Ragtag (121)

[GateWorld]

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. - SEASON ONE RAGTAG EPISODE NUMBER - 121 Coulson and his team infiltrate Cybertek and make a shocking discovery about their enemy. In the past, Agent Garrett recruits a teenage Ward and shapes him into the person he has become. VISIT THE EPISODE GUIDE >>

[Booklover]

Totally enjoyed this episode.

Had to laugh out loud at Coulson and his fan-boying over Tripplet's grandfather's "toys". Coulson was just like a little kid in a candy store. Clark Gregg continues to impress with his portrayal.

Quote of the night: "Skye...prepare for a large data transfer".

Still don't know if Grant can be redeemed......or even if he should. He's been much more interesting as a baddie.

Looking forward to next week. It should be a bang up episode.

[meredithchandler73]

I love this show SOOOOO much. Another amazing episode! So much to love! I've only watched the episode once so far, but some thoughts on the ep (in no particular order):

--I love Coulson geeking out over the old Howling spy stuff - which were very cool items, by the way.
--I'm glad we didn't see Tripp butting heads with anyone in this episode...though I fear that his being accepted as part of the team means he might get killed off in the near future.
--Coulson and May posing as scientists was totally hilarious. And Gemma's response to Fitz saying they should have gone in: "Ugh, posh! May doesn't look a day over...thirty. You're gorgeous!"
--"Get ready for a large file transfer." BRILLIANT!
--Nice moment between May and Skye. Maybe we'll get to see May teaching Skye Tai Chi. And then later training her on how to fight.
--"Pizza delivery for Pablo Jimenez?"
--Raina is a master manipulator. I wonder if her telling Ward about Skye's past was her way of trying to push him into going against Garrett and following his heart. Raina looks like she could turn on Garrett/Hydra any moment.
--Gotta know what Raina's connection is to Skye! Maybe the same species? Sisters? Intriguing!
--Fitz shorting out Garrett with an EMP. AWESOME!
--It looked to me like Ward didn't have the heart to kill Buddy (the dog) and Garrett knew that might happen, was watching through the rifle scope, and killed the dog to prove a point to Ward. It was to show him he was still weak and he needed to overcome it. Fitz telling Ward that he knows he cares about them reminded him that if he didn't follow orders, Garrett would have it done himself.
--Thank goodness Fitz has that walkie/homing beacon quarter that Tripp gave him. We know Fitz and Simmons will be OK.
--The injection Raina gave Garrett - it seemed to make him physically better (he doesn't look close to death anymore), but it may have had some of the side effects Coulson warned about in his report to Fury. Perhaps Garrett will start giving out irrational orders and that will cause Ward to finally turn on him? Most of me wants Ward to stay evil - I think it's sadder that way to see how Garrett corrupted him, even though Ward would get impulses to do good, he beat them down on Garrett's orders.

I'm sure there is more, but that's off the top of my head. I can't wait for next week's episode!!!

[Booklover]

I love this show SOOOOO much. Another amazing episode! So much to love! I've only watched the episode once so far, but some thoughts on the ep (in no particular order):

--I love Coulson geeking out over the old Howling spy stuff - which were very cool items, by the way.
--I'm glad we didn't see Tripp butting heads with anyone in this episode...though I fear that his being accepted as part of the team means he might get killed off in the near future.
--Coulson and May posing as scientists was totally hilarious. And Gemma's response to Fitz saying they should have gone in: "Ugh, posh! May doesn't look a day over...thirty. You're gorgeous!"
--"Get ready for a large file transfer." BRILLIANT!
--Nice moment between May and Skye. Maybe we'll get to see May teaching Skye Tai Chi. And then later training her on how to fight.
--"Pizza delivery for Pablo Jimenez?"
--Raina is a master manipulator. I wonder if her telling Ward about Skye's past was her way of trying to push him into going against Garrett and following his heart. Raina looks like she could turn on Garrett/Hydra any moment.
--Gotta know what Raina's connection is to Skye! Maybe the same species? Sisters? Intriguing!
--Fitz shorting out Garrett with an EMP. AWESOME!
--It looked to me like Ward didn't have the heart to kill Buddy (the dog) and Garrett knew that might happen, was watching through the rifle scope, and killed the dog to prove a point to Ward. It was to show him he was still weak and he needed to overcome it. Fitz telling Ward that he knows he cares about them reminded him that if he didn't follow orders, Garrett would have it done himself.
--Thank goodness Fitz has that walkie/homing beacon quarter that Tripp gave him. We know Fitz and Simmons will be OK.
--The injection Raina gave Garrett - it seemed to make him physically better (he doesn't look close to death anymore), but it may have had some of the side effects Coulson warned about in his report to Fury. Perhaps Garrett will start giving out irrational orders and that will cause Ward to finally turn on him? Most of me wants Ward to stay evil - I think it's sadder that way to see how Garrett corrupted him, even though Ward would get impulses to do good, he beat them down on Garrett's orders.

