Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Season 1)

[Henry Gale]

First episode was purdy fun!

Has a long way to go for me to view it as great, but there's a lot of strong, breezily enjoyable elements on display to make that possible.

[Irish]

Feels like an exercise in Disney branding.

First episode was weighed down by 1,000 lbs of exposition. Aside from a few Whedonesque quips here and there, did anyone actually say anything that wasn't (1) technobabble and (2) immediately relevant to the plot?

Love Gregg. Bored by the rest.

[number8]

Still haven't seen it. Not really expecting to love it considering I've never seen a Whedon pilot that's great.

[slqrick]

Feels like an exercise in Disney branding.

First episode was weighed down by 1,000 lbs of exposition. Aside from a few Whedonesque quips here and there, did anyone actually say anything that wasn't (1) technobabble and (2) immediately relevant to the plot?

Love Gregg. Bored by the rest.

It wasn't great, and definitely labored in getting the ball rolling. Still enjoyed it overall, but the pilot definitely reeked of studio involvement, which is fine. I hope that's not the case going forward, because there's a lot of potential for great stories here. Cast seems fairly generic though.

[Qrazy]

Feels like an exercise in Disney branding.

First episode was weighed down by 1,000 lbs of exposition. Aside from a few Whedonesque quips here and there, did anyone actually say anything that wasn't (1) technobabble and (2) immediately relevant to the plot?

Love Gregg. Bored by the rest.

I haven't watched this yet but every Whedon show starts out bad or medicore. They improve with time.

[Irish]

It wasn't great, and definitely labored in getting the ball rolling. Still enjoyed it overall, but the pilot definitely reeked of studio involvement, which is fine. I hope that's not the case going forward, because there's a lot of potential for great stories here. Cast seems fairly generic though.

It's Disney/Marvel reinforcing their franchise on ABC. They'll never get away from studio involvement. These productions are practically machine tooled.

Agree about the cast.

Forgot to mention I thought the production values were ace. They spent a lot of money and it showed.


I haven't watched this yet but every Whedon show starts out bad or medicore. They improve with time.

True -- but, the difference here is that Whedon is playing in someone else's sandbox. And he's not as directly involved day-to-day.

SHIELD will have to span an awkward space. They'll never be able to do anything that effects the larger franchise, and it's unlikely that the movies will have much, if any, impact on the show.

[number8]

SHIELD will have to span an awkward space. They'll never be able to do anything that effects the larger franchise, and it's unlikely that the movies will have much, if any, impact on the show.

That's best for everyone, really.

[amberlita]

I haven't watched this yet but every Whedon show starts out bad or medicore. They improve with time.

But this is a problem, isn't it? Not like this is his first TV show. It's his fifth. Why can't he ever seem to figure out what kind of a show he wants to write from the beginning?

(though I think Firefly is an exception. that was pretty great throughout.)

I wasn't encouraged by this pilot. We'll see where it goes.

[Irish]

That's best for everyone, really.

It makes sense on a bigger scale & with what they're trying to do. But it will mean SHIELD will always be a dramatically timid, milquetoast kind of show.

That won't play well with an audience that's getting increasingly used to bigger surprises and a weekly fix of dramatic jolts. The people who watch stuff like Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, and Breaking Bad will be bored to tears by SHIELD. And it won't be because it's network and lacks blood & boobs. It's because SHIELD won't be able to take any chances, by design.

[Irish]

(though I think Firefly is an exception. that was pretty great throughout.)

It was -- at least if you watch them in the 'correct' order. But it still took him ~10 episodes to do anything with River Tam and the larger plot line around her (which seemed to be the crux of the show, right when it was cancelled).

Before that, she serves no purpose except to be a minor source of antagonism and mumbles annoyingly in every episode.

[number8]

Okay, watched it. Not great, but honestly, better than my expectation. Lags a ton in the middle, and I was weirded out by the borrowing of Iron Man 3's threat. I liked the funny parts and the sad parts, so that's encouraging since those are the two things Whedon does best. I'm thinking Cobie Smulders will probably join the show full time in S2.

[number8]

Woah, so Jim Steranko is apparently going to be reviewing every episode for Hollywood Reporter. His first one's up, and he... casually dropped in a racist remark. What a weird read.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/agents-shield-comic-creator-jim-636457

[Qrazy]

But this is a problem, isn't it? Not like this is his first TV show. It's his fifth. Why can't he ever seem to figure out what kind of a show he wants to write from the beginning?

