking out for Fitz. And Fitz's reaction to all things Ward was exactly how I imagined it. I actually wish he would have unloaded more, or at least used a sleeper on him.

Hunter getting shot made me think of when he was talking to Skye at the beginning of the season after Hartley was killed. He definitely cares about Coulson's Shield. He wasn't even around for Ward's betrayal but he was protecting those who were and it really endeared me to Hunter more.

I'm sort of hoping May and Bobby just put the hammer down on both Shields. I hate this whole house divided thing. Hydra is definitely one-upping Shield still. They need to unite and conquer.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Everything in the entire MCU is now all about Skye. If this is an example to the big lead-up to Age of Ultron, prepare to be disappointed.  And if Skye shows up on the big screen in Avengers 2, I think I'll be walking out.

 

Half the episode was Skye and Cal waltzing down Cal's memory lane.  Better known as filler.  And sure, Cal still has an office in a building he owns in Milwaukee.  Why not ?

 

If Cal and Jiaying were on the verge of setting up shop in Milwaukee (buying a building, finding schools for Skye, etc.) , how was Jiaying captured from a village in China after Skye was born ?

[xqueenfrostine]

Good episode.  I'm quite pleased that Coulson's deal with Ward didn't go as entirely as planned.  I like Ward, but he's been a much more interesting character since his big reveal as a double agent last season so I'm not interested in any path to redemption for him, even a slow one.  Their current truce did a good job at making a team up between Ward and Coulson believable, while still allowing Ward to stay Ward.

 

But I wasn't happy about the switch of allegiance in May.  I know they laid the seeds for it last week, but too much of her switch happened off screen.  I can't count how many times I felt like I could see where whole scenes were cut from last week's episode, and they were all from May's present day story (probably to fit in more Skye time, grrr).  We never saw her accept Gonzales's offer to join the board of New SHIELD, we just saw her announce to Simmons that she had done it.  And we never saw her go through Bobbi's intel and seeing her first reaction to Coulson's covert activities, we just saw her tell Simmons about it and show us a map.  Without seeing that, May's current turn feels very out of character.  Her past with powered people doesn't explain how, despite the great loyalty she's shown Coulson, she felt she could risk Simmons locating Coulson through Deathlok under the direction of New SHIELD or why she would take Skye's call in front of Mac and Bobbi and feel comfortable allowing them to go to retrieve her. I just don't buy her motivation.  It feels really out of character, because a handful of flashbacks from last week aren't enough to counteract the two seasons of intense, no questions asked loyalty  May has shown Coulson.  Whatever good points she might think NEW SHIELD might have, they still are the guys that sent spies into their team and raided their base.  She shouldn't be past that already.

 

Man I felt so bad for Cal this week.  He's a crazy weirdo, but I feel tons better about him as a parent than I do about SkyeMom.

Edited April 22, 2015 by xqueenfrostine

[SnoGirl]

I totally forgot, I just have to know who's from Wisconsin on this writing staff. Coulson's from Wisconsin AND Cal set-up shop in Milwaukee?!? Is Coulson from Wisconsin in the comics? I just can't believed they've named two Wisconsin towns in the same season. I wish they had shot here, the Third Ward would have been perfect for this episode!

[paigow]

I cheered when Fitz tried to jump him and wish that Coulson and Hunter hadn't stopped him.

They saved Fitz from breaking his own hand - Ward would have ducked, Fitz would break a few metacarpals on the wall.

[tennisgurl]

So many factions, I feel like I need a flow chart to keep up with who is loyal to who, when. 

 

I swear, I wanted Fitz to punch Ward in his stupid, smug face. When he was all "how you been?" all casual like, I wanted to reach through the screen and strangle him. Yeah, he`s been real great, except for the whole brain damage thing you did to him. Asshole. Entertaining, but asshole to the max. Speaking of Fitz, he is just the more adorable thing ever. His outfit in the intro was the best. He looked like an extra cute accountant.

