Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Closure

December 2, 2015 11:46 AM - Season 3, Episode 9

S.H.I.E.L.D. and Ward collide when Malick attempts to open the portal.

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.

posted by Ivan Fyodorovich (33 comments total)

It was mostly a good episode, but Roz being stuffed into a fridge is such a goddamned disappointment.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 11:55 AM on December 2, 2015 [8 favorites]

DAMMIT, SHOW- I LIKED HER!


Also, torturing Simmons? Not cool.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 11:59 AM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

1. It's a parachute, pull the cord at some point.

2. Don't send Ward to meet the Will the C'thulu. That does not sound like it work out well for anyone.

3. You know Fitz is gonna just monkey with the travel back plans in some science way, right Malick?

4. Never trust a Ward brother!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:04 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

"It was mostly a good episode, but Roz being stuffed into a fridge is such a goddamned disappointment."

Yep. She was an interesting and refreshing character and I've been most excited to see her as friendly and watch those possibilities between her and Coulson play out.

You're right that they fridged her -- and what's really annoying to me is that the tragedy of it wasn't as powerful as it should have been because the relationships (between her and Coulson and her and the audience) weren't as solid as they needed to be. Not only didn't they spend enough time with the two of them together for this to be as powerful as intended, they also totally confused the issue by making us see her as a villain for awhile until late in the previous episode. And then they didn't give us any time to re-adjust to the idea that she was, in fact, friendly.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 12:06 PM on December 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

That's what makes it a classic fridging - she was, it seems, never meant to be a character who resonates with the audience on her own, and just did a face turn in time to provide motivation for Coulson.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 12:09 PM on December 2, 2015

(Also, echoing Brandon, they telegraphed Will being the Inhuman hard in Fitz's scenes. He'll only bring back Will, and definitely not Maximus or whoever it is. Right! That'll work out well.)
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 12:11 PM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Roz!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
posted by Pendragon at 12:29 PM on December 2, 2015

This episode really taxed my suspension of disbelief: Roz added salt to her fast-food burger and fries.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 12:37 PM on December 2, 2015 [4 favorites]

Watched this last night and almost shut it off when I realized they were fridging Roz. Holy fuck, show, everyone in SHIELD has ample reason to want Ward dead, you don't need to kill Coulson's girlfriend to ramp anything up.

Really disappointed in that decision, and also Coulson not picking up on the fact that Ward was playing him on the phone call immediately afterward. It was obvious to me that Ward was giving information to lure SHIELD into a trap...

Anyways, here's what I am hoping because I am a big fan of Fitz: Fitz most likely has a plan to ensure no one gets off the planet - but he also has a small window to get himself, Will, and Coulson out. Last shot is of Ward's disbeliving face as Fitz gives him the finger before leaving.
posted by nubs at 12:59 PM on December 2, 2015

"This episode really taxed my suspension of disbelief: Roz added salt to her fast-food burger and fries."

That's my mom. Not Roz, but someone who would add salt to fast-food. She'd add salt to salt because it wasn't salty enough.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 1:02 PM on December 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

Nthing 'Fridging Roz was bad, and they should feel bad.' If they were going to kill her off, (and I get the impression that had to occur because she had a spot on a different show), they should've gone ahead and let it happen during her plan to return to the ATCU, so she could go down swinging. Rosalind Price was a cool character, and that would've been the right way to handle her death and the subsequent meltdowns.

Apart from that... Coulson as Angry Dead Girlfriend Guy didn't work for me at all, and the interrogation scenes felt like total filler. "Hey guys, let's all remember the bad times with Grant Ward!" We've been watching the show, we know he's bad. He won't shut up about it.

I am also nonplussed by Malick's plan. It had really better be more well thought out than, "I have gathered extravagant resources all so I can be the abused toady of a godlike Inhuman Apocalypse knockoff." There'd better be some jar he intends to stuff the super-Inhuman in so he can steal its power, or... something smarter than playing this very bad plan straight.

On the plus side, I liked how much Hunter enjoyed going off the books. I feel like he already had a bucket list for if he ever got the chance to use SHIELD resources to do bad stuff. The 'have you ever robbed a bank?' line was great.

I also did enjoy the fight between Coulson and Ward's flunkies. The air freshener bit was very Bourne of him. I'm looking forward to a big set piece with Daisy's new team. I liked Mack being left in charge.
posted by mordax at 1:18 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

Also, why doesn't Fitz have pocket bots that can undo locks? COME ON SCIENCE TECH GUY!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:29 PM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Malick might just see things in eschatological terms where he's trying to bring about the hydra rapture after which everything will be perfect.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 1:30 PM on December 2, 2015

Hello....Hydra? Long time listener, first time caller.

