Divided on SHIELD

We have some mixed feelings towards the new ABC Tuesday headliner. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. seemed like such a promising show at first, although I'm sure many super hero fans became skeptical after the initial goosebumps. If you did watch the show, then I apologize that you could have done something better with your Tuesday evening, like laundry. If you didn't, but you wanted to, then proceed with caution. Here are our thoughts.

Brett's Take:

I was worried at the announcement of the new series, but I really did like the idea of the show. I thought there was no way they could screw this up. I was wrong. The opening scene features a well groomed gentleman probably in his late 20's or early 30's. In short, he is on a mission to uncover some sort of device that looks alien and nature from some big shot business guy. He smoothly steals his prints, uses three James Bond-esque gadgets, and takes down three goons in the process. He then flies off holding a rope attached to a helicopter. My initial thought: this could be like "The A-Team."Which would have been awesome.

Spoiler alert: it's not. We then get to headquarters, where we find out Agent Coulson is still alive! What?!?! Yes he faked his death in The Avengers "to boost team moral." Classic Coulson. The leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. goes about gathering his team to seek out a new super hero on the streets. The team also continues to allude to a society of hackers called "The Rising Tide," who are apparently trying to bust S.H.I.E.L.D.'s cover. It's hard to be afraid of people who post on Reddit. I wont give away any more of the plot, but just know it is all downhill from here.

The show's first problem lies in the cast. There are way too many young, good-looking people. It's almost like they're trying to copy the Transformers movies. The scientific research team of Fitz/Simmons features a guy in his early 20's who sounds like that guy from Star Trek with the funky Scandinavian accent (not Scotty) and a young British girl who is a mix of Hermione and Jennifer Garner from Alias. They even use gadgets like flying robotic cameras to scan crime scenes. Apparently they even shop at the same weapon store as the Men In Black.

The second problem, everyone is trying to be Tony Stark. Sorry people, every line doesn't have to be wittier than the last. Plus, when you have quick lines throughout the whole show, then try and make it heartfelt at the end, you tend to lose people. They need to take notes from the writers at Criminal Minds.

I could go on for days, but I will just hark on a couple more particulars. The director needs to rethink his strategy. The closest comparison to this show I can make is SyFy's Sharknado. The camera just keeps moving shakily back and forth between characters and their surrounding environment. Not to mention the graphics seem second rate, and are no way like those used in the actual Avengers movie. The last thing that bothered me was the end scene, where Coulson talks the hot 27 year old Reddit chick to join their squad as his car turns into the flying Delorean from the end of Back to the Future. In my opinion, this show was slightly better than being eaten alive.

Great Scott!

Blake's Take:

Joss Whedon has done some spectacular work in bringing a shared Marvel universe to the big screen, and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. keeps this trend going by expanding the universe to television. Along with his previous experience with Marvel, Whedon has a stellar TV resume, including such classics as Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That man truly knows how to entertain the masses as well as cater to the extremely picky fanboy demographic.

S.H.I.E.L.D. takes many elements from the already established Marvel cinematic universe and shrinks them down for a more grounded take on a post-Avengers world. Now that the world has seen a genius billionaire create a deadly metal flying suit, a genetically mutated scientist turn into a raging green beast, a super soldier frozen in time from World War II, and a demigod from space battle other-dimensional alien beings in New York City, everyday people begin to see things differently. Home are the conceptions that we know all there is to know, and that we are all that exist in the universe. Regular people now realize that there are greater beings existing among them. Marvel's show looks to dive into the world of normal humans and how they react to superhuman friends and foes.

The pilot episode of S.H.I.E.L.D. starts off with a bang, introducing new characters in action situations, as well as fan-favorite characters from the films. Agents Coulson (played by Clark Gregg) and Hill (played by HIMYM's Cobie Smulders), appearing in The Avengers and other Marvel films, serve to get the audience up to speed, since the show is refraining from including the actual superheroes that make up The Avengers. There are, however, ample references to these characters, as their existence is the primary focus of the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization itself.


As far as content goes, S.H.I.E.L.D. is not much more than a fun, cheap thrill ride compared to the over-the-top spectacle that we have previously seen in the films. That's not to say the show is cheap, but it does at times feel that way since we have grown accustomed to the big budget Marvel movies. Still, the acting is solid, albeit cheesy, but it keeps the same tone that Agent Coulson made famous with his smaller roles in the movies. The silly jokes flow like wine in every bit of dialogue, but the plot and action is serious  in every way. It definitely helps that the writers can borrow elements from each film freely.

I like that S.H.I.E.L.D. does not seem take itself too seriously, which is somewhat of a relief after the sense of self-importance that has slowly built with each new Marvel film installment. While the movies take years of hype and rumors, hundreds of millions of dollars to make, and all sorts of marketing crammed down our throats, it's refreshing to get a simpler take on this superhero universe. I, for one, can not get enough of it.