 

I love Cal, and he and Skye reminiscing about the life they could have had was actually pretty sad. I feel bad for Crazy Cal, even though he is a messed up, horrendous murderer.   

 

Really enjoyable episode, but I really want the SHIELDS to join together soon. They have (and are going to) have much bigger fish to fry. 

[xqueenfrostine]

They saved Fitz from breaking his own hand - Ward would have ducked, Fitz would break a few metacarpals on the wall.

 

Yes.  As much as Fitz deserves the opportunity to clock Ward, no good could have come from allowing him to try to attack Ward.  There's no way Fitz could win that fight.

[mybabyaidan]

I knew as soon as they asked Simmons to hack Deathlock's feed that they would see them working with Ward and get the wrong idea.

 

Oh Lincoln, way to get in the way.  His power is pretty cool though. And did I miss something?  Did Skye not see Mike?  He scanned her, but I couldn't tell if she saw him.  I would think she would have gone to him if she had seen him instead of going to the roof.   I am still not sure if Ward followed Coulson because he is still obsessed with Skye, or if he wants a little payback for the 4 slugs she put in him.  I think it's the former, because the way he perked up when her named was first mentioned....

 

I am still hoping May is in on whatever Coulson is doing.  I can deal with a lot from this show, but more May/Coulson angst at being double crossed is just too much.

 

Loved Hunter and Fitz, still don't like Jiaying (it's the actress I am not crazy about, not the character.  DL just seems very....not good)   It was a huge dick move to just drop Cal around a bunch of innocent humans and just go "oh well, not my problem".  She kind of sucks.

[Tim Thomason]

HYDRA can track Gordon...Why can't SHIELD?

 

HYDRA figured out the quantum entanglement thing first. They may have been aware of a teleporter for years and have been researching it (whereas SHIELD has just found out about him). That and the fact that SHIELD has been pretty busy with its own internal strife for about a year now, means they don't have alot of time to devote to R&D regarding unknown superhuman powers.

 

If SHIELD and HYDRA are going to be on somewhat equal footing, as all good adversaries should be, then there are some things that HYDRA ought to be figuring out first. Now HYDRA has a verifiable Inhuman with inside information on the "Afterlife", that should send them way ahead of the game in knowledge of powered people.

 

I liked the tension around Mike's eye-hacking, knowing that Simmons and May were going to hack in at an inopportune time to make Coulson look bad. Of course, I didn't expect Coulson to be showing up shortly to actually explain himself. Coulson was kinda banking on Ward not realizing that he wasn't in full charge of SHIELD. Although he realized at some point before his final scene ("the only backup is Fitz"). Which makes me fear for the well-being of Hunter and Fitz, who are apparently left with Ward and whatever his endgame will be.

[DeLurker]

Bastards are toying with me. Cal yammering on about a bakery and I am just waiting for an Agent Cooper cherry pie reference.

[MostlyC]

small voice  I'm a Wardemptionista.  He'll never be a goody two shoes like he was, but I think if they Tahiti him, why not let him come back full time?  Stranger things have happened in the Marvel Universe.  And he has nice abs.

 

ducks tomatoes

[Donny Ketchum]

They saved Fitz from breaking his own hand - Ward would have ducked, Fitz would break a few metacarpals on the wall.

Eh, you never know.  Fitz may have just settled for strangling him instead. ;)

[thuganomics85]

I wonder if there is ever going to be a point where Skye will officially become Daisy Johnson.  I guess I'll keep calling her Skye until she decides going by that name herself, if she ever does.  But, since that is a decently-known comic character, I wouldn't be surprised if that happens one day.

 

I really do love Cal.  Kyle MacLachlan is just awesome.  Cal is totally a nutter, but he brings a humanity to him, that can make him likable and even relatable at times.  Even if I understood her reasons, I hated how Jiayang was trying to trick him like she did, and seems to be more or less playing him.  I'm sure he's destined to go down eventually, but I hope he finds some level of redemption.

