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Agents of SHIELD - Episode 2.14 - Love in the Time of Hydra - Ward poster

Mar 19, 2015

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Interview at EW
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74 comments:

  1. klutzy_girlMarch 19, 2015 at 3:06 PM

    Okay, love the poster but not sure I love what the interview is implying.

    ReplyDelete
  2. iSaquiMarch 19, 2015 at 3:07 PM

    Ward???

    ReplyDelete
  3. LouMarch 19, 2015 at 3:25 PM

    Another twisted relationship there then....gorgeous artwork though

    ReplyDelete
  4. DeanMarch 19, 2015 at 3:28 PM

    Ok, is this Ward with Skye and May/agent 33? mess is on the way.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Historical_MaterialistMarch 19, 2015 at 3:28 PM

    Agent 33 is looking for a purpose and to be loved and accepted. She is going to morph into Skye and Ward will find it hard to resist. That's what the poster is showing. The girl in red is clearly Skye. You can tell by the hair.

    ReplyDelete
  6. klutzy_girlMarch 19, 2015 at 3:30 PM

    No, I think they're just two separate people.

    ReplyDelete
  7. klutzy_girlMarch 19, 2015 at 3:31 PM

    I choose to believe Jeff Bell is screwing with us in the interview because the one in red/with bangs is Skye and blue is Kara.

    Because no thanks to Ward/Kara at all. JUST FRIENDS WHO HELP EACH OTHER HEAL FROM THE ABUSE THEY BOTH SUFFERED, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

    ReplyDelete
  8. LouMarch 19, 2015 at 3:36 PM

    He might be, or maybe they are weirdly twisted kindred spirits but not necessarily in a sexual way. I think the episode title is pretty jokey though.

    ReplyDelete
  9. klutzy_girlMarch 19, 2015 at 3:38 PM

    Let's hope you're right. LOL, we're all confused at the moment and trying to figure out what is happening.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Joy HaldarMarch 19, 2015 at 3:38 PM

    Looks lovely,can't wait.Such a vintage-y feeling!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Justin ValdesMarch 19, 2015 at 3:39 PM

    Is that supposed to be Ward with Skye and Kara? Is he supposed to choose between the two? Ummm...okay....this just gets more disturbing by the second but I trust what the writers are doing with Grant.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Justin ValdesMarch 19, 2015 at 3:41 PM

    ^^^ Yup, basically me right now. I have no idea what the hell is going on here haha.

    ReplyDelete
  13. greenlatopia1 .March 19, 2015 at 3:47 PM

    Wow , amazing artwork, but i gotta admit i wish fitzsimmons was featured instead ... but that's the shipper in me talking .

    ReplyDelete
  14. klutzy_girlMarch 19, 2015 at 3:48 PM

    LOL, I love how we're all extremely confused right now. And right there with you about trusting the writers (and Arune). They aren't going to screw this up.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Historical_MaterialistMarch 19, 2015 at 3:49 PM

    It could be anything but let's break it down:


    * Ward is with 33 both having been rejected and/or cast adrift. Ward by Skye with a bullet for good measure and 33 by the death of Whitehall.


    * The interview reminds us that 33 has the ability to change faces. Right now we've only seen her as Agent May and we've assumed that the damage and facial scarring has resulted in 33 being "locked" as May. Although she may not be able to remove the mask, she may still be able to change faces.


    * The interview also tells us that Ward and 33 have been together all of this time and we'll see what they've been up to.


    * The poster shows two women in romantic and/or affectionate postures. One of them in red is clearly Skye. The other in blue isn't as obvious but we can assume its 33.


    * We can infer from the poster 1 of 2 possibilities: 1) Ward is holding 33 (blue) while thinking about Skye (red) or 2) Agent 33 has changed herself into Skye.

    ReplyDelete
  16. KarriMarch 19, 2015 at 3:53 PM

    I'm not sure what to think about that. LOL. I'm not interested in a Ward/Kara romance. I hope she doesn't end up with Skye's face somehow.

