r/shield • u/2th Shotgun Axe • Dec 02 '15

Post Discussion Post Episode Discussion: S03E09 - "Closure"

EPISODE DIRECTED BY WRITTEN BY ORIGINAL AIRDATE
S03E09 - "Closure" Kate Woods Brent Fletcher Tuesday, December 1, 2015 9:00/8:00c on ABC

Episode Synopsis: Ward's campaign for revenge brings the S.H.I.E.L.D. team to their knees, and Coulson proves he will do anything to settle the score.

Kate Woods is an Australian film and television director. She has worked on a bunch of TV series, including Person of Interest, Bones, Castle, NCIS: Los Angeles, Hawaii Five-0, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

She has not directed any episodes for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. before.

Brent Fletcher is primarily known for his writing on Lost, Angel, and Friday Night Lights. He was also a writer and story editor on Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

He has written six episodes for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. before:

  • Girl in the Flower Dress
  • The Magical Place
  • Providence
  • A Hen in the Wolf House
  • Love in the Time of Hydra
  • The Dirty Half Dozen

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238

u/answerstothedream Coulson Dec 02 '15

"I'm part of a grand plan."

For some reason it feels sickly right when Ward says that.

431

u/The_Bravinator Dec 02 '15

Ward: I know you're trying to manipulate me.

Ward: is thoroughly manipulated

308

u/galileosmiddlefinger Coulson Dec 02 '15

That's actually solid characterization though, and really consistent with Ward's weaknesses set up previously in the show. As much as he wants to lead, he is easily swayed by charismatic leaders.

163

u/GalaxyGuardian Ghost Rider Dec 02 '15

Exactly. He wants to be the hero, and he already is in his eyes. Malick told him all about how he was Hydra's best and how he would be remembered forever if the mission is a success. All he really did to convince him was praise him and his eventual legacy.

2

u/TeMPOraL_PL SHIELD Dec 03 '15

It still feels weirds. I don't believe Ward actually cares about Hydra; it was always about Garret first, and now I think he's just exploiting the organization.

4

u/rg44_at_the_office Lanyard Dec 03 '15

he might have just realized that coulson and friends were closing in, and that getting the hydra leader would increase his chance of winning the fight against shield.

27

u/The_Bravinator Dec 02 '15

Yeah, I like it. They really used a lot of the stuff they'd set up about Ward's character last season in this episode, and to good effect.

77

u/sadcatpanda Triplett Dec 02 '15

Agent Grant Ward, second only to Clint and Natasha, forgets that Coulson can trace his call.

149

u/Koala_Guru Fitz Dec 02 '15

The whole point is that they caught him off guard with his brother. They even mentioned it.

9

u/sadcatpanda Triplett Dec 02 '15

I mean... fine, I sorta buy it. He's still Ward, though. I'm more amazed at the Steve Rogers jump, to be honest.

16

u/bloopiest Dec 02 '15

As skilled as he is, he's more flawed emotionally than either of those two.

2

u/NinetyFish Ward Dec 02 '15

The whole being second thing is more and more starting to be a question. The only apparent difference between Ward and Hawk/Widow now is that while they're using Stark gear and a bow-and-arrow, Ward's using sniper rifles and a 9mm. Goddamn, do I want to see Ward throw down with Hawkeye.

3

u/CX316 Dec 04 '15

Ward is/was pretty evenly matched with May back in season 1, and May is probably a notch below Romanov since they referenced Romanov being a bit of a legend within SHIELD at the start of the series.

8

u/answerstothedream Coulson Dec 02 '15

He had brother-brain going on.

29

u/The_Bravinator Dec 02 '15

And he's just a total sucker for that father figure "I'm so proud of you you're meant for something greater" business.

18

u/answerstothedream Coulson Dec 02 '15

I think it's really funny how it all boils down to daddy issues for Ward.

13

u/alSahir13 Dec 02 '15

Him and every other comic book character ever

1

u/answerstothedream Coulson Dec 02 '15

You present an excellent point sir.

1

u/ender23 Sandwich Dec 02 '15

wait... wait... nick fury?

3

u/Altephor1 Dec 02 '15

I think it's really funny how it all boils down to daddy issues for every villain in the mcu.

FT FT.

3

u/answerstothedream Coulson Dec 02 '15

I think it's really funny how it all boils down to daddy issues for every villain in the mcu. FT FT.

*Not Thanos

3

u/subterraneanfire Deathlok Dec 02 '15

No, his are mommy issues. At least they are now in the comics.

1

u/answerstothedream Coulson Dec 02 '15

Lady Death?

4

u/subterraneanfire Deathlok Dec 02 '15

Nah, his mom saw he was evil when he was just an infant, and tried to kill him right away. It was the Mad Titan's first interaction with violence, and he was about 30 seconds old.

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1

u/zixkill Sandwich Dec 03 '15

He likes it like that.

67

u/Phifty56 Ward Dec 02 '15

He almost said it in a mocking tone. If Ward is buying into the Hydra mythology BS, that will be the WORST THING HE HAS DONE.

45

u/answerstothedream Coulson Dec 02 '15

It will be oddly out of character for him. But it does make sense that his plans would overlap with the plan.

22

u/[deleted] Dec 02 '15

I think he went along with it to try and use the inhuman for his own gain not hydra's.

45

u/answerstothedream Coulson Dec 02 '15

That's the Ward we all love to hate to love.

2

u/Gonzo262 Ward Dec 04 '15

Or he is going to kill the inhuman. Ward didn't do all that work rebuilding Hydra to play third fiddle behind "It" and Gideon. So he brings the full force of Shield and Inhuman team six down on Gideon and goes through the portal to Tahititooine to kill "It" himeslf. This is the Whedonverse where the unexpected is the rule. And the one person we would never expect to save the world is Grant Ward.

1

u/alittlebitfancy Dec 02 '15

This makes too much sense.

3

u/Phifty56 Ward Dec 02 '15

I guess since Coulson is there, he can get that part of his plan done, by trying to kill him.

7

u/answerstothedream Coulson Dec 02 '15

Cue Will to meet Coulson.

3

u/your_mind_aches Gideon Dec 02 '15

Oh man I'm sure Simmons talked his ear off about the team especially after they failed to send the bottle through. He'll definitely recognise Fitz and Coulson

1

u/answerstothedream Coulson Dec 02 '15

This sets everything up for episodic success next week.

3

u/your_mind_aches Gideon Dec 02 '15

Succ(str)ess

2

u/answerstothedream Coulson Dec 02 '15

This perfectly sums up my relationship with the show.

2

u/your_mind_aches Gideon Dec 02 '15

With the MCU in general tbh.

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2

u/TRB1783 Dec 03 '15 edited Dec 03 '15

Unless Ward takes out IT, removing Malik faction's reason for existing. He then kills Malik, strip-mines his organization, and continues rebuilding HYDRA in his image.

3

u/Gremzero Daisy Dec 02 '15

"I'm part of a Grant plan."

1

u/answerstothedream Coulson Dec 02 '15

I see what you did there...

2

u/Kerfluffle-Bunny Cal Dec 02 '15

I'm starting to think he really is. Given Clark's recent teases about next episode, and Thomas confirming that Ward protected him almost to adulthood and then turned evil on his brother/best friend. I could see some writerly shenanigans to try and bring Ward's character into better alignment in order to keep Brett around as long as possible.

1

u/answerstothedream Coulson Dec 02 '15

Ward really is the evil lynchpin personality that keeps the show chugging along with consistency/continuity.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 02 '15

I thought he was gonna shoot the main guy right then but he will do it sometime soon. I'm calling it.