 

Unlike Ward.  That smug bastard is back, and he really doesn't seem to give a shit.  I don't know what they were going for, but his line at Fitz didn't sound apologetic at all, but like he was needling him, so I have to think that was on purpose.  He's all about himself, Agent 33, and I'm guessing still Skye.  He can be a fun villain, but I hope it all blows up in his face soon.

 

Well, crap.  I get why Coulson did what he did by teaming up with Ward, but thanks to Simmons hacking Mike, I'm sure she and Melinda are going to think he's working with evil.  Fitz needs to hack them and explain!

 

Hydra now has both Deathlok/Mike and Lincoln.  That's not good.  Not good at all.

 

At least it sounds it it more and more likely that both Bobbi and Mack are getting fed up with Real Shield, and are kind of wondering if they picked the wrong side. Hope they figure it out, but they'll probably have a lot to make up for.  Especially since it looks like Hunter is now Fitz' new BFF.  Your loss, Mack!

 

Hmm.. what is Coulson game plan?  Interesting ending.

Edited April 22, 2015 by thuganomics85

[Donny Ketchum]

small voice  I'm a Wardemptionista.  He'll never be a goody two shoes like he was, but I think if they Tahiti him, why not let him come back full time?  Stranger things have happened in the Marvel Universe.  And he has nice abs.

 

ducks tomatoes

*Throws plenty of tomatoes*

 

Why not?  Because if you think about it on a larger scale, that'd be like betraying the SHIELD agents he killed at the Fridge.  Them, and their families who lost them.  It'd be like betraying the innocents he's since killed since being on the run, as well as their own loved ones.  It'd be a betrayal of the innocents who died on Talbot's base, too.

Edited April 22, 2015 by Donny Ketchum

[Amelie06]

Coulson is in love with Skye. That is the only thing that explains his behavior. He all but crumpled on the ground shouting, "Skyyyeee!!!!" at the end. Also, screw Skye and her whiney girl disappearing act.

 

Fitz is my heart on this show. I love him so much!

 

The Inhumans seem like a bunch of a-holes. What a demanding bunch of divas. Their compound seems like a super bitchy high school.

[paigow]

HYDRA figured out the quantum entanglement thing first. They may have been aware of a teleporter for years and have been researching it (whereas SHIELD has just found out about him). That and the fact that SHIELD has been pretty busy with its own internal strife for about a year now, means they don't have alot of time to devote to R&D regarding unknown superhuman powers.

 

Wouldn't that be something for Hogwarts SHIELD? Looking for space-time anomalies as class projects? Even before Capt America 2, Gordon has been leaving his signature all over the world for years....nobody within SHIELD noticed?

[Jediknight]

*Throws plenty of tomatoes*

 

Why not?  Because if you think about it on a larger scale, that'd be like betraying the SHIELD agents he killed at the Fridge.  Them, and their families who lost them.  It'd be like betraying the innocents he's since killed since being on the run, as well as their own loved ones.  It'd be a betrayal of the innocents who died on Talbot's base, too.

It'd be a betrayal of Fitz and Simmons, who he tried to kill, and he's got no remorse for doing that to Fitz.

[DeLurker]

I really wanted them to start this ep with Hunter explaining to Fitz how to escape using the hand dryer.

Fitz looked a bit more grown up in the glasses.

Cal is the most lovable psychotic nutter ever. He can switch gears in a heartbeat and sell me on it. SHOW: Please properly hem KM's pants. They are way too long and bag up below his knees.

[kennyab]

Ward's presence just ups the tension of any given episode. I'm glad they've shown restraint and haven't tried to cram him into every episode, as I think he's much more effective this way.

 

I didn't read his scene with Fitz as smug or taunting. In him own warped way, I think he meant it when he said that he thought he was given Fitz and Simmons their best chance. I read it as an honest attempt to break the ice with someone he screwed over in a big way, which I actually find much worse.

 

I get why May's doing what she is. She's genuinely concerned about Coulson. She doesn't distrust him the way Gonzalez does, but she's worried that he's in over his head and possibly not in his right mind. She's actually doing this for him and hoping to find answers before he or anyone else gets hurt.

