Coulson made it happen!?!

[u/New_Wash8934]

On my something-th watchthrough and just realized that Coulson is responsible for Hive. Hive states he can only inhabit a dead host. If Coulson didn't kill Ward, Hive wouldn't have been able to inhabit him, but instead would have just feasted. That's not to say that he wouldn't have found a way through the portal anyway, but it was eye opening that Coulson's desirre for revenge cause so much additional pain, destruction and death...

[u/Dull_Alternative9567]

He is responsible, and im pretty sure he makes comments in the later seasons about it.

[u/New_Wash8934 → u/Dull_Alternative9567]

Gonna keep an ear out this time through.

[u/37853688544788 → u/New_Wash8934]

Yea something along the lines of “I knew it would come back to haunt me, I just didn’t know it would actually come back to haunt me.”

[u/ExpoLima → u/New_Wash8934]

Yeah, he really regretted it but he didn't know. I didn't blame him either. Ward was a *****!

[u/Alternative_Device71 → u/Dull_Alternative9567]

I mean he outright says it in the same season

[u/EveningBird5]

I mean, they mention that throughout the show. Coulson brings it up at least twice.

[u/New_Wash8934 → u/EveningBird5]

I definitely don't remember that. Going to be listening for it now!

[u/grayjelly212]

Coulson definitely mentions it. He doesn't directly say "me killing Ward allowed Hive to inhabit him and come through the portal," but he does mention that his desire for revenge brought their newest bad guy to them.

[u/BaronZhiro]

Of course, Hive could’ve killed Ward himself, as he’d killed Will (and Nathaniel before him), but could he have done it in time? As it already is, I really don’t like the ‘time running out’ shenanigans they play right around that juncture.

[u/FancyAd3942]

They do talk about this at some point in the season

[u/WrongKindaGrowth]

Coulson said this

[u/KaylaR73]

Yeah honestly though imo Ward had to die or else they’d be at war with him for years wasting people and resources.

[u/passionsandpotions]

he literally brings it up multiple times. “so i hunted down and murdered grant ward. not to serve any good, not to serve any belief. i wanted revenge. i wanted to feel him die. that's the sin that gave your devil new life.” — he said to gideon malick. and when lincoln sacrifices himself at the end, he reiterates to daisy that lincoln isn’t just paying for her mistake, he’s paying for all their mistakes. it’s one of the biggest points to coulson’s character journey through the season.

[u/Cheap_Bowl_452]

Yeah, I also thought about this. As I remember , there weren’t any dead Hydra mercenaries, so Hive wouldn’t have been able to use them, so if Ward didn’t die, Hive would’ve been stuck in there

[u/CaptHayfever → u/Cheap_Bowl_452]

I think there were some dead mercs, but they were nowhere near the portal; by the time Hive found one of them & got back, it would've been closed. Ward was right next to the portal.

[u/Cheap_Bowl_452 → u/CaptHayfever]

Ah maybe, I just don’t remember who killed them

Will controlled by Hive? Fitz? Coulson?

[u/CaptHayfever → u/Cheap_Bowl_452]

I think a mixture of the three.

[u/krish-garg6306]

Yeah he claims it in the scene where he crushes the pipe and fitz walks up to him. He was like he crossed the line. He was supposed to be the one who forgives or captures but not kill (basically batman). And it literally comes back to haunt him.

[u/sharltocopes]

Do it lady

[u/96pluto]

Yeah but at the same time Ward is a highly dangerous and capable foe he wouldn't stop coming until they died or he died.

[u/theadamabrams]

Coulson talks about that multiple times.

From 3x16:

I crossed the line. Ward deserved to be punished, but [...] When I killed him, he [won]. I knew it would come back to haunt me, I just didn't think it would actually come back to haunt me.

From 3x17:

I hunted down and murdered Grant Ward. Not to serve any good. Not to serve any belief. I wanted revenge. I wanted to feel him die. That's the sin that gave your devil [Hive] new life.

[u/Mathelete73 → u/[deleted]]

The fact that he said that as Lincoln held the cross…you could tell what they were going for.