(though I think Firefly is an exception. that was pretty great throughout.)

I wasn't encouraged by this pilot. We'll see where it goes.

I think he knows the show he wants to write from the beginning he just likes to start with really low stakes so he can amp that shit up season to season. That said I agree with you that he really ought to start with a bang initially anyway.

[Mara]

This was... fine. About what I expected. Given the pedigree, I'm expecting a lot of character deepening, and I'd rather have it happen soon. Skye's hair-pin turn into a team member was annoying.

Coulson, though, has smirked his way into my cold heart.

[Mara]

Aw, you guys are no fun.

[number8]

Oh, I didn't realize it was intentional.

[Mara]

Oh, I didn't realize it was intentional.

:lol:

Doesn't matter. Typing out with its ridiculous punctuation annoys me.

[number8]

Yeah, this could grow on me.


https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10151611841803204

[Lucky]

Yeah, pilot is ok. I concur with the rest of you that Whedon's shows never hit the ground running, but this is the first time I haven't been instantly enamored by the cast. Clark Gregg is a snug fit, but as our protagonist I find him lacking. He strikes me more as the scene stealing supporting character. The other guy has an Angel wannabe vibe going for him. Skye is a role Eliza Dushku would have been home in ten years ago. The two techies at least have some good chemistry. I'm in for now, I'm waiting for the "Man on the Street" moment.

[ledfloyd]

I'm really not sure what I think of this. It was pretty boring, and Whedon will have significantly less control in coming episodes. It's going to be difficult to keep watching.

[[ETM]]

I was entertained, and I'm looking forward to more. It's not like it's mandatory or anything.

[Thirdmango]

Just watched it and like most thought it was interesting and a decent bridge to what the series wants to become. Jed and Co are the big ones and I've come to trust them as much as I do Joss so I think it'll be good.

[Qrazy]

Second ep was alright. As with much of Whedon's work when it's not that great the humor makes it enjoyable enough to continue. I'll keep watching.

[slqrick]

The Skye/jock agent scene felt so painfully forced, down to the Dawson's Creek score. Still enjoyed it for the most part. Coulson is awesome.

[dreamdead]

We were indifferent after the pilot. Forgot to record the second ep; will wait to see people's reaction as the season progresses to allocate time to this.

[Mara]

My roomie and I agree that so far its main flaw is that it is trying too hard to be cool. I hope it eases up.

But this wasn't bad.

[slqrick]

I enjoyed the little callback to Serenity with that repulsor weapon or whatever that Ward used (Simon used it to save River in the opening flashback scene).

[Henry Gale]

It says something when two of the most electric and gratifying scenes have been the ones that they managed to get Cobie Smulders and Samuel L. Jackson to stop by, but outside of knowing why this can't be the case every week, it does make it seem like the show is in a lower tier than other Marvel adventures by default. Not that it was them alone that elevated the material, but also how playful, hilarious and emphatic the vibe of the writing and acting of them were within their episodes.

This second episode was fun, but it still felt like a mildly ambitious episode of any spy show (with bigger sets, better effects). That being said, the last scene was great and brought everything together in the way I hope more of the show could.

I dunno, maybe if the show maintains popularity for long enough we can see those bigger elements merge a little more.

[Qrazy]

This second episode was fun, but it still felt like a mildly ambitious episode of any spy show (with bigger sets, better effects). That being said, the last scene was great and brought everything together in the way I hope more of the show could.

I dunno, maybe if the show maintains popularity for long enough we can see those bigger elements merge a little more.

It was a fun shot but it's also kind of stupid that every time they find one of these things their solution is to send an incredibly expensive rocket shooting into the sun.

[Henry Gale]

It was a fun shot but it's also kind of stupid that every time they find one of these things their solution is to send an incredibly expensive rocket shooting into the sun.

Oh, I meant Nick Fury assessing the damage and yelling at Coulson.

[number8]

I'm still waiting for it to feel less like I'm watching a sci-fi version of Bones, I guess. I'm still not that into the cast. I feel like even though I didn't like the first 2 episodes of Buffy and Dollhouse, I already got the feel of the ensemble at that point. I hope it pulls an Angel and shakes it up halfway through the season. Just put Alexis Denisof in there or something.

[number8]

It's also becoming more and more obvious that Skye was written for Eliza Dushku.