 

Yay for Simmons sticking up for Coulson and Fitz wanting to protect Skye. It's understandable that she was thrown at first when Skye received her powers, but she's come around. It's very reminiscent of the type of coming out story in which a family member doesn't process the news well at first. And Henstridge just owned it like she always does.

 

I'm glad that Skye was able to see a bit of who Cal used to be. Credit to both the writers and Kyle McLachlan for creating a compelling tragic character. You can understand and sympathize with his motivations even if he made bad decisions along the way. It's a nice contrast to Ward, who's just completely delusional. They've had just about every character rebuff Ward's attempts at self-pity, which has been awesome (the one exception being a mentally unstable Agent 33, which is just about right). While Cal's crazy, he's also very honest, and I can completely buy Skye finding some small place in her heart to offer him a bit of understanding.

 

I'm totally ready to get the team back together. Especially Fitz and Skye and Simmons. I heart those three kids.

Wouldn't that be something for Hogwarts SHIELD? Looking for space-time anomalies as class projects? Even before Capt America 2, Gordon has been leaving his signature all over the world for years....nobody within SHIELD noticed?

 

Someone in SHIELD did notice, I'm sure. Unfortunately, a big chunk of SHIELD at that time was actually Hydra.

[Boundary]

I didn't like the Ward/Hydra side of the episode, it didn't do anything for me. As far as I'm concerned, Ward can be written off for all I care. But it did get interesting when everyone converged in one place.

 

I wonder if there is ever going to be a point where Skye will officially become Daisy Johnson. 

 

Cal reminiscing was beginning to affect her, you can see her starting to understand her father and imagining herself as Daisy. 'A day out with dad' was ruse but as it went on, I thought she was starting to think twice about dumping him. Gordon initially captured him because he was making too much noise, how is dumping him now gonna change that? It was always a bad idea. I think Jiaying needs to own her mistake.

 

The Inhumans seem like a bunch of a-holes. What a demanding bunch of divas. Their compound seems like a super bitchy high school.

 

It seems like they have a bunch of rules but applying them rigidly is going to be their downfall. Hydra is on their tail and if they are not careful, someone like Cal, Skye or even that backpacker who disappeared will expose them.

 

BTW, making Cal a Dr Johnson was a great retcon. There's no way Skye was originally intended to be Quake but they are now owning that decision. A couple of plot holes still need to be plugged though.

Edited April 22, 2015 by Boundary

[Tim Thomason]

Wouldn't that be something for Hogwarts SHIELD? Looking for space-time anomalies as class projects? Even before Capt America 2, Gordon has been leaving his signature all over the world for years....nobody within SHIELD noticed?

 

Maybe. Gordon has used his powers for: A. transportation of (mostly) consenting people, so probably no missing persons reports, and B. Pizza (and other supply) runs. And it's likely that the Inhumans have enough money so that Gordon doesn't make a show and steal things.

 

Raina and Skye were a once-in-a-thousand year deal, and their abductions (and the abduction of the man who could expose them) were oddities in what has probably been a very careful career for Mr. No-Eyes. It's entirely possible that his powers, while detectable, are something you'd have to be actively looking for and not something that you would simply run across in idle scans.

[ChelseaNH]

Dear Mr. Peterson,

 

In recognition of your valued and long-standing service to S.H.I.E.L.D. (Original Non-Hydra Flavor), we are pleased to award you with the designation of Chopped Liver.  If you should happen to extricate yourself from your current difficulties, we would be more than happy to once again accept your assistance with our mission of being Skye's loving and protective family.

 

Best wishes,

S.H.I.E.L.D. (Original Non-Hydra Flavor)

[paigow]

Maybe. Gordon has used his powers for: A. transportation of (mostly) consenting people, so probably no missing persons reports, and B. Pizza (and other supply) runs. And it's likely that the Inhumans have enough money so that Gordon doesn't make a show and steal things.