    ReplyDelete
  17. klutzy_girlMarch 19, 2015 at 3:54 PM

    Wait, a second. I just noticed the "real SHIELD" logo in the background that we all missed when we were freaking out. Interesting...

    ReplyDelete
  18. klutzy_girlMarch 19, 2015 at 3:56 PM

    I honestly do think Jeff Bell is trolling us in that interview but something weird is going on (I just noticed the "real SHIELD" logo in the background) and I'm interested in finding out what.

    ReplyDelete
  19. klutzy_girlMarch 19, 2015 at 3:58 PM

    None of us want Ward/Kara (or for her to somehow end up with Skye's face). Clinging to the "Jeff's being a troll" theory with every fiber of my being.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Historical_MaterialistMarch 19, 2015 at 4:00 PM

    I'm certain this is real. And the "Real" SHIELD logo isn't round. Its kite shield shape with a flat top and pointed bottom. The logos on the poster are all the round traditional SHIELD logo.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Babar SuhailMarch 19, 2015 at 4:01 PM

    Am I the only one who thinks this is an awful poster?

    ReplyDelete
  22. Justin ValdesMarch 19, 2015 at 4:03 PM

    Doesn't the "real SHIELD" logo have three stars in it? I don't think that's it. Since it's the same shade of blue as Skye, I guess it just means that she is still a part of SHIELD.

    ReplyDelete
  23. KarriMarch 19, 2015 at 4:03 PM

    I can't remember how she ended up with May's face. That was in 2x04 right? Didn't she need something from May to copy her face?

    ReplyDelete
  24. DaervarnMarch 19, 2015 at 4:13 PM

    Doesn't the interview say that 33 is the red one, does it?

    ReplyDelete
  25. ChristinaMarch 19, 2015 at 4:15 PM

    Yea, I was hoping the title referred to them. No interest in whatever the latest Ward romance is.

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  26. Alex ForrestMarch 19, 2015 at 4:22 PM

    I really want to be excited for this weird and no doubt twisted relationship between Ward and Agent 33 and the light it could shed on both of their psyches, but I can't because of a certain fear. The same fear that's plagued me all season: that the writers will choose to cater to fans/shippers by redeeming Ward, making him rejoin SHIELD and putting him with Skye.

    There is no way in hell that development could ever be believable.

    No amount of tragedy in Ward's past is going to change the fact that he had a choice, and he chose to do horrible things that hurt these people immensely. Repeating "THE POD WAS SUPPOSED TO FLOAT!!!" ad nauseam isn't going to change the fact that it's a miracle Fitz and Simmons aren't dead. If Coulson, Skye and the rest forgive Ward, that's when every ounce of believability in the relationships on the show flies out the window and it jumps the shark.

    You want Ward to realize how bad his actions were and try to make amends? That's fine. But keep him the hell away from SHIELD and Skye, or you ruin the show. There's no realistic scenario where they even contemplate taking him back, except one where they've gone absolutely insane.

    (Spare me the self-righteous spiels about abuse and the stupid pod floating, "Stand With Ward" fans. I've heard them a hundred times and they're not going to make any more sense in time 101.)

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  27. klutzy_girlMarch 19, 2015 at 4:26 PM

    When they fought, something happened that caused the May face to stick (it's been so long I can't really remember).

    ReplyDelete
  28. klutzy_girlMarch 19, 2015 at 4:26 PM

    I keep going back and forth on that. Adds to the confusion.

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  29. klutzy_girlMarch 19, 2015 at 4:27 PM

    Ah, got it. Jumped the gun a little trying to focus on something that wouldn't confuse and upset me.

