Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “Maveth” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, time to talk about some Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with season 3, episode 10 “Maveth“. So here we have the mid-season finale and after a pretty good episode last week, how did this one fare? Well read on and find out.

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

S.H.I.E.L.D battles Hydra head-to-head, which sees Coulson and Fitz take the ultimate risk while Daisy and the Inhumans try to keep Hydra at bay.

What I Liked

Let’s start with the stuff on the blue planet. A lot of stuff went down in this desert wasteland. Ward along with Fitz and some other Hydra agents went on the hunt for the ancient Inhuman and on their travels some interesting stuff happened like:

• Fitz attempting to take out Ward, which didn’t work out
• Fitz and Ward finding Will and allowing the fancy astronaut man to be their guide
• Will and Fitz teaming up to escape Hydra surveillance
• Coulson waking up on the planet after hitting his head and tracking down Ward and the others
• Finding out that Will died and that the person that Fitz had been interacting with was the ancient Inhuman
• Fitz shot down Will with a flare gun, but the creature escaped
• Coulson finally getting to fight Ward in hand-to-hand combat

Seeing Coulson acting take out Ward with that brutal hand to the chest was pretty dramatic and impactful, and I’m glad that it was done. Ward had left a trail of pain too great to be left alive, and while a more flashy death would have been cool, the slow and personal approach that Coulson used left an impact for sure. I also liked the additional mythology added from Will (aka the ancient Inhuman) about the old society that was taken out and seeing that decayed city and Hydra statue in the background was nice as well.

Back on Earth there was plenty to enjoy like:

• Mac really owning his leadership role as acting director, making those tough decisions and when things were getting crazy, he still had Daisy by his side as his partner
• The beginning of the Secret Warriors with Joey and Lincoln going into the field and using their abilities (hats off to Joey for melting those bullets!)
• Simmons let Lash out and he took out loads of Hydra agents and Inhumans, madness!
• Both Lash and Gideon Malick escape which was good (especially for Malick because I thought he’d get killed off given the rate of bad guys that get axed super quick on this show)
• Oh and Ward is back, but obviously is being controlled by the creature, so how much of his personality will remain? And what new abilities or motives will the Inhuman parasite bring to the table in the latter half of this season? I guess we’ll found out next year.

There was also a lot of great humour from Joey asking questions about abilities or Hunter’s explanation about SHIELD plans changing on the fly or May’s line about her not being afraid went Lincoln said that everyone felt like Joey did. These were really awesome lines of dialogue, oh and how cool was Coulson’s Tatooine line when he was on the blue planet? And in the end while a bit formulaic, it was great to see Mac and Daisy return to the plane along with Coulson and Fitz, oh and the slow motion moments of celebration between the characters was great, well besides Simmons, and that look that Coulson gave Fitz at the end of the episode, that was pretty emotional like he was saying, “The stuff that happened on that planet, I did what I did and we will never divulge those events to any of our friends.”

What I Disliked

I was a little gutted that Andrew’s appearance in this episode didn’t really go anywhere, after being absent for a little while he was found, had a quick interaction with Simmons before being released, then turned into Lash and killed Hydra agents and suspended Inhumans before escaping off-screen. I had just hoped for something more with that character. Also when everyone was together at the end of the episode I didn’t care for Daisy and Lincoln kissing as I still don’t buy that relationship at all and I was also gutted when Simmons completely dismissed Fitz and went straight to the flying container to look for Will, and only after she found out he was gone, she accepted Fitz’s hug, proving that her feelings for Will were stronger than her connection to Fitz. I seriously think Fitz needs a new love interest because the people of this show really like making him suffer in the friend zone for some reason.

Conclusion

In conclusion “Maveth” was a pretty solid episode with a lot of plot points from the first side of season 3 taking shape with the mystery behind the monolith, Hydra’s agenda, Coulson’s revenge and the origins of Secret Warriors finally coming together. While this mid-season finale wasn’t as mind-blowing as I had hoped, it certainly had some

Rating: 8/10

So what did you think of “Maveth“? Did you enjoy it or were you unimpressed? Whatever your thoughts are, be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see you next year when Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns in March, laters! 😀

 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “Closure” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, time to talk about some Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with season 3, episode 9 “Closure“. So how was this week’s episode? Well read on and find out.

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

Ward’s vendetta and plan for revenge against S.H.I.E.L.D. brings the team to their knees, and Coulson proves he will be willing to do anything to settle the conflict.

What I Liked

Well bloody hell, that was certainly an episode and a half. So much hate, suffering and death in this episode, man I frigging loved it. The first seven minutes was full of tension drama and action and what followed only got more interesting, and while the episode wasn’t perfect there was so much to love.

Firstly let’s talk about Ward, that guy is just bad. He’s irredeemable now. The guy killed Rosalind right in front of Coulson just to hurt him and get his attention, then allowed Simmons to get tortured and after all these years separated from his younger brother, he was still trying to justify his twisted actions. The man is evil, relentless and his thirst for vengeance against Coulson and SHIELD has never been stronger to the point where he’d dismiss Gideon Malick’s larger plans for Hydra just to settle a score. I loved Brett Dalton in this episode, he really excels at being the villain, but I hope Ward does get killed because after all this there’s no way he could be kept alive.

And then there’s Coulson, damn, he had a pretty hectic episode. Firstly him and Rosalind are reconnecting over dinner only for her to be killed and when Ward let’s Coulson know that he did it, man the hunt is on! After Coulson fought his way out of Rosalind’s apartment and got extracted by Mac, he acquired Bobbi and Hunter to go on a secret mission to take out Ward. Coulson was so aggressive and badass in this episode, whether he was fighting Ward’s men, throwing phones, choking Hunter, capturing Ward’s younger brother Thomas for insurance or jumping out of a plane into the portal to the alien planet, he was totally driven and operated on terms that the regular Coulson wouldn’t have. I also loved the conversations Coulson had with the original team members about Ward, trying to gain intel on his previous interactions to see if it would provide useful information for Coulson now. Whether it was Daisy describing how she could understand Ward because of his history or Fitz saying that he used to just stare at him, a lot of those accounts were nice throwbacks to season 1 but also illustrated how creepy and troubled Ward really was.

In addition to that I really liked Malick in this episode, he’s really started to step up in this villain role. He’s made orders and he has control of everyone, except Ward. I liked how Ward called out Malick on his manipulation tactics, but it was also fairly impressive how Malick was able to get to the core of Ward’s actions, make him realise how inferior they were and show him that if their plans with the recovery of the Inhuman from the alien planet were successful, then Hydra would allow Ward to do whatever he wanted in a position of power. Malick is power-hungry but he isn’t stupid and he knows that pointing Ward in the right direction would be the right move considering his skill set.