 

Raina and Skye were a once-in-a-thousand year deal, and their abductions (and the abduction of the man who could expose them) were oddities in what has probably been a very careful career for Mr. No-Eyes. It's entirely possible that his powers, while detectable, are something you'd have to be actively looking for and not something that you would simply run across in idle scans.

True..except that he arrives in a ball of lightning like Kyle Reese .....if smartphone footage of Sif vs Kree is floating around, Gordon must be a YouTube staple.

[xqueenfrostine]

True..except that he arrives in a ball of lightning like Kyle Reese .....if smartphone footage of Sif vs Kree is floating around, Gordon must be a YouTube staple.

 

Why would he be on YouTube?  Sif v. Kree were caught on video because there was a conflict in a public place that went on long enough for people to first see it and then pull out their phones or camera to capture the moment.  Gordon flashes in so quickly that the only reason his arrival would show up in anyone's photo or video is if someone just happened to have their device pointed and rolling at the place where he appeared.  If Gordon takes care to teleport in and out of places where he's less likely to be seen, then it's not improbable that he could avoid drawing attention to himself.  Given what we've seen so far and given the Inhuman's desire to remain undetected, I think it's fairly safe to assume that Gordon is pretty careful about where he "lands" unless there's some sort of emergency situation that won't allow him such caution.  But even then, he should be in and out too quickly for someone to get video of his exit.

[Raja]

Everything in the entire MCU is now all about Skye. If this is an example to the big lead-up to Age of Ultron, prepare to be disappointed.  And if Skye shows up on the big screen in Avengers 2, I think I'll be walking out.

 

 

I wouldn't say everything but as a replacement for mutants most things are about Inhumans as the most hated of the enhanced people and the Skye story is our origin story of the Inhumans

[Humbugged]

Everything in the entire MCU is now all about Skye. If this is an example to the big lead-up to Age of Ultron, prepare to be disappointed.  And if Skye shows up on the big screen in Avengers 2, I think I'll be walking out.

 

Save your money then - I read a guy elsewhere ,who has seen a screener say she is in the fight at the beginning

 

I wouldn't say everything but as a replacement for mutants most things are about Inhumans as the most hated of the enhanced people and the Skye story is our origin story of the Inhumans

 

This .

 

Daisy (and she will probably officially be that next season as she was trying it on for size) is the 'gateway Inhuman' and they will introduce more as they go along (Carol and Kamla Khan for starters ) but for the minute she is it

[VCRTracking]

I loved Skye/Daisy Johnson in this episode.

[Jeezaloo]

If Cal and Jiaying were on the verge of setting up shop in Milwaukee (buying a building, finding schools for Skye, etc.) , how was Jiaying captured from a village in China after Skye was born ?

 

Your question was answered - or at least the answer was implied -  in this very episode.

I really wanted them to start this ep with Hunter explaining to Fitz how to escape using the hand dryer.

 

I know! I can imagine someone in the writers' room saying, "Okay guys, here's the deal. We can either spend hours trying to come up with some elaborate and plausible way for Fitz to escape the restaurant bathroom using a wall-mounted hand dryer, or we can just dump it on the viewers to puzzle out so we can knock off in time for happy hour. Any votes for happy hour? Anyone?" And then the writers just grumpily pile out of the room and wander to the nearest bar without even voting first.

Edited April 22, 2015 by Jeezaloo

[sinkwriter]

 

I totally forgot, I just have to know who's from Wisconsin on this writing staff. Coulson's from Wisconsin AND Cal set-up shop in Milwaukee?!?

 

As someone born and raised in Green Bay, I'm finding these little details highly amusing.   :D

 

I loved the way Hunter reached over and stilled Fitz's hand on his gun. I just wish Hunter had let Fitz get one punch in, even just one - Ward so deserved it.

 

And I second wanting to know how to escape via a bathroom hand dryer. Hee. (I do like random odd comments like that, though. They make you go, "What?" and then laugh at the absurdity and the mental image. Pretty fun.)

[Boundary]

Well, the tail was still on him when he got to Coulson. So maybe Hunter wanted him to escape with dry hands?

