Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013?)

[Captain Untouchable]

Good news everyone!

I dunno if you guys heard, but Marvel is talking about developing a TV series to fit into the Avengers universe. Better than that... LOOK WHO THEY'RE PUTTING IN CHARGE! :eee

Linky (http://io9.com/5932683/joss-whedon-directing-avengers-2-and-developing-a-marvel-tv-show-for-abc)

He's lined up to direct Avengers 2 as well. :3:

[Lance Casey]

Best news I have heard all day.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Ahhh :eee finally they give us what we want: Whedon Whedon Whedon

[Crusader]

This is bound to fail so I love this idea!

[Captain Untouchable]

The thing that's got me going "Hmm" at the moment is the whole movie rights issue. Marvel can't include the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, or the X-Men because Fox owns the rights; and they can't use Spider-Man because Sony has the rights.

The movie rights.

Does a live action series fall under that restriction, or is it a potential loophole that Marvel / Disney could exploit?

So much of Marvel happens in and around New York, but they don't have movie access to most of their keystone New Yorker characters. If they are able to feature the Fantastic Four or Spider-Man in an episode or two (a la Smallville's cameos from other DC characters, or the way Marvel does it in their animated series), that could be a really cool way of featuring the parts of the universe that are "missing" without stepping on the toes of the other movie studios.


This is bound to fail so I love this idea!

Actually, Joss Whedon is in a pretty good place on this one.

Both times he was cancelled by Fox (who axe stuff all the time), and Firefly especially suffered from not getting enough advertising / hype while it was on the air. ABC on the other hand is struggling against other networks on the scifi / fantasy front, so they *need* this show to succeed; they've also done the "movie to television" concept before, so their ratings expectations are probably a bit more realistic.

They're also forging an ungodly alliance between Marvel fans and Whedonites. Hopefully the prospect of pissing off that rabid horde will be enough to terrify them out of any silly cancellation ideas. :lol

[Crusader]

I just keep my expectations low since I love Joss Whedon's work (except for Aliens 4's script).

I think it would be cool if they would come up with original new super heroes for this. That way they can't screw up the lore of an existing franchise but they could have guest appearences of characters from the Avenger movies and if the show runs well the characters could appear in the Avengers 2 as well.

[Captain Untouchable]

Marvel doesn't have just one version of it's "lore", though. You've got the regular Marvel universe and the Ultimate Marvel universe in the comics. You've got numerous animated series and movies spanning several decades that have rebooted and reinterpreted the origins and motivations of it's characters. You've got computer games and live action movie adaptations that do the same thing. Marvel lore isn't set in stone.

I could see them adding new characters, sure. But Marvel has such a vast catalogue of characters already (a catalogue that Disney spent a hell of a lot of money getting the rights to)... why try and do something new, when putting a fresh spin on an old idea is pretty much Marvel's MO?

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Maybe they'll do a Runaways tv show. :)

[Dasquian Belargic]

Not like it's going to happen, but imagine if Joss Whedon did an X-Men TV series


Just imagine it

:swoon:

[Korax]

Super amazing awesome fantastical news, love it! As for the TV series, IMO, X-23 is just to perfect a choice for Joss. Holy moley. Just go ahead and bring Summer Glau back and make it happen.

GIMME DIS.

[Lance Casey]

Now that Daredevil is heading back to Marvel this would the perfect property for Whedon to adapt for tv.

[Glen Fiddich]

I think X-23 is tied up with the X-Men character license, unfortunately.

I definitely want to see a Marvel Studios version of Daredevil - if nothing else, his backstory with Black Widow could be a cool angle to explore - but I don't think there are enough characters in Daredevil's supporting cast for it to be a good Joss Whedon show.

I have my fingers crossed for more of a "this is what it's like living in New York now that superheroes exist" type ensemble show. Daredevil is a classic vigilante... but New York also has the likes of Heroes for Hire (Power Man and Iron Fist), Damage Control (who clean up and repair the city after superhero battles), a mixture of petty criminals with superpowers, and all sorts. You could look at the perspectives of the politicians, the NYPD, the regional SHIELD office, local school kids idolizing the new heroes, and all sorts.

Imagine Heroes, but made by Joss Whedon featuring Marvel characters. That's an epic recipe right there.

[Lance Casey]

A marvel knights series would be an interesting idea to go off of.

[Droo]

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/57984 :)

[Lance Casey]

Yeah just saw that. I'm excited.

[Korax]

I think X-23 is tied up with the X-Men character license, unfortunately.




yeah but!...but...yeah, you're probably right :cry


Shield is cool news though!

[Dasquian Belargic]

An interesting read, "Can Joss Whedon Make A S.H.I.E.L.D. TV Show Where They’re The Good Guys?"

http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2012/09/08/can-joss-whedon-make-a-s-h-i-e-l-d-tv-show-where-theyre-the-good-guys/

tl;dr version - Joss Whedon excels at writing anti-authority characters who are fighting The Man. How will he handle effectively writing characters who work for The Man?