    ReplyDelete
  30. pink_tentacleMarch 19, 2015 at 4:27 PM

    wow, this is gonna be good

    i kinda wished that Agent 33 would become Madame Masque, but oh well... a twisted relationship is also quite interesting

    ReplyDelete
  31. ThulaLaniMarch 19, 2015 at 4:29 PM

    I don't care what the show does with Ward as long as they keep him away from Coulson's SHIELD. He HURT that team so very badly last year and it's not believable in any form whatsoever that they could ever welcome him back into the team. If they tried forcing that issue and made it happen regardless, the show would lose all credibility and become less enjoyable to me. A remorseless Ward can't go back to being buddies with Fitz and Simmons, sadly Hand, Eric Koenig and several SHIELD and FBI agents aren't around to speak for themselves.

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  32. ThulaLaniMarch 19, 2015 at 4:33 PM

    Both women look like apparitions compared to Ward, I don't think either one is Agent 33. It could be Ward fantasizing about Skye, possibly the new and old versions of her, judging by the bangs on the red one and lack thereof on the blue one. Either way....CREEPY!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  33. AbbyMarch 19, 2015 at 4:50 PM

    i miss Ward indeed. but i dont want him & agent 33 together, i want him back with the team somehow & with Skye...

    ReplyDelete
  34. Gaia Di LorenzoMarch 19, 2015 at 4:54 PM

    Kara/Ward/Skye/Ward love both

    ReplyDelete
  35. DeanMarch 19, 2015 at 5:11 PM

    Ming Na is the one shooting the agent 33 role so how does she will have Skye's face? they also brought back the actress that played agent 33 originally according to the press release. This art and especially the interview is very confusing but probably done on purpose to make fans freak out and especulate. They love to do that and apparently succeded.

    ReplyDelete
  36. LouMarch 19, 2015 at 5:45 PM

    I agree, I need him far away from Skye especially with everything she is going through. She doesn't need this bullshit, its my one fear about the show. But I think the writers realise its far too twisted to happened.

    ReplyDelete
  37. LouMarch 19, 2015 at 5:46 PM

    I think Agent 33's face got damaged and that is why she can't switch back to Kara or anyone else.

    ReplyDelete
  38. MurderMondaysMarch 19, 2015 at 5:54 PM

    Do you feel the same way about Black Widow then?

    ReplyDelete
  39. ChristinaMarch 19, 2015 at 6:03 PM

    I think it'd be a different story if Black Widow had done what she did to the Avengers. Yes, she has red in her ledger, but none of that affected the current team she's on (that I know of, I'm certainly not an avid comic book fan to know anything from those stories).


    If Ward is going to be redeemed, fine. He can be redeemed and go work for the "real SHIELD." I have ZERO desire to see him on Coulson's team again, and if they try to g o there, I'm gonna be pissed. Hands down the best Skye/Ward moment of the series was the one where she shot him three times in the side.

    ReplyDelete
  40. klutzy_girlMarch 19, 2015 at 6:08 PM

    Well, they somehow get her face back because the original actress is in the guest cast list so I think they might be undercover as a couple for some reason (maybe that).

    ReplyDelete
  41. Anna BenderMarch 19, 2015 at 6:12 PM

    Before I read the inteview I thought it's maybe Skye from season 1 (blue) and Skye from season 2 (red). Does that make any sense? But after reading the interview I'm confused...honestly why do they have to mess with our heads? ...silly question...

    ReplyDelete
  42. ThulaLaniMarch 19, 2015 at 6:40 PM

    I also thought the same thing.

    ReplyDelete
  43. ThulaLaniMarch 19, 2015 at 6:42 PM

    If she'd done that to the Avengers, her current supposed friends. I certainly would.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Kristi HungerfordMarch 19, 2015 at 6:53 PM

    Well that just mind screwed every fan now ward loves 2 women ? Or wants one but the other accepts him damn u poster creators

    ReplyDelete
  45. MurderMondaysMarch 19, 2015 at 7:08 PM

    Agent 33 is brainwashed but Ward doesn't know that, does he? I can't recall how he would know.

    ReplyDelete
  46. MonjiaMarch 19, 2015 at 8:09 PM

    no please not a love triangle again(if it is I'm gonna be disappointed we have enough of this in others show and on a network that I would not quote).