[missbonnie]

I feel bad for Cal. He needs a hug. With his luck, it'll be from Raina, and it'll take hours to get the quills out.

ROTFLMAO!!!! OK that was damn funny. I loved the episode but I am beginning to need a playbook to figure out what the heck is going on with everyone.

Edited to add that if Skye is in AoU, I am going to be a very happy fan girl.

Edited April 22, 2015 by missbonnie

[Jeezaloo]

Can you wire a bathroom hand dryer to a doorknob in such a way as to facilitate an escape? We'll never know!!

[raspberry7]

And I second wanting to know how to escape via a bathroom hand dryer. Hee. (I do like random odd comments like that, though. They make you go, "What?" and then laugh at the absurdity and the mental image. Pretty fun.)

I figured it was intentionally written as something preposterous, to tickle viewers' imaginations. Hope we get the story (of the line) someday!

[KatWay]

I don't want Ward redeemed per se - though I do want him to stick around because at least he shakes things up a bit between the rest of the team congratulating themselves on how moral, awesome and brilliant they are, but him getting TAHITI'd would be pretty interesting. Did he have psychopathic traits from birth? His screwed up family might support that. Or could he have been normal and nice, like his fake persona (he had to drag that from somewhere), if not for his upbringing/the Garrett brainwashing? Would be interesting to see.

[Jediknight]

Can you wire a bathroom hand dryer to a doorknob in such a way as to facilitate an escape? We'll never know!!

If only Michael Westen went on to join SHIELD, we would know.

[FurryFury]

I really liked this episode. All the threads wove together nicely, and I actually dug all emotional scenes.

 

Gah, Cal's just so awesome! So many nuances, such a joy to watch him simply because of McLachlan's acting. I just can't get enough of him, both when he's crazy and not. I have no problems buying Skye would be conflicted about him, because even after everything, he's still somehow likable.

 

Hi, Ward, I've missed you! I understand why there has been so little of him this season, but I get a kick of Evil!Ward. I'm sure he won't really erase his memory, though (although it would be fun if he pretended to). Or maybe i just hope we won't get Bland Ward #2, even if it would get him back in the SHIELD's orbit. But wow, he sure didn't waste time hooking up with Agent 33. It's weird.

 

"- You'd work with Bobbi? - No, not a chance" - haha, Hunter, you so will.

 

"- You've got a cyborg on board with rockets in his arm. - He's not a cyborg... He's a SHIELD agent. (beat) With rockets in his arm." - great delivery by Clark Gregg.

Edited April 22, 2015 by FurryFury

[DeLurker]

I figured it was intentionally written as something preposterous, to tickle viewers' imaginations. Hope we get the story (of the line) someday!

I was thinking it might be a Venus Butterfly type thing.

 

If Cal and Jiaying were on the verge of setting up shop in Milwaukee (buying a building, finding schools for Skye, etc.) , how was Jiaying captured from a village in China after Skye was born ?

it wasn't clearly laid out but I took it as Cal was a practicing physician who bought the office building before he joined up with Doctors without Borders. He got sent to China and met Jiaying there.

Don't remember the wording about the charter schools but I'll assume he was just familiar with the schools by reputation since these discussions would have been pre-1988 (cause the Internet was still pretty lean and mean back then and access in rural China seems like a stretch).

Edited April 22, 2015 by DeLurker

[SnoGirl]

As someone born and raised in Green Bay, I'm finding these little details highly amusing. :D

I loved the way Hunter reached over and stilled Fitz's hand on his gun. I just wish Hunter had let Fitz get one punch in, even just one - Ward so deserved it.

And I second wanting to know how to escape via a bathroom hand dryer. Hee. (I do like random odd comments like that, though. They make you go, "What?" and then laugh at the absurdity and the mental image. Pretty fun.)

I'm from Wisconsin too, just west of Milwaukee so the references have made me squeal when we get referenced.