[Dasquian Belargic]

In case you guys missed a pretty big announcement about one familiar character (from the Avengers movie) who's going to be in this show... http://www.ksitetv.com/shield-2/agent-coulson-lives-clark-gregg-to-be-in-joss-whedons-shield-pilot/16997

[Zereth Lancer]

I've heard say of a potential Marvel TV series featuring Cloak and Dagger set in post-Katrina New Orleans. This was mentioned back in 2011 and I haven't seen any follow up on it but hey, I would watch that show.

The following statement can be found on both wikipedia and Marvel Wiki:


Cloak and Dagger were chosen as one of the many properties in Marvel's new film deal with Paramount Pictures, along with Captain America, Nick Fury, Doctor Strange, Hawkeye, Power Pack, Shang-Chi, and Black Panther.

So they have a lot of characters to work with currently. Most of which are Avengers. Power Pack, though, doesn't really excite me at all.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Another cast member announced: http://www.sfx.co.uk/2012/10/25/ers-ming-na-wen-joins-joss-whedons-shield-cast/


Wen will play Agent Melinda May, described as, “soulful and slightly damaged by her combat experiences… an ace pilot, a weapons expert and a soldier who can – and has – gone beyond the call of duty.”

Wen joins actor Clark Gregg who will be reprising his role as Agent Phil Coulson, although details of how have not yet been revealed (resurrection? It’s a prequel? He‘s a hologram?).

[Captain Untouchable]

No way! :ohno

Ming-Na was awesome in Stargate Universe, so she's no stranger to special effects filming and to the "weirder" storylines of science fiction (there's an episode of Stargate Universe where she swaps bodies with a paraplegic, but they managed to make it into a really complex trans-universe romance story between her and her girlfriend).

Plus, Mulan. :love

[Dasquian Belargic]

http://www.themarysue.com/shield-shooting-january-2013/


According to Digital Spy, filming for the show will begin this January, putting the show on track to debut as part of ABN’s fall 2013 season.

Pilot debut at next years SDCC? Oh yes please.

[Captain Untouchable]

Apparently, two British people have been added to the cast (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/elizabeth-henstridge-iain-de-caestecker-shield-joss-whedon-389604)!

Elizabeth Henstridge (http://uk.imdb.com/name/nm4464857/) will be playing some sort of science genius, while Iain De Caestecker (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0207691/) will be playing a technology guy. I hope they'll be sticking with their real accents rather than putting on Americans ones... I kinda like the idea that the smart people are all British. ;)

[Dasquian Belargic]

The fifth and final main cast member has been added!

http://www.themarysue.com/shield-skye-chloe-bennet/

[Captain Untouchable]

We have an official series pick-up for this now... not that there was any real question. There's also a cast photo, and there's due to be a promo during the season finale of Once Upon A Time this weekend.

http://www.joblo.com/newsimages1/marvels-agents-of-shield-cast.jpg

Just in case (like me) you're not entirely sure who all those people are... from left to right:
Chloe Bennet (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4032297/), Elizabeth Henstridge (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4464857/), Iain de Caestecker (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0207691/), Clark Gregg (www.imdb.com/name/nm0163988), Ming-Na Wen (www.imdb.com/name/nm0001840), and Brett Dalton (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3474430/).

Hot damn, Ming-Na looks badass. Here's hoping she busts out some of her Chun-Li moves. :ohno

[Dasquian Belargic]

What an... oddly posed promo picture.

Oh well! Hooray for this show :)

[Dragon]

"Okay, Elizabeth, I want you to fold your arms and lean back sassily to your right."

"But there's nothing here to lean on--"

"LEAN, DAMMIT, LEAN!"

[Mr. Feint]

G5ODnz78XTI

[Rutabaga]

I saw the promo during Once Upon A Time last night and got quite the fangirl rush. :eee

[Captain Untouchable]

Here (shieldtv.net/more-on-agent-coulsons-return/1672) is a snippet from Mr Gregg about how Coulson is back. There are no spoilers: what he hints at is that, rather than a cop-out explanation in the pilot, Coulson's apparent resurrection is going to be an ongoing plot mystery, and one that Coulson himself doesn't necessarily know the correct answer to.

[Captain Untouchable]

PerIAuv27SQ

Here is the new 3-minute trailer. It's important to remember that the only footage that has been filmed thus far - ie. everything that happens in this trailer - is from the pilot episode.

Holy fuck. :eek

I'm not a Marvel expert, but it's looking to me like J August Richards is playing Luke Cage. There's a possibility that it's maybe some other dude that I've never heard of (can't remember the name, and can't remember where I read the suggestion), but I really, really, really hope that he's Luke Cage. For starters, Luke Cage is amazing. But more importantly, Luke Cage is - eventually - an Avenger.