Beyond that there were other great parts of the episode like:

• Fitz and Simmons getting captured by Hydra: I felt bad for these two, they can never catch a break. First they got captured, then separated, both of them were subjected to conversations with Ward, Simmons got tortured and they got a quick heart to heart moment before Fitz decided to got to the alien planet. Oh and Fitz telling Malick to “Piss off.” was awesome. 🙂
• Mac, acting director of SHIELD: As much as I like Mac, he’s never had a significant role in the show since he was controlled by the Kree temple in season 2, so to see Coulson give him the responsibility of being director while he was out was awesome and allowed him to make tough decisions and shift into action mode when things looked bad. Oh and that speech he gave to the team (including Joey and Lincoln) was awesome.
• Back on the alien planet again: So after a good few episodes we’re back on planet Blue with Ward, Fitz and some other Hydra agents, I wonder how long it’ll be before Will or the Inhuman appears? Coulson’s recklessness has cost him as he fell down a hill and knocked himself out on a rock, who knows when he’ll wake up or if anyone will find him?

What I Disliked

Firstly I am sad to see Rosalind go, she was awesome and while I understand reason why she was killed, I do feel like it was still a bit too soon and if she had been fleshed out a little more her death would have been a bit more dramatic. Also her associate Banks was taken out in this episode too which also sucked. Banks was a pretty plain character from the beginning, and while we’ve gotten a few interesting tidbits of info about him, he was never a fleshed out character so for him to go just when I thought he’d actually start getting some screen time felt like a wasted opportunity.

Conclusion

In conclusion “Closure” was a pretty satisfying episode with a great focus on Ward and his villainy, Coulson’s hunt for revenge and Malick’s plan to get back to the alien planet. There was plenty of action, drama, tension and intrigue in his episode and while there were a few hiccups along the way this was certainly a memorable episode for the series.

Rating: 8.5/10

So what did you think of “Closure“? Did you enjoy it or were you unimpressed? Whatever your thoughts are, be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see you on the next episode review!

 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “Many Heads, One Tale” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, time to talk about some Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with season 3, episode 8 “Many Heads, One Tale“. So how was this week’s episode? Well read on and find out.

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

Dangerous facts about the ATCU are discovered by the team; Ward’s plans to take down S.H.I.E.L.D. do not go as expected.

What I Liked

Well damn, this was a great episode. There was a lot to love and while there was a fair amount of detail to take in, all of it came together in an interesting way.

Can I just get my favourite part of out of the way… Fitz and Simmons, they kissed! YAY! 😀 I may sound like the biggest girl ever, but you don’t know how long I’ve waited for this moment. With the recent events involving Simmons and Will on the mystery planet I believed that Simmons’ heart would remain primarily to her space lover, but no, in this episode these two confronted each other about not only the awkward nature of their relationship, but their long-term feelings for each other and it was handled with drama and realism. Fitz highlighted that he felt inferior, that he was angry, but also that we was helping because he’s a good guy and wants Simmons to be happy. But Simmons was pissed because she knew how complicated this situation was and didn’t want to hurt Fitz or Will. But Fitz did the most manly thing ever, smashed right out of the friendzone and kissed his girl and it was the most satisfying moment on this show for ages. Even though Simmons still has feelings for Will, ignoring Fitz is no longer an option. Looks like we have a love triangle on our hands people. 🙂

I also have to touch upon Coulson and Rosalind, after those two slept together they’re pretty cozy together and Coulson’s showing her around the base, and while they’re together, Coulson’s organised his squad to infiltrate the ATCU and find out what they’re hiding. I like how after all this flirting, smiling and sizing each other up, Coulson confronts her about who she really is and it totally catches her off-guard. In the end we find out that Rosalind really was a good guy and had been played by Gideon Malick the whole time who had been using his position in government to further his operations at Hydra and manipulate the actions of the ATCU. I did feel bad for Rosalind when Coulson interrogated her and she did seem genuinely hurt and upset at Coulson’s accusations. While Coulson did come across as a bit mean, he had told Daisy beforehand that he had his emotions in check, so while he does care for Rosalind, he’s been smart enough to keep his emotions and trust in check. I hope that after the Hydra and Malick reveals that these two can still be on good terms going ahead.

Oh and how cool was Ward in this episode? Brett Dalton just excels at being the bad guy when given the right material and man he was on fire. This week we learnt he was not just after SHIELD but also after a vault left by Baron von Strucker and when Malick doesn’t want to play ball, Ward beat up and tortured Malick’s men for info, then got on a plane where he scared a pretty air hostess with a whisper, made a funny announcement on the intercom and blast a hole in the plane to parachute down to a specific location. This man got around and was so suave and devious about it, he’s clearly resourceful, unpredictable and dangerous, traits that Gideon seemed to like enough to allow Ward to join him and disclose the location of Andrew, and when they can come face-to-face Ward relays Hydra’s new plan and his plan to torture May through Andrew well.

Now let’s talk about the Hydra revelation. Not only had Malick been operating in the shadows via the World Security Council, but that Hydra have been operating in the shadows for AGES prior to their first major appearance in Captain America: The First Avenger. It was kind of creepy to see that evolution of that goat logo transform into the Hydra logo, and about Hydra’s history sending people through the Monolith and looking into gaining superpowered items was very intriguing.

In addition to those major aspects there are a few thing worth mentioning like:

• Bobbi and Hunter Infiltrating the ATCU: At first I didn’t recognise these two when they came in, but after I recognised them I loved every second of their screen time. Anytime the SHIELD team go undercover it is a good time full of humour, surprise and potential threat and that certainly apparent here. I LOVED Hunter, whether it was his clothes or usual funny personality, he was great to watch. And after they got found out it was super fun to see Bobbi duke it out with a magnetic man with her own magnetic batons.
• Lincoln and May: I was surprised that after all the evil-looking glares May gave Lincoln at SHIELD HQ, in the end she wanted to find a way to apologise to him for what Andrew did as Lash.

What I Disliked

There wasn’t much that I didn’t like besides some of the way the action was shot for Bobbi’s fight with the magnetic batons, it looked a little cheesy at points. But that’s my minor nitpick.

Conclusion

In conclusion “Many Heads, One Tale” was a really fun, epic and intriguing episode with all sorts of drama, action and revealed mysteries that make this show worth watching. Things are shaping up nicely with the stories and character development, and hope it’ll continue up until the mid-season finale.