[Irish]

I'm still waiting for it to feel less like I'm watching a sci-fi version of Bones, I guess. I'm still not that into the cast. I feel like even though I didn't like the first 2 episodes of Buffy and Dollhouse, I already got the feel of the ensemble at that point. I hope it pulls an Angel and shakes it up halfway through the season. Just put Alexis Denisof in there or something.

^ This. The biggest problem is that the show doesn't feel like it has a central character, a protagonist, and that several roles really seem to overlap.

If we have Ming Na Wen kicking ass, why do we need the square jawed motherfucker who looks like he just walked off the set of the Young & the Restless? Why do we need 2-3 supergeeks who are good with "science" and "computers"?

Much as I love Gregg, I also think his character is a serious problem on an ongoing series. It's the Bugs Bunny paradox: If you have a character that's always cracking wise and playing it cool, it's difficult to convince the audience that they are ever in any real danger, which makes it difficult for them to become involved at a deeper level.

[number8]

I don't have a problem with overlapping functions, but it is problematic that they share personalities too. Dollhouse's big cast had several characters with similar skills and jobs, but they all had their own different quirks. With this cast, I don't get why they made Fitz and Simmons both awkward, talkative, neurotic Brits. Or that Ward and May are both stoic, standoffish badasses. I hope the 5th or 6th episode will have a non-adventure and explore their unique personalities more. Or at least, spend more time in SHIELD HQ and get to know some of the technicians there to add more flavor. Maybe Ron Glass's doctor can be interesting.

[Irish]

I don't have a problem with overlapping functions, but it is problematic that they share personalities too. Dollhouse's big cast had several characters with similar skills and jobs, but they all had their own different quirks. With this cast, I don't get why they made Fitz and Simmons both awkward, talkative, neurotic Brits. Or that Ward and May are both stoic, standoffish badasses. I hope the 5th or 6th episode will have a non-adventure and explore their unique personalities more. Or at least, spend more time in SHIELD HQ and get to know some of the technicians there to add more flavor. Maybe Ron Glass's doctor can be interesting.

I'm of two minds about that. First is, I agree with you in spirit. If they can delineate the characters more and make them entertaining, it's not such a huge issue.

Second is, I think this has always been a problem for Whedonesque shows. He writes characters that outlive their usefulness and then they just sort of .. hang around. It's awkward. (Xander and Dawn on "Buffy," Gun on "Angel", and Book on "Firefly" are all examples. If you look too closely at certain points, you begin to wonder why they're on the show at all.)

It wasn't Whedon, but the various incarnations of "Star Trek" had this problem in spades (especially "Voyager"). Where a character becomes dead weight, the writers don't write for them, but the actor has a multi-year contract).

In terms of pure genre, I think character overlap is deadly. These things need to be light. They need to move. They need to be simple. Having Captain Square Jaw hang around while Ming Na is his superior in almost every way is pointless (she kicks harder ass, she's got an interesting backstory etc).

[Mara]

Skye is bad at punching. Also, even Buffy knew that when punching, it's best to pull your hair back.

[Mara]

This wasn't bad. I'm finally getting a bead on a few of the characters (for instance, I find I like Fitz.) Most of the backstory feels pretty rote so far, though.

Simmons' blouse/cardigan/tie ensemble was freaking adorable.

So, Coulson is a clone, right?

[Fezzik]

I found this one to be a marked improvement on the first two episodes.

It's not that the first two were bad, necessarily, I just thought that this one was tighter and more comfortable in its own skin.

[Qrazy]

I find the writing is still quite poor. Hopefully there are some epic plot twists on the horizon because that's one of the key things that makes Whedon worth watching.

[Irish]

I find the writing is still quite poor. Hopefully there are some epic plot twists on the horizon because that's one of the key things that makes Whedon worth watching.

Agreed. They really need to get away from this MacGuffin-of-the-week stuff. This past episode reminded me a little of a half-baked adventure stuff from the 70s or 80s -- Hart to Hart, Remington Steele, or the A-Team. (Infiltrate some kook's compound on Malta? Really? That's your show?).

The more I see of this cast, outside of Gregg, the less I like them. More generic they could not be.

PS: I did laugh, though, when Coulson hit the beach ... in a suit and tie.

[number8]

Agreed that it's the best episode so far. Still not great television, but it was a pretty great Magnum PI episode.

[Mara]

I'm starting to get a feel for these characters. This was the first episode where I liked Ward.

[Mara]

This was the first episode where I liked Ward.

I mean, he's ticklish. That's adorable.