What happens when you guys bring back this ultimate evil, what makes you think he's gonna be on anyone's side but his own?

I'll take my answer off the air, thank you.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:33 PM on December 2, 2015 [11 favorites]

Did anyone notice if Mack's save-the-day shotgun was the long-teased SHOTGUNAXE?

Cos I choose to believe it was the SHOTGUNAXE.
posted by coriolisdave at 1:35 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

Hi, caller! I'm not sure I understand your question -- you're worried about what happens next when we bring back ultimate evil? Is that right? But it's ultimate evil and we're evil. I don't see the problem. This is what we've been working for, it'll be great! Everything you've ever wanted, everything I've ever wanted, we'll have. That's how ultimate evil works, right? Everyone knows this, it's like the most obvious thing. It's why we all signed up in the first place.

Hope that clears things up! Thanks for calling!
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 1:45 PM on December 2, 2015 [7 favorites]

Malick might just see things in eschatological terms where he's trying to bring about the hydra rapture after which everything will be perfect.

You have a point in that it's more plausible than I'm making it sound, (I am painfully aware that the real world is full of people like that), but it still wouldn't be dramatically satisfying. We all know what has to happen when they bring back Not-Apocalypse, and stories are less fun when they're on rails.

(Also, HYDRA's whole deal is endless contingencies - I'd be very disappointed if they didn't have one for 'what to do in case Evil Inhuman Antichrist doesn't play ball' because it's, like, their entire hat.)
posted by mordax at 1:53 PM on December 2, 2015

They better fucking kill Ward now.

None of this "Oh, he got away again." nonsense.


I have fucking had it.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 1:57 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

They better fucking kill Ward now.

Why is May not part of this epic hunt?

They better fucking kill Ward now.

Definitely before Will the C'thulu absorbs him.

They better fucking kill Ward now.

Then Thomas will be the only Ward Bro left. Hmmm.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:01 PM on December 2, 2015

why doesn't Fitz have pocket bots that can undo locks?

Perhaps the pocket bots that undo locks cost lots and so were hocked by the jocks?

They better fucking kill Ward now.

I don't believe Ward really buys into the Hydra uber-being mumbo jumbo. If he can't figure out a way to turn the uber being to his side or control it, he'll do whatever he can to kill it. He's not into to any of the religiosity of Hydra it seems to me. If the being in any way gets in the way of Ward's agenda, it will be an enemy. Destroying it puts him squarely at the top of the Hydra he knows and loves.
posted by tempestuoso at 2:04 PM on December 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

This episode was so emotionally sloppy. I'm angry about them fridging Rosalind - her entire relationship with Coulson (in retrospect) is rushed and cliche when it was on the verge of being rather interesting and quite refreshing. I was so hoping she'd secretly be a Hydra loyalist and was playing Coulson in the last episode. The show reduced her strong female leader role into a poorly paced needless death.

The Fitz-Simmons drama was also just... bloated. They've abused that relationship so much that I wasn't even worked up by the whole torture tag team dilemma. "oh no, Simmon-in-Peril... whatever will Fitz do?" The answer to that is always the same "whatever the hell he can."

I would have preferred more time on the commando mission stuff going on and their plan on the other side of the portal. The Ward-baiting was neat but getting revenge on him is also a bit overplayed on this show.

The one redeeming moment was putting Mack in charge. That made the show for me.
posted by toomanycurls at 2:12 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

Ivan Fyodorovich, do we watch the same exact shows??

So....yeah. Ward. Please kill him. This is season 3 and he is STILL ALIVE.

Dear Ward,
Die already. You flew somewhere over the dreaded redemption arc about halfway through season 2, and we've seen all of your tricks, and it's time for you to go. BYE. B Y E.

The blue planet needs its own show.
posted by the webmistress at 2:46 PM on December 2, 2015

whatever will Fitz do?" The answer to that is always the same "whatever the hell he can."

Was really, really hoping that the answer to Roz's surprise fridging to open the episode was Fitz's unexpected freeing of self and putting bullet in Ward's head to end it.

