Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 1.10 Review: Making the Choice

Anyone that has yet to watch Tuesday night’s episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., entitled ‘The Bridge’, now would be your last chance to do so devoid of spoilers before proceeding ahead. For this is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

Well, I have to say that this week’s episode was the strongest it’s had in a long time. No, it wasn’t the most spectacular piece of television I’ve ever seen, but it was a big improvement from past endeavours. It may have even been the best episode they’ve had since the pilot, and that’s not just because Gunn – I mean Mike Peterson – was back on my screen this week.

The characters, I think, really improved this week. We even got to see Melinda May crack a smile or two. Most notably, I found an improvement in Melinda May and Ward. I actually managed to see a bit of chemistry between the two bedfellows during workout session. Also, I was actually able to catch snippets of seemingly genuine emotions on May, as well as Ward. Skye, as always, was top notch, and Coulson also managed to do well. Fitz and Simmons were pushed a bit to the side this week, but I was even able to see some reality in their characters interactions over such brief moments. Basically, the characters, while nowhere near as good as they could be, were a lot more natural this week then they have been overall. They’re actually appearing to become characters that could be real people.

This all-encompassing arc that the villains are taking is something I’m hoping is typical Joss, with his season long big bads. Otherwise, I’m not sure this popping up now and again thing is working as well as it managed to do on Buffy. It kind of seems like it’s inconsistent storytelling, and not feeling very worthwhile, in my opinion. Maybe it’s that these people don’t really feel as evil as they could be, and that they’re still a little superficial in our dealings with them, despite them having kidnapped Coulson, and possibly killed Mike. Oh, man, I hope he’s not dead; I really missed having J. August Richards on my television screen every week. I mean, the man’s forty but so doesn’t look it, despite having a thinness in his face.

All in all, I feel like they’re finally moving towards a place where this series could manage to last. The characters are developing into more well-rounded people, and while there do seem to be so many strings of stories that it’s hard to remember them each week, especially when having to deal with which one will be involved this week, they are doing well. Also, the music managed to be a little better this week, and not completely superhero feel to it. This series still needs to become a tad more grounded – and that’s not to say they literally need to be on the ground – because the heart isn’t always there in each episode every week. Also, some shots are a little too close-up at points, and that could definitely be worked on.

My rating: 7 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“He’s standing right behind me, isn’t he?” – Ward asks, regarding Mike. And a classic line at that.

“When did you stop talking?” – Simmons questions. “About three embarrassing sentences ago.” – Fitz replies.

“Having powers is cheating. But the suits pretty cool.” – Ward remarks.

Okay, now I’m caught up with Tuesday. I have watched Nashville and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but those reviews won’t be up until tomorrow. Check back then.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 1.08 Review: Anger, Fear, and Hate

Anyone that has yet to watch last night’s episode of Agents of Shield, entitled ‘The Well’, I suggest you go and watch it before proceeding ahead. As always, this is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

While not as exciting an episode as I would have liked, this episode did manage to develop the characters more into well-rounded people. Going in, I wasn’t as happy to watch an episode that alluded to the latest Thor film, but I am glad it wasn’t as spoiler heavy as I expected it to be. Although the fact that this series is trying to broach both film and television and have them crossover into one another isn’t working as much as I think they’ve tried to make it.

The one thing I did just mention that I was happiest regarding this episode was the character development. Finally most of the cast is seeming to appear like they are fully developed human beings, because that’s what this series is supposed to be about, the every day heroes. I liked getting to see more behind Ward’s character and the things from his past he keeps hidden, even though I can’t quite recall what this series has said happened to him. Also, May also seemed to get a little closer to being a realistic persona, although she’s the one of the entire core cast that I don’t think has gotten there fully. Otherwise, all the characters seemed to be going in the right direction, and that makes quite happy to see in a Whedon production.

That being said, this wasn’t as exciting as it could’ve been. This series doesn’t seem quite confident enough in itself not to need to rely on its film series brethren. That’s sad because it doesn’t seem to be able to connect as well as it could have due to the lack of confidence. I’m kind of getting bored of this alien artifacts and all the sort, I’d really like it to go back to the pilot episode kind of writing. I prefer mystery, character development, and a slow, but not too slow, burning story arc. I’m not really getting that this season is fully connecting within itself.

All in all, I’m growing more disappointed in the way this series is being written. The characters finally seemed to be getting more interesting and better developed, but the story behind each episode doesn’t seem to really know where it’s going. I’d really appreciate it if this series didn’t try so hard and instead just let itself become what it needed to become. It’s not feeling like it is fully together and that it even knows what direction it intends to go. The writing is sloppy, and story development seems like it’s just spouting out things at random and trying to tie them together.

My rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“She’s ruling out a panic attack.” – Fitz clarifies Simmons’ series of questions.

“The crusades, the Black Death, disco.” – Skye spouts out terrible things the Professor would have lived through.