[slqrick]

I mean, he's ticklish. That's adorable.

The "seduction" bit was funny, and the kind of scene that gives him more to do than be generic handsome guy.

[number8]

And once again their best episode so far, which means they're steadily improving. The cast actually gets to have some personality (I really like the idea of Skye hiding out in the SUV). The episode felt like a good mix between Whedon humor and Bond movie. I like the Melinda May/Coulson relationship that's developing, too.

[Winston*]

The latest one also looked less cheap than the previous ones. The opening sequence in Sweden was really cool.

[Qrazy]

Agreed that it's the best episode so far. Still not great television, but it was a pretty great Magnum PI episode.

It felt more like Chuck to me.

[number8]

The latest one also looked less cheap than the previous ones. The opening sequence in Sweden was really cool.

I laughed at the absurdity of a bank dressing up their employees in these conspicuously menacing red masks in public in order to not get robbed, but whatever, made for a visually arresting cold open.

[Mara]

On public transportation, no less.

[amberlita]

TWOP can be annoying, but I thought this was a fair illustration of why I can't bring myself to give a shit about this show.

Personnel Review (http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/agents-of-shield/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-our-personnel-review/)

[Lucky]

Yeah, I gave up. I'm not even intrigued anymore.

[[ETM]]

I'm wondering about expectations here. This is exactly what I expected it to be in every way.

[[ETM]]

The latest one also looked less cheap than the previous ones.

The whole Belarus segment was ridiculous as expected. The gibberish Russian signs were priceless.
I get why they're going for less known and used locations, but come on.

[amberlita]

;497669']I'm wondering about expectations here. This is exactly what I expected it to be in every way.

Not sure it matters? Whether I expected it to be mediocre or not, it is still mediocre.

[Irish]

It felt more like Chuck to me.

Good call. Chuck was a pretty good show in its first few seasons, before it went really broad.

Here's hoping Adam Baldwin shows up on SHIELD. Anything to inject a little life into it.

[[ETM]]

Not sure it matters? Whether I expected it to be mediocre or not, it is still mediocre.

I'm saying - what CAN it be? As much as it's freed by spinning off a successful franchise/film, it's even more hampered by it.

[slqrick]

It's only improving by small increments, but it's still early. The scene alluding to the NSA stuff felt really half baked.

[Qrazy]

You know what, I'm just going to come out and say it. This show is crap. I've tried giving it the benefit of the doubt but there's just nothing to it.

[Irish]

You know what, I'm just going to come out and say it. This show is crap. I've tried giving it the benefit of the doubt but there's just nothing to it.

Agreed. Last night's was the worst of the bunch. No humor, few good lines, and a plot that felt largely recycled from the premiere. (Unsurprisingly, the ratings are trending down (http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/10/23/agents-of-shield-need-a-superhero-ratings-slip-again/)).

Also, might be weird for thinking this but: Has anyone else noticed every villain on this show has been played with a minority actor, while the cast is largely white?

[number8]

Yeah, really bad episode. If these Centipede guys are gonna be the Big Bad, then boy we've got a problem here. So disappointing after last week's.

[Mara]

Just watching now. Agent Kwan at the beginning is the guy who was trying to "enjoy himself" in Dollhouse but then was eating his own legs.

I actually see this guy in stuff all the time, but to me he will always be guy-who-eats-his-own-legs.

[number8]

The Attic was a great episode.

[Mara]

Ward always has his t-shirt partially tucked into his belted jeans. Just... partially. I don't know what that means.

[Mara]

Yeah, this was a mediocre episode. I thought the "giving a name" joke was passably funny.

Not giving up on the show, though.

[D_Davis]

Ward always has his t-shirt partially tucked into his belted jeans. Just... partially. I don't know what that means.

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/11/halftuckad.jpg

[Mara]

Like, cool enough to wear jeans; stodgy enough to wear a belt. Mr. Relaxed Guy with a t-shirt, but I'll tuck it in a little bit, because I'm not a SAVAGE. But I won't tuck it in all the way, because I'm still Mr. Relaxed Guy.

[D_Davis]

http://static.fashionbeans.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/preppytuck.jpg

[Mara]

I DID NOT KNOW THAT THIS THING WAS A THING.

[number8]

I... I sometimes do it.

[Mara]

I... I sometimes do it.

Come on; you're better than that. Pick a level of tucked-in-ed-ness and commit to it.

[number8]

But then I won't give the impression that I'm sharp enough to tuck it in but laid back enough to not care when part of it slips out from partying.

