The Ward returneth! Return of the Ward! Revenge of the Ward! (Other Star Wars titles I could be using – The Ward Strikes Back. Attack of the Ward. And so on.) The point is, Ward is back. And not just that he shows up in this episode but he has returned to full form in this episode. For a very long time it’s seemed that Agents of SHIELD doesn’t really know what to do with Ward. They had an amazing freshman season but they outdid themselves with the Hydra reveal. No it seems that they’re second guessing themselves with where to take Ward, going back on the covenant they made with the audience.
No matter, this is where we are now. Jump on board, because the season three train has already left the station. Not that the show will go back to the conflicted and damaged Ward of season one, but they are doing something that they know at the very least. This episode opens with Ward completely wasting everyone. This is what he does best. In the pilot, Ward appeared for the first time completely demolishing everyone in his path. Slow and steady wins the race, Agents of SHIELD. The reason behind Ward’s awesome moves do not matter. Though there is some sort of story behind it.
Ward’s reason for recruiting the Von Strucker kid was less to do with advancing the ranks of Hydra and more for Ward to get into his family safe. Unfortunately, Hydra heavy hitter Malick comes onto the scene, figuring out Ward’s plan. He leaves him to be killed by his henchmen. Is Ward to be defeated? Of course not. You don’t get in the first billed cast for nothing.
At the SHIELD base, Coulson reveals Project Spotlight. It is a covert mission to find out what ATCU is really about. Rosalind comes to visit the base so Coulson can find out if he trust her or not. While she is occupied, he dispatches the rest of the team to infiltrate the ACTU unit, find Andrew and possibly the cure.
Hunter and Bobbi are on the ground, following the orders of Skye/Daisy and Mack. Hunter truly shines in undercover, though he does always seem to be the same variation on a defensive Brit. Even though they succeed in their mission, it is still a failure. Andrew isn’t in fact at the facility at all.
The ATCU is giving all employees mandatory supplements of contaminated fish oil. The ATCU isn’t trying to cure Inhumans. They’re turning them. But Rosalind isn’t aware of what is really happening. It turns out that Hydra Malick is on her payroll. Rosalind as it turns out isn’t dirty, Malick is just turning Inhumans for his own benefit.
Even throughout all of these twists and turns of allegiances, as per usual, it is not the most interesting thing about this episode. As always, SHIELD should put more stock into the Fitzsimmons relationship. After two and a half years, it happens. It has finally happened.
Simmons is upset about how good Fitz is about finding her transplanet lover. She is torn between a rock and two beautiful yet extremely different men. Fitz should hate her but even though he is and always has been devoted to her, he still has to help her. Fitz is doing everything right but the guilt is too much for Simmons.
And finally in a moment of passion, despite how unhappy the two of them are, Fitz and Jemma kiss. It has been a long time coming. So long that it didn’t seem like this would ever really happen. But it has and true to SHIELD form, it is completely desolating. Fitz isn’t wrong. This entire team is cursed. Maybe what they really have an issue with is bad timing. But nonetheless, it seems pretty clear. No one will ever be happy on this show.
Ward breaks into the vault to find Malick. While SHIELD is leading towards some sort of conclusion with the Monolith, it’s not quite there yet. Malick gives Ward a lesson on the true meaning of Hydra. (Like Christmas, but with more octopus.)
Hydra is actually older than the Red Skull and World War II. It is as old as the Monolith itself. Their true allegiance is to a powerful Inhuman that was so dangerous it was sent through the Monolith a millennia ago. That is Malick’s true endgame. To raise an Inhuman army that this powerful Inhuman will command once they find a way to get it from the planet it was marooned on.
One thought: It’s Will, right? It has to be. Nevermind that he was a supposed sacrifice to the desert planet. It has to be him. It follows the theme. No couple on this show will ever be happy. (Jemma should dump Will and Fitz. It would just be fair that way.)
The crazy evil Inhuman being Will would just be too obvious at this point. Ward betrayed Skye. Andrew betrayed May. Will could betray Jemma. It’s obvious the only decent human on this show is Fitz, but even he is struggling with his pristine reputation. Malick sets his sights on recruiting Andrew, or more accurately Lash.
And somehow, it really all pales in comparison to Fitz and Simmons kissing.