    ReplyDelete
  47. Anesu7March 19, 2015 at 8:13 PM

    After the last few episodes l would rather Fitz end up with Skye thats something the show hinted at in season 1 with Fitz having a crush on her , Fitz already told Simmons he loved her and she didnt feel the same way and it broke his heart, so whilst l love their chemistry lm okay with the show going with Fyke , even their shipper name is cute.

    ReplyDelete
  48. ChristinaMarch 19, 2015 at 8:22 PM

    I could kind of see that. I liked that after the first episode back, when the two of them bonded a bit. I think it's Skitz for the name though? I've seen that before at least.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Buy SellMarch 19, 2015 at 10:07 PM

    Wheres this interview? Link please?

    ReplyDelete
  50. ivanMarch 19, 2015 at 11:20 PM

    NO SKYEWARD FOR LIFE DAMN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  51. ivanMarch 19, 2015 at 11:23 PM

    why call Ward an antagonist?!

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  52. RonMarch 19, 2015 at 11:24 PM

    this is so weird. lol

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  53. klutzy_girlMarch 19, 2015 at 11:28 PM

    Jeff Bell seems to hate Ward based on various things he's said here and in the past so I'm not listening to a word the man says about him again, tbh. None of what he says lines up with things others associated with the show have said so someone's lying here and we're all pretty sure it's Jeff.

    One of my theories is that Ward and Kara go undercover as a couple for some reason but that'll be all.

    This interview upset a lot of people today, myself included, but I'm going to try to think positively and about the best case scenario instead of focusing on the worst.

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  54. arrowaosMarch 20, 2015 at 1:35 AM

    Your so right never in how many ever seasons the show will have that I want to see ward join the team he can either die or bepresent in some form but if he were ever to join the team I would lose respect for all the original team members which I dread the most
    Can you ever imagine Fitzsimmons buddying up with ward *shudder* I would just shut the TV down in disgust.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Anna BenderMarch 20, 2015 at 8:01 AM

    http://www.ew.com/article/2015/03/19/agent-ward-returns-new-agents-shield-art

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  56. Folie-lexMarch 20, 2015 at 9:58 AM

    I can't say I trust what the writers are doing with Ward.


    I'm up to see if they can salvage his pieces... I think there's hope for the character, but so far, they've been amping up the stalkery factor to levels that have almost made me uncomfortable and they've come really close to taking him to the point of no return for me. We're not there yet, but I feel we might get there eventually... and I'm not looking forward to that prospect...

    ReplyDelete
  57. Folie-lexMarch 20, 2015 at 10:03 AM

    The way I saw it: the holographic mask melted and welded with her actual face when May electrocuted her, and that's why she hasn't been able to take it off.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Folie-lexMarch 20, 2015 at 10:04 AM

    She still does a voice over and her voice gets overlapped with Ming's in post. So maybe she gets a credit for that....

    ReplyDelete
  59. Folie-lexMarch 20, 2015 at 10:07 AM

    I generally like Annie Wu's art, and I wouldn't call it awful, but I'll agree this is not the best...

    And the subject is not really sitting very well with me... anyway, I have some issues with it but "eh"...

    ReplyDelete
  60. Folie-lexMarch 20, 2015 at 10:21 AM

    See that's my hold up when it comes to the whole "Ward can't be redeemed" debacle... because yeah.. Natasha... who I'm sure probably "got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way" by killing a few of their agents in the process...

    And in my perspective there's also Clint... who I feel could have been Ward (maybe eve worse than him) had Garrett been the one to "recruit" him and give him the same treatment as he did Ward.

    Having said that as much as I like the guy, as much as I think he's an chronically abused, deeply tortured individual with no real sense of self, and I think he DOES need help, I'm not a Ward Apologist.

    I absolutely 100% hold him accountable for everything he's done. And I think everybody is absolutely in their right to do so too.
    He hasn't done not one damn thing to actually show that he's atoned or that he's trying to change or admitted that what he did was messed up. Because the truth of the matter is after making bad choice after bad decision, you can't just give him a carte blanche. After a while he should just know better, and so far I haven't seen anything that makes me think he does...



