Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. B. J. Britt is Agent Triplett

[cleverusername8]

Tripp's death worked well because he was easily the most likable non-consequential character on the team. I don't mean to use the term "non-consequential" as a negative thing. It's just that he isn't heavily tied to progression of the plot in the same way that Coulson, Skye, or May is.

The emotional impact definitely hit. The comments on Clark Gregg's Facebook post with the goodbye video is evidence to this. Heck, I was in minor shock after realizing that he's really dead - not just brink of death dead like he was earlier in the season. It took me a little while for me to recover enough to move onto watching the Flash mid-season finale.

That said, I wouldn't have picked Tripp to die if I were in charge, but I can accept the fact that he did and look forward to what's coming when the show returns in the spring.

 

[Loki882]

No, that's why it DIDN' work, well one of the reasons. It was too damn obvious, people have been calling it all season. It's like when people are speculating as to what Avenger might die in AOU, and Hawkeye keeps getting mentioned because he's had the least development out of all of them. And that's precisely why it SHOULDN'T be him, he's the obvious/boring choice. Same thing goes with Tripp. Plus the fact that they made "the black might die" the emotional hook for like three episodes straight didn't help:

-"OMG, Tripp got shot. He might die, nope."
-"OMG, Mack got possessed by alien mojo, electrocuted, and fell down a big hole. He might die, nope."
-"OMG, they actually killed off Tripp, after trying to fake you out only a couple of episodes ago. How predictable."

 

[Intouch]

[YT]P8CXUzepL6k[/YT]

 

[Human Torch]

The reason they picked Tripp is pretty obvious.They had literally no storylines for him.(A fault of the writers,but it is what it is) They seem to have plans for Lance and Bobbie is presumably safe due to her "emerging super hero" status.That leaves the core cast (which I'm guessing are signed up for a few more seasons yet.)

That leaves Tripp and Mack.And as I said before,I think Mack is even less developed than Tripp,but supposedly they think they could do more with Mack going forward than Tripp.It also could be due to Britt's availability.(I hear he's got things in the works?)

 

[Vartha]

They had plenty of Story. Agent Carter would have provided more

You're in denial.

The reason they picked Tripp is pretty obvious.They had literally no storylines for him.(A fault of the writers,but it is what it is) They seem to have plans for Lance and Bobbie is presumably safe due to her "emerging super hero" status.That leaves the core cast (which I'm guessing are signed up for a few more seasons yet.)

That leaves Tripp and Mack.And as I said before,I think Mack is even less developed than Tripp,but supposedly they think they could do more with Mack going forward than Tripp.It also could be due to Britt's availability.(I hear he's got things in the works?)

 

[wcarne]

You're in denial.

I'm pretty sure as stated elsewhere, he has other projects on the go. I heard that's why he couldn't be in more episodes this season and (even apart from the valid reasons mentioned here that he's not connected to any of the main storylines), it makes him the most expendable.

I liked him, even though he was pretty underdeveloped. I think for a character that most of us didn't have a huge emotional attachment to, they did his death pretty well.

 

[Mike Murdock]

He's on Being Mary Jane. I honestly was surprised how much he appeared this season. I thought they would send him away on assignment a long time ago.

Anyway, his death wasn't entirely shocking but it wasn't predictable either. It really felt like deflating a balloon. I held hope until the very last second and then he crumbled away. It was really quite effective.

Up there with Mike Patterson's fake death last season.

 

[just one thing]

some good scenes, when he and simmons did'nt know if they could trust each other as the hydra coup was starting. when garrett was getting lead away and the look of betrayal on his face, when he was bonding with coulson over his granddads gadgets. the speed he jumped down that rope when he heard syke and coulson where down in the city. Good and decent, what ward pretended to be. there was a sort of meaningless to his death and maybe that some how gives it resonance, he didn't jump on a grenade to save someone else he was in a room he shouldn't have been in and died, a waste but a lot of death is.

 

[Lilbaz]

RIP Trip.

 

[The Shrike]

Tripp was a third wheel to the FitzSimmons romance, and the FitzMac bromance.

That made him more expendable than anyone else except for a Koenig, and they did that already in season one, so someone we don't have a spare for had to buy the farm this time around.

Joss never pulled his punches when it came to that, so why should Jed and Maurissa

 

[hoy-small-fry]

But Tripp was the funniest member on the team :'(

 

[Human Torch]

And without Tripp, I can now foresee even more angst and gloom in the show.

Yeah,we'll still have Coulson-isims and Koenig jokes (which are starting to wear a little thin BTW)

 

[Mike Murdock]

You'll probably not like the suggestion, but Lance can also provide levity.

 

[Human Torch]

I'm not a Lance hater,myself.He got a good line off last week.Something like "Join Shield and travel to exotic places and meet interesting people--and kill them"

 

[iambranded]

Tripp's death worked well because he was easily the most likable non-consequential character on the team. I don't mean to use the term "non-consequential" as a negative thing. It's just that he isn't heavily tied to progression of the plot in the same way that Coulson, Skye, or May is.