This means that J August Richards could potentially be in an Avengers movie one day.

:eee

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I heard the other possibility was Rage, but I don't really know that much about either character so couldn't say which way its leaning. :)

*goes to watch video* :eee

[Morgan Evanar]

I know that someone has been working on a Jessica Jones Alias series but ABC turned it down.

[Captain Untouchable]

Damn, one of the producers was interviewed the other day and categorically ruled out it being Luke. Also, he said it was "not necessarily" someone from the comic books.

I am disappoint. :(

[Mr. Feint]

That is disappointing, especially considering that Marvel just got the right back to Power Man/Luke Cage, along with a few other rights. I hope they at least include a few cameos or references to established and unestablished canon characters. Luke Cage would have been a great idea, as would the likes of Daredevil (whom they just got the rights back of also), Cloak and Dagger, along with other street fighter types that SHIELD would no doubt be running into.

The trailer made references to alien technology and one shot shows it attached to the inside of an arm, which I'm assuming is the mystery super hero. So his powers might be entirely technologically based.

[Morgan Evanar]

Darkhawk? We've got a lot of options.

[Darth Turbogeek]

Cant go wrong with more Agent Coulson. And in fact I can see Marvel really start to make him into a bigger character in general in all Marvel media.

Lampshading the whole comic book death is hysterical :D

[Dasquian Belargic]

New characters announced: http://www.themarysue.com/aos-new-characters/

[Captain Untouchable]

It looks like Phase 2 of Operation "Infect Marvel With Everything Whedon" is well underway: photo (https://twitter.com/SHIELDsite/status/362759240361852928/photo/1). :ohno

[Dasquian Belargic]

Good man, Joss. Good man.

[Glen Fiddich]

24th September is getting pretty freaking close, guys. :ohno

[Lilaena De'Ville]

4EXCEwDgJt0

oh, Phil :3:

i love the dark corner comment. :D

[Tom Harriman]

Just finished watching the pilot.

It's almost too good. In terms of technical stuff, the editing, camera work, and choreography are on a par with the Marvel movies. As expected, the characters are all fully formed straight out of the gate, and you get a really good sense of what they're about, and yet there's enough mystery that you can't predict them (yet), which is bound to keep things interested.

The story is fairly simple, but in a good way: and the steps of that story all tie in with the Marvel movies in really cool ways. Like the Avengers, it's a serious story but with Joss brand moments of comedy dialogue that break the tension, but don't spoil the tone. They also seem to have picked up the ball from Iron Man and run with it, as far as cool gadgets and futuristic technologies go.

The Pilot just felt... full. It felt as if there wasn't a single wasted line of dialogue, or a single wasted camera angle. Basically... it's a Jason Bourne movie, compressed into 45 minutes, with characters by Joss Whedon.

And it has Cobie Smulders. I cannot express how in love I am with her as Maria Hill. :ohno


Edit:

Also, calling it now: Project Centipede was funded by AIM... or at least, what's left of it after Pepper Potts killed Killian. Maybe some former employees trying to get rich quick by selling off old secrets or something. That'd explain how they had access to Extremis, and also how they had something "similar" to the supersoldier serum (the knock-off variant that made Abomination, maybe), and all that junk. If Coulson's team is supposed to be cleaning up superhero messes... cleaning up after Iron Man 3 seems like as good a place to start as any.

[Droo]

Loved it. Great ensemble, loadsa laughs, I was hooked from the start. This has plenty of potential in terms of story and scope.

Also, Tahiti = CLONING LAB! :eek

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I thought it was a great pilot. We'll see if it continues to be good! They crammed a lot into it - and I'm glad that the second episode is going to take place right after the pilot, continuing with the 084 call or whatever those numbers were.

[Kat Harriman]

Also, Tahiti = CLONING LAB! :eek

My guess is magic, not cloning. The show has a lot of science and technology stuff going on, and everyone is going to expect that Coulson is a clone or a Life Model Decoy or whatever... everyone is going to assume that Coulson isn't the real Coulson and is some sort of copy. If I were Joss Whedon and was faced with that kind of public expectation, I'd flip things around and have a storyline where the actual Coulson is brought back by some dark magical means that will totally be beyond his team's comprehension.

If nothing else, it'd be a great way to start setting up the more magical elements necessary for Scarlet Witch, Doctor Strange, and that sort of thing.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Thoroughly enjoyed that first episode. Great balance of action and humor, with plenty of intrigue and plot hooks!