I'm sure there is more, but that's off the top of my head. I can't wait for next week's episode!!!

--"Pizza delivery for Pablo Jimenez?" Absolutely hilarious!!!!

And you're right about Raina. I get the feeling that she might just throw a monkey wrench into Garrett's plan.

[Mrja84]

--"Pizza delivery for Pablo Jimenez?" Absolutely hilarious!!!!

And you're right about Raina. I get the feeling that she might just throw a monkey wrench into Garrett's plan.

I had serious belief she'd killed Garrett right there and then. She is disappointed that he doesn't share her interest in special people (ie mutants and/or enhanced humans), but she is certainly using what she's got. I'd be happy to see that she started her own organization within Hydra sort of giving them their own medicine.

I don't think Raina is connected to Skye in the sense of genetics. But Raina may have more pieces to Skye's mysteriously puzzled past.

[Looney]

I really am not liking the fact that it seems obvious they are going to redeem Ward. IMO The only acceptable way for that to happen is saving lives as he falls to his doom. They shouldn't try to make a character who has done what he has done a hero again. After this episode it seems much more likely that they are going to redeem him. This episode really softened him up with that back story. It basically said, he is really a good guy and soon will be redeemed by the power of good. Tell that to the families of the two guards he murdered trying to free Garrett and the others he murdered raiding the Fridge. (I still can't believe they are really going to say Agent Hand is dead, but she really would be because Garrett would have made sure of it when Ward freed him.)

[meredithchandler73]

I really am not liking the fact that it seems obvious they are going to redeem Ward. IMO The only acceptable way for that to happen is saving lives as he falls to his doom. They shouldn't try to make a character who has done what he has done a hero again. After this episode it seems much more likely that they are going to redeem him. This episode really softened him up with that back story. It basically said, he is really a good guy and soon will be redeemed by the power of good. Tell that to the families of the two guards he murdered trying to free Garrett and the others he murdered raiding the Fridge. (I still can't believe they are really going to say Agent Hand is dead, but she really would be because Garrett would have made sure of it when Ward freed him.)

I agree that the only acceptable way for Ward to be redeemed is if he saves others as he dies. I worried a bit that the Ward backstory meant Ward would turn from the darkside, but I'm REALLY hoping it was just to give the character more colors. While we are sure that Ward couldn't kill Buddy AT FIRST, it is very unclear whether it was Ward or Garrett looking through the rifle scope to kill the dog. As I said in my previous post, my initial thought was that it was Garrett watching what Ward would do and taking care of the dog in case Ward was "weak" but it is certainly possible that Ward got the nerve up to kill Buddy at a distance.

The last time we see Garrett, he definitely seems altered by the make-shift GH-325 that Raina produced. "What are you feeling?" "The universe!" Oooookay. Remember Coulson's report to Fury about the Tahiti project - side effects included mental deterioration which sometimes led to psychosis. And the subjects Coulson was working with weren't using the Centipede serum, so who knows how that would affect Garrett as well.