Okay, I’m off to watch Supernatural now, which I’m now actually more excited for than this show. Check back soon.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 1.05 Review: Broken Trust

For any that have yet to watch tonight’s episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., titled ‘Girl in the Flower Dress’, I suggest you vacate the premises until such time that you have done so. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

What Skye has been holding back finally came to a head in this week’s episode, where her hacker boyfriend sold information to the group known as Centipede. This definitely happened earlier than I would’ve expected. I’m not sure if it’s much withheld information when we’re given the answers three episodes later. The writers probably would’ve been smarter to hold this to the halfway point of the season, but then I’m not privy to their season long plan.

This is definitely a solid B series. The writing isn’t as great as it could, the villains not as interesting as I’d like, and the progression is a little too rapid for my taste. Plus, half the time the characters are very superficial in their acting; they don’t feel like fully developed people. Maybe that’s the acting, or maybe it’s the writing, but the only one to show emotion other than anger that is too subtle to really be able to see was Skye. She’s kind of the best thing this series has going for it right now.

For a Joss Whedon production, I have to say I’m disappointed with how this series is turning out. Usually his work is so great at developing real people, real villains, real emotions, but I’m not getting much of that here. Maybe he’s just not as able to be as hands on with this project as he was for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Dollhouse (I’ve tried watching Firefly, but I’ve never been able to get into it), but he’s usually great at picking a team out to work on his projects, so I really don’t know what’s going on here. This certainly has the superhero kind of feel to it, but even in the Marvel films, real emotions gripped at the characters, and we were really able to dissect who they were in a two-hour span. We’ve had five hours (okay, minus commercials) with this series, and haven’t gotten much. Little pieces to little mysteries solved, but almost no big picture to really try and grasp at.

When Skye’s hacker boyfriend and Ward both basically said the same thing, they gave each other a look, which I suppose could be read as jealousy, but there wasn’t enough of that to really be able to see. Fitz also complaining about not knowing all these things about Skye to Simmins, it was like he also had a bit of a crush on Skye, but again there was no depth to it. Whedon, really, get your act together on this project; I have higher standards for you.

My rating: 7 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“And I like board games.” – Ward makes an offhand comment.

“Awe, crap, they gave him a name.” – Coulson mutters about the name Scorch – which I have to say was a terrible choice, but then I suppose the Torch is already taken.

Okay, I’m off to struggle through New Girl, which I’m very close to calling it quits on, a good few seasons earlier than I gave The Big Bang Theory. After that it’s Trophy Wife, The Originals, and Supernatural, again not necessarily in that order. Stick around.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 1.01 Review: You Don't Have to be Super to be a Hero

Let’s get this warning out of the way first. For anyone new to my reviews, and for all those that have forgotten (although I don’t know how you could), this is the point where I suggest that any of you that have yet to watch Tuesday night’s series premiere of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that now would be the point to turn away. As with all my reviews, there is a chance that there are spoilers below. THIS BLOG MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

Can I just start by saying how awesome that opening was? The series introduces us first to this down-on-his luck guy with a son that’s fascinated with the superheroes that were introduced to the world in completeness in The Avengers. And then there’s an explosion, and we learn he’s more than meets the eye; he’s actually a superhero himself, of some sort. I’m incredibly happy to be introduced to this world on TV with a Whedon alum. The first thing I did was yell Gunn when I saw the promo to this series. I know he won’t be sticking around, but I hope the guy can pop in every now and again.

From watching the entire episode, I’m a little anxious about whether or not they can keep this show up, cost wise. This was a pilot, and those are notorious for having more money spent on them, in order to sell the show to a network, so I’m not sure if future episodes will be able to keep the same kind of quality that we saw in this one. There was a definite sort of extravagance to this pilot, though not everything in the episode was amazing quality. Was I the only one whose sound quality was a little high, and clarity a little low? If I was, it could’ve just been my DVR recording, but I’m not sure. Maybe to level costs, some things had to be lowered. I don’t know.

The way this world was introduced, I do think there will be a lot of mayhem and excitement to contend with. There was a lot that had to be established in this pilot, and I certainly think it was done quite well. The episode was very grand, but well put together. It wasn’t all over the place, and filled with chaos. There was a nice balance, where there easily could’ve been too much going on, but that never seemed to happen. The only parts I couldn’t quite understand were the interactions with Fitz and Simmons, and I believe that was intentional and unnecessary for them to be understood. Whedon has yet to let me down with a series – though I never could get into Firefly, I loved his other three series – I’m always able to trust things that have his name’s stamp of approval. I know he won’t be as constantly involved in this series like he was with Buffy, Angel, and Dollhouse, due to his commitment to The Avengers sequel, but that there is a crew on this series that he trust, including members of his family, it makes me trust that this show will retain a good quality not always true of shows.

