Closure (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)

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Closure is the ninth episode of the third season of the American TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. It’s part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and follows Phil Coulson’s team as they face a vengeful former agent and Hydra.

In the episode, Grant Ward shoots Rosalind Price and Hydra plans to reopen the portal to the barren planet Maveth. Coulson returns to the Playground and interrogates his team to learn Ward’s weaknesses. He devises a plan to lure Ward out and enlists Lance Hunter, Bobbi Morse, and Mack to help. They kidnap Ward’s younger brother, Thomas, to use as leverage. Meanwhile, Fitz and Simmons—as well as an ATCU team led by Luther Banks—are attacked by Giyera at an abandoned facility and captured, bringing them to a Hydra-controlled castle where the portal is being fixed. Giyera tortures Simmons to learn how she escaped Maveth, and Ward pressures Fitz to reveal his knowledge. Coulson calls Ward to update him on Thomas’s abduction, pushing Ward to a boiling point. The clash culminates as Malick pushes Ward to lead the mission to Maveth, and Coulson and his team race to stop them.

Mack and his team prepare to assault the castle, while Coulson, Hunter, and Morse arrive first in a Quinjet. Malick opens the portal using Monolith fragments, and Ward and Fitz step through with the Hydra crew. Coulson then dives from the Quinjet into the portal and lands on Maveth unconscious.

Production notes: The episode aired December 1, 2015, on ABC. It was written by Brent Fletcher and directed by Kate Woods. Clark Gregg stars as Coulson, joined by Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge, Nick Blood, Adrianne Palicki, Henry Simmons, and Luke Mitchell. Guest stars include Constance Zimmer as Rosalind Price, Powers Boothe as Gideon Malick, Juan Pablo Raba as Joey Gutierrez, Andrew Howard as Luther Banks, Mark Dacascos as Mr. Giyera, and Tyler Ritter as Thomas Ward.

Viewership and reception: The episode drew about 3.84 million viewers and a 1.3/4 rating share among adults aged 18–49. In 2016, IGN ranked Closure as the fifth-best episode of the series.