By the way, I was just recalling what Garrett said about Raina during Turn, Turn, Turn. He was telling Coulson that the Clairvoyant used that machine they used on Coulson to brainwash the "***** in the flower dress". Was Garrett lying as part of his passionate plea to get Coulson to think Victoria Hand was the Clairvoyant? When Coulson and Raina were talking (The Magical Place), he asked her if the machine would even work and she said it worked for her. What memories was she trying to uncover? Does she have a similar background to Skye? Did the machine actually brainwash her at all or was that just Garrett's term? It would have been interesting if Raina's whole obsession with the gifted stemmed from some false memories implanted in her brain. I'm really loving the character and the mystery around her. I'd prefer to find out more about her backstory and see her redeemed rather than Ward.

[Mrja84]

I agree that the only acceptable way for Ward to be redeemed is if he saves others as he dies. I worried a bit that the Ward backstory meant Ward would turn from the darkside, but I'm REALLY hoping it was just to give the character more colors. While we are sure that Ward couldn't kill Buddy AT FIRST, it is very unclear whether it was Ward or Garrett looking through the rifle scope to kill the dog. As I said in my previous post, my initial thought was that it was Garrett watching what Ward would do and taking care of the dog in case Ward was "weak" but it is certainly possible that Ward got the nerve up to kill Buddy at a distance.

The last time we see Garrett, he definitely seems altered by the make-shift GH-325 that Raina produced. "What are you feeling?" "The universe!" Oooookay. Remember Coulson's report to Fury about the Tahiti project - side effects included mental deterioration which sometimes led to psychosis. And the subjects Coulson was working with weren't using the Centipede serum, so who knows how that would affect Garrett as well.

By the way, I was just recalling what Garrett said about Raina during Turn, Turn, Turn. He was telling Coulson that the Clairvoyant used that machine they used on Coulson to brainwash the "***** in the flower dress". Was Garrett lying as part of his passionate plea to get Coulson to think Victoria Hand was the Clairvoyant? When Coulson and Raina were talking (The Magical Place), he asked her if the machine would even work and she said it worked for her. What memories was she trying to uncover? Does she have a similar background to Skye? Did the machine actually brainwash her at all or was that just Garrett's term? It would have been interesting if Raina's whole obsession with the gifted stemmed from some false memories implanted in her brain. I'm really loving the character and the mystery around her. I'd prefer to find out more about her backstory and see her redeemed rather than Ward.

The machine that Coulson was referring to was a machine to help him regain memories, not brainwash, so Raina most likely is not brainwashed.

I really think they are leaving too much detail out of Ward's backstory. That scene way back in the first half where as a child he and his brother kept a kid in a water well was not fully developed. Now we don't even know if he shot the dog or not. They are really trying to add mystery where there shouldn't be.

Once the revealed happened we shouldn't be second-guessing the character's motives otherwise it just feels like the writers don't know what to do with him.

[meredithchandler73]

The machine that Coulson was referring to was a machine to help him regain memories, not brainwash, so Raina most likely is not brainwashed.

That's what I thought, but then I started second-guessing. I'd like to think Raina knows her own mind. She does seem to have her own agenda. REALLY hope there is some kind of double-cross that will happen. At the end of The Girl in the Flower Dress: Scorch shows up and Raina lets the elevator doors close before the doctor can enter as she says, "I wish you all the best."

I really think they are leaving too much detail out of Ward's backstory. That scene way back in the first half where as a child he and his brother kept a kid in a water well was not fully developed. Now we don't even know if he shot the dog or not. They are really trying to add mystery where there shouldn't be.

Once the revealed happened we shouldn't be second-guessing the character's motives otherwise it just feels like the writers don't know what to do with him.

I like mystery. We don't know everything about *anyone's* backstory - just pieces. As much as I really like Evil Ward, I like the idea that there were tragic circumstances to him ending up this way. But I will be REALLY impressed if they are just teasing us with the possibility he will be redeemed and they don't actually redeem him.

Lots of questions for the end of the season. I wonder how many will be answered in the final episode and how many they will leave dangling for a second season.

edited to add: Second season became official last night! AWESOME!!!

[garhkal]

I didn't love the ep, but it was still good. 3.5 out of 5 stars for me. And i agree, i hope they are not setting us up for a redemption of ward.