Agents of SHIELD (SPOILERS)

[XPac]

I get that, and I don't think it was worth while. This was not like Victoria Hand being murdered last season.

The pay off to Trip dying might actually be more related to Sky. If she ends up feeling accountable for his death, then it gives he a whole new level of drama to deal with.

[PennyD]

If any of the Ward Brothers ends up being Taskmaster, I think it'll be Grant, simply because he's been built up so much. To be clear I don't really think that will happen (as much as I'd love it...just give the guy some kinda pseudo-Super-Soldier serum ala Winter Soldier and instant Taskmaster).

I don't doubt we'll see Thomas Ward in some form or another in the future, though. That's too prominent a plot thread not to pull on. Though I wouldn't be surprised if the writers throw a curveball and Thomas ends up being a nice, relatively normal guy completely bewildered by his brothers' actions. Grant doesn't seem to have any personal hatred towards him, either, though I suppose it's possible his parents raised him to be a little monster while Grant was away at military school/stuck in the woods by Garret.

But yeah, would love for Grant to end up being the Taskmaster. But honestly at this point I'm thinking it's more likely that (if he ends up being a comic book character at all) he'll be either the Constrictor (whose backstory basically was "SHIELD Agent gone bad") or Spymaster (which fits Grant's skillset exceptionally well).

Ok yes Spymaster I can see that!

[Rogue Star]

The pay off to Trip dying might actually be more related to Sky. If she ends up feeling accountable for his death, then it gives he a whole new level of drama to deal with.

Oh maybe not so much drama but a determination to not be a damsel in distress who others have to put their lives on the line to save. It would be a good way to explain a dynamic shift in attitude, from meek to bamf.

[Kirby101]

Two thoughts about Tripp.
Did his death have more to do with the actor moving on than the writers thinking it was needed for the show?
And do we now know who his Grandfather was when Koenig says "Dum Dum Dugan would be proud."?

[maczero]

Oh maybe not so much drama but a determination to not be a damsel in distress who others have to put their lives on the line to save. It would be a good way to explain a dynamic shift in attitude, from meek to bamf.

I think she's already went through that transformation or at least she's gone from hapless civilian to capable field agent. Also, I hate to say it but Trip's death/sacrifice was in vain. Skye didn't need saving.

I've got a question about Cal. Are we sure he's super powered? Yes, I know he's Mr. Hyde and the show says he massacred an entire village with his bare hands but have we actually seen him do anything "super". His kills although brutal still seem to be in the realm of a normal human. Even his fight with Coulson, he seemed to exhibit manic strength but nothing abnormal.

[Double 0]

I think she's already went through that transformation or at least she's gone from hapless civilian to capable field agent. Also, I hate to say it but Trip's death/sacrifice was in vain. Skye didn't need saving.

I've got a question about Cal. Are we sure he's super powered? Yes, I know he's Mr. Hyde and the show of says he massacred an entire village with his bare hands but have we actually seen him do anything "super". His kills although brutal still seem to be in the realm of a normal human. Even his fight with Coulson, he seemed to exhibit manic strength but nothing abnormal.

I don't know, he was launching Coulson with his attacks more than a regular scientist should. Not like evilMac was, but it was abnormal for a scientist to beat the hell out of a top SHIELD agent.

[Kirby101]

I think she's already went through that transformation or at least she's gone from hapless civilian to capable field agent. Also, I hate to say it but Trip's death/sacrifice was in vain. Skye didn't need saving.

I've got a question about Cal. Are we sure he's super powered? Yes, I know he's Mr. Hyde and the show of says he massacred an entire village with his bare hands but have we actually seen him do anything "super". His kills although brutal still seem to be in the realm of a normal human. Even his fight with Coulson, he seemed to exhibit manic strength but nothing abnormal.

I had the sense when Whitehall was pointing the gun and it didn't faze him, that we have not seen him as Mr. Hyde yet.

[AndrewCrossett]

I'm sure they're saving the Mr. Hyde reveal for the second half. It's going to be a very challenging visual effect to pull off on television, and could easily look ridiculous if they screw it up. So I'm sure they want to take their time getting it right.

This mid-season finale already was so eventful and looked so much like a season finale, that having a Hyde transformation scene might have been too much. They don't want to end the first half in a way they can't top in the second half.

[maczero]

I don't know, he was launching Coulson with his attacks more than a regular scientist should. Not like evilMac was, but it was abnormal for a scientist to beat the hell out of a top SHIELD agent.

Well, that's what I was referring to as manic strength. I've seen 150 lb. guys overpower people nearly twice their size. Unusual sure but not what I would call super human. Now Mack's fight from the previous episode was an example of super human strength.

[Captain M]

The music in the last scene gives me so much goosebumps. I still can't stop thinking about it.

[PennyD]

I'm sure they're saving the Mr. Hyde reveal for the second half. It's going to be a very challenging visual effect to pull off on television, and could easily look ridiculous if they screw it up. So I'm sure they want to take their time getting it right.

This mid-season finale already was so eventful and looked so much like a season finale, that having a Hyde transformation scene might have been too much. They don't want to end the first half in a way they can't top in the second half.

Im sure Hyde will transform out of his need to punish Coulson for taking the kill...

[Luke Cage]

The pay off to Trip dying might actually be more related to Sky. If she ends up feeling accountable for his death, then it gives he a whole new level of drama to deal with.

I don't really buy that he's dead just yet. If you notice, when Trip ran into Mack in the corridor, he never attacked him. At first I thought it was because he was deactivated because Raina showed him the obelisk. The issue with that is that he immediately started attacking Coulson when he appeared, so he obviously wasn't deactivated. Maybe he has some Inhuman D.N.A and he took on a new form in the chamber. Maybe I'm miss-remembering or just crazy. Maybe they'll turn him into Flint. The Inhuman with Geo-Kinetic ability, who has parts of his body covered with stone.

[Rogue Star]

I'm going to speculate that we're going to see Daisy take the lead of Shield one day soon. Coulson might have been a stopgap. We shall see.

[PretenderNX01]

Superboy was killed because the long running court battle over his ownership was swinging the wrong way for DC at the time.

Yeah but my point still stand that it was a late addition to the story and handled poorly. Didio was gunning for Nightwing and then they inserted Superboy under the excuse a Super dies in Crisis events and the characters basically just went on with their lives.

Two thoughts about Tripp.
Did his death have more to do with the actor moving on than the writers thinking it was needed for the show?

He didn't act like it was him moving on in his interview with Entertainment Weekly. He explained it that they broke the news to him
http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/12/10/ag...eath-bj-britt/

I remember it like it was yesterday. I just finished a scene at the end of the day, and I was back to my trailer, and they said, “Hey, B.J.! Producers want to see you at the office.” My stomach just dropped and I was like, “Oh, hell.” So then I’m like, don’t freak out, it might be an arc, keeping my spirits up. You get the butterflies in your stomach. Then I walked up to the office and all the producers were there and it was like, “Oh hell….how does he die?” I knew it; I just knew it when they were all there. They were like “B.J., we’re sorry, so sorry…” They told me ahead of time, which I’m very, very grateful for, because I didn’t want to show up to the table read and find out there. As soon as I left, they told the rest of the cast and everybody started calling me and texting me.

[AndrewCrossett]

I'm going to speculate that we're going to see Daisy take the lead of Shield one day soon. Coulson might have been a stopgap. We shall see.

If that happens it'll probably be in the series finale. She's nowhere near ready for that responsibility yet.