[Darth Turbogeek]

It's good but not great. The reality is the pilot was carried big time by Agent Coulson - Skye is a wood board of generitic plot device, the two science types are annoying as fuck and I have no idea what Mai is supposed to be. Much of the stronger parts of the pilot were call backs to Phase I / Phase II films and that's the problem with it in the end that it will have to solve - it's latched onto the success of The Avengers, it needs to build something for itself. I didnt see any real attempt at it and the involvement of plot devices from previous films felt weak and forced.

The new level 7 agent was about the only one apart from Coulson who was interesting and I'd like to know more of.

There was plenty of humour and good wordplay.

All things considered, 7/10 - the problems are solvable and it was a pilot afterall - you expect a show to need a few episodes to begin to build something it can stand alone on. More Coulson and new agent, less Skye and scientists would be a good start.

[Sentinel]

Bear in mind what the purpose of a "pilot" episode is.

Pilot episode isn't just a special term for "first" episodes. The pilot is specifically for the benefit of network executives and focus groups: the people who are ultimately going to decide whether or not the show is picked up as a series. It is a proof of concept episode, and that means different things for different concepts. For SHIELD, they didn't need to prove that a TV show about superheroes would be popular: I think the execs probably sussed that out already. What they did need to prove however is that SHIELD could successfully feel like it could tie in with the Marvel movies well enough to carry over those fans, while at the same time making use of TV budget effects. It also needed to prove that Coulson, who is only a supporting character with a handful of movie scenes, had enough legs to carry a series. Beyond that, character introductions were basically little more than a dramatis personae to give you the gist of who they're dealing with.

Often the pilot episode gets remade (and even recast) before the general public gets to see it. It's either redesigned for audience consumption then or, if the pilot gets aired as-is, that audience focus and character development gets carried over to the second episode. That'll be the episode that has almost nothing whatsoever to do with the movies, and that focuses on actual proper character exposition, rather than giving you the cliff notes in scene form.

[Darth Turbogeek]

I know what a pilot episode and what it's supposed to do - I even acknoledged it was a pilot. If it wasnt a pilot, I would have been way more harsh.

[Tom Harriman]

My bad. I forgot that you were the only person in this thread, and that making inclusive statements so that other people know what we're on about is against the rules. :|

[Rutabaga]

I finally watched the first episode yesterday, and I really enjoyed it. Can't wait to see more!

[Kara Hawkins]

I liked it! It had enough banter between characters that I really enjoyed so it was fun. I'm not quite sure how it'll hold up but I'm sure looking forward to it! :)


Also...I'm not going to lie that I giggled like an idiot at "Are you ready for our journey into mystery?" :3:

[Darth Turbogeek]

Episode 2 - The pilot felt like Buffy and that sucked. The second had a worse plot and too many tropes BUT the characters were much better and better yet, it felt more like Firefly. That to me is a very good thing as Firefly really began to get going fast and focused on strong interesting characters along with it's world building.

So, ignoring the simply dreadful plot ...... there's enough to make me want to see the next episode and see if it is allowed to stand on it's own.

Oh - the other reason Ep2 was better than the pilot?

The Nick Fury cameo is 100% priceless and worth the episode alone. Fishtank is the single funniest line on TV in a long while :D

[Solomon Latona]

Oh man, the fishtank. :lol

I'm seeing a lot of Avengers parallels. Ward is a soldier, very much focused on on his duty/responsibility/obligations. He clashes with Skye, who shares Stark's objections to authority (and some of his tech skills), and when their airborne base of operations was falling out of the sky it was the soldier and the liberal who resolved that issue, while the rest of the team worried about the double-cross that they'd inadvertently brought aboard. Mei is the super-spy who is finding herself in a situation that is different from the one she wants to be in / is used to / trained for / etc; the soldier respects her, but they're from different worlds to some extent. In terms of overarching plot themes... they had a small victory (episode 1), and then were attacked by someone they believed to be an ally, which ultimately culminated with Coulson ending up slumped on the floor.

I'm sure at least some of that is the producers choosing to go with a formula that works: but I wonder how much of that is Coulson surrounding himself with the old/familiar, in the same way that he's surrounding himself with relics and nostalgia.

Ward is probably the best character right now: he seems to be taking up Tony Stark's mantle of being the guy who has interesting character dynamics with just about everyone. I'm a little sad that Ward wants to take Skye as his protege, because I really want to see more of the Ward/Fitz badass bro/nerdy bro dynamic. A bit of a Stargate trope (soldier turns nerd into badass), but I'm kinda fond of tropes like that, truth be told.

Also, glad that AIM and Hydra are getting referenced so early on. I wonder if / hope they're going to be a significant part of the world-building going forward... and also if SHIELD will be doing any groundwork for the group responsible for Winter Soldier, in prep for Captain America 2 next year.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Loved the second episode. The last two minutes had me going like this: :swoon::cool::D

For me it is hitting all the right notes, and the second ep was better than the pilot and I liked the pilot. The mcguffin was cool enough (though not on the level of cool as the Hammer ;)) and the characters are starting to form up, which will only get better as the show goes on.