Rating: 8.5/10

So what did you think of “Many Heads, One Tale“? Did you enjoy it or were you unimpressed? Whatever your thoughts are, be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see you on the next episode review!

 

Agents of SHIELD “Chaos Theory” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, time to talk about some Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with season 3, episode 7 “Chaos Theory“, so after last week’s very special Simmons-based episode does AoS continue it’s good streak? Well read on and find out.

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

As Daisy and the team try to protect Inhumans, a shocking truth is revealed about S.H.I.E.L.D.’s biggest enemy; with Fitz’s help, Simmons recovers information that could get them back through the portal.

What I Liked

Well damn! This was certainly a memorable episode and I actually liked it quite a bit. There was a lot of great conflict, drama, action and revelations that went down and while I can see some people not agreeing certain things that went down in this episode, at the same time I think some will be interested to see where things go in future episodes.

Let’s start with May and Andrew. Man, these two went through a lot this episode. We not only got to see more of their trip to Hawaii via flashbacks, but we also got to see their current relationship get fractured and fall apart (potentially for good). On one hand we had Andrew, who we know is Lash now, and just seeing him around Coulson and Daisy watching and contributing to conversations about Inhumans felt awkward and wrong because you knew that the guy was dangerous. And on the other hand we had May who learnt from Werner about Andrew’s monstrous secret, clearly distraught and wanting clarification she goes back to HQ does some digging and when she finds out where he is she goes after him. What follows is just some crazy and emotional stuff from Andrew’s visuals of killing Joey to Andrew shooting May with an icer (mad man!) to with Andrew’s flashback on how he became an Inhuman via Jiaying’s booby-trapped book to the moments between May and Andrew before Coulson came in. Ming-Na Wen really killed it in this episode, we rarely get to see much visual emotion from May and you could tell that this was a situation that was hurting her so much. She couldn’t stop him after he transformed but she did put him in containment and even after that she looked devastated by the whole ordeal.

I also liked how a lot of characters and storylines started to converge in this episode, unlike season 1 and to a lesser degree season 2, this season is really moving quickly with its stories and isn’t wasting time with its mysteries and reveals. In just a few episodes Lincoln was on the run and now he’s come back into the fold (for good reasons) but it looks like he’s joining the crew now after the ordeal with Lash. Werner has come and gone, Coulson and Rosalind have hooked up (it was inevitable) and Lash has dispatched loads of people, taken on Lincoln again and been subdued by May with the help of SHIELD and the ATCU. I just hope that this quick pace won’t ruin certain upcoming stories that require a slower pace. Then there’s Fitz and Simmons and Bobbi and Hunter. I didn’t care much for Bobbi and Hunter relationship stuff, and the more they talk about protecting each other, taking out Ward and their feelings, the more I think they’ll leave the show for that Most Wanted show that was announced earlier in the year. As for FitzSimmons, those two, their drama is subtle but still ever so real. With Fitz he had to go through  Simmons’ experiences via the images and videos left on her phone, you can see that this guy still loves this girl from the way he listened to her recordings, watched her videos and when he aggressively knocked the stuff off the table after seeing Will and Simmons together. And seeing them together conversing while watching the sunrise, that was cute and I feel like things aren’t completely over between them romantically (or at least that’s what I’m hoping haha).

There were some other elements of the episode I haven’t mentioned that I appreciated like:

• Rosalind and Daisy: I liked how both of them were against each other arguing the pros and cons of handling Inhumans from their own points of view, and then to see Daisy save Rosalind later on, damn, that must be a sign of trust between them now.
• Phil and Rosalind: So this couple have been teased for a while but I guess it’s come to pass and I do like it, even if the circumstances aren’t exactly genuine. When Rosalind asked Coulson if she’d buy him a drink, I knew exactly where it was going. The same sort of situation happened with May and Ward back in season 1. Now Rosalind thinks she’s playing Coulson, but someone online suggested Coulson’s actually playing her and that he’s just playing along which if that ends up being the case then I’d be so happy because I don’t want him being played.
• Oh hey Joey: Yeah Joey’s back, haven’t seen that dude in ages, was starting to think he’d become irrelevant for the forseeable future, but apparently he’s fine and he’s been learning to control his abilities. He doesn’t just melt things, he can craft and shape metal now. I’m glad he didn’t get taken out by Lash because there’s definitely potential for him.

Oh and finally there’s Ward and Malick at the end of the episode, both of them discuss the loss of Werner and Ward states he’s not interested in him and wants to take out Coulson to eliminate SHIELD altogether. However Malick says Ward has to think long-term and we find out that he’s been in cahoots with Rosalind Price! Shit son! Clearly this means that Malick must have been one of the people in attendance of the meeting with the president that Coulson missed, and Rosalind is sneaky, deceptive, no-trusting lady that I think we all believed her to be towards the start of the season. This also lends credence to the talk online that Malick is the same character he was in the World Security Council in the Marvel films and has secretly been Hydra all along which makes his character so much more interesting.

What I Disliked

The drama between May and Andrew felt a little generic at times as did Andrew’s needs to take the lives of other Inhumans (another reason I don’t think Andrew should have been this character). In addition to that I was annoyed with how simple Lash’s action scenes were, he didn’t seem that tough, sure he could take gunfire and hit pretty hard, but didn’t seem very threatening or scary. I hope he’ll be more intense and scary later on. Oh and I’m starting to dislike Lash’s look more and more, I feel like the make-up on his face and body could have been better and the CGI during the transformations lacks a certain level of detail.

Conclusion

In conclusion “Chaos Theory” was a pretty good episode with some solid drama and action, however there were a few issues with Andrew/Lash’s motivations and fight sequences which held the episode back for me.

Rating: 7.5/10

So what did you think of “Chaos Theory“? Did you enjoy it or were you unimpressed? Whatever your thoughts are, be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see you on the next episode review!

 

Agents of SHIELD “Among Us Hide…” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, time to talk about some Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with season 3, episode 6 “Among Us Hide…“, so after last week’s very special Simmons-based episode does AoS continue it’s good streak? Well read on and find out.

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

The stakes get higher as May and Hunter pursue Ward and Hydra; Coulson thinks the ATCU could be keeping a big secret.

What I Liked

This was an episode I have mixed feelings on, for the most part it was solid and entertaining episode which closely tied into the last two episodes and presented new possibilities for future stories down the line, however there were things that held it back for me.