The emotional impact definitely hit. The comments on Clark Gregg's Facebook post with the goodbye video is evidence to this. Heck, I was in minor shock after realizing that he's really dead - not just brink of death dead like he was earlier in the season. It took me a little while for me to recover enough to move onto watching the Flash mid-season finale.

That said, I wouldn't have picked Tripp to die if I were in charge, but I can accept the fact that he did and look forward to what's coming when the show returns in the spring.

He barely went on field missions this season....so that kinda told a story...
Also...after last season....they didnt play up to his Grand son of a Howling Commando ....made me think he wasnt going to be around.....

 

[Alex_Kidd]

the loss of Trip is one of the worst move of this show.
I hope that May's ex husband will be a regular or semi-regular. What's the issue with the black people in TV? have Triplett, Mack, Deathlok in the same time could be so awful for ratings? As italian I don't understand... US and England always been "multiracial" colture for us...

 

[Lilbaz]

It was nothing about race for why he died (for me) just he was a very bland character. He needed a storyline similar to wards to shake him up a bit, instead they chose him for death. He was always a fringe character anyway so we can't say it was unexpected.

 

[valiant]

He was underdeveloped but his death took away more then it added to that scene.....we just got our first real inhuman appearance the moment was epic enough. He could have at least been taken out by the next big bad instead of the crystal. ....R.I.P. tripp so much story potential wasted

 

[Mike Murdock]

His death is part of Skye's journey, that's why they had to be together. I don't think the writers were like "you know, we haven't killed anyone in awhile, let's kill someone." It was "Skye's guilt over a teammate's death could help fuel her into becoming a superhero. Who would be a good candidate for that death?"

It's worth keeping this in mind (for those who suggested the first character killed off was the black character). BJ Britt has always been a guest star. The first regularly reoccurring guest star to be killed off was Victoria Hand (a white woman). Next was Bill Paxton. Then came Whitehall. Tripplett is the first black character killed off, but it followed quite a few other characters.

On the other hand (and I do think this is somewhat problematic), all the fakeout deaths I can think of involved African American actors. You had Mike Peterson last season. Then you had Tripplett a few weeks ago. Then you had Mac. It's almost a good thing they actually killed off a character rather than having another fake death with him.

 

[AquamanOS]

It was so sudden and random its almost like they suddenly realized they had to get rid of Trip midway through shooting the ep and quickly wrote it into the end. I mean if he was running around with Coulson it was one thing but all of a sudden he runs into Skye despite being on demo duty? Why was he even doing that? Last ep he was wounded and not supposed to be seeing much action.

I mean I'd figured Trip was doomed when he wasn't made a regular and instead they brought in Hunter as the next "action guy" character to replace Ward. (What was up with that btw? Did the sponsors insist they needed a new hot white guy for sexual tension because they'd made Ward evil?) But really why didn't they just kill him two episodes ago when they had the chance.

Still though, it seemed like such a waste. Trip never really did much but be an extra pair of hands.

Mack I could see dying because he was a divide between Fitz and Simmons. But he's apparantly ok while they suddenly had Trip run in an die at the last minute.

I mean I was expecting it. But I was expecting something a little more better and meaningful. If Skye is gonna be all "These powers suck because Trip died." then I'm gonna roll my eyes because she and Trip rarely interacted much. Heck she was comatose his whole introduction episode.

 

[giveyourself12%]

And without Tripp, I can now foresee even more angst and gloom in the show.

Yeah,we'll still have Coulson-isims and Koenig jokes (which are starting to wear a little thin BTW)

Nooooo. I love Koenig. We need more of him. He's pure awesome.

Coulson's Coulson-isms loom large in his legend. He's smooth.

The show is fine as it is...finally.

(Except RIP Trip)

 

[marcvader]

Never gets old, people always have to complain about something.

 

[giveyourself12%]

Never gets old, people always have to complain about something.

Yep.

"Man, this show needs to get better."

*show gets awesome*

"Needs.......salt."

 

[Mike Murdock]

I mean I'd figured Trip was doomed when he wasn't made a regular and instead they brought in Hunter as the next "action guy" character to replace Ward. (What was up with that btw? Did the sponsors insist they needed a new hot white guy for sexual tension because they'd made Ward evil?) But really why didn't they just kill him two episodes ago when they had the chance.

Just to clarify this, BJ Britt was a guest because he's a regular on another show. Nick Blood, according to the producers, was added because they wanted an outsider who would be willing to question Coulson. Although, so far, it seems like Mac has actually taken that role. Lance is there to be with Bobbi, more or less.

I mean I was expecting it. But I was expecting something a little more better and meaningful. If Skye is gonna be all "These powers suck because Trip died." then I'm gonna roll my eyes because she and Trip rarely interacted much. Heck she was comatose his whole introduction episode.

I have to disagree there. I thought Skye and Trip had nice chemistry. I realize it occurred post-Guest House, but particularly at the beginning of the season, they had nice interactions.

 

[Human Torch]

I was talking about the "what is Koenig?" jokes.(Is he an LMD/member of a large family,etc) At this point I'm ready for them to reveal the mystery and quit messing around.

But Patton Oswalt is great.I wish he was on the show regularly.