How Agents Of S.h.i.e.l.d Got Good (spoilers Inside)

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Agents of SHIELD Got Good by Forgetting About Superheroes
The ABC show has finally gone from mediocre to sensational.
JOE REIDNOV 4 2014, 7:39 AM ET


ABC
Last fall, Marvel's Agents of SHIELD was the clear outlier in the Marvel universe: a failure. The ABC TV series, spun off of The Avengers built to serve as connective tissue between blockbuster film openings (and also, purportedly, to entertain), landed with a "who cares?" as critics waffled and ratings failed to impress. It dutifully marched to the completion of its 22-episode first season and was renewed for a second one. But the widespread impression was of a fizzled attempt at blockbuster TV now only being propped up by a network and studio that didn't want to give up on its tie-in to the films.

Now I'm here to tell you that, a handful of episodes into its second season,Agents of SHIELD is a good TV show. Maybe even a very good TV show.

The truth of the matter is that Agents of SHIELD has been better for some time now. It's been that way since at least the home stretch of season one, when Bill Paxton showed up to go crazy and the entire power structure of SHIELD collapsed around Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and his team. In the wake ofCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, it was a whole new ballgame in the Marvel universe, and that for sure included its modestly rated, critically dismissed small-screen venture. It's taken a few more months before I was ready to say it in public, but I'm coming out of the closet: Agents of SHIELD is probably among my four or five most anticipated shows in a given week. And, contrary to this well-argued Salon piece about the superiority of DC's crop of TV shows, it's the best superhero series on television.

How the show's writers and producers managed to turn that (invisible space-)ship around isn't so simple as a casting shakeup or a change in mission statement. The problems with Agents of SHIELD were numerous and baked into the show's very nature. They weren't going to be quickly fixed.

The Old Characters

The biggest problem facing SHIELD after its first few episodes was that it was boring. It had that spark of Joss Whedon-esque dialogue, sure. It had Agent Coulson back from the dead, which was great. But who were these bland stiffs surrounding him?


There was Agent Ward, a white-bread guy who seemed like he’d probably been an underwear model (fine, actor Brett Dalton was an MFA from Yale, but come on). There was Skye (Chloe Bennet), the hacker girl, which: Name the last good TV character who could be accurately described first and foremost as a hacker. Impossible. You knew baby-faced techies Fitz and Simmons (Iain de Casestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge) were bad characters because their only characteristic was that their names together made FitzSimmons.That's the joke. The one semi-bright spot was Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, a somewhat standard, taciturn a**-kicker who was at the very least watchable. This was the team we were supposed to follow around the globe, chasing after sub-Loki villains and talking about how Thor did that thing with the hammer one time, you had to be there.

By the time I had checked back in near the end of Season One, things were a little bit better. Agent May was still the most interesting character, and by a wider margin this time due to her double-agent-or-not storyline, but signs of improvement abounded. Skye, as is the destiny of a character like hers, was getting more competent and less aloof with every episode. Ward was working a moral-ambiguity thing that had promise. FitzSimmons were still just the kids, essentially, and Coulson was mired in a how-am-I-alive/who-am-I plot that had long since gotten stale, but there were reasons to care about these people poking out from the margins.

Cut to the current timeline, and every single character is more interesting. Agent Ward went full villain—albeit one the show is clearly keeping around for a possible redemption—turning the show's dullest weapon into its main source of conflict. Skye became (1) an actual SHIELD agent (for, like, one day before the Hydra bomb dropped) and (2) the subject of some intriguing backstory to be revealed later. Fitz and Simmons were dropped to the bottom of the ocean, and the escape left Fitz brain-damaged and Simmons at a loss for how to fix him, instantly giving reasons to care about both of them and making Fitz arguably the most sympathetic character on the show. Coulson's resurrection angst turned into something else again—we haven't gotten there yet as to what that something else is; he's probably an alien; it's fine. These are people viewers can care about now.


