Agents of SHIELD

[Samurai]

I have no idea if anyone will even see this, but I was interested in making a few comments about the series now the first season finale has finally aired in the UK, and I have more characters here to do it than on Twitter.

I think the critics were being unduly harsh on the first half of the season. Yes, J Whedon the Elder didn't write scripts after the pilot, and it certainly seemed initially to follow the ol' format for a while, but it was a series saddled with a fair bit of continuity it couldn't just establish as it went along that still needed to find its feet. I think it did reasonably well at that, and while not all the characters were initially engaging (Ward and Skye particularly), Coulson and May between them were enough to make the series watchable. Early guest appearances from Jackson and Smulders helped root it in the MCU, but the show still managed to work without the need to have seen any of the films, I'd say.

While there were still a few continuity problems and plot holes by the end, the stronger arc storytelling and the reveal made for a strong conclusion, and a better team (although I'm reserving judgement on Trip as a character until we've seen a bit more of him). The one thing* that annoys me is that I didn't get a chance to see The Winter Soldier at the cinema because I couldn't get out of work to accompany the friends who were going, and now I know pretty much the entire plot. But actually, given how well Cap and Black Widow have been realised on screen to date, I'll certainly be watching it anyway.

Anyone else make it through to the end of the series?

__
* Well, two things. I liked Agent Hand and,

[dexeron]

I actually enjoyed what I saw, but only made it through the Asgardian dude episode (which is supposedly before it "got good," according to people) because I just didn't have the time, and I don't own a DVR.

I tried to catch up later, but OnDemand and the ABC website insist on never letting you actually watch every episode but the most recent few, so I did see the one where they finally revealed what happened when Coulson died, and have paid some attention to the episode summaries, so I already knew about the mole and the plot twist there, but haven't yet read anything about how it all gets resolved (except I know we get more of J August Richards, who is supposedly going to become Deathlok?!? NICE.) I'll likely catch up on all of it by buying it on Blu-ray, so I can be ready when season 2 starts.

But wow, you really, REALLY need to see Winter Soldier. It's kind of the best of what is already a very entertaining bunch of Marvel movies.

[Sorce]

Stupid thread that made me actually log in instead of driving by...

I don't really think there was a bad episode (except for 0-8-4, maybe) but it was a slow burn until Cap2, then it hit the ground running after that and didn't stop until the finale. I liked the cameos, and there was a lot there to not only tie it to the movies, but to a larger MCU, which was impressive. The only better worldbuilding tv show in recent memory is Arrow; too bad DC can't make a good movie to save their lives.

Speaking of, Winter Soldier was a good movie, for sure, but having the "twist" spoiled before you watch the movie takes a good amount of wind out of it's sails. Or at least it did for me.

[dexeron]

It was worth it for the meme.

[Samurai]

[DragonSlayer]

I think the early couple of episodes did stumble, but by the end it was the show the wife and I were looking forward to the most.

I'm sorry for the people that didnt get to see the movie unspoiled, but I will say that it was a pretty great transition if you did get to see them in order ( pre-episode, movie, post-episode).

All in all it ended on a high note and we are looking forward to its return. Will also be interested in the agent carter mini series.

As a side note, we ended up binge watching the first season of arrow after the aos finale, and had to admit that it seemed to have itself together better. Looking forward to flash.

Its a good time to like comic shows!

[Samurai]

I like the fact the series format gives us more time to get to know the characters. They wasted that opportunity a bit while it was a Monster of the Week show, but definitely improved it. And the explanation for why Coulson was a slightly different person from the guy in The Avengers was welcome. I'm also looking forward to the new series.

[Sorce]

Season 2 Cast Photo:



And, as a special bonus, Agent Carter and the Howling Commandos:

[Despanan]

Really good show - except that it absolutely hates black men for some unfathomable reason.

[Samurai]

Yes, I thought it was rather rubbish when they Also, the setting for the mid-season finale was a bit of a let-down after all that build-up (ran out of budget, I'm guessing). Other than that, the second series has generally been an improvement on the first (Garrett aside, but I'll definitely take Kyle MacLachlan as his replacement).

Alas, there's no guarantee we'll even get Agent Carter here on a free-to-air channel, so I have no idea what that's like, and I now have to wait a while without any Marvel fix at all. Thankfully, my wife hasn't yet seen Guardians of the Galaxy, and I got the DVD for Christmas, so that should plug some of the gap. :)