Written by: Maurissa Tancharoen & Jed Whedon & Jeffrey Bell
Directed by: David Straiton
Plot: The team investigates a 0-8-4 case in Peru. Skye tries to adjust to her place on the team, they are soon attacked by someone from Agent Coulson’s past.
Review: I’ll just say this right now….this show has a long way to go.
Not that I’m not enjoying myself, I am, but this is a bit of a rough start to the series. The show feels very by the numbers, and while I am going to be patient and pull hope that it will come together as we get more episodes, it’s not really dragging me in yet.
If you were to ask me point blank which character I’m digging the most, it might be Skye or Melinda. Skye is the shows Xander/Wash/Cordillia/Topher. She is your standard Whedon funny “straight man” in this world of crazy spy/superhero stuff, and I tend to gravitate more to the characters with the funny jokes than anyone else. Melinda is interesting purely due to the fact that I still don’t know what her deal is. She’s got a lot to hide apparently, but I do hope we get more from her soon because this secrecy will get old.
Agent Ward and Fitz Simmons (I like referring to them both that way right now.) are still typical, by the books agent man and buddy scientists. Also, lets no longer have this exchange on film for a while huh…
Scientist Character-“Blahblahblahsciencestuffblahblahblah”
Non-Scientist Character-“English please!”
Just like in episode 1, the team still feels like stock characters and the attempt to have the team bond at the climax seemed a bit forced.
Agent Coulson still shines of course, and he is the main reason I am enjoying the show right now. Clark Gregg is kicking ass in the role and clearly having fun. I’ve read some fun theories on his resurrection, including the idea that he was brought back by magic. (He does keep saying that Tahiti was a magical place.) Who knows, maybe that’s a way to bring in/explain the Scarlet Witch?
In terms of the Marvel Universe stuff, it’s still fun, but I feel like they are playing it safe right now. The plot this week once again has ties to a known element from one of the Marvel movies but I do hope that they don’t keep mining ideas from the films only. There are plenty of things to use besides Norse Gods, the Tesseract, Extremis, Chitauri, Hydra, Gamma Rays, AIM etc. The show is a place for them to play with other ideas that they will probably have no room for in the movies. I do understand why they are using movie stuff now, it’s to hook the people who HAVEN’T read the comics yet. I get that, but I do hope that they don’t loose on the potential of what else they can explore from the comics.
One thing I could say about this episode was that if you took away any of the Marvel Universe references, it would be an OK spy show. Not great…just…ok. That does concern me, but it is only episode 2, so lets see what they got for the rest of the season before we start saying this show was a “nice-try”.
That being said, YES do stay at the end, because this week it was quiet awesome.
SPOILER ALERT!!!! Highlight to read!
We all were hoping that Nick Fury would pop up, but who knew it would be so soon? I love it actually! It was not only a nice surprise but it also checks his appearance off the “to do” list. We won’t have to keep asking “Whens Fury going to show up?” I also love that Fury referred to Coulson’s car by her first name. I’d like to believe it was his old one that he gave to Phil. You know, as a “welcome back to the living” gift.
Next week’s episode seems like fun (and it apparently introduces a character that is totally new to the live action world, but is straight from the comics.), but I do hope they find their footing and make this show special. Again, it’s not bad, but it’s straight up mediocre right now. Enjoyable fluff, but fluff nonetheless.
While it was great to read how well the ratings were for the first episode, I worry that this show needs to be much more then what it is right now to keep that audience. Still, it isn’t a bad way to spend an hour of television.
Great review. Can we talk about spoilers in the comments? Anywho, I still only care about and love Melinda and Coulson, the bickering is annoying me personally and was cliche. I told myself i’d give the series one story arc before deciding if i’d continue watching it or not. But the characters are making it hard to watch as the obvious sexual tension builds. bleh.. My favorite theory about coulson so far is that because he was killed by an Asgardian he was in Valhalla for dying in battle hence the “magical place”. I would TOTALLY be okay with that explanation for his return, if it was something like magic or a cop out like a clone which i heard could be a LMD (Life Model Decoy). I wouldn’t feel the magic anymore because then no one is vulnerable and the characters no longer feel like they are in danger. I feel that the trope is something reserved for comic books (and a reason I don’t read so many of them) unless it’s established from the beginning that the character cannot die. But, hey this is coming from a guy who enjoys Deadpool. Believe me I was really pissed when he was beheaded and lived… 🙁 I have a wavering love for the comic book and that he’s become “Memepool”. I am taking my sweet time reading the current runs because I don’t really expect much from it. I digress, BUT HEY! Agents of Guard should do a discussion on how you guys feel about revivals in comic books and why you feel okay with it or how it affects the way you view the hero thereafter? just a recommendation. Not sure if you guys did one already or not.
I agree with this Valhalla theory. It would be fantabulous. The exchange between Hill and Shepherd Book in the pilot “He can never know.” Makes me think it’s infinitely worse though. But, I realize that coming back from the dead, period, and shattering of this implanted Tahiti memory would too make the gravitas given to that line appropriate.
I do really hope this series starts to solidify itself soon. I’m rooting for you, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Deadpoolicus, it sounds like you have some interesting things to say about resurrections in comics. Why not write up an article and submit it for review? You can submit it to us through our contact page, and if we like it we’ll put it up.
http://www.agentsofguard.com/contact/
I just tossed the idea out there as a topic that I was interested in but interested in hearing from you folks whom so eloquently put the articles together every week that I enjoy. I’d just ramble incoherently and likely in an angry debacle giving an unfair opinion of the topic. Besides, I’m not too familiar with the amount of comic books which DO act on the trope of bringing characters to life. I know Superman did it but i’m not familiar enough with his history to state mishaps with his “death” being a kryptonian hyper sleep. The same with Captain America and Punisher. Those are big name heroes which go through the trope and was curious as to other peoples take on it and how they perceive a comic book from that point forward or if it doesn’t change a thing and they just roll with it. I don’t think i’d have the time to site sources either and dig up the history of the characters and their resolve in coming back to life :(. It could just be my own quirk with comic books that bothers me. I may write something up for fun and see where it goes some time, I know it’s really hard work though and appreciate all of your time and effort into the articles you all release. 🙂