Ep 21. Ragtag

In the 21st episode of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1, titled "Ragtag," the team starts to shift their focus towards dismantling the organization known as HYDRA. To do so, they have to turn to Ward, a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent turned traitor who joined HYDRA.

The episode opens with flashbacks to Ward's past as he and his younger brother, Thomas, grow up on a family farm. It quickly becomes apparent that Ward had a difficult upbringing, with his parents being abusive towards both him and Thomas. In one particularly gruesome scene, Ward's father shows him how to dispose of a dead animal by forcing him to bury it alive.

The flashback transitions to the present day, where Ward is in the custody of S.H.I.E.L.D. and being interrogated by Agent Coulson. Coulson tells Ward that he needs his help in accessing Garrett's hard drive, which contains valuable information on HYDRA's operations. Ward initially resists, but Coulson eventually convinces him to become a double agent and help them take down HYDRA from within.

To get back in HYDRA's good graces, Ward tells them that he wants to work on a project called "Deathlok." Deathlok is a cyborg soldier that HYDRA has been working on, and they hope to use him as a weapon in their fight against S.H.I.E.L.D. Ward is able to convince HYDRA to let him work on the project, and he enlists the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team to help him gather intel and sabotage the project.

As they work together, the team becomes increasingly conflicted about their decision to trust Ward. Fitz and Simmons in particular are upset, as they both feel betrayed by their former friend. Skye, however, seems to be willing to give Ward the benefit of the doubt, citing her experiences with Ward's former mentor, Agent Garrett.

The team's efforts to sabotage HYDRA's Deathlok project are successful, but they eventually hit a roadblock when they realize that HYDRA has a back-up plan: they've been experimenting on human subjects in an attempt to create their own super-soldiers. One of these experiments is revealed to be Ward's brother, Thomas.

Ward is devastated to learn that HYDRA has been experimenting on his own family, and he decides to turn on them. He helps the S.H.I.E.L.D. team rescue his brother, and the two of them have a heartfelt reunion. Despite his betrayal of S.H.I.E.L.D., Ward seems to genuinely want to make amends for his past actions.

The episode ends with Coulson and the team discussing their next move. Coulson is still skeptical of Ward's motivations, but he acknowledges that they need all the help they can get in their fight against HYDRA. The team seems to be inching closer towards taking down the villainous organization once and for all.

Overall, "Ragtag" is a tense and emotional episode that sheds light on Ward's troubled past and sets the stage for the series' final arc. The episode also features some impressive action scenes and solid performances from the cast, particularly Brett Dalton as Ward.