[D_Davis]

During the summer, I still sport the 3/4-unbuttoned button up, California cholo style.

[amberlita]

But then I won't give the impression that I'm sharp enough to tuck it in but laid back enough to not care when part of it slips out from partying.

I started this page from the bottom up, saw this post, forgot what thread I had clicked, and really thought you were talking about something else...

[number8]

I started this page from the bottom up, saw this post, forgot what thread I had clicked, and really thought you were talking about something else...

Well, you're welcome anyway.

[number8]

Sepinwall nails it:

http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/review-whats-wrong-with-marvels-agents-of-shield?awesm=awe.sm_t3oJU

"Y" infuriates me. This show is obviously goddamn expensive, but it rarely looks it. It just seems like they're wasting their budget on exotic locales and spiffy CGI, when that kind of money could have been put to a lot more use.

[number8]

This is weird. The episode on Thanksgiving week will be a direct follow-up to the events in Thor 2, and directed by Jonathan Frakes.

[number8]

There's the "Man on the Street." 6th episode again.

[Henry Gale]

This is weird. The episode on Thanksgiving week will be a direct follow-up to the events in Thor 2, and directed by Jonathan Frakes.

This didn't really excite me when I first heard it, but if it's what I think it's going to be, then this could be a lot of fun. I can't even really spoil it since it would barely make sense out of context, but for future reference, I hope it involves the very last thing we see in the second credits scene for The Dark World.

[Mara]

There's the "Man on the Street." 6th episode again.

I'm not sure I see it as a drastic turning point, but I liiiiked this episode. A little implausible at times, but never less than totally engaging.

The characters are getting pretty delightful.

[number8]

Well, no, it's not quite the same, I just meant it as the episode people have been waiting to see. The brilliance of "Man on the Street" was that it worked as a second pilot, because of how coherently and intriguingly it presented Dollhouse's central concept, to the point where you could skip the first 5 episodes. "F.Z.Z.T" is good, but it's still the standalone case-of-the-week adventure that they can easily mess up next week.

[number8]

This didn't really excite me when I first heard it, but if it's what I think it's going to be, then this could be a lot of fun. I can't even really spoil it since it would barely make sense out of context, but for future reference, I hope it involves the very last thing we see in the second credits scene for The Dark World.

Having seen the movie now, I highly doubt it. Might be too big budget for TV.

Given the show's X-Files/Fringe cribbing, it's much more likely that it'll involve the weird portals and gravitational anomalies.

[Mara]

Was I planning on seeing Thor 2? Not really.

Am I seeing it now? ...yeah.

You win again, MARKETING.

[number8]

Is it marketing, or my use of the spoiler tag that you're itching to click? Be honest.

[Mara]

Is it marketing, or my use of the spoiler tag that you're itching to click? Be honest.

It's a combination of good marketing tie-ins and casting of extremely attractive men.

/shallow

[Thirdmango]

With a show like this, I look to the past of Whedon, and with the exception of Firefly all of his shows started off very weak. I gave up on Buffy even though it was so highly recommended because that first season killed all enthusiasm I had. I love Dollhouse and I hated those first five episodes and also another scattered few after episode 6, but then loved everything in the second season. It just feels like they have this idea that they need to suck at first before they blow up the show and give you something super cool that makes the show watchable.

[Irish]

They're 8 episodes in, though.

Traditionally, Whedon has managed to turn his series around within 10-12 episodes. So I think SHIELD is running out of time.

Last night was half a good episode. I like this idea they're pushing lately that SHIELD isn't a benevolent organization and is morally compromised.

But then they had to go and drag up those BORING ass storylines about Skye and Gregson, to throw another weak pseudo-cliffhanger at the audience. Sheesh.

[slqrick]

This episode wasn't good. Not looking very encouraging at the moment.

[number8]

I'm really warmed to the cast now, but goddammit, I no longer give a shit what happened to Coulson because of how slow they're dragging that out, and nobody gives a shit about Skye's past.

Introduce a recurring supervillain already.

[Irish]

I'm really warmed to the cast now, but goddammit, I no longer give a shit what happened to Coulson because of how slow they're dragging that out, and nobody gives a shit about Skye's past.

Given The Winter Soldier trailer, I kinda want the recurring villain here to be SHIELD itself.

Agree on the cast. This episode made me like the two lab nerds & Captain Squarejaw a lot more. Still wish they'd push Skye off the plane.