I continue to appreciate how this show mixes up the SHIELD team with Daisy, Mack and Hunter on the hunt for Banks while May and Bobbi were trying to locate Werner Von Strucker.

Having Daisy, Mack and Hunter together was fun, it allowed for some funny moments of dialogue and the best part of the episode when a scarfed Hunter walks up to Banks and shoots him with an icer gun haha. So reckless and yet so brilliant, it showed Hunter’s unhinged methods do work when hear that it was all so we could get a blood sample to test Banks’ blood for a comparison to Lash. We also see Daisy using Fitz’s tech to spy on an ATCU facility and notices Coulson and Rosalind watching an inactive Inhuman being stored away in a box, I’m pretty sure this is not only gonna fracture her trust with Coulson but may also make her splinter off and do her own thing separate from S.H.I.E.L.D.and that’s when the Secret Warriors come into play, but that’s just my theory.

As for the May and Bobbi stuff that was cool. They make an interesting team, their moments in the Cayman Islands when trying to get that safe deposit box was hilarious and cool when the fighting kicked, and may I just say that Adrianne Palicki and Ming-Na Wen looked incredible. I’d marry them both in a heartbeat. Moving on… I liked how May got Bobbi back into the field and helped get her out the mental funk that was holding her back in combat. Oh and poor May had to learn the truth about what happened to Andrew from Werner and she looked distressed, can’t wait to see how she reacts when this info gets to Coulson and Skye.

Once again I have to state how much I like the chemistry between Coulson and Rosalind, they’re always trying to size each other up and find compromise so that each other them can get what they want. This episode we definitely got to see more of Rosalind, we saw her home, her stuff and learnt about a bit of her history and what does at the ATCU for Inhumans. Seems like she’s genuinely trying to help, however, considering the world of government and spies, this could just be a ploy to get Coulson to trust her. Maybe she did lose her husband, maybe she does like Coulson, I just don’t think things could be a black and white as that.

Oh and one final note relating to Fitz and Simmons. It seems like Fitz is still looking for information about the portal and trying to find a means to get Will back to Earth, but Hunter doesn’t consider it to be a good idea because of the relationship between these two nerdy individuals, and while Fitz tells Hunter to disappear you can see the mixed feelings going on in his head. Even after Simmons comes holding Fitz’s hand (stop that you friend-zoning woman!), telling him the situation is awkward and saying that Will’s a good guy, Fitz continues to give her support, but is secretly researching about Will behind her back. I’m curious to see what Fitz will find out and if it’ll be a problem in the future.

What I Disliked

My dislikes are few but notable. The biggest thing for me was Andrew turning out to be Lash, I mean it was speculated after the end of episode 4, but I hoped it’d be someone different since it’d be too easy to tie such beastly character to someone we’ve already known for a while. I mean for the show it is quite smart and will be all the more painful when it is finally revealed to the S.H.I.E.L.D. team but I just don’t like it. Also the fact that Werner died in this episode sucked for me, I thought with his introduction earlier on he would have been an interesting character to come into Hydra, get mentored by Ward and rise up the ranks to be a potential threat for SHIELD later on as a recurring bad guy. But no, like so many people in the MCU he’s killed off all too quickly without actually being able to leave a memorable mark. I also didn’t care much for Ward in this episode and his presence as a threat to SHIELD is weakening, I just hope that the introduction of Powers Booth’s character will elevate things later on or we’ll have problems with that part of the ongoing storyline.

Conclusion

In conclusion was a good episode with some interesting revelations and character development for several people involved.

Rating: 7/10

So what did you think of “Among Us Hide…“? Did you enjoy it or were you unimpressed? Whatever your thoughts are, be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see you on the next episode review!

 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “Devils You Know” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, time to review another episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and today we’ll be talking about season 3, episode 4, “Devils You Know“. So how was tonight’s episode? Well read on and find out.

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

Having reluctantly agreed to share information with Rosalind and the ATCU, Coulson and the team search for the Inhuman who is killing other Inhumans; May feels that Hunter’s mission to take down Ward is getting too personal.

What I Liked

This was another solid episode, there was direct continuation from the last episode with was going on with Hunter’s plan to ascend in Hydra, Simmons’ continuing recovery and obsession with going back to the alien planet, and Coulson and Rosalind’s alliance to cooperate on missions. There were some nice surprises, shocks and cool developments overall.

One of my favourite aspects of the episode was seeing SHIELD and the ATCU team up.  It was unlikely team-up which clearly each side had reservations/issues with (mainly when it came to Daisy, Mack and Rosalind), I love how Coulson wanted to collaborate with the ATCU just so they’d have more resources but when it came to handling certain situations Rosalind had different ideas or questioned Coulson’s decisions. There was a lot of pulling and tugging and unwanted compromise from Coulson and Rosalind, each had to make choices that would not only benefit them in the long run but also keep the other person happy. It showed off some interesting decision-making between the two of them and once again allowed Coulson and Rosalind to have some fun banter (and possibly subtle sexual tension?). Other great part was seeing Ward back again, Brett Dalton was great as he brough wit, charm, humour and that small level of crazy to his interactions with people (this time with Hunter and May), I love how as soon as Hunter showed up, Ward was worried, there was a shoot out and thanks to May, Ward lost a lot of his forces up until Ward pulled out a secret ace; he had his Hydra goons waiting for Andrew in a shop. And even though Ward escaped, he got a bullet to the back, but also had Werner von Strucker and the other Hydra guys seemingly kill and blow up Andrew. While we didn’t see Andrew get killed on-screen, that looked pretty permanent and if that’s the end of  Andrew then frigging hell that’s pretty hardcore, and I can see that May will hate Ward forever if he’s taken out her ex hubby.

Seems like there was domestics going on in this episode between certain people. Firstly there’s May and Andrew, there seemed to be more to their getaway as Andrew wanted to apologize to May but she wasn’t having it. Clearly life outside of SHIELD for the both of them wasn’t what they imagined and either May or Andrew just had different ideas of what their relationship would be like. I’m curious to know more, though considering what happened to Andrew I’m not sure if we’ll see that conversation continue (more on that later). Then there’s May and Hunter, she was trying to get him be organized and plan ahead when it came to Hydra but Hunter’s obsession with Ward just made him want to throw caution to the wind and jump into the belly of the beast, and later on with Ward having Andrew under surveillance, that put May in a tough situation and with Hunter just going after the enemy regardless, you could tell that May was not happy about his decision at all. And then there’s Fitz and Simmons, Simmons is researching a means to rebuild the portal to go back to the planet behind Fitz’s back and her reaction when she saw him with her stuff was totally crazy. Luckily Fitz found out about her plans, confronted her and basically told him that she was gonna give him answers which is what I hope we’ll get next episode or so.

