# Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D S02E07: The Writing on the Wall (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 12, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400 "2014-11-12T01:46:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400/41 "2014-11-15T07:23:54Z")
Ward never had a dead man switch, or a genuine bomb vest. It was all a bluff to get SHIELD off his back, from the moment he hitched up his shirt to show the “explosives.” ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400/42 "2014-11-15T13:33:43Z")
Coulson said he wasn’t bluffing - I just assume it’s true if he said it. The stuff with Ward was strange in that it looks like the writers have found a way to do something interesting with the character (i.e. good writing), but SHIELD were ridiculously stupid to let him escape in the first place (i.e. terrible writing). Coulson, etc. have worked with him for plenty of time - they know what he can do. He was obviously going to escape, and he was obviously going to use his magic powers of being a good spy to know he was being tailed. Are his motivations now all creepily-try-to-impress-Skye-with-dead-birds, or does he have another plan? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400/43 "2014-11-15T13:44:39Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > Are his motivations now all creepily-try-to-impress-Skye-with-dead-birds, or does he have another plan? The two aren’t mutually exclusive. He’ll probably do both for the second half of the season. Who knows where he’ll be by the finale. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400/44 "2014-11-15T13:56:23Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The two aren’t mutually exclusive. He’ll probably do both for the second half of the season. Who knows where he’ll be by the finale. They’re pretty mutually exclusive the way I intended it, anyway. I’m wondering if he has taken on doing what he thinks Skye wants (presumably he thinks he knows better than she does what that is) as a “mission”, perhaps one he doesn’t need to survive, or is his priority himself? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400/45 "2014-11-15T17:01:42Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > Coulson said he wasn’t bluffing - I just assume it’s true if he said it. Assuming Ward is on a genuine redemption kick, Coulson (and the rest if his crew), are going to be spending a lot of time being wrong about Ward’s motivations. If he is trying to be a good guy now, he wouldn’t risk blowing up all those innocent people. But there’s no way anyone in SHIELD is going to believe that he’s a good guy until, at the very least, the season finale. ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400/46 "2014-11-15T17:34:56Z")
Killing that handful of Hydra agents and the barkeeper, doesn’t really scream “redemption” to me. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400/47 "2014-11-15T18:50:55Z")
Also, murdering FBI agents during the escape is not a great start to redeeming oneself. I still say Grant is not on a redemption mission at all. He’s working towards Skye’s father’s plan, whatever that is. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400/48 "2014-11-15T19:12:14Z")
Well, right now, his plan seems to be revenge on his brother. Next stop, who knows? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400/49 "2014-11-15T21:09:16Z")
> [@polar\_bear](#): > > Killing that handful of Hydra agents and the barkeeper, doesn’t really scream “redemption” to me. Killing Nazis is the best redemption kick there is. Good point about the FBI agents, though. I’d forgotten about those guys. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400/50 "2014-11-15T21:22:15Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > Also, murdering FBI agents during the escape is not a great start to redeeming oneself. I still say Grant is not on a redemption mission at all. He’s working towards Skye’s father’s plan, whatever that is. Did he kill the agents or knock them out? Did they say for sure? The bartender was a thug who was willing to kill someone he didn’t like, so he’s disposable. Male agents and soldiers on this show are mostly disposable red shirts too. In a way, it’s sort of okay he killed that guy back at the hidden base, whatshisname. He was possibly a clone. Fitzsimmons got better. Hand was a woman. That’s the only death that counts so far, it seems. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400/51 "2014-11-15T21:40:11Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Hand was a woman. That’s the only death that counts so far, it seems. What about the other guys in the plane with Hand? Or the two guards in the elevator? ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400/52 "2014-11-15T23:17:28Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > What about the other guys in the plane with Hand? Or the two guards in the elevator? The two guys in the elevator deserved it. If they were stupid enough to disregard _direct orders_ not to let anybody in … then turn their backs on the people they let in … well, too bad so sad for you. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400/53 "2014-11-16T00:04:10Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > What about the other guys in the plane with Hand? Or the two guards in the elevator? That stuff bugs me, but they’re red shirts and I guess we aren’t supposed to care. Anyway, I think Ward is doomed. He might get a little redemption and die heroically. Then again it’s a comic book story, so Hand could show up tomorrow. If she ever does, then I’m changing my vote to “redeemable.” ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400/54 "2014-11-16T00:21:29Z")
It’s a Marvel comic book show. They brought Jean Grey back as a hero, and she killed a whole planet. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400/55 "2014-11-16T02:38:43Z")
Jean Grey wasn’t herself at the time. Ward has stated he hasn’t been brainwashed, and he was loyal to Garrett his whole adult life. He seems a little nuts though, and he attempted suicide. I could see if he were wracked with guilt and willing to die to atone for his sins, but I don’t think he feels guilty at all. He doesn’t seem to even understand why Coulson doesn’t like him anymore. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400/56 "2014-11-18T09:08:09Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > While it might be necessary (or at least highly encouraged) for fans of the TV show to have seen the movies, I’m not sure it’ll work the other way, where understanding a movie means one has to be familiar with episode whatever from season whatever. The movie audience is much more international, for starters. And you think the TV series isn’t? Where do you think I’m watching it from? ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400/57 "2014-11-18T16:27:47Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Assuming Ward is on a genuine redemption kick, Coulson (and the rest if his crew), are going to be spending a lot of time being wrong about Ward’s motivations. If he is trying to be a good guy now, he wouldn’t risk blowing up all those innocent people. But there’s no way anyone in SHIELD is going to believe that he’s a good guy until, at the very least, the season finale. For the moment , I am going to be going with Ward wants to be to Coulson, is what Coulson wanted shield to be, to the great powers after the civil war. Time spent on us is wasted, we have mutual enemies we could be working together against, yada yada. Declan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-s02e07-the-writing-on-the-wall-open-spoilers/704400.md?page=2)