[number8]

Speaking of Winter Soldier, I dug the sort-of-foreshadowing to it last night ("You should see the Triskellion.").

[Irish]

Ok. With this episode, I've officially run out excuses for watching this show.

[number8]

Wow, talk about being duped. They very obviously did not write that as a Thor tie-in and just shot the brief scene in the beginning to link them.

[Henry Gale]

Haven't seen the last few episodes, but had this one on in the background as it aired. It did not look particularly strong. From seeing discussions and articles online and having brief conversations with friends about it, this seems to be point where everyone is either done with the show or finally comfortable (or willing to settle with it enough, but still have the will to strive for a bright-side view of it) to say it's gotten better.

Either way, for anyone that saw the new Thor, did you think / hope that this episode was going to be about the Ice Giant creature still being loose in London? I don't even care if the effects would be an awful step down from the movie, or as 8 said, if they even had actual time to plan it, it coulda been really fun, something this show really seems to lack outside of its characters' banter.

[number8]

I think that's it for me as a weekly show. I'll probably catch up after the season's over. I'm not quite giving up on it, but it's so, so far from being a must-see show and it doesn't look like it will be one for a long time (if ever).

[Qrazy]

Agent Coulson is a doll!

[Qrazy]

Also, the most recent episode was alright.

[Mara]

Also, the most recent episode was alright.

It's not great.

That said, Jemma's menswear-as-womenswear clothes continue to be adorable.

/watching for the little ties

[Qrazy]

It's not great.

That said, Jemma's menswear-as-womenswear clothes continue to be adorable.

/watching for the little ties

Certainly far from great, just less insufferable than much of what has come before.

[Mara]

This episode showed some improvement in terms of setting up long-term conflict, tapping into the serialization so far, and bringing in some emotional themes. It wasn't a fantastic episode by itself, but it made me a little more optimistic.

[Irish]

Mara, I love your optimism but I'm mystified by your response. This episode played like all the others, and the emotional beats struck me false (seriously, is Coulson bucking for sainthood? "Gunn" completely screws him over but Tahiti boy stands there and sagely nods at him in the process. I was half expecting Coulson to tell him to go, and sin no more).

I think I figured out what is off about this, from a Whedonesque standpoint. All the other vehicles has some element of the underdog. Buffy, Angel, Firefly, etc, were about a small band fighting enormous forces without any help. But the SHIELD guys have a massive organization behind them and high tech coming out of their asses. They are all alpha dogs. They don't have any flaws. They don't have Willow's vulnerability or Westley's false bravado and romantic longing.

When Gunn tells the two science dweebs that the gun they invented incidentally solved his problem (ie, his potential to explode), it felt wrong, and cheap. (And sheesh, talk about lazy, technobabble writing. That's the kind of thing that would have made Star Trek writers blush).

When Coulson gets captured and Ming-Na's first reaction was to get on the sat phone and ask for satellite coverage, it felt off.

These guys aren't the underdogs. They don't suffer for anything. On other Whedon shows, SHIELD would be the villains, right up there with Wolfram and those blue-gloved weirdos.

One extra nit: For an "elite" team, these guys are incompetent. Last night marks three times they've been suckered by people they've unconditionally trusted (and trusted for no good reason). What's with that?

[Sxottlan]

I think this show turned a corner with "F.Z.Z.T." Real strong acting there. And now with "The Magical Place," we have another strong entry imho. Nice work by Clark Gregg. Production is still kind of cheesy in spots. The test town is an example. I liked the weird feel of it, but it also seemed rather slapdash.

It was good to finally see some of Coulson's missing time. Kind of a freaky scene. And glad Peterson survived, but now he belongs to Centipede.

[Morris Schæffer]

Not watching this, but Bill Paxton joins the cast.

[Mara]

Catching up and so far liking it better than last week. Cracking up at how much the boiler room is The Bronze. Like, exactly.

[Mara]

And yet again pleasantly surprised. The premise was ridiculous, but I think we all know you can't go far wrong with a train heist episode. Splitting the narrative was a clever way to let the characters shine individually (with my personal favorites being Simmons' over-prepared undercover work and Fitz grouching about how unsupportive Skye is as a fake girlfriend.)

[Thirdmango]

I really liked the past two episodes, they're delving deeper into some of these characters and doing some fun things.