    I'm hoping that can change... I believe it can... now it's just a matter on whether or not TPTB will take the character to that direction. So far they always seem to tease that way but end up not really committing to taking that direction so I dunno...

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  61. ThulaLaniMarch 20, 2015 at 10:43 AM

    I don't think he knows, he might suspect if he knows who she really is beneath that mask and because of her blind loyalty to Whitehall and maybe Whitehall said something to him about how she came to work for him, I don't know.


    My real issue isn't so much Ward, I just don't want the writers to have some sort of twisted romance because she IS brainwashed. Nothing she's done since Whitehall took has been out of her free will and when it comes to "romance" it's even more wrong. That's some messed up thing I never want to see on TV, never, ever, ever, ever, EVER!!!!!! It would be irresponsible on the writers' part and they've already dropped the ball with what happened on "Yes Men". Skye and Ward are bad enough, I'm not a fan but Ward and Kara are so much worse, the very idea makes my skin crawl. There's nothing justifying the writers taking this route.


    As much as I hate that she's not recovered from the brainwashing, I would've tolerated her and Ward doing bad things together just as long as sexy times wasn't part of their fun times.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Alex ForrestMarch 20, 2015 at 4:29 PM

    Two other people answered for me regarding the difference between Black Widow working with the Avengers and Ward working with SHIELD again, so I won't repeat their words.


    There is, however, one important distinction I'd like to point out. Things that are forgivable for us, the viewers (some of us at least), are going to be a lot harder to forgive for the characters. For us, this is a fictional show. None of the people Ward has killed are really dead, since they don't exist to begin with. It's all entertainment. For Coulson, et al, however, this make-believe world is totally real. Ward DID kill all of his victims, DID betray them, DID nearly drown Fitz and Simmons. As such, I feel it would destroy the believability of the characters and the show if Ward were ever to be accepted back into SHIELD, or get together with Skye - which holds true regardless of Ward's abusive past and the mitigating circumstances for his actions (which I'm not denying). It's fine if he makes a "fresh start" elsewhere and tries to atone for his sins, as I said in my original comment. But going back to work with the very people he's crossed would be absurd. They might reluctantly team up with him ad-hoc to achieve a common goal, but he could never be a part of that team again.

    ReplyDelete
  63. Alex ForrestMarch 20, 2015 at 4:34 PM

    I know I'm repeating myself here, but I have to say, it was SUCH a relief to see Skye tell Ward he makes her absolutely sick, pay him back with manipulation of her own (2x06) and shoot him, instead of the usual BS where a female character makes a bunch of excuses for atrocities committed by the male character she has the hots for. I never want that to change. The women of AoS are strong-willed and determined with a solid moral compass, which is why it was never in question for Skye that her feelings for Ward were irrelevant as soon as she learned the truth about him. She's a good, moraled person and shouldn't settle for anything less with whoever she has a relationship with.

    ReplyDelete
  64. Alex ForrestMarch 20, 2015 at 4:36 PM

    Absolutely. Love triangles are the bane of my TV existence. Although, in the case of SkyeWard, I'm totally against that happening even WITHOUT a third party involved (but let's not open up that can of worms).

    ReplyDelete
  65. Alex ForrestMarch 20, 2015 at 4:42 PM

    Just to remove any doubts about double standards, I'd like to emphasize that if Natasha ever goes back to work for people she betrayed back when she was a "bad guy", or has a romance with one of them, I'll call bullshit. It will be just as ridiculous as Ward with SHIELD or Skye again. However, since she made a fresh start when she joined SHIELD and reformed, I can accept her with the Avengers. I'm willing to do the same with Ward if he decides to reform and fight the good fight - however, as you said, so far they haven't really shown anything to demonstrate that he is remorseful over his actions, so I think we still have a long way to go. Instead of simply apologizing to Fitz, for example, he went on to explain how he was actually trying to give him and Simmons a fighting chance (which I will never accept is NOT crap).