[Droo]

I echo Holly's sentiments. This show does, for me, exactly what it says on the tin. Again, I really like all the characters, I like the group dynamic, and everyone has at least a moment to shine in each episode.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I'll echo the echo! Enjoying the series so far.

[Kara Hawkins]

^ Ditto. I enjoying the character dynamics and usually that's enough to keep me interested in a show.
and yes... The ending of this ep basically had Kris and me giggling like children.

[Sebastian]

Probably the lest-good episode so far in my opinion; but that's kind of like saying "least attractive Hemsworth brother". The guest stars felt a little flat to me, and I almost didn't want to know stuff about Ward's backstory so he stays mysterious and badass; on the flipside Fitz was absolutely fantastic once again, and that more than makes up for everything.

The plot mcguffin ("gravitonium") was lifted straight from the comic books. I personally might have picked something a bit more hard science, and a bit less crackpot crazy Fringe episode this early in the game; on the flipside, we did get to see the origin of a supervillain (link (http://marvel.wikia.com/Franklin_Hall_%28Earth-616%29)), so it's kinda cool to know that we'll see that sort of thing from time to time.

I guess this felt like the series hadn't quite found it's feet; sure it's just a minor hiccup though!

Coulson Reincarnation Reason Watch: lots of talk about "rusty" today; and also drawing attention to the fact that Coulson doesn't have his expected muscle memory. Hints that he's a robot? Clues that this isn't his original body?

[Droo]

I agree that the guest stars/supporting characters were forgettable this time around, but having said that, I still found the whole package very enjoyable. It's not Hannibal, and it doesn't pretend to be, this is just a fun way to spend forty minutes in the company of some likeable and entertaining characters. My only concern is that I hope this series doesn't turn doesn't succumb to a technological McGuffin of the week formula, that would become quickly dull.

[Darth Turbogeek]

Enjoyable ..... uhh.... uh...... BOOBS!

(Clearly geek boy aint seen any, Skye really hasnt got that great a rack. But that was hysterical how well it was done)

An actual origin story for one of the better Avengers villians was pretty neat so it finally felt like there was less trying to link into Avengers and more allowing the series to grow and stand on it's own feet. But to be honest, that episode just isnt more than a casual enjoyable watch, even if it's got more Firefly and less Buffy again. It's just not making me want to wait for the next episode and that's the problem - by episode three for instance Firefly was really getting going. I'm nto sure where this show is goign but it aint no Firefly - I'm happy so far it isnt offensive to the brain like 99% of all TV but I'm not going to try to get home early.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Finally watched the episode after my DVR crapping out because it runs over a minute so conflicted with things in the 9pm hour. :shakesfist I liked it!

Fitz trying to convince everyone they needed an adorable trained monkey assistant was awesome. :D

[Dasquian Belargic]

I'm now watching as the show airs in the UK rather than the US (...so on a Friday instead of a Tuesday) - and just saw the third episode.

I'm glad it's been renewed for a full season, because I feel like that might bode well for other Marvel properties getting the TV or web series treatment - but I'm with Mark in that I'm yet to feel fully hooked. I'm coming back and watching future episodes of course, because it's Marvel and Whedon and I want to believe that's a winning combo that's just off to a bit of a slow-burn start.

[Darth Turbogeek]

4th Episode - I got a bit of whiplash because the mood changed completely. We gone into full blown Firefly territory and there was almost no call backs (Apart from a very funny few lines) to other MCU properties.

And it was the best episode to date, no doubt as a result with actual twists and plot / world building.

Agent Coulson.... I mean Agent Reynolds was top notch and May.... I mean Zoey kicked ass. Agent Ward.... JAYNE! Sorry I mean JAYNE! (with a bit of Simon thrown in) was awesome. Oh and Skye morphed into Jewel and Fitz/Simmons like Wash / Simon... all we are missing is River and Book. While I might seem like giving it a backhander, I'm not. This to me is honestly a good thing, some might find it dumb we now have obvious parallels to Firefly but Firefly was good. Very, VERY good. I'm completely fine if Agents of Shield becomes Agents of Firefly.

[Captain Dan Myers]

I dunno... I think the Firefly parallels are a bit of a stretch. Yeah, it has similarities, but only because they're on a ship and there's a family dynamic going on. Coulson doesn't have nearly the same kind of suave and sass as Mal; Skye isn't anywhere near as cute or bubbly as Kaylee, Agent Ward is pretty much the polar opposite of Jayne in terms of his personality, professionalism, restraint... to me, it just seems like a family with a dad, a mom, a protective big brother, a sister caught in the middle, and a pair of squabbling twins.