Now to review the characters and the actors that portray them. Being that he was apart of the film series, I’ll start with Phil Coulson and his portrayer Clark Gregg. While I greatly enjoyed his humour in this episode, something that is always so fluent in a Whedon series, I do think the character appeared more full of himself than he did in the films. Maybe it’s because he was a supporting role and had less screen time in the Marvel films, whereas in this he’s more of a lead character, and has almost taken on a Nick Fury kind of role for the agents he brings onto his team. Or maybe it’s that the actor has gained more fame from this role, something I’m almost leaning towards after watching his interview with the rest of the cast over on TVLine. I’m desperately hoping that it’s either my imagination, or that Gregg or the showrunners get it in check, because if it grows it could become greatly distracting.

A large part of this pilot follows Skye, played by Chloe Bennet. I have to say, I wasn’t that excited to hear she had gotten the role, after watching her over on Nashville last year, but I was happily surprise after watching this pilot. It just goes to show you can’t judge an actor based on one role, it appears I only didn’t like that character she played, not the actress herself. She did quite well in this pilot. The character was played with a lot of pizzazz (yes, I like that word and use it a lot, that’s three reviews now, I believe), and wasn’t done over-the-top. I think she was definitely the right choice, which shows I need to trust Whedon a bit more, casting wise, why did I think he wouldn’t pick the right cast? I can easily see her carrying a series of her own, and she the perfect pick for this ensemble cast. I’m looking forward to learning more about her as the series progresses, especially what she meant by having erased an identity before.

Now I’ll swing around to Grant Ward, portrayed by Brett Dalton. There’s an obvious chemistry between him and Skye, and I think the actor plays the characters loner-ness and almost cockiness very well. I don’t believe the pilot perfectly strengthened this character, I do think some flaws will need to be brought to attention, to make him more human. He’s definitely more of the straight-man type character, but I’d like to see more diversity in him than the stereotypical lone wolf he seems to be. This was only the pilot, so I really hope they go more detailed into these characters’ lives and their pasts.

Then there’s Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons, commonly known to their team as Fitzsimmons. They’re played by Iain De Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstride, respectively. They seem to be supporting type characters in the team, at this point, and the ones that will provide a fair amount of comic relief, as well as the go to gadgets. They’re obviously smart character, and the quirkiness they appear to have does lighten up the series, although it wasn’t all that dark to begin with. I would like to learn more about their backgrounds, and how they came to work together. I also hope they don’t end up romantically involved, because that would be a fair bit cliché. They also need a bit of depth to them, that I hope develops over the course of the series, at this point they’re not very three-dimensional.

And lastly, to round out the team, there’s Melinda May, portrayed by Ming-Na Wen. As someone who has never quite been into comics, I’d like to know more about this character. It’s implied in the episode that she’s well known, and for some reason ended up at a desk when she’s obviously trained for combat. I hope that the audience members that weren’t comic book readers get to learn who she is, and why all of this is where it is. It shouldn’t be necessary to understand a separate type of medium in order to be able to be enveloped by this series, so I’ll trust that we’ll come to know the answers about her. I do like the actress they chose for the role, she’s got a certain amount of attitude thrown into the character that I’m interested in seeing more of. I’ll just have to trust we’ll get to know all these people more as the series progresses.

Now, not a member of the team, I do hope Cobie Smulders, and her character Agent Hill, is able to pop up every now and again, despite being committed to the last season of How I Met Your Mother and the other Marvel films. Possibly even becoming a recurring character, at least if this series gets a second season – and at this point I don’t see why it wouldn’t but it is a little early – after her sitcom wraps. I also hope some of the film characters could pop in once or twice as this series continues, just to give a nice little nod, or Easter egg.

While this series isn’t exactly a mystery series, there are nonetheless questions that do need answering. The one specific question that comes to mind is what Hill meant by Coulson never being able to find out where he actually was. If he wasn’t in Tahiti, where was he? Perhaps he did die, and this Coulson is actually a clone. But that’s an unlikely theory of mine. I do hope we learn the answer to this question eventually. Knowing Whedon’s series, continuity is more than often answered, at least the big questions tend to be.

My rating: 4 out of 5.

Best Lines:

“You haven’t been near his arms.” – Agent Hill referring to the question of whether Thor is actually a god.

“Sorry. That corner was really dark, and I couldn’t help myself.” – Coulson, revealing he is in fact alive and kicking.

“With great power comes… a ton of weird crap that you are not prepared to deal with.” – Skye, giving a nod to a well known Spiderman line, with a bit of a twist.

“And by luck, I mean unappreciated genius.” – Fitz mumbles, about a complicated task he is about to perform.

That’s all for now. Really sorry for lying about publishing this yesterday, but I was all reviewed out after writing six reviews. Next week I’m going to try to do more of my Monday reviews after I get home from work, the only problem is that it’s my fourth day in a row, and I tend to get tired and have little brain function. Anyways, stay tuned for my review of Revolution, and possibly of Nashville, though I might just watch that episode tonight, and review it tomorrow. But I will be back with Revolution at the very least.