The New Characters

You'd think that after spending the entirety of the first season rehabbing the characters they started out with, the show would be wary about trying out new ones. But it hasn’t been, and viewers are all the better for it. Coulson's team has picked up various strays along the way, after working with other teams who either died or turned out to be Hydra (or both). That's how we ended up with Lance Hunter (Nick Blood), a rogue who doesn't seem to be able to charm the likes of May or Skye but whose charisma was an instant jolt to the team. In recent weeks, he's been joined by his onscreen ex, Bobbi Morse, a.k.a. Mockingbird, a.k.a. Adrianne Palicki, a.k.a. Tyra from Friday Night Lights. In only an episode and a half, I’ve become convinced the show should never be without their crackling banter. Mack (Henry Simmons) is something of the stay-at-home dad of the team, but he's been the Fitz whisperer, and those two characters' scenes together have been touching.



Really, only B.J. Britt's Agent Triplett hasn't found his niche in the narrative yet. Still, that's not a bad batting average for a once-dull ensemble.

A Better Enemy

With Agents of SHIELD firmly part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the plan was always to have things tie into the films. When Captain America: The Winter Soldier sequel hit theaters, we finally saw what that meant. The SHIELD power structure was revealed to have been Hydra all along, Nick Fury has to fake his death, and suddenly, Coulson and his squad were out in the cold. Viewers couldn't have asked for a better development. When the series started, the stated mission of the agents was to seek out and round up potential superheroes for use in the battle against ... like, evil or something. The world had changed, Loki might come back, something. The vagueness was a killer for narrative momentum.

That changed after Winter Soldier. Suddenly, SHIELD was no longer the support system for bigger, better superheroes who wouldn't be caught dead on TV. SHIELD now had its back against the wall, hunted by a powerful enemy in Hydra and a misinformed government (triggering further smart casting decisions like Adrian Pasdar as a well-intentioned general and Tim DeKay as an ill-intentioned politician). Sure, it's still all about stealing MacGuffins (the OBELISK!), but it's about stealing MacGuffins from an identified and very powerful enemy.

Serial Stories

Once the Hydra storyline locked into place, and the show freed itself from having to spend very much time working up reasons for the team to exist (it takes so much less time to just say "because: Hydra"), things began moving in a direction that allows more serialized storytelling. Skye's mystery parents, Ward's brother, Simmons being undercover, Coulson's weird alien hieroglyphics, and fine, yes, "The Obelisk" all now enable compelling tales that unfold over multiple episodes.

There is much more narrative momentum now, and the standalone plots feel looser and more fun.
There are still weekly missions, tasks to get the team from here to there. But there is much, much more narrative momentum now, and those standalone plots feel looser and more fun. Hunter and Mockingbird can elude capture and May can fight her evil doppelganger and Coulson can stare down Rayna in a face-off, and it's all pure entertainment. This serialization also sits so much better with the Marvel ethos. Sure, the Marvel films all have their own standalone plots, with their own villains and settings, but that's not what the universe’s overarching story is about. As the Marvel press event last week reminded, the Marvel movies are about the Infinity Whatevers, and we won't find out what that entails for another five years!

No, actually, the Marvel movies are really about that sneak preview scene fromAge of Ultron that aired during the latest SHIELD episode: Tony Stark and Rhodey and Thor and Cap and Bruce Banner and Maria Hill and Hawkeye and Black Widow all in the same room, at the same time, goofing around, showing off ... and then turning to face a common enemy. Agents of SHIELD was never going to be able to replicate that dynamic. But in accumulating a ragtag group of loyalists—interesting and sympathetic and developed characters, all—and setting them to fight on the front lines against Hydra, it looks like there's finally a TV superhero universe worth following."

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertai...ng-about-superheroes/382146/?single_page=true

 

I think it's been awesome since about halfway through last season. I'd stopped watching it; read people saying on Twitter that it had reverse jumped the shark, came back - loving it.

 

I've got to catch up to this show now. I totally gave up on it and everything I've read says it's been great basically since I stopped watching.

 

One of my most anticipated shows every week. I can't remember a show turning around from terrible to good like this.

With that said, I don't want to hype it up too much because its still not Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad fantastic, but its pretty darn good now.