When comes to Lash I liked him, he was not only cool with the use of his powers, but we learnt he’s on a mission and he was smart with his use of Dwight Frye’s ability to sense other Inhumans and take them out. Also in Daisy’s blurred vision she saw his shadow do a Hyde to Jekyll type of transformation into a normal human, which suggests that Daisy’s assumption about him being able to transform would make him pretty illusive, and gives him a tactical advantage over SHIELD and the ATCU. I’m kind of in two minds about that reveal as on hand it makes him very illusive but at the same time if he is just a man who can transform at will then it takes away from his current intimidating look. And speaking of Lash and the Inhumans, I was surprised to see Alisha back from season two and some other Inhumans who had gotten their powers pre-fish oil exposure and then have them unfortunately taken out by Lash. Poor Alisha looked messed up after that event and Andrew wasn’t happy about it, so much so that he had a go at Coulson for bringing her in on a mission without his consent. Seems like he doesn’t agree with Coulson’s secretive methods and wants to be brought in all the potential patients for their well-being and not just to be evaluated for Daisy’s new superpowered team.

What I Disliked

I guess I wasn’t too interested in Hunter’s revenge story and how planned to get into Hydra, it wasn’t until the latter part of the episode when he came into contact with Ward was when I was engaged.

Conclusion

In conclusion “Devils You Know” is another good episode. We got to see more of Lash, more Daisy and Mack teaming up, some drama between certain couples, death and some cooperation issues between SHIELD and the ATCU. I like how there are small yet significant surprises that this show keeps bringing in each episode as it gets me more curious and excited to see what happens later.

Rating: 8/10

So what did you think of “Devils You Know“? Did you enjoy it or were you unimpressed? Whatever your thoughts are, be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see you on the next episode review! 😀

 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “Purpose in the Machine” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, time to talk about some Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with the second episode “Purpose in the Machine“, so after last week’s great episode does AoS continue it’s good streak? Well read on and find out.

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

Fitz and the team enlist the aid of an Asgardian to unlock the secrets of the ancient monolith that swallowed Simmons, and Agent May is at a crossroads in her personal and professional life.

What I Liked

This was another solid episode. It was definitely more character-focused and was set up for things that would take place later in the season. Let’s firstly talk about the return of May and Ward. With Melinda May, she’s been off living the quiet life with her father, it seems like she’s trying to get out of the dangerous life with S.H.I.E.L.D. and because of her personal issues with Andrew Garner and Phil Coulson, however, she doesn’t have the mentality to let go of her warrior-like instinct. I found it interesting to learn more about May from her father played wonderfully by James Hong and I loved how she eventually got onboard with Hunter’s plan to take out Ward. As for Grant Ward, he’s gone into full-on villain mode, he has people, resources and a plan, one that is calculated, smart and involves infiltration. Brett Dalton continues to excel at being the bad guy and there’s that one point when he takes out several men, but then one man gets in one good punch… And Ward’s not too happy about that and shoots him down, that moment alone was badass.

It’s true what they say, you don’t mess with Ward. Not with those eyes.

As for the main plot I found it pretty interesting. Since the end of last season some fans have speculated that the Kree monolith was possibly a teleporting device and this episode confirmed that and it was cool to watch. Seeing the return of Peter MacNicol as Elliot Randolph was awesome, his character is humourous but also full of knowledge and he was a great addition to this episode. Fitz again was the strongest character of the show, his knowledge, courage and unwavering determination to save Simmons has to be commended and clearly it paid off when he jumped into the monolith portal, found Simmons and was able to bring her back. I was surprised that Fitz was able to find her so quickly and I was sure on at least two occasions that Simmons wasn’t coming back when she was grabbing for Fitz’s hand, and then when that monolith exploded, damn. I thought it was over. But beneath the rumble, we had Fitz and Simmons, still alive and well, I’m curious to know what Simmons expected over there. I also liked the moments between Andrew and Daisy with their conversations about Joey, recruiting Inhumans for the Secret Warriors and Daisy becoming a leader. It was referencing to the comics but also highlight Daisy’s progression and where she’ll grow in the future. And speaking of Daisy, I loved how instrumental she was in saving Simmons when it came to using her powers to save Simmons, even though there was a high-pitched noise that seemed to be causing her distress.

The only other major thing I took away from the episode was the person that Ward was after, he was no one special except the son of Baron Von Strucker! Spencer Treat Clark did well as Werner von Strucker, acting like this spoilt, fun-loving guy one minute, but then being crazy aggressive the next, he’s definitely got some Hydra in him and Ward knew it too. While Strucker Sr. was poorly handled in Avengers: Age of Ultron, the fact that his son remains alive allows for some interesting possibilities with the future of Hydra, Ward’s power and influence and potential crossover with the MCU films (though the last one probably won’t come to pass because of the lack of connectivity between the film and TV universe).

What I Disliked

Most of my problems with the episode were nitpicks at best. Firstly, after getting such an action-packed episode last week I did miss that with this week’s episode. I know not every episode needs some Inhuman superpowered madness, but I am an action junkie after all haha. And the other thing I wanted to mention was the return of Simmons, even though I loved having mystery behind the monolith solved and seeing her returned to Earth, I had hoped there’d be more time dedicated to them finding ways to save her and seeing more of Simmons out on that world. But hey maybe we’ll see more of her time on the alien world via flashbacks?

Conclusion

In conclusion “Purpose in the Machine” is another strong episode, I mainly liked the expanded history with the monolith, the return of May and Ward and seeing the reunion of Fitz and Simmons. While it wasn’t as good as last week’s episode for me and there were a few things I would have changed, I still liked it a lot.

Rating: 7.5-8/10

So what did you think of “Purpose in the Machine“? Whatever your thoughts are, be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see you on the next episode review! 😀

 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 Mid-Season Finale Review

Howdy ladies and gents, so Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has gone on hiatus after its current mid-season finale and I thought it would be a good chance to quickly summarise my thoughts on the last episode and where I think its going in the future of the Marvel shared universe. Warning: SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!!!

How about that mid-season finale? So much stuff happened, it is really hard to talk about everything as a ton of things took place. Long-term mysteries have finally been revealed and new revelations have come to pass which really has me wondering what’s going to happen in the next half of this season. So now I’ll talk about my specific highlights.