Not only did I love Hunter putting his hand on the gun, I loved too that you could see when Coulson was talking to Fitz about Ward, Hunter was completely avoiding eye contact and looking towards Mike in the cockpit. He knew it was going to be a big deal and it was almost like he was shameful about working with Ward because of Fitz so he wouldn't look at him.

I thought we were going to get a Leverage style flashback with Fitz and the hand dryer. Count me in on wishing it had happened. Who knows, maybe in the future Fitz will be pinned down in the bathroom with someone else and we'll see it.

Edited April 22, 2015 by SnoGirl

[Bec]

How does the hand dryer help Fitz escape? Maybe when he has the hand drying on as a noisy distraction, it'd cover up any noise he makes while he climbs out the window. (Was there a window? I wasn't paying attention.)

 

I would be for TAHITI-ing Ward because I see it as more punishment than just plain killing him (that would be letting him off too easy to satisfy my sadistic side). Note that Ward doesn't want to be TAHITI-ed. Think about it, for all intents and purposes, it would obliterate the person he is now and SHIELD could make him their puppet.

 

There was a movie I saw with that kind of plot, where some scientists mind-wipe a terrorist and trick him into thinking he's a double agent infiltrating his former group. Eventually his memories start to come back but by then he was so influenced by what he has experienced he doesn't want to go back to who he was. That movie asked some pretty intriguing questions. Like is a person just the sum of his memories? Is it really okay to mess with someone's mind like that even if he is your enemy? What makes a person good or evil? Stuff like that. Unexpectedly thinky for a sci-fi/action flick.

 

I see so much potential for interesting stories if this show takes this route. They can even add things like "how would people who knew him respond to the mind-wiped version of him?" I would imagine it would be weird for them, and I would not blame them at all if they treat him like crap (might even be entertaining to watch). But after a while would we start to feel bad for "mind-wiped guy" who is essentially a different person and has no idea what happened?

[paigow]

I would be for TAHITI-ing Ward because I see it as more punishment than just plain killing him (that would be letting him off too easy to satisfy my sadistic side).

 

Coulson is living proof that TAHITI is flawed. Ward knows that. Coulson should know that Ward knows. Therefore, Coulson should know that Ward is lying. Ward should know that Coulson knows ....... 

[FurryFury]

There was a movie I saw with that kind of plot, where some scientists mind-wipe a terrorist and trick him into thinking he's a double agent infiltrating his former group. Eventually his memories start to come back but by then he was so influenced by what he has experienced he doesn't want to go back to who he was. That movie asked some pretty intriguing questions. Like is a person just the sum of his memories? Is it really okay to mess with someone's mind like that even if he is your enemy? What makes a person good or evil? Stuff like that. Unexpectedly thinky for a sci-fi/action flick.

 

Oh, it's a common trope. Not sure how it's called, but I remember it best from the game Knights Of Old Republic (Star Wars), where the main character you've been playing for half a game turns out to be the former Big Bad mind-wiped by the Jedi Council.

 

However, I really do not want for Ward to go through this - the only version I would like is if everyone was 100% sure the mindwiping worked but he has been playing along. I actually enjoy current Ward, he's fun and has interesting dynamics with other characters (my favorite's with Skye, because it's so rare to see a dysfunctional ex-romantic relationship treated like it's actually dysfunctional, at least in the genres I prefer, but also with Fitzsimmons and Coulson).

Edited April 22, 2015 by FurryFury

[Agent Dark]

Oh, it's a common trope. Not sure how it's called, but I remember it best from the game Knights Of Old Republic (Star Wars), where the main character you've been playing for half a game turns out to be the former Big Bad mind-wiped by the Jedi Council.

Oh yeah, the "Revan, the Big Bad, is actually you!" twist in "Knights of the Old Republic" is one of the best plot twists in gaming.  But the reason it works so well is because it's a genuinely surprising twist (not to mention the player-choice you have in deciding to redeem yourself and return fully to the Light Side or fall back to the Dark Side).  But I'm not sure a mind-wiped Ward would have the same effect.  I think he will probably work best as an 'independent contractor' so to speak - someone who can pop up occasionally that the team has to uneasily work with.