BananaHands
Staff member
Some interesting theories I've seen around the 'net.
1. Bainwashing like Bucky.
2. Going deep cover, Hand not really dead.
3. Part of HYDRA all along, since his training days.
My money is on 2 at the moment, though
the empty stare at the end of the episode could mean brainwashing.
The music they played with that empty stare was just like the music they played post-credits with Bucky.
However, from the interview with Bell and Loeb:
And so if you’d look at how he related to everyone — Coulson loves projects. Here is a guy who didn’t have people skills. So Garrett says, can you help this guy Ward round off some of the rough edges? So he comes onto the team. Coulson is now vested, because he’s got a project. Who is Ward’s greatest threat? May. What does he do? He seduces her. Who is the one unknown on the team? Skye. He becomes her S.O. How do you get everyone rally around and trust you? You jump out of a plane trying to save someone else. Now, he had a parachute. Let’s say he failed to save Simmons, he would’ve been fine. Everything he’s done has solidified how people feel about him over the course of the season.