Skye & Her Father

Wow, the first interaction between Skye and her father, Cal was some really interesting and intense shit. Cal was super nervous and even though the guy is a bit of a psycho, you did feel for him and wanted him to succeed in connecting with his daughter after so many years. Skye initially wasn’t as receptive and deflected her father’s advances. However after learning about the origins of her birth, what Daniel Whitehall had done to her mother, she became more attentive. I loved the interaction between Chloe Bennet and Kyle MacLachlan was great, there was a lot of built up emotions and mixed feelings, but both of them seemed to come to a neutral territory over the death of the missing family member. Then of course there’s the point where Skye had to literally scream at her father to stop beating the life out of Coulson, that was some crazy stuff.

Daniel Whitehall Dies

Something that stood out to me was the death of Whitehall. I had thought, because he had taken the super aging factor from Skye’s mother that he might have gotten, you know, maybe some additional healing abilities or better durability. But no, just before Cal goes to exact his revenge, Coulson takes him out, with one single bullet. I felt really cheated by that, someone as mean and dangerous as Whitehall deserved to get an ass-beating or torture or blown up, something more significant than a gunshot wound to the chest. Hooray for Coulson, but still, I’m gutted for Cal that he couldn’t get revenge.

Skye and Raina Transform

So Skye follows Raina into the entrance of the underground city, the Obelisk comes into play and activates, turning Raina and Skye (and Agent Triplett) to stone. All of them look dead, but then Skye breaks out of her shell, a new super-powered being and Raina, while we don’t see her in full, from the look of the area around her eye she’s gone through a spiky physical transformation. Seems like we are totally going full Inhumans route and I LOVE IT! For the longest time I have wanted more comic book-related characters with superpowers on the sides of the heroes and villains and now we’re getting some really cool stuff that is really tieing into the upcoming films in MCU.

Skye’s Real Name Is Daisy

So we finally discovered Skye’s real name and it is Daisy, and from a little research online I have found that she has been confirmed as the Marvel character as Daisy Johnson aka Quake. The fact that she’s an official character from the comics who has been part of S.H.I.E.L.D. and has the power to use vibration to create earthquakes. I just feel like after all this time, Skye’s character actually has a purpose and she is actually important. I was never sold on her character in season one, it wasn’t until season two when I started to like her. And while many people have speculated that she was a super-powered individual, maybe even an Inhuman, I just like the clarification that she is relevant, and she is becoming a better character as the series progresses.

Agent Triplett Dies

Ah man, I was gutted about this. I actually found out about his death via a spoiler post thanks to Clark Gregg’s Facebook post accidentally. The bloody internet loves to ruin things for people, even if you’re a day late. Either way, seeing this awesome member of Coulson’s team get taken out in the way in which he did was sad. Once he went back underground to fetch Skye I knew he was done for, but it didn’t make his death any less painful. That man has been one of my favourites since the latter half of season one and since his use in season two has been small, I’m not surprised that he has died. It does feel like Triplett got shafted this season and he should have gotten a better sendoff than what happened, but I guess someone has to die for dramatic effect. RIP Agent Triplett, you were a don.

There’s A Man With No Eyes With Another Diviner

And then there’s that guy at the end of the episode with another Obelisk who talks about someone new has been discovered and he’s going after them, and you see that this man has NO FREAKING EYES! What the hell happened to him? But more importantly, who is he? Is he an Inhuman? Also is he an enemy or a potential new ally? I have to know.

So yeah, that’s my thoughts on the mid-season final of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. this season. So far it seems like this show has finally gotten into a good place with its original stories and ties to the MCU, I have always been a fan of this show and have never given up on it, now I feel like all of the build up and mysteries is starting to pay off. It is a good time to be a fan of this show and a fan of the comic book source material too.

What do you think of the mid-season finale? Did it meet your expectations, exceed them or fall below? Also are you excited for the introduction of the Inhumans? Please be sure to comment below and let me know. Laters! 😀

 

My Thoughts on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 So Far

Howdy ladies and gents, time for a semi-review of sorts. A little while ago I did my season 1 review of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. talking about the show’s improvement from beginning to end and seeing the show in a different way when watching it all in one go versus watching on a weekly basis. Now that I’m up to date with AoS this season I thought I would pass on my thoughts on how I feel its shaping up so far. I don’t know how long this post will be, but please stick with me. SOME SPOILERS TO FOLLOW…

Tone

The thing stood out to me after seeing the first episode was the change in tone. Immediately you are presented with a much darker and serious show than before. Its like AoS did a 180 in terms of personality, without the characters, you could assume that this was a totally different show. Obviously due to the fallout of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the ongoing threat of Hydra, things could never go back to the light-hearted and humorous nature of last season, that’s not to say that there isn’t small moments of humour to be found, it’s just that it takes a back seat to the drama instead. The show’s more mature and aggressive than before and now this show feels like it is more in line with the MCU films like Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Story

Story-wise this show seems to be more focused, swifter in tone and has a better use of its source material than ever before. What I like about the stories in season 2 now is that it is all about S.H.I.E.L.D. trying to survive in a world that’s against them. Director Phil Coulson has his main base of operations and small teams across the world, but he is outmatched and out-gunned by Hydra and the US government who want to take him out. Right now it is about living to fight another day for S.H.I.E.L.D., while their enemy, Hydra, is everywhere obtaining new recruits and trying to utilize a new dangerous artifact that could kill many people if weaponized. When it comes to the use of the MCU films and Marvel comic books, this show happens to have a better grasp on how to handle it. Using the flashback sequence in “Shadows” with Peggy Carter and the Hollowing Commandos is great way to not only tie those characters to Captain America: The First Avenger, but it’s also great for the Agent Carter TV series that will be on its way soon too. Its good publicity and nice tie-ins overall. Also the use of villains like Absorbing Man (Carl Creel) and returning characters like Blizzard (Donnie Gill) and Raina, and introducing Bobbi Morse (aka Mockingbird) is a good way of again connecting aspects of season one and two, while also relating to the comics too.

Characters

As for the cast, they’re all very good with returning cast members doing very well and the new cast fitting in nicely. Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson is great, he now feels more in line with the Coulson I knew from the MCU films, the man is focused, serious, doesn’t mess around and always has a backup plan. Since becoming the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. the guy just oozes a badass personality and definitely has mannerisms and traits similar to Nick Fury when he was in the role. Ming-Na Wen is still awesome as Melinda May, she is still silent but deadly, can kick anyone’s ass in a fight and her personality leads to some funny interactions with other team members. She also has great intimate moments with Coulson, helping him with his problems but also doing missions with him too. Chloe Bennet is great as Skye this season. I can’t say I was keen on her character last season at all, but now she’s changed as much as the show has personality-wise. She’s got a new look, is a field operative, gets into the thick of the action and now trains under Melinda May. She’s cool now and I also like is the fact that she has problems with the secrets Coulson keeps from her and the assignments he puts her on.

