Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Round Table: Dr. Garner's Alter Ego

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Now that we know Andrew is Lash, what are his reasons for killing Inhumans?

Imagine what Melinda and her ex-husband's next confrontation will be like. Eeek! Von Strucker didn't make it, but the May/Bobbi team up was insane. Will the duo manage to zero in on Ward again and is it possible Gideon Malick will play a part in the villain's demise? Will Fitz dig up some dirt on Will?

Below TV Fanatics Jim Garner, Kathleen Wiedel, Robin Harry, Caralynn Lippo, and Hank Otero discuss all this and more in our Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 Episode 6 Round Table discussion...

Did you honestly believe Dr. Garner was Lash? What are your theories as to why he's killing Inhumans?

Jim: I was totally stunned that he was Lash. He didn't really fit the profile. For example, I don't remember him being privy to the route the truck was taking. As for why he's killing Inhumans, I'm hoping it is a Jekyll and Hyde thing where he's not fully in control and its not really him doing it.

Kathleen: I'd read a ton of speculation and theories over the past few weeks, including the suggestion that Dr. Garner was Lash, so I wasn't totally surprised at that reveal. I agree with Jim's hope that the good Doctor isn't actually aware of what he's doing as Lash, because that would just be too depressing. Though, if he is in the dark about everything, then it just becomes tragic when they tell him...

Robin: I wasn't completely surprised. I didn't really have any inkling as to who Lash was, but one of the commenters a couple weeks ago made a compelling argument for Garner being Lash, so I considered that a possibility. I have no clue why he's killing them? Does he see them as a threat of some kind, or is he in some twisted way trying to put them out of their misery?

Caralynn: Not terribly surprised. Especially at the beginning of the episode when it was revealed that he'd survived! I thought that if he had survived, there must be a reason Von Strucker looked so freaked out/traumatized when he rant out of the deli. I have NO clue why he's killing them. I don't think it's a Jekyll and Hyde thing though because he was very much Dr. Garner when he dropped that lighter at the end of the deli confrontation.

Hank: I admitted in my Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 Episode 6 review that the writers totally fooled me. Though Banks seemed like the obvious candidate, I just didn't want to believe Andrew was the killer. I mean, I really liked the guy so much from day one. I'm with Jim, it didn't seem Andrew was privy to all the intel. However, I do think he's in control of Lash not just because of the lighter as Caralynn mentioned, but because of his obsession with Lincoln. I'm curious to learn his reasons for killing his own kind.

Share your thoughts on the May/Bobbi team up. Are you glad Mockingbird is back?

Jim: Ward is in serious trouble with Mayday and Mockingbird after him. I'm not sure there is a place remote enough for him to hide from the two of them, and hell yes I'm glad she's back.

Kathleen: Thrilled Mockingbird is back, and doubly thrilled to see her teaming up with May. That is one deadly duo, and Ward better watch out, because they are coming for him.

Robin: Absolutely glad to see Mockingbird back in the field! I'm enjoying the May & Bobbi team up. My only concern is that May is at this point just as revenge-driven as Hunter was. While she's not quite as prone to making mistakes as he is, she may push Bobbi too far.

Caralynn: Loooooved it. Such as badass scene! Adrianne Palicki is always a rockstar in action/fight sequences (remember her introduction?!) so this was no surprise. I'm a big fan of those two awesome ladies working together. Particularly since they excluded village dope Hunter.

Hank: I'll be honest, Bobbi in the lab never worked for me and grew old quick. I was thrilled not only to see her back in action, but teaming up with Agent May. I agree with Robin, May's out for blood but I think Bobbi will prove level-headed enough for the two of them. I think there's enough respect there that May will take Bobbi's advice. The back and forth in Mandarin was priceless, they're so fun together.

Do you think Fitz will dig up some dirt on Will and decide not to rescue him?

Jim: No, Fitz is honorable and will do the right thing, he might balk at first or try to hide it, but in the end he will do the right thing.. Only exception I could see to this is if Fitz found he was already dead and the Will Jemma saw was not him, but somehow I think we wouldn't know that till Will got back.

Kathleen: I agree with Jim. Fitz is a really good person, and he only wants Jemma to be happy, even if her being happy means her being with Will. That said, if he discovers something truly awful (like, as Jim suggested, Will is an impostor), then he will do whatever it takes to keep Jemma safe. Honestly, though, I'm still not convinced that Will's not aligned with the Evil Entity.

Robin: I'm on board the Fitz-is-too-good-for-that train. That would be uncharacteristic of him. Even if Fitz found something on Will, he's the kind of guy that would get him back to Earth to face proper justice rather than leave him on a desolate planet.

Caralynn: Four for four, we all agree -- Fitz is too good of a guy to do that, as much as he probably wants to. Though it would be interesting if he does dig something up and tries to convince Jemma but she refuses to believe him. Hmm....