    ReplyDelete
  66. MonjiaMarch 20, 2015 at 5:01 PM

    Yeah you're right. Please writers hear my priers and don't mess with my SkyeWard.

    ReplyDelete
  67. ClaireMarch 20, 2015 at 6:33 PM

    Ward stay as far away from Skye as possible, like seriously she doesn't need that! Besides if he never kidnapped her out of the plane she wouldn't be dealing with all of the stuff she is now! Thank god she shot him, and I hope he stays a free agent and as far away from Coulson's team as possible

    ReplyDelete
  68. LouMarch 20, 2015 at 6:49 PM

    Yeah I sigh with relief at how Skye has reacted to him since the Hydra reveal, no ifs or buts, she sees him as he is and I am glad she rejects his own twisted desire to help her.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Alex ForrestMarch 20, 2015 at 7:26 PM

    I think the distinction between "villain" and "antagonist" is important here.


    A villain is an evil character. Some viewers feel that Ward qualifies as such, others don't.


    An antagonist is something working against the protagonist, regardless of how good or evil that character is. And this describes Ward without question. He was a sleeper agent bent on taking down SHIELD for Hydra during the entire first season. This season, while he's given SHIELD useful information on several occasions, he was clearly doing it to get in Skye's good graces as opposed to genuinely wanting to help, and as recently as episode 9, he A) led Hydra to the Bus (which nearly got May, Trip and the Koenigs killed) and B) kidnapped Skye. So there's no denying that Ward has been working against the protagonists of this show for the vast majority of the time.

    ReplyDelete
  70. Folie-lexMarch 21, 2015 at 1:24 AM

    "I'd like to emphasize that if Natasha ever goes back to work for people
    she betrayed back when she was a "bad guy", or has a romance with one of
    them, I'll call bullshit    "
    For the record I do believe that I in comic canon she has sorta done that with Winter Soldier... I could be wrong, and have some timelines confused, but I'm pretty sure there was a storyline, after she defected, that Bucky sought her out and brought her back in covertly again, and they resumed (or began?) their romance...
    I think MCU has made enough changes where that exact storyline isn't applicable, but someone at Marvel studios could be working on a version of it, maybe... (I wouldn't be fan, and I don't have any intel that something like that is in the works, but I'm just throwing that out into the world, playing devil's advocate here)



    "However, since she made a fresh start when she joined SHIELD and reformed, I can accept her with the Avengers."
    My question is, can you accept in her in SHIELD? Cause I'm sure, I'm 100% sure, she targeted the agency before she joined it.
    We don't know that history in detail, and all we have of her is in the MCU is "Agent" Romanoff... but all the bad stuff has been alluded at. So that's what has me thinking Ward, by S9 (baring they actually actively start working on redeeming him) could very well be again part of the team.

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  71. Folie-lexMarch 21, 2015 at 5:38 AM

    "I'd like to emphasize that if Natasha ever goes back to work for people
    she betrayed back when she was a "bad guy", or has a romance with one of
    them, I'll call bullshit    "
    For the record I do believe that I in comic canon she has sorta done that with Winter Soldier... I could be wrong, and/or have some timelines confused, but I'm pretty sure there was a storyline, after she defected, that Bucky sought her out and brought her back in covertly again, and they resumed (or began?) their romance...
    I think MCU has made enough changes int eh characters and their stories where that exact storyline isn't applicable, but someone at Marvel studios could be working on a version of it, maybe... (I wouldn't be fan, and I don't have any intel that something like that is in the works, but I'm just throwing that out into the world, playing devil's advocate here)

    "However, since she made a fresh start when she joined SHIELD and reformed, I can accept her with the Avengers."
    My question is, can you accept in her in SHIELD? Cause I'm sure, I'm 100% sure, she targeted the agency before she joined it.
    Granted we don't know that history in detail, and all we've of her is in the MCU
    has been in "Agent" Romanoff capacity... but all the bad stuff has been alluded at. So that's what has me thinking Ward, by season 6... season 9 (baring they actually actively start working on redeeming him) could very well be again part of the
    team.