Oh and then there’s Brett Dalton as Grant Ward, I wondered how he would factor into this show in this season, but the people behind the show have found a way for him to be relevant but not overshadow the main plot elements. I love Dalton, ever since he came out as a Hydra agent he became one of my favourite bad people, and even though he’s done so much wrong and hurt so many people, I still like him, and after the episode six I’m hyped to see where his character goes from there. Iain De Caestecker as Leo Fitz, damn, talk about a major change. Poor Fitz, poor Fitz. The dude’s broken. Because of his brain injuries he sustained last season he’s got problems relating to memory, interacting with people and forming basic sentences. Caestecker’s acting is very impressive and heartbreaking to watch. Elizabeth Henstridge has definitely stepped up this season as Jemma Simmons, with her role going undercover and gathering intel for Coulson, while also having issues with Fitz’s mental problems. Henstridge has become even prettier than before and I like the new dangerous scenarios and conflicts she now has to deal with.

B.J. Britt as Antoine Triplett is still as cool as ever but just in a smaller capacity. Patton Oswalt as is still great Billy Koenig, unfortunately we don’t get to see that much of him though. Adrian Pasdar has a more imposing presence this season as Glenn Talbot, he’s now on the hunt for S.H.I.E.L.D. but is also talking to the media trying to reassure US citizens that his people are there to protect them and remind them that S.H.I.E.L.D. are the bad guys. Pasdar really lends himself well to a villain role. Ruth Negga returns as Raina and is just as cool, weird and confident as ever, though she now starts to realise that there are forces bigger than her at work that could end her life if she doesn’t play her cards right. And there’s the new cast members. Reed Diamond is a great as Daniel Whitehall, even though Hydra is everywhere, it is nice to have a face to put to all this chaos. This man is basically the new John Garrett and while he’s not as hilarious or as charismatic, the man has a very intriguing past, has a sinister presence and his personality seems to be something like ‘work with me and you’ll live or turn against me and die’, and he’s awesome. Henry Simmons as Alphonso Mackenzie is another nice new addition to the S.H.I.E.L.D. team and I like his interactions with Fitz, while Nick Blood as Lance Hunter is another new face that works with Coulson’s team, and he’s basically the British guy who is cocky and humourous. The guy has a bit of a bumpy start as he’s not exactly loyal, his jokes aren’t always funny and he moans like a little bitch, but otherwise he’s fine. And finally we have Adrianne Palicki who is awesome as Bobbi Morse (Mockingbird), she is gorgeous, is really good at being an undercover agent and has excellent fighting skills. There’s no sign of Ian Quinn or Deathlok at the moment but I hope they return soon because I miss them.

Presentation

The presentation for this show seems to be improved as well. Visually the atmosphere, cinematography and lighting come across better and more film-like or at least higher quality. The action seems to show up more often and is more aggressive than before with more hand-to-hand combat sequences, super-powered characters messing people up and big set pieces. Even the visual effects seem better with scenes involving Absorbing Man and the Quinjets looking pretty slick and detailed. Even the music by Bear McNeary seems more interesting and developed than last season.

Conclusion

So all in all season two of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a hell of a lot better than it was last year and from what I’ve seen of the first six episodes, it is really firing on all cylinders. The show is like a bullet train, its focused, quick and moves with conviction. It feels like the show has a presence among all of the other great TV going on right now, all it needs to do it keep up this momentum and give us fans more mysteries and action, but give it to us quickly and not drag things out like last season.

So have you been watching season two of  Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and if so what do you think? Are you down with the show’s new direction and how do you feel it compares to last season? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see you on the next review, laters! 😀

 

Looking Back On Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1

Howdy ladies and gents of the interweb. Now I know Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is well into its second season at the moment, and as you can see, clearly I’m not doing episode reviews this time around and there’s two reason for that: 1) They are very time-consuming. And 2) While this new season has been airing I have actually been re-watching season one, so I’m currently not up to date, yet. Anyways, I just finished season one and thought I would give my thoughts on it as a whole, so consider this a review of sorts, a LONG one. Okay? Good, let’s do this! SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!

So, AoS season one, well it was a rough season I can tell you that much. The show had so many hurdles to deal with not only before airing but also during its entire run. Not only was it coming off the hype of The Avengers and the other films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it also had to create a compelling setting, with good stories and characters to hold fan interest where none of the main superheroes were involved. Then there’s the early feedback on the show, which wasn’t bad, but it could have been better and those who weren’t fans of the show quickly spread their negative thoughts like wildfire which really affected the show’s viewership. Add on top of that the fragmented air times of episodes, unlike most TV shows, AoS had a terrible habit of pausing and waiting for certain Marvel films to come out, so you’d end up waiting for weeks just to see another episode, it was a major problem especially that really killed the momentum of the show.

However through all of its problems the show persevered and ended up being very fun. Sure it had some problems with early episodes being a bit hit and miss due to a lack of compelling stories, poor character development, heavy reliance on the Marvel films and not fully utilizing the comic book source material. But after Captain America: The Winter Soldier‘s story came into play, this show did a total 180 and became more focused, aggressive, dramatic and action-packed. It pretty much became the show that fans had wanted in the first place. But it also helped that the early episodes had a great deal of build up prior to the big story twist as the pay-off felt so good.

So now I’m going to break things down into sections; story, characters and presentation.

Story

When it comes to stories, at first AoS tried to tell its own stories that were separate from those in the Marvel films, but still tie them together through visual and verbal references. The writers did what they could to craft new, small-yet-important adventures for Agent Coulson and his team to tackle, the problem was that these stories weren’t nearly as compelling as the writers thought they were. Now I hate to compare this show to Arrow, because they are two very different shows, born out of different circumstances, however I watched the first season of Arrow after AoS and it was apparent straight away why Arrow was better, the stories were better. The pacing and tone of Arrow was better, the stories were consistent, the drama was real and the overarching storyline throughout. AoS only had a handful of episodes that were good prior to the Hydra storyline, besides episodic tales, there were stories that were started and dropped or dragged out for far too long (Coulson’s revival, the Rising Tide’s origin and the mystery surrounding Skye are just a few examples). However once Hydra came into play things got a lot better and engaging, the show felt like everything was falling into place and got better use of its source material too.