I really liked this episode, and I half wish that last week hadn't happened. This did world-building in a big way, and felt more in touch with the idea that "something bigger is going on" from the first episode, and more in line with the spy-thriller tone than the goofiness of last week. I also really liked that there was (almost) no "Skyward" romancing this week: I will be extremely happy if Ward just winds up being everyone's big brother, and we get a television show where there isn't a romance at all.

Something I realised earlier is that with SHIELD getting a full season run now, the season finale is going to line up fairly well with when Winter Soldier comes out. Since we know that Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Black Widow, Falcon, and rogue SHIELD agents are all joining Captain America for this outing, I wonder how much of Season 1's back end will be laying groundwork for that movie... and how much of what we've seen already (the ominous bigger plot) is doing that.

[Vittore Montegue]

November 19th's episode of SHIELD will be a tie-in to Thor: The Dark World (http://shieldtv.net/spoiler-will-thor-the-dark-world-affect-s-h-i-e-l-d). It's going to be directed by Jonathan Frakes, who is the second Star Trek alum to direct an episode; the first being Roxann Dawson (B'Elanna Torres), who directed "Eye-Spy".

The episode is called "The Well", which could refer to a couple of things from Norse mythology; regardless, the episode is coming out less than two weeks after The Dark World hits cinemas, so if you don't manage to see the movie right away you may wanna sit on this episode in your TiVo until you do.

[Darth Turbogeek]

The last couple of episodes have been great - and E7 was absolute top notch.

A0S is really finding it's feet now :D

[Captain Untouchable]

100% agreement with Mark there. This episode especially was superb. I have been waiting for some Fitz and Ward action... fingers crossed we get a lot more of it, because their chemistry is awesome! :D

Also, Coulson questioning Tahiti? Skye's mysterious SHIELD backstory? Why on earth didn't they sink plot hooks like that into us earlier?! :cyduck

[Aimee Connors]

Really enjoying it, still. I'm glad they're letting the characters breathe a little and get a little more dimension to them. Coulson's [almost Pavlovian response of "it's a magical place" seemed to really make him uneasy in this episode], which was awesome.

i do wish they felt a little more comfortable bringing in Marvel characters to play with though. I think it's the only thing holding it back and what the people want, which is why the viewership isn't sticking around.

[Captain Untouchable]

Did [Ward and Mei just...] :uhoh

Another really good ep. Despite "tying in" to The Dark World, it held up on it's own really well, and it felt like it actually added something to the Thor mythos. The [not everyone in Asgard is famous enough to be a god] angle is a nice reminder: something the movies don't have the time nor inclination to explore.

Also, while they are being a little bit obvious ([pointing out Simmons jumping out of a plane every episode since... for the benefit of casual viewers I guess?]), we're seeing episodes having lasting effects on the group, which is keeping it from falling too far into generic police procedural territory.

Also, [Tahiti]. Holy crap you guys what the hell is going on with that? :ohno

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Did they? Of course they did. The way that was shot and presented there is literally no other explaination and if it turns out they just had a drink and went their separate ways I will eat a hat.

Good for them, and I love that it isn't part of any sort of triangle, just two grown ups taking care of some carnal needs without any strings attached. They both have issues to work out after that episode, and a good angry fuck is just what the doctor ordered.

[Glen Fiddich]

I like this new groove that the show has settled into. They seemed to have found a good balance between character development and world-building: it's easy to see how the groundwork they're doing now could potentially lead to other things. Also, this episode tied into Thor as much (if not more) than the previous: [it wasn't stated outright, but it seems like the world the guy was teleporting to was Muspellheim, home of Surtr and the Fire Giants, which is one of the realms connected by the convergence.] I figure last week was the marketing people making an undue fuss: if this trend of tying into the movies a little bit just to remind you that they're there is the series' MO... I am onboard with that.

I got the impression that they might have been pranking their audience a little bit too: [the visual effects for the teleporting guy had a lot in common with Nightcrawler and Azazel, who actually do have connections to demons and Bible Hell in the comics. Intentional false leads to throw off crazy detail obsessive people, methinks.]

Skye is becoming an increasingly rounded and likeable character, too. Initially the team was bound together by everyone's mutual personal connection, but now Skye has clear dynamics with everyone too. After the Fitz-Ward episode the other week, and the Skye-Simmons-May trio from the same episode, I wonder if we're going to end up with specific Simmons-Ward and Fitz-May stuff happening... just so they've thrown together every possible character pairing to see what happens.

[Satkia Beltrak]

I can't wait for the show to return on air. It's been my favorite new show so far this season (since the other shows I discovered were already past their first season, me being a late bloomer as always).