 

So interested in the Skye plot. Still, there are so many other cool aspects of the show.

 

Very true. The slightly darker theme and death makes you feel more invested in the characters.

 

OMG I soooooo hope this is true!! It's just speculation right now, but all around it would be fantastic:


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Could Marvel's Civil War Really Begin in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.?

by Kit Simpson Browne ⋅ Posted on November 5th, 2014 at 7:17am ⋅ Last edit on November 6th, 2014


So, Civil War is coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Specifically, in May 2016, with Captain America: Civil War (and, who knows?Maybe in July 2016 too...)

From the looks of it, though, it might even be arriving a whole lot sooner than we think - with the first stirrings of the conflict looking set to appear in Avengers: Age of Ultron in May 2015.

What, though, if the Civil War is already beginning...

...on television?

More precisely, on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the vanguard of Marvel Studios' attempt to conquer TV in the same way they have movies.

And, what's more, what if we already know exactly how it's set to begin?

The First Clue
Way back in the chilly, mountainous wilds of September 24th, a young actor tweeted (and then swiftly deleted) something that - at the time - got a decent amount of press attention...


The reason for the interest? Adrianne Palicki had been announced to be playing Mockingbird just a month earlier - and now, the young actor Fran Kranz - who's worked with Joss Whedon a bunch of times, no less - was tweeting about Robbie Baldwin.

Otherwise known as Speedball.


And, as it turned out, the kinetic force field-wielding hero (his powers basically allow him to absorb the energy from any impact, meaning he can bounce off anything) known to his friends as Robbie Baldwin just happened to look a whole lot like Fran Kranz....


...as well as having a similar comic-book characterization to Kranz's usual movie roles, including in the Whedon-produced Dollhouse and Cabin in the Woods.

So, the general assumption went, Speedball - played by Fran Kranz - would soon be making an appearance on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Which is great and all, but not exactly earth-shattering Civil War-related news.

Except, of course, that it totally is.

Speedball is a Key Player in Marvel's Civil War

Now, sure, Captain America and Iron Man may have led the two opposing sides, and Spider-Man's central dilemma may have been our way of connecting to the narrative - but without Speedball, there would never have been a comic-book Civil War in the first place.

Or, at least, he's a pretty fundamental part of why it happened...

(Note, SPOILERS from here on out, gang)

The major event that precipitated the Civil War was, after all, a major explosion in Stamford, Connecticut, that destroyed a huge area of the city, and killed 612 people (and 60 children).

Its cause?


A youthful superhero team (featuring Speedball) called the New Warriors were chasing down a group of villains as part of a reality TV show they were filming, including one named Nitro. Nitro caused the massive explosion, which only he - and Speedball - survived.


After which, the movement for superhero registration, which provoked the Civil War, gathered momentum, with the New Warriors - and especially Speedball - taking much of the blame.

So, for a faithful adaptation of Civil War, you need Speedball - and the superhero reality TV show he starred in.

Why Not Change Speedball, Though?

The thing is, Marvel seems set to alter a huge amount of the Civil War storyline anyway - Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men are all most likely not going to have a part of it - so why would they bother introducing the New Warriors anyway?

Well, first off, the Stamford tragedy is one of the most iconic moments in modern comics - which has become a major fan favorite. Not so much so that it'd cause protests, but it'd be a popular thing to include for many of us.

Secondly, Captain America: Civil War is most likely going to need an initial, shocking event to give the Civil War a reason to be - after all, if it's just a case of Captain America and Freedom versus Iron Man and the government, it's going to be a hard sell for the movie to get any of the audience on Tony's side. Add in a horrific tragedy, though, and things could be very different.

What That Means for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Well, principally, it means that the show could well be given a much-increased role in altering the forthcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe, rather than just reacting to it.

After all, if Speedball does arrive on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., he's likely to appear in a form not too dissimilar to his pre-Stamford reality star form - one which would fit nicely into the shows more grounded approach to the universe.