    Lastly, with respect to the "he gave them a fighting chance" argument:

    I agree with you: it's crap...
    However I do think Ward believes this... It's Ward being sad, and pathetic and grasping at straws, and it's doesn't redeem him, and it's a shitty excuse. But I think in his mind it's how he has justified what he did.
    To me that falls in the "acknowledging he's damaged, but holding accountable for his actions" category.

    ReplyDelete
  72. Alex ForrestMarch 21, 2015 at 1:31 PM

    See, but the question, to me, is: did Natasha infiltrate SHIELD in order to destroy it from within, like Ward, or was she an outside enemy only? Obviously, she's done terrible things either way. Her body count may well be higher than Ward's. However, I think it makes a difference in terms of SHIELD's ability to accept her into their ranks.

    A former enemy who has seen the error of their ways and changed sides is one thing. Obviously, forgiving that person for what they've done and putting your trust in them is no mean feat. But someone you already DID trust, someone you worked with and have occasionally risked your life for - in the case of Ward, someone with whom you actually lived, shared meals and laughs and whatnot - turning out to be a traitor who was plotting to take your organization down all along? THAT person regaining your forgiveness and especially your trust seems almost impossible to me. Even years down the line, I just don't see a way that you could accept someone like that as your friend and ally again. That's why I think that even if Ward reforms, he needs to start with a clean slate. Coulson and company are good people, but they aren't angels, so their accepting Ward back into the fold would stretch credibility far beyond the accepted limit for me.

    Regarding your last point - I don't disagree. I've said before that rationalization is a psychological defense mechanism and I believe that's exactly what Ward is doing IRT to what happened with Fitz and Simmons. To cope with his guilt over that, he rationalizes what he did as an attempt to at least give them a shot at survival. Because yes, I do believe he feels guilty over that (he fully admitted to the fact that he cared for them, but viewed it as a weakness, before he did it). He certainly didn't want to do it. But in the end of the day... he did. And the first step towards redeeming himself will be to admit that: no excuses, no defenses, he's committed some heinous crimes and he needs to atone for them.

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  73. Folie-lexMarch 21, 2015 at 2:03 PM

    "See, but the question, to me, is: did Natasha infiltrate SHIELD in order to destroy it from within, like Ward, or was she an outside enemy only?
    Alas, that, I we might never get an answer to... though I don't think it's out of the realm of possibilities of how Natasha might have gotten on that radar in a bad way...






    "But someone you already DID trust, someone you worked with and have
    occasionally risked your life for - in the case of Ward, someone with
    whom you actually lived, shared meals and laughs and whatnot - turning
    out to be a traitor who was plotting to take your organization down all
    along? THAT person regaining your forgiveness and especially your trust
    seems almost impossible to me. Even years down the line, I just don't
    see a way that you could accept someone like that as your friend and
    ally again.    "
    I guess we can agree to disagree on this. It's a long way to get there and and will be an uphill battle for Ward (should he chose to fight for this BTW), and there's years of doubt and mistrust to have to face and take before everyone can get there, however I think there is a chance. But it will have to be earned... and worked for very very very hard...

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  74. Alex ForrestMarch 22, 2015 at 10:12 PM

    Okay then, we'll agree to disagree. :) Your account is certainly very fair and balanced, so I take no issue with your differing option. It's just the people who take their Ward defense too far, to the point of denying things or twisting them around, with whom I can't deal.


    By the way, I have a small confession to make: Faith on Buffy/Angel is possibly the only redemption story ever that I've been able to buy. I know the danger of double standards compared to Ward rears its ugly head again, there, since she DID betray the Scoobies and then go back to work with them post-redemption. I think the reason I can cut her slack is that she voluntarily turned herself in and went to jail for her crimes, even though she eventually broke out when her help was needed. It's so rare to see a character actually take responsibility and accept punishment as part of their redemption... usually, the other characters just conveniently forget all the shit they did.

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