They've really done a great job with developing the characters and the dynamics within the team. I care much more for what happens to the team in the more recent episodes.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Promo for what is apparently a 'game changer' episode

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[Droo]

I finally got round to watching the rest of the first season. Let's hope the second time around, the powers-that-be have some sense with the scheduling, because the episodes became so ridiculously spaced that I completely forgot about the show. In fact, it wasn't until I spoke to Holly about it that I realised I hadn't in fact seen the whole first season, even though I thought I had - in truth, I wasn't even halfway through!

The show went from strength to strength, it was fun and charming in the beginning, and it built on that foundation with an ensemble of varied and enjoyable characters and an exhilarating third act courtesy of the excellent plot developments in Winter Soldier. It did this without losing what made me keep coming back to the show in the first place and I cannot wait to see where they go with it in the next season. There were a lot of people I know who brushed this show off after the first few episodes, when I see them now, I'm going to be sure to let them know what they're missing out on. As the MCU grows, Agents of SHIELD has the potential to get better and better, and the only thing that could stop it is if it fails to pull in the audiences in the future.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The huge break was because of the Olympics, I think. Wait, were the olympics this year?*loses mind*

[Droo]

There was a big break, and I think that might have been due to the Winter Olympics, but regardless, the way the episodes were aired was erratic before and after the break. The Olympics ran from February 7th-23rd. Prior to that, the previous five episodes aired on the following dates: Nov 26th, Dec 10th, Jan 7th, Jan 14th, and Feb 4th. Afterwards, it aired on March 4th, and 11th, and April 1st, before falling into a regular weekly pattern. They didn't make it easy for people to follow the show at all, and that idiotic scheduling can only have damaged its audience numbers.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

It's a problem with American television - they order long seasons but they're not long enough to stretch from the beginning of the season to (april?) sweeps (when ratings are taken and advertisers figure out how much they'll pay for a spot), so they're stretched out. Thankfully some shows (mostly cable) do 'half' seasons, where they air 10 episodes then take a mid season break and pick it up again after the holidays.

Whereas in the UK they make and air Christmas specials, we avoid showing anything over the holidays on the assumption that people are out doing things and seeing family and it would reflect badly in the ratings.

[Droo]

I really enjoyed the first episode of the new season, however, I have a bad feeling about this. The thing I like most about Agents of SHIELD is its sense of humour and fun. Where was that this episode? I'm concerned because, while I love a good plot with high stakes and character sacrifices, I also like to laugh. Now, of course I'm not going to claim that the show has replaced levity with seriousness on the evidence of only one episode, but you'd think that, if they were going for a change in approach, they'd want to showcase that in their first episode. Reviews are celebrating this stuff with all the usual buzzwords like "gritty" and "realism," and it's not that it's a bad thing - it's not - but the lightness and fun of the show and it's cast was what kept me coming back in the first place.

The one thing I really took away from this episode was the Fitz stuff. It was hard to watch him struggle, and heart-breaking at the end, when it was revealed he was actually alone. Where's Simmons? Come back, Simmons! Fitz needs you! :(

Oh, I found the Hannibal Lecter situation with Ward just trite and predictable.

Going forward, I hope the show-runners bear in mind the words of Joss Whedon himself, who said: "Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of god, tell a joke."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Actually, I thought it was great that they are sticking to their guns with the whole "Ward is a sociopath", rather than kicking off an even more trite redemption arc.

[Droo]

That wasn't my point. I was groaning at the early symptoms of a Ward redemption arc when they first started to surface in the last season. He has made his choices and he has to live with them. They sold him very early on as the cold-blooded killer type and to deviate from that on some romantic sob-story or whatever would be a total cop-out. I was never ready to start swallowing that rubbish. What I object to is the Hannibal-Clarice setup that has now emerged between Ward and Sky because "he will only talk to Skye." They want information. He shows off scars from his attempted suicides and talks about sharp paper edges and tries to get personal with Skye. It is wholly unoriginal.

[Droo]

I am sad to see the back of the fun team dynamic of last season, but that was when everyone was getting along well with each other and was without all of the emotional baggage they all seem to be carrying around now. Consequently, this change in tone feels like a natural development. Having said that, there's still the occasional moment of humour that helps to lighten the mood - it's important they keep that. Regardless, three episodes in and I'm loving this new season so far, it feels very sure-footed in the direction its going.

[Rutabaga]

I'm enjoying this new season so far, it feels like it's settled down and found more stable footing. And I really, REALLY do NOT want to see them [redeem Ward].

Fitz, my sweet Fitz, he makes me cry. :cry

[Captain Untouchable]

I'm not convinced that they're ever going to [redeem Ward per se. However, something to bear in mind is that this is the world of comic books, the allegiances of characters shift constantly, and one of the big themes of SHIELD at the moment seems to be that "everything is grey". The whole story arc with HYDRA - both in SHIELD and The Winter Soldier - focuses on the idea that the people you thought were good (ie. SHIELD) might not be. We've got characters from the comics slated to show up in upcoming episodes and upcoming movies who a comic book nerd would expect to be good guys, but early indications suggest that they aren't. We've also got SHIELD making use of mercenaries, showing a willingness to recruit the ice kid despite him murdering people... DC's Suicide Squad isn't the only comic book storyline that deals with criminals working with "the good guys" for some reason.