Hank: I think Hunter planted a seed of doubt and though Fitz is a great guy he's only human, right? Chances are he's going to save Will, but only learn that the astronaut is not who he seems once he's back on Earth. NASA had no contact with the team once they crossed through the portal. I'm assuming NASA pronounced the explorers dead, but Will survived. There's really no way for Fitz to determine if Will is connected to the planet's entity. Of course, my theories are usually wrong... so there's that.

Is Rosalind being truthful about the ATCU facility? Is Coulson getting emotionally involved?

Jim: I think she is. Honestly, they needed a way to store Inhumans that were a danger to themselves and others. Keeping them "suspended" seems more reasonable than locked in a small room. I'm surprised Coulson isn't more curious about this "cure" she said they were close too.

Kathleen: The woman is in charge of a super secret Inhuman-catching agency. Tony Stark once said regarding Nick Fury that "even his secrets have secrets," and I wouldn't put it past Rosalind to not be telling the whole truth. It is incredibly hard to trust her in anything, and Coulson better watch his back.

Robin: I believe her. I've never been under the impression that she's had some nefarious plot capture all Inhumans, I think she really does want to help them. I'm willing to bet there's something going on that even she doesn't know about. They're both getting emotionally involved, but Rosalind is in way deeper than Coulson is. She got him his favourite food and he didn't even realize that there was more to the gesture than manipulation.

Caralynn: I believe her. Obviously the treatment of the Inhumans is inhumane (for lack of a better word...) but logically her comparison to keeping them like doctors keep victims of accidents in medically-induced comas was pretty sound. I mean, the Inhumans at the ATCU facility are clearly alive, so what other point would they have in keeping them alive if not what Rosalind said?

Hank: I'm with Kathleen, I don't trust Rosalind and feel like she only shared part of the truth with Coulson. While the stasis pods seem like a merciful option, there's got to be more to the program in my opinion. Bottom line, we fear what we don't understand and many Inhumans are dangerous. The ATCU is the government's attempt to control powered folks. It's interesting, this is no doubt going to play into Captain America: Civil War. Though Rosalind and Coulson like one another, the job comes first.

Werner's Demise - Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 Episode 6

Will HYDRA leader Gideon Malick prove to be Ward's downfall?

Jim: Not if May and Bobbi find him first. Given how he has survived through all of the different SHIELD teams looking for top Hydra agents, he scares me more than Ward every could. I'm really not sure where they are going with the Ward storyline.

Kathleen: Gideon Malick will probably only give up Ward if it's in Gideon Malick's best interests. I think Jim's right that May and Bobbi are probably a bigger threat to Ward than Malick is at this point. Malick isn't gunning for Ward, and he's managed to evade SHIELD thus far.

Robin: I think he could be. Everyone else is petrified of Ward, but Malick doesn't seem to be. What kind of power does he still yield that has him so self-assured in the absence of the old Hydra? This is going to be interesting.

Caralynn: I'm really intrigued by Malick. It was honestly getting a little bit boring watching Ward march around Hydra being all pompous and in charge and having people fall to their knees before him, so I'm liking that Gideon Malick is nonplussed by Ward. It's also interesting that he seems positioned to call in a favor to Ward at some point in the future. I wonder what that will be.

Hank: From what I've read, Gideon Malick is that same World Security Council member we saw in The Avengers. If Alexander Pierce went down, and Gideon managed to walk away from that whole mess he's a pretty powerful guy. While I have no doubt Gideon would turn on Ward in an instant, I think by handing von Strucker over he did chose a side in the rebirth of HYDRA. For the time being, it seems like Ward and Gideon will be working together. If Ward has to go, I hope it's S.H.I.E.L.D. that takes him down.

NOTE: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 Episode 7 is titled "Chaos Theory" and airs on Tuesday, November 10.

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 Episode 6 Quotes

Gideon: You've made some mistakes in your game play. Using von Strucker's son as a pawn when he shouldn't even be on the board yet.
Ward: You see, that's just typical of guys in your generation. You don't even know the game I'm playing. Von Strucker is more than just a pawn.
Gideon: And now he's a liability. He knows too much. Just tell me if I'm wrong. You burned that asset. S.H.I.E.L.D. is looking for him, which means so are you. And I know where you can find him.
Ward: And you'll just tell me that? Why?
Gideon: Sometimes you sacrifice a player to save the game. You just remember, when I come calling that I chose a side.

Daisy: Lash was tracking us. He knew where our truck was. He needed inside info for that.
Coulson: You think he's got access to ATCU information?
Daisy: No, I think he's in the ATCU. We know that he can transform himself into a regular size guy and back. What if he's hiding out as one of them?
Coulson: That's a scary thought.