Coulson and Rosalind are sitting down for a meal consisting of burgers from their favorite burger place. Coulson notices Rosalind has a book of matches from the Half Moon Pub, where they had their first drink. Rosalind says Banks thinks she’s crazy for still seeing Coulson. Coulson says he was right to spy on her, since she was working for Hydra, even if she didn’t know it. He apologizes anyway. They discuss Malick and how he has his hands in every Washington organization, including the ATCU. Rosalind plans to keep working like nothing ever happened. She’s in the middle of discussing how Malick doesn’t know anything when a bullet comes in through the window and hits her in the neck. Coulson leaps to her side. Blocks away, Ward pulls his eye off the sight of a sniper rifle.
Ward calls Coulson. Ward tells Coulson that he now knows what it feels like to have someone he loves bleed out in front of him. Coulson messages for help as Ward monologues, saying that Rosalind couldn’t have stopped Malick from opening another portal. A Hydra henchman bursts in through the apartment door. Coulson fights him off, using him as a human shield against gunshots from a second Hydra agent. Coulson knocks them both out, then grabs a can of air freshener and sets it above three candles. It goes off like a flash grenade in the eyes of several more Hydra agents. Coulson heads out the window and shoots at the Hydra henchmen until Mack arrives with an extraction vehicle.
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Mack brings Coulson back to base. The team watches as Coulson mournfully walks towards his office. Coulson told Mack to get the interrogation room ready. In his office, Coulson looks at the blood on his shirt. He rips the shirt off and the book of matches falls to the floor, stained with blood. Downstairs, the team hears crashing from Coulson’s office.
May and Coulson speak alone. He wants all of his original team members to sit down so that he can get get any little detail they might have about Ward out of them, in hopes of exploiting a weakness. May, Fitz, Simmons, and Daisy all share their memories of how Ward befriended and betrayed them. Daisy reaches out to comfort Coulson, but he’s cold.
Banks arrives at the base and meets with Mack and the science team.
Daisy shares how she and Ward fell for each other. Despite everything that happened, she admits that they shared a troubled history and that he never lied to her. She can even understand how he fell under Garrett and Hydra’s spell, but she clarifies that she could never forgive him. She says Ward doesn’t kill because he feels nothing, but because he feels too much.
Mack and team ask Banks about Project Distant Star. Banks says it wasn’t funded by NASA, but by an independent contractor. That contractor was Malick.
Ward reports back to Malick. Malick criticizes Ward for sending in those men when they need Coulson alive. Malick opens up a container with five stones extracted from the Monolith, originally given to Hydra’s leaders. Malick worries that Ward is leaving too much to chance, but Ward is confident he knows Coulson better than Coulson knows himself.
Hunter tries to express condolences to Coulson, but Coulson just grabs him by the neck and slams him against a wall. Couslon blames Hunter for not killing Ward when he had the mission. Hunter wants another chance. Coulson gives it to him, with Coulson coming along and Bobbi as a pilot.
Coulson says he needs to cross some lines an S.H.I.E.L.D. director shouldn’t, and leaves Mack behind as interim director.
FitzSimmons, Banks, and a couple men investigate the Distant Star facility. Simmons says they can’t bring Will back, that it would be doing what Hydra wants. Fitz is skeptical of Hydra’s story, and says they have to save Will. They argue until Banks shoots both of their guards. Banks says it’s not him, and the gun turns and shoots Banks in the head. The Inhuman from the ATCU facility, Mr. Giyera, appears to collect FitzSimmons and take them to Malick.
Coulson and Hunter prepare to rob a bank.
FitzSimmons is brought to Malick and Ward. Malick asks Simmons about the Inhuman, but Simmons isn’t very cooperative. Simmons realizes that Hydra can open a portal, but doesn’t know how to return. Ward suggests they split Fitz and Simmons up.
Mack tells Daisy that Fitz and Simmons were taken by Hydra. Daisy wants to search them out, but Mack is reluctant. Mack calls Coulson, and Coulson realizes that Ward mentioned the portal to set them up.
They enter the bank. Coulson finds someone in the back room and knocks him out.
Ward ties Simmons to a pole and taunts her. Ward says he’d never do anything to hurt her, but he can’t say the same for Mr. Giyera. Ward leaves and Giyera begins showing off his talents, levitating several metal tools.
Ward goes into a room where Fitz is tied to a chair. Ward begins taunting Fitz over Simmons. They can hear Simmons screaming from the other room. Ward simply sits down and listens.
The man Coulson abducted is Ward’s younger brother, Thomas, and it seems Coulson plans to use Thomas as bait.
Coulson calls Ward from Rosalind’s phone. Coulson shows Ward a live video feed of his brother. Ward doubts that Coulson would hurt Thomas, so Hunter puts a gun to Thomas’ head. Coulson hangs up on Ward. Coulson explains to Thomas that he has to be used as bait. Thomas says if they’re going to do this, then they need to take Ward out when he comes. He says Ward has always hurt people, and that everything Ward said about their childhood is true. Ward tried to protect Thomas, until he changed one day and pushed Thomas in a well. After that, Ward was psychotically apologetic and swore to never let anyone hurt Thomas, but couldn’t admit what had happened. Ward calls back, and they put Thomas on the line to try to keep Ward on the phone long enough to pinpoint his location. They get a lock and Coulson takes the phone from Thomas. Ward realizes they traced the call, and Coulson says he’s coming for them. Ward is furious and throws the phone, then barges into Simmons’ room and demands she tell him what he wants to know. Fitz can hear Simmons scream.
Coulson’s team drops Thomas off and promises there will be a security detail watching him.
Mack wants May’s opinion on Andrew’s evaluation of Lincoln. May isn’t sure if its Andrew’s actual opinion, or Lash’s. Mack explains what’s going on with Coulson, Fitz and Simmons. May tells Mack he needs to make the call. May says she thinks he already knows what to do.
Mr. Giyera brings Simmons to observe the opening of another portal. Simmons refuses to help bring the Inhuman back. Malick says Fitz agreed to help instead, in exchange for Hydra halting Simmons’ torture.
Mack is mounting a rescue mission. Joey and Lincoln are part of the team, along with Daisy, May, and a small team of soldiers.
Coulson’s team is 10 minutes out from Hydra airspace. Bobbi warns Coulson that he may be too emotional for this mission. Coulson says he’s been keeping his emotions in check for too long.
Malick tells Ward its time. Ward says he needs to prepare for when S.H.I.E.L.D. arrives. Malick says S.H.I.E.L.D. won’t get anywhere near them, and Malick wants Ward to lead their troops on the other side. Ward doesn’t plan to miss his opportunity for revenge, and Malick is disappointed. Ward says he won’t be manipulated into sacrificing himself for someone else’s dream. Malick says Ward is the only one who can do this, and that it will prove his faith in Hydra was never misplaced.
Simmons tries to talk Fitz out of the deal, but he refuses. Ward shows up in uniform, ready to lead the expedition. The machine begins to open the portal. Coulson’s team begins scanning the castle as they fly overhead, and watch as Hydra’s soldiers begin jumping through. Malick tells Ward they’ll turn the portal back on in 12 hours. Ward jumps through. Coulson sees Ward jump through on a scanner and grabs a parachute and prepares to jump in. Hunter kisses Bobbi goodbye and prepares to follow Coulson. Hydra begins firing at the ship before Hunter can suit up, but Coulson dives straight down into the portal.
On the planet, Hydra’s team begins exploring. They hear a sound and look around, but see nothing. Coulson comes through the portal with such velocity that he’s sent tumbling down the side of a cliff and hits his head on a stone as he lands.