I guess what I'm getting at is, Ward doesn't have to be "redeemed" in order to start working with the good guys again. He is extremely unapologetic about what he did, very assertive that he did bad stuff of his own free will rather than brainwashing (though technically, isn't what Garrett did a form of brainwashing?), and if Fitz of all people is willing to kill the guy, the odds of Ward ever being forgiven for what he did seem pretty darn slim from where I'm standing. That doesn't mean that Ward can't become the lesser of two evils, that he can't become someone who is grudgingly used as an asset... Ward can still prove useful without needing to be forgiven or redeemed, and that seems like something that would fit with the tone of Season 2 thus far.]

Someone needs to hurry up and [fix Fitz] soon, though. :(

[Droo]

This is just getting better and better. The humour was excellent this time around, and we're even starting to see more of the old fun team dynamic but with the new team. I had an unusually nit-picky moment, when Coulson shot the dude running away but neglected to use his weapon on fake-May. I promptly made peace with that minor gripe thanks to the awesome fight sequence that followed. I love the time spent on May and Coulson's bond, they make an excellent duo. And Fitz has me pining for a happy reunion with Simmons. This episode cements a belief to which I've held to for some time now: Ming-Na Wen is a goddess!

[Alexander Tur'enne]

Gotta love any kind of martial arts fight that [ends with an airborne face plant into a table.] :lol

For me, the highlight of the season so far is Fitz. His situation is so tragic, so easy to relate to, so well performed... and yet also perfect for exactly the kind of humour / banter that the show needs in these kinds of situations. Fitz and Hunter especially is a really great combo... Hunter's chatty banter feels like something the team has been missing the whole time without me realising. I'm pretty sure that having Mack and Hunter be friendly with Fitz is a scheme by the writers to make us all like them faster... for me, it's definitely working.

I am hoping that we get a bit more of Triplett, though. When we first heard that the team was going to be in [an old SSR base, and that Agent Carter was going to be in the season opener], I got my hopes up that we'd learn more about Trip's grandfather, but we haven't as yet. I like that he's the slightly stoic reliable nice guy agent... I just hope he doesn't get stuck in the no man's land between the old team and the new team, as far as character focus goes.

[Rutabaga]

I loved last night's episode, with the Coulson/May dynamic being my favorite part. I have such a girl crush on Ming-Na Wen that it's ridiculous. And yup, [the faceplant onto the table] was awesome. I'm pretty sure I let out a noise that sounded something like woohoo! when that happened.

And I totally, totally, totally wanna give Fitz a hug. For about 2 hours. :hug

[Rutabaga]

Great recap/review of this week's episode:

http://www.themarysue.com/agents-of-shield-recap-s2-ep4/

[Ndonsa]

Avengers spoiler - [Triplett is in Age of Ultron]

[Droo]

Great recap/review of this week's episode:

http://www.themarysue.com/agents-of-shield-recap-s2-ep4/

I found myself nodding along in agreement at more or less everything in that (the remark about Skye being the exception - I've always liked her). I enjoy the show most when it is lighter, because I love it when the characters are more chilled out and enjoying a bit of banter amongst themselves. They're characters I like, after all, I don't want them to be in mortal peril too much, and speaking of which: Coulson's contingency plan... I don't even want to think about that! Also, on the matter of May's finishing move, it made me actually fistpump and blurt out "Yesss!" like a 10 year old, and any TV show that can do that is doing something very right!

And my favourite line? "Yeah, that's May. She's laughing. I think the worst of it's over now. :lol

[Captain Untouchable]

Bobbi Morse. :swoon:

[I'm really glad they tweaked her to be with Hunter instead of Hawkeye. Agents of SHIELD seems like it will be able to do far more interesting stuff than staying true to the source material... and I'm already kinda shipping Hunter and Mockingbird, seems like we have some superb banter in store for us. And holy hell at all the badass ladies in SHIELD now. Really excited to see how Simmons slots in, if she ends up having a May/Skye relationship with Bobbi, etc.]

Damn it though, [Skye's dad. Tell me her real name so I can get appropriately fanboy excited!]

Edit:

For anyone curious if Bobbi is going to wind up looking more like her comic book counterpart at any point, they've released some promo / concept art / image / stuff... and holy crap (http://www.superherohype.com/news/319637-first-look-at-mockingbirds-suit-from-agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d#/slide/1).

At least we know Hunter will be pleased about the hair, right? :ohno