Best episodes:

• Eye Spy
• FZZT (personal favourite)
• Seeds
• T.R.A.C.K.S. (personal favourite)
• T.A.H.I.T.I.
• Yes Men (personal favourite)
• End of the Beginning (personal favourite)
• Turn, Turn, Turn (personal favourite)
• Providence (personal favourite)
• Nothing Personal
• Ragtag
• Beginning of the End (personal favourite)

Characters

The cast is one of the main aspects that was going to make or break the show and luckily everyone was up for the task. At first a lot of the characters besides and Agent Coulson and Melinda May were just dull and undeveloped, but over time they everyone had their turn in the spotlight and showed why they belonged on the show, and by the end of it this cast of people felt like a well-rounded bunch of individuals. So let’s talk about them individually.

Firstly Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson, what can be said that hasn’t been said before? The dude is awesome, he was one of the best parts of the Phase One MCU films and this show gave us more of that. The man is still serious, hardcore and hilarious, but after his death and revival you could see that he was a different person and had some quieter, more emotional moments to uncover. Gregg acts his heart out and while it was weird to see his character not as assertive as he was in the films at first, that eventually got sorted and he was just as awesome as ever by the end of the season. Ming-Na Wen as Melinda May was the first of the new characters we had to adjust to and luckily she was one of the most compelling. A woman with a mysterious past, badass martial arts skills and a ‘silent but deadly’ personality? Sign me up! May brought a lot of the show’s action, style and humour, and it also helped she was played wonderfully by Wen (who I am honestly in love with at this point). Chloe Bennet as Skye is one of my least favourite people. From the beginning she got drafted into Coulson’s team, and since then she’d lied and got them in trouble, and yet at the same time she was there for them when they needed her and she stuck her life on the line when necessary. I just wasn’t keen on the way her character was handled, her progression felt shoe-horned rather than being natural. But Bennet did her best and it helped that she pretty too.

Iain De Caestecker as Leo Fitz and Elizabeth Henstridge as Jemma Simmons were two characters who had a hard time being developed at the beginning. As FitzSimmons they were two science friends who were quirky, energetic and constantly bickering, it was cute and funny, but sometimes annoying too. They had a while before people warmed to them, but after episode six I think people started to pay attention. Together they have a special kind of relationship akin to that of best friends or a brother and sister, though most people could tell that there was more going there especially for Fitz. I loved both Caestecker and Henstridge’s performances. And then we have Brett Dalton as Grant Ward, this guy was one of the most plain and boring characters in the beginning and fans were vocal about that from the beginning, however once he revealed he was part of Hydra the guy became much more interesting. To learn about his backstory, seeing how he planted himself in the team and pretended to be such a dull person just changed so much about him completely and I have to give Dalton props for taking on the role and reaping the rewards.

And then there’s the great supporting cast. B.J. Britt as Antoine Triplett was a great addition to the team, not only was he a capable replacement for Ward, but he because of his heritage he had ties to The Howling Commandos and his soft spot for Simmons created some nice tension between him and Fitz. Britt was great in his role, he had the right amount of charisma, sass and style to make him a good member of Coulson’s crew. Saffron Burrows as Victoria Hand was another great addition to the show, she was a strict, by-the-book kind of person who also didn’t smile a lot, but she was loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. and created some interesting moments between the main characters. Patton Oswalt as Eric/Billy Koenig is one of my favourite characters to appear in this show as Oswalt is hilarious and brought his personality into his role in such a great way. Adrian Pasdar as Glenn Talbot made for a great antagonist who gave Coulson and his team a bit of trouble and expanded the MCU’s cast of characters just a little more.

Ruth Negga as Raina is one of the strangest, creepiest and mysterious people to come out of this show, but that’s why I’ve liked her, she’s odd, but in a compelling kind of way and when you find out how deeply she’s tied to the bad people of this show, she does become more and more interesting. David Conrad as Ian Quinn, at first seemed like a disposable character, but with his skills, connections to bad guys and the Gravitonium, you knew he’d be sticking around and I’m glad he did. The guy is confident, stylish and talks big, but he isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and I really liked Conrad’s performance. J. August Richards as Michael Peterson/Deathlok was really interesting, from a potential hero to a full-on villain against his will, that was some cool stuff. I loved his story and transformation and Richards was just great as this cyborg who was forced to kill to ensure the safety of his son. Bill Paxton as John Garrett was probably the best addition the show, Paxton is one of those kind of actors who brings a good time to any project he’s on and that was the same for AoS. Garrett is a relaxed, hilarious kind of guy but is also very dangerous and a bit of a maverick, but he is made even better when revealed to be the big bad of the show, The Clairvoyant. As a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Garrett was a cool, but as Hydra leader he was so much better. The guy was evil and Paxton played that role to a tee and with such style, it was amazing.

At least the show was not above using good guest star material, having Samuel L. Jackson appear as Nick Fury was awesome, Cobie Smulders was also cool as Maria Hill, even having Titus Welliver and Maximiliano Hernández return as Agents Blake and Sitwell was awesome. But my favourite guest character was Jaimie Alexander as Lady Sif, she was the best! All of these returning characters gave the show a great sense of continuity been the TV world and the film world.

Presentation

As for the presentation the show was good for the most part but it had its problems. The visual effects were a bit hit and miss with super-powered beings like Deathlok jumping or when the Bus was flying around, sometimes the CGI was a bit blurry and lacking in detail but for the most part it was decent. The fight sequences were the highlight for me, seeing May, Ward, Deathlok or the Centipede bad guys throwing down was kick ass and choreography for the most part was really well-done. The soundtrack by Bear McNeary is also good, sometimes it can be a little cheesy and overblown, but for the most part it is thrilling, exciting and meaningful, and it works best during the more intimate moments.

Conclusion

In conclusion the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a good time, it takes a while to get going, but once it does it doesn’t stop. While re-watching it, I didn’t like some of the earlier episodes as much as I did the first time round, at the same time, seeing the show again allows you to see so many things you wouldn’t have seen the first time round. Plus this miniature universe AoS has created for TV creates the potential for more comic book source material to be mined and possibly crossover material into the film universe as well. Only time will tell but this is a good start for the show, now let’s see if season two can do better.

Rating: 7.5/10

So what did you think of the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Were you a fan from the beginning or were you persuaded a little while after or do you just not care? Whatever your thoughts drop them in the comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters! 😀