I liked the fakeout on Hartley/Lucy Lawless. "Look who is on our show this year! Watch how she doesn't survive the first episode!"

What's interesting about that?

Well, they set up the idea of someone involved with SHIELD with no professed interest in saving the world, but just trying to get paid, and then getting sentimentally attached to a former flame.

I'm not saying it worked, but it was a deviation from type, and it was details, which are/were sorely lacking with Tripp.

Tripp was the conduit to Shield's history, he was a potential love interest for Simmons, he earned the trust of the rest of the team through the whole Hydra takeover and he was better looking and more charming than Hunter. I wish Hunter had bought it instead of Hartely in the first place.

Clark Gregg posted this on Facebook

[link]

Is he taunting us?

Ha! I liked the FB comment of "Agent Coulson, you have failed this city!" Crossing the streams, yo.

Tripp was the conduit to Shield's history, he was a potential love interest for Simmons

He wasn't their only conduit, and the Simmons/ went right over my head. And I like him better than Hunter, but Hunter's standing was more detailed out of the gate--fewer unanswered questions, which is frustrating, but also an indication of writer effort.

Even if he comes back they're going to have to do more work to make him more than potential, IMO. Actor charisma aside.

Who knows--maybe the actor got a gig so he can't film now/again. It's really not only writer decisions here, although folks always blame them first. Maybe he just hated it and quit--we will never know if he doesn't come back.

I totally got the Simmons/, Trip was his charismatic self and she was a little twitterpated around him. Although maybe they were just doing that to highlight how it made Fitz jealous.

Put me on the "pissed (if) Trip is dead" bench. As soon as he ducked into the circle, I knew it was bad. I was waiting for someone to die, because 1) Joss 2) mid-season finale and 3) written by Jeff Bell (see #1). It almost seemed like they had us going with Mac being possessed, and then were like, "just kidding, we're going to kill the OTHER black guy. hahaha fooled ya."

It's possible I'm projecting.

I went back and watched the first two episodes with a friend on Thanksgiving, and holy CRAP I'd forgotten how annoying Skye was. And May is a chatterbox now compared to then. I do appreciate the character development for both Skye and Ward, for sure.

So Cal was humming "Bicycle Built for Two?" I had a hard time figuring that out.

Bobbi better not be evil, dammit. Just because I say so.

I don't mind if Bobbi has done evil stuff, though. I like to think of SHIELD as the School of Hard Calls.

I guess I was looking at Simmons/Tripp from Tripp's POV. Especially considering how twitterpated I'd be around him.

Who knows--maybe the actor got a gig so he can't film now/again. It's really not only writer decisions here, although folks always blame them first. Maybe he just hated it and quit--we will never know if he doesn't come back.

Yeah, people were pissed that Harrison got killed off on Scandal, but it turns out that the actor was an addict and was a mess onset, so they had to fire him.

I know all that's true and it is stupid to think everyone you like is going to survive a Joss show. And he was underused this season. I'm sure I will get over it.