[Sxottlan]

Agreed. It does feel like the show is finally getting its sea legs. The very nature of SHIELD seems to be ever changing and hard to pin down; these myriad facilities with code names right out of Lost appear to denote a worldwide network. And it looks like this episode kicks off a storyline running up to The Winter Soldier, so perhaps SHIELD is about to get even more shadowy.

And sooo, in the Guest House, was that a freaking frost giant they were harvesting?!

[EyesWideOpen]

I saw a commercial for this yesterday and had forgotten it was even still on the air. After the first couple episodes I haven't heard anyone talking about it.

[Qrazy]

I thought the last ep wasn't very good. The writing is so bad on this show the plot has become utterly asinine.

[slqrick]

Stopped watching around episode five, but decided to check in after hearing good things about the past couple of episodes. This last one was...pretty good, actually. The team actually felt like a team, the characters seem to have a purpose, and the overall story (at least for this episode) felt much tighter and better written.

I may have come back in with much lower expectations, but it was a pleasant surprise to see it actually functioning as a show.

[Mara]

I did not realize that Ming-Na Wen (Melinda May) was the speaking voice of Mulan.

[EyesWideOpen]

I did not realize that Ming-Na Wen (Melinda May) was the speaking voice of Mulan.

That's pretty much the only thing I know her from other then being the voice of Finn's mom in Adventure Time.

[[ETM]]

She had a large role on Eureka.

[Henry Gale]

Had this episode on in the background while someone else watched it, and I'm pretty sure it spoiled major aspects of Winter Soldier for me.

Do they really expect every viewer of the series to have already seen the movie in its opening 3 or 4 days? I mean, as tacky and exploitive as it could be, a message of sorts up front to let people know it takes place directly after the events of the Captain America would make sense in a case like this, even if it could just as easily turn away a portion of the live audience immediately.

[Qrazy]

The plot twists on this show make zero sense.

[number8]

Ironically, by introducing that out of nowhere reveal, everyone's saying that Ward is interesting for the very first time.

[slqrick]

Well, he kind of is. I feel like that was the sort of thing they ideally would have revealed at the end of the pilot, but knew they had to wait till Winter Soldier came out. I'm intrigued by how things played out.

[number8]

Well, congratulations, Winter Soldier. I am now officially invested in this show for the first time. Turns out Agent McChiseled Boringface makes for a pretty fun villain. He's got way more chemistry with Bill Paxton than any of the regular cast.

[slqrick]

Yeah, the show is really benefiting from having the shackles off. It could go in a few interesting places, although the new black dude is so Hydra it's not even funny.

[number8]

On the other hand, I was reading about how many hints of Hydra and Ward's undercover are in the pilot alone and also throughout the first half of the season, and it makes me kind of befuddled. Because that means they've been waiting to drop this on viewers for 6 months and were basically doing fillers until Winter Soldier comes out. Kind of a weird way to do a TV show.

[Thirdmango]

But not really weird for a Whedon production. This show consistently reminds me of a elongated Dollhouse in that regard.

[number8]

Amy Acker. Always good for a sappy moment or two.

[number8]

Last night's episode was exactly the kind of show I was expecting when they announced this.

[slqrick]

Yeah this was just an awesome episode. My wife doesn't watch much Marvel stuff at all but she was invested as soon as she saw Cobie Smulders in the opening scene.

[number8]

It's nice to know that the show can deliver its best episode yet on its own terms. The praise on "Turn, Turn, Turn" was deserved, but that episode largely hinged on the fact that it's directly tied to the events of The Winter Soldier. This episode, on the other hand, is still about the after effects of the movie, but all the best scenes are payoffs to plots that it established itself, like Fitz' relationship with Ward, Deathlok, and the whole TAHITI project secret. Good on them.

[slqrick]

I hope they go full villain with Ward instead of trying to rehab his character.

[Mara]

Yeah, this was good times. I was genuinely rooting for Skye for the first time.

[number8]

That was good as hell. This show is on a roll.

[Mara]

That was good as hell. This show is on a roll.

Agreed. Took its sweet time but has found some sure footing.

[slqrick]

It's totally been on fire, and above anything else, it's just damn fun to watch.

Looks like ABC renewed it for a second season and ordered the Haley Atwell Peggy Carter series, which makes a ton of sense for them and should expand the Marvel universe nicely.

[Sxottlan]

Solid finale. Wraps up the season long stories well and a pair of background mysteries look to perhaps come to the fore next season.

Perhaps the biggest emotional wallop of the whole season was this:

Coulson: "That procedure was only supposed to be used for when an Avenger had died."

