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Finding Ward Could Be Dangerous for 'S.H.I.E.L.D.'

I'm so sick of the lies and weirdness that make up former Agent Grant Ward. I just want to know what to believe. First, he was an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Then, he was an Agent of Hydra. Then, he was not Hydra, only loyal to Garrett, possibly self-harming, and still in love with Skye. Then, he escaped capture and up and went rogue. Talk about a roller coaster! So, where is Ward going on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ? Is he heading back to Hydra? Is he going to chill with Skye's Dad... who incidentally has joined up with Hydra? Ward's options are wearing thin. It's not even like he has family to turn to; his older brother Christian wants to execute him, he says his parents are "worse," and his little brother Thomas was tortured by him, or Christian, or both.

In last week's promo for Tuesday's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., it appeared that Grant Ward was not only wearing the classic "baseball cap" disguise — but an explosive device. Great. Just when you thought that he couldn't get any more dastardly. We also see him threatening Bobbi Morse while trying to take a bus out of town, presumably on Coulson's orders to "bring him in." Where is the bus going? I have to know. Check out the preview below.

That promo also claims Ward has "nothing to lose." Sorry, "Skyeward" 'shippers — I guess? Again, it's hard to keep track of the truth with Grant Ward. Is Ward just off on his own, wearing a bomb to protect himself from capture by his brother's people, Hydra's people, Coulson's people, or the U.S. government? That seems like a pretty decent plan, but it's still a leap of faith. What was it that Chekov said about a bomb vest that appears in Act I?

Wanted: Dead or Alive

A preview clip from the episode "The Writing On the Wall," exclusive to TVLine, expands on what we already know. We see Ward is at a bus station in Philadelphia. Okay, so there's one location for us. What's in Philadelphia for Ward, the U.S. Mint? Agent Triplett spots Ward and respectfully begs for the go-ahead to shoot him. From behind a rack of sunglasses, he spots Ward opening a locker and retrieving a bag. The luggage has everything a rogue might need: cash, cell phone, passports, mysterious objects wrapped in duct tape. Coulson instructs Trip to bring him in by any means necessary, contrary to Senator Christian Ward's wishes for him to be brought in alive.

First of all, good for Ward and his fellow cronies. It is extraordinarily hard to find train stations and/or airports with lockers these days for that exact reason. However, this is a world with superpowers, aliens, and robots who watch Pinocchio . I suppose I can suspend my disbelief.

The technology that Ward is wearing doesn't appear to be alien in any way or particularly fancy. Is it possible that this is a more pedestrian bunch of crooks that Ward is hooking back up with? That would be interesting.

Old Habits

On the other hand, it seems likely that Ward has been given an assignment. Who his instructions and gear are coming from remains unseen. I can't believe I'm saying this, but poor guy. Does he have any original thoughts? It seems all he's capable of doing at this point is following orders. It's actually sad.

Images: Florian Schneider/ABC; leasrafati/Tumblr; Giphy