In which case, that entire storyline - from the initial arrival of Speedball on - would mark the true beginnings of the Civil War - and the show would presumably follow the emergence of the New Warriors (or an equivalent reality TV show-starring team) in the months and years leading up to Captain America: Civil War in May 2016.

And, as a bonus, it'd make Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. way more difficult to cancel..."

http://moviepilot.com/posts/2014/11...s-h-i-e-l-d-2404909?lt_source=external,manual

 

Show's getting really good. All signs point to the blueprinted city being Attilan. Could the inhumans come to the Agents of Shield before the movie in 2018?

 

Alright I binge watched the show and I'm caught up officially. It's got to be the Inhumans right? It has to be. I really hope we see glimpses of them sooner rather than later.

Maybe I'm alone but I find the Fitz story fascinating. Not necessarily the romantic part, but him trying to find his own way again. It's fantastic.

 

I just saw the new episode today. I was tempted to post about this episode alone because it was so good.

I love the Fitz story right now and seeing what he's going through. I agree it's really fascinating.

I also do think it's the Inhumans although, they did mention the Kree, so that makes me wonder if it might just have something to do with the Kree too.

 

I think the Kree angle is to buy them time. There's a couple of theories out there right now, but the one that makes the most sense to me:

Spoiler

Skye is an Inhuman. She's actually Daisy Johnson aka Quake from the comics. Her father is Calvin Zebo aka Dr. Hyde aka The Doctor. The nerds pointed out the song from the music box starts the song-"Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half crazy all for my love of you."

I think it makes perfect sense, but you're right about the Kree thing. I'm guessing the Inhuman story-line is still far away. They'll use the Kree mix-in to keep things free up until they're ready to roll with the real story.

 

WTF???!!! That episode was fantastic I didn't see any of that coming. Loved how Sky just shot Ward and walked off like it was nothing. Should have finished him off lol

We all thought they might have been using the inhuman angle, but I didn't even think that Sky was really Daisy Johnson (Quake)!! I'm blown away right now. Didn't see that coming at all. Also what is Raina? I couldn't figure it out. She looks a bit familiar, but I can't figure it out for the life of me. This is going to bother me till the start of the second half of the season lol.

Edit: I figured out what she reminded me of... Quill from the X-Men:



Any why did Triplett have to die??? I liked him. I would have been much better with Mac dying or that short Australian Mercinary.

 

That episode was fantastic. Loved that the nerds comments that I read were spot on: Skye's (Daisy's) father= Cal = Calvin Zabo. Daisy "Quake" Johnson is now one of the most powerful people on the planet. So freaking cool!

Loved the mystery of it all. I LOVED the "mist" as a comicbook shout out to the Terrigen Mists that change Inhumans when they come of age. Just really fantastic take on it all. Like you said, I loved that Daisy just shot Ward like it was nobody's business. Sucked to see Triplett go, I thought he was a pretty cool piece of the show. I wonder if him being written off has to do with where they're going to take the Fitz-Simmons relationship.

And most of all I love that they embraced this story line so strongly. The Inhumans movie isn't for another FOUR YEARS and we're already talking about them now. I wonder how far they'll be allowed to delve into this world and how much of the Inhumans will be fleshed out on this show prior to that movie.

As for Raina, I'm not sure. Her face definitely looked a little reptilian.

Spoiler: Nerd's take on Raina:

She turns into... RAINA! There's a Marvel character already named Raina from the comics. She's a mutant from The Savage Land which is basically a "Lost World" where mutants and dinosaurs roam. I'm not sure they go the dinosaur route and mutants are now "Inhumans" in the Marvel cinema world so I could see Raina turning into that character.

Another question: who was the eye-less dude at the end of the show??

 

Good question. I don't know who that was at the end.

 

Wow. That character is so new/small he's only been in TWO comics ever! The story sounds good though and seems to make sense.

I love how intuitive people can be. I especially appreciate nerds like me that put so much time into trying to figure things out.

 

Therealdeal pretty much nailed everything the video I posted below explains, but still its good for non-comic book readers like me. It explains the comic mythos behind the stuff on the show and who the characters are.

 

Kyle Maclachlan was amazing in that episode.