Fury: "Exactly."

The look on Coulson's face was fantastic. It has sort of always been there, but tonight it was spoken aloud: Coulson is an Avenger.

And the resolution of the Garrett arc is probably the funniest thing the show has ever done. Even the music was in on the joke.

I hope the structure of next season is better. It's like they were treading water waiting for The Winter Soldier to open and then the show really got going. That was a long time to wait. Production values remain the show's biggest handicap. Compared to other shows you see on TV, even network television, the show just looks chintzy. I would love to see more money poured into this show. More location shooting too. California stood in for way too many different places.

[slqrick]

Good finale, but pretty safe. Annoyed that they're going to keep teasing out the Tahiti thing for another season, but that last Garrett scene was just too good and the kind of going the Marvel universe does really well. Hopefully next season will tie into the movie world in a more cohesive way from the start, and I have to say I enjoy these characters enough that I'd like to see them pop up in something like Avengers 2.

[number8]

Here's a pretty interesting exit interview. They talk about being told that SHIELD must disappear in the middle of the season and what they were allowed to do, and planning Ward's turn from the very beginning with Joss.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jarettwieselman/what-the-agents-of-shield-bosses-learned-from-that-tumultuou

[Mara]

This was awesome. Please, show, keep this up next season.

[slqrick]

Now that the shackles are off, I have much higher hopes for the second season.

[Qrazy]

Nah, it's still terrible.

[[ETM]]

Agents of SHIELD, now with Qrazy endorsement!

[Irish]

Nah, it's still terrible.

I didn't have the heart to say it. :lol:

It's better than it was, but it still has all the same problems as before. All they've done is accelerate the plot.

I enjoyed the backstory with Ward, but by fleshing out his character so much in three back to back episodes they highlight the fact that the rest of the cast is woefully underwritten.

One of the things I enjoy about the Marvel movies is the easy cross references. The world of each film, from whatever hero's POV, feels roomy and just little bit complex.

SHIELD feels like the entire world is made up of eight people, and six of them are "good guys."

[Qrazy]

The morality of the show and the general narrative is still absurd. Oh because this dude's kid was going to be killed and they had a bomb in his brain that justifies his acquiescence to criminality. Please. Did Garrett report to anyone? It seemed like he was in charge. How can Hydra be a means to an end if he's running it? Shouldn't there be a group of individuals in charge thus the whole cut off the head bullshit? What is Hydra's end goal? Why does no one in the FBI/NSA/etc seem to give a shit when Shield was crippled by hydra? Who were all those men Ward killed when they infiltrated the Shield facility? Members of Hydra that he killed to remain undercover or genuine shield agents? If the latter why did no one care he killed them? If the former does it really make any sense for him to have killed them and then immediately after rescue his boy Garett? Etc and so forth, I could go on for days. It's so poorly plotted it makes me want to punch the screen.

[Irish]

It's so poorly plotted it makes me want to punch the screen.

My suspicion is that they're adopting a Sleepy Hollow strategy -- if you move it along fast enough, few will notice and no one will care how shabby the plot actually is.

(My favorite bit was when Deathlock gave Ward a heart attack to force Skye to act. In the previous scene, Ward guns down LA cops in broad daylight ... And yet, Skye doesn't hesitate to save him, nor does she regret doing so later.)

[Qrazy]

My suspicion is that they're adopting a Sleepy Hollow strategy -- if you move it along fast enough, few will notice and no one will care how shabby the plot actually is.

(My favorite bit was when Deathlock gave Ward a heart attack to force Skye to act. In the previous scene, Ward guns down LA cops in broad daylight ... And yet, Skye doesn't hesitate to save him, nor does she regret doing so later.)

Seriously. Ugh. That's why the fact that they 'planned' Ward's turn almost makes it that much worse. If this is their version of foreshadowing I don't want to see what an unplanned plot twist would look like. Also, Ward's reaction to Garrett almost killing him is so utterly lacking.

[Mara]

Lucy Lawless in season 2. I love her.

http://screenrant.com/agents-of-shield-lucy-lawless-xena/

[number8]

Oh man. I'm not sure if this is going to be a spoiler or not, but they cast Skye's arms-a-bloody father:

Kyle McLachlan!

[Dukefrukem]

Episodes 18 and 19 are pretty solid. Love the tie-ins.

[Dukefrukem]

Oh shit at the Jackson cameo in episode 22.