Would have been a nice twist on the usual.
posted by nubs at 2:51 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

When they put Mack in charge, I was hoping there'd be some sort of automated message from Nick Fury welcoming him to the role.
posted by Catblack at 2:53 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

The one person who had absolutely no credible reason to voluntarily go through the portal was Ward. The rest of the Hydra guys are presumably True Believers, Fitz wants to fuck up their plan, Coulson wants to fuck up everything, but Ward knows Simmons is the only one who's ever come back and so to come back himself he will be dependent on a very hostile Fitz+Simmons to get him back. You're-my-boy speech from the head Hydra guy notwithstanding I do not see this as a project Ward would find in his interests.

Still, it's a comic book story and from the Roz-fridging to the Ward leap of faith it was enough fun to keep going. I am definitely going to be tuned in to see what they do on the other side now.
posted by Bringer Tom at 5:09 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

May and the super-powered Daisy-chain are going to cavalry the shit out of that HYDRA base next episode, I'll bet.
posted by dazed_one at 7:24 PM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

I continue to be displeased with most things involving Rosalind.

I continue to be displeased with most things involving Ward.

I continue to be displeased with most things involving Fitz + Simmons being split up and tortured by Ward yet again (more Ward, so that's a double whammy of suck).

It's pretty much guaranteed that Fitz brings back Will, who turns out to be Ultimate HYDRA Evil Dude and oops, Will was killed at the end of that last episode on the blue planet. On the bright-yet-completely-obvious side, that means that Fitz and Simmons can be in an awkward-overwrought "dude, you were willing to sacrifice the whole human race to save me, so basically fuck you" rather than an awkward overwrought love triangle.

C'mon show, you can do better than this.

I paid for this, so I'm not quiiiiiite hate-watching it yet, but I am definitely mildly-perturbed-watching it.

On the bright side, Mack in charge w/the Super Friends will be a nice change while most of the A Team is faffing about inadvertently ending the world.
posted by Alterscape at 7:57 PM on December 2, 2015

It's pretty much guaranteed that Fitz brings back Will, who turns out to be Ultimate HYDRA Evil Dude

Unless It decides to take Ward as its new host, making Ward the Supreme Hydra Honcho.
posted by homunculus at 8:57 PM on December 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

I was hoping against all hop that this was just a ploy by ACTU to extricate Roz from Coulson. The way it was shot - you hear the noise, the camera cuts to the window with Coulson's gaze, and when we return to Roz we see her hand clutching her neck and gushing blood. I hoped it was an elaborate set up to make Coulson think she's dead so that she can get back to her real Hydra work - but no. Ward just shot her. How disappointing. (although it was hard for me not think that she was trying to sell Seattle Grace Mercy Death for scrap parts after the plane crash).
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 11:51 AM on December 3, 2015 [2 favorites]

OK, what the heck is up with May? Other than that one episode, it feels like she's been in about five total minutes this season. Is she doing a movie, pregnant, recovering from something, what? With the exception of Daisy I don't think any of the others have had as little to say and do, but at least we know Daisy's heading to the Secret Warriors stuff.

Anyone else notice this?
posted by GhostintheMachine at 5:00 PM on December 3, 2015

I've wondered about May as well. My show-centric thoughts on her step back this season is to give space for other characters to develop as badasses on the show. The first two seasons relied on May for almost every strategic combat mission and now others are having a go at them. The audience knows May well enough for her to have a backseat for a while but still be a meaningful presence when she's on screen.

Dunno, maybe there's something in the actress' life that caused them to pull her out of doing action sequences every episode.
posted by toomanycurls at 5:58 PM on December 3, 2015

I was not at all convinced that head Hydra dude had gotten through to Ward about leading the mission. I was expecting Ward to be a little more self preservationist and just push Hydra guy into the portal and say something snarky like lead them yourself. However I can see how having Fitz go through with would give him less of the not making it back concerns...
posted by Feantari at 1:03 PM on December 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

I don't think anyone's mentioned this yet, but Powers Boothe, who plays Malick, has been in a lot of things but for me the definitive role he's played was "Cy Tolliver" in Deadwood. And the thing about that character and his portrayal of Tolliver is that among a large number of very scary characters on that show, Tolliver ended up for me the most terrifying. There's an incredible scene between Boothe and Kristen Bell and Kim Dickens that is forever seared into my memory. (And that was the first role I ever saw Bell in, and she was amazing.)

So Boothe has been pretty convincingly frightening to me simply on the basis of his portrayal of Tolliver.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 3:00 PM on December 6, 2015 [2 favorites]