ONE PARAGRAPH REVIEW: The Circle

Howdy ladies and gents, time for another quick review and today I’m talking about The Circle. Now I was really excited to see this film back in January of this year, however, once the film was released and got average to bad reviews, it left me a tad disappointed so I gave the film a skip. But once it showed up on Netflix not too long afterwards I put it on my watchlist with the intention to see it before 2017 ended. So is this film a good watch or not? Well read on and find out! 😀

The plot can be summed up as the following: “A woman lands a dream job at a powerful tech company called the Circle, only to uncover an agenda that will affect the lives of all of humanity.” Firstly the film’s plot reminds me a lot of an episode of Black Mirror, just without the mystery, subtly, intrigue, depth and unsettling nature. The story was interesting and had some really great elements in the beginning and certain moments throughout, but as the story went on, things just went in strange and bizarre directions, and by the end, it felt weird that that’s how everything wrapped up. It was interesting to learn about The Circle, their innovations and the subtle/not so subtle plan to essentially see everything everyone is doing anywhere in the world. This film felt like what could potentially happen in real life if certain companies and individuals took social media and transparency and amped it up to a ridiculous degree which was certainly engaging and scary at times. That being said some of the dialogue and scenarios that play out didn’t feel very realistic like it was artificial and took place in some heightened version of reality instead of being a plausible future. When the plot ended I felt unsatisfied, like certain plot and characters elements were brought up only to be forgotten or used in a minor way. The cast was solid however some of them weren’t utilised to the best of their abilities. Firstly there’s Emma Watson as Mae Holland, Watson was good, and at first, you’re on board with her character, however, as the film continues she sort of changes into a totally different character capable of making decisions that seem unlike her. We’re given no sense of progression towards this change and even though she discovers a lot of bad stuff and ends up in some bad situations, she preserved making some bad decisions that made her hard to root for. Tom Hanks was good as Eamon Bailey, Hanks has a warmth and captivating presence that makes him likeable even when he’s playing not so nice guys, and even though we’re meant to like this guy, you can tell that something’s off through some of his dialogue and facial expressions. I liked Karen Gillan as Annie Allerton, she was very bubbly and energetic, but also had some dramatic moments too. John Boyega as Ty Lafitte was good but very underutilised, Patton Oswalt as Tom Stenton was good but like Eamon you could see he’s dodgy from the time he was introduced, and Ellar Coltrane as Mercer, Coltrane was fine in the role but the character was so dull and uninteresting that I didn’t care much about him until a key moment later on in the film. And finally, the late Bill Paxton and Glenne Headly played Mae’s parents Vinnie and Bonnie Holland, they were both good in their roles. In conclusion, The Circle was a film with an interesting concept but lacks a compelling story with a weak sense of direction and some questionable plot choices, it wasn’t the worst film I’ve seen this year but it could have been better.

So have you seen The Circle and if so what did you think of it? Leave your thoughts in the comments below and I’ll see ya in the next review, laters! 😀

 

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! 😀

 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “Beginning of the End” Review

Good day to you ladies and gents of the interweb, after all this time we’ve come to the end of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with episode 22 entitled “Beginning of the End“. Ever since the introduction of Hydra things have definitely been heating up in the story department and AoS has hit its stride, can it continue into the final episode and gives us a satisfying conclusion? 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

Dark secrets are revealed as Coulson and his team put everything on the line to stop Garrett and the forces of HYDRA.

What I Liked

All I have to say is thank god they didn’t mess this episode up. The season finale of AoS was not only good but it was also one of the best episodes of the series. This was some solid TV here and I feel like there was loads to love in this episode with the various story plot points, different emotional moments, character development and cool action sequences. There is just an immense level of satisfaction you get as a viewer as so many of these different plot points and characters finally come together in an epic kind of way and still leaves so much more to be followed up on in the next season. I think this episode has a lot of the best moments of the entire series, the humour finally works most of the time, Coulson finally feels like the guy us fans fell in love with in the films and the set ups for the future are pretty cool.

Here’s some of my highlights:

• Fitz and Simmons Under the Sea: Honestly this was my favourite part of the show. There is just something about people who are the imminent danger who also confess their feelings for each that just gets me every time. After seeing these two get dropped in the ocean that there’d be some danger and drama, but I didn’t expect it to play out like that. For a minute it looked like things were completely hopeless, then the two find a way out, but then that glimmer of hope is ruined when Fitz says that only one of them can leave alive. Having Fitz ready to sacrifice his life for Simmons shows just how much he cares and how courageous he is too, but we also see how much Simmons cares for him saying that she didn’t want to leave him. Also Fitz finally told Simmons how he felt, THANK GOD! Dude finally grew balls and it worked so well in that scene. Both Elizabeth Henstridge and Iain De Caestecke’s acting was incredible and very believable, the moments between those two were very emotional.
• The Return of Nick Fury the Badass: Ah Samuel L. Jackson, you’re just one of the best guys ever and seeing you return in this episode just makes me smile. His return was just incredibly badass, coming down to save FitzSimmons in the ocean was cool. Also seeing him and Coulson together on-screen was beautiful and the two had great chemistry especially when they were talking during Garrett’s mad speeches and I’m glad that Coulson got to address his whole revival with Fury even if it was done mainly off-screen. Then there’s the moment when Coulson was appointed new director of SHIELD which was a powerful and important moment, I loved Fury’s words about taking time to rebuild and that he’d still be everywhere.
• Garrett’s Grand Day Out: Garrett in this episode pretty much sounded crazy with all his talk of the future, ruling the world and monologuing while people aren’t really paying attention. Also seeing him kill one of the military guys was so brutal and badass and then there’s the moment when he knocked the wind of Coulson, kick ass. And of course there’s that moment at the end of the episode when he just rises up and gets that armoured suit and looks like he’ll return as a villain, but then is blown into oblivion by Coulson. That was totally unexpected and frigging funny as hell.
• Action Galore: This episode went pretty hardcore with the action with the hand-to-hand combat and fire fights, from Coulson and Triplett’s assault on Cybertek to May vs. Ward and then seeing Garrett in action too. Seeing Coulson and Triplett together was great, the way they were vibing while taking on the bad guys was awesome. But what was even cooler was May and Ward going at it, that fight was really dynamic, there was wall-crashing, makeshift weaponry and some brutal punches and gets delivered, best part was when May shot Ward in the foot with a nail gun, badass!
• Agent Koenig, Yay!: Man after seeing my boy Patton Oswalt get taken out a few episodes ago I never expected to see him again, but the moment when he appeared again gave me an immense amount of joy. But what’s even more interesting is the fact that this guy must be one of the life model decoys, his lines of dialogue were exactly the same, however this Agent Koenig had a different name. Robot!
• Raina Knows Skye’s Father: Besides Raina’s conversations with Garrett that suggests she’s more than just a human, knowing that she actually knows Skye’s father who is some dodgy, bloody-handed man sitting in some dimly lit location makes for me so excited and curious to know who it is. I have no idea, however I am sure that the dude is dangerous and is probably come into play as a villain next season and at least we know where Raina’s alliance lies too.

What I Disliked

Well as for the stuff I didn’t like as usual its nitpicking at best but it is still stuff worth mentioning. First and foremost, WHERE’S MY GRAVITONIUM? Annoyingly my Gravitonium was once again just side-lined and wasn’t used for anything. Now I understand in the grand scheme of things there’s not really as place for the stuff especially the way the story was going and I’m glad Quinn still has it, however the fact that it was introduced in episode 3, left for ages, rediscovered in episode 18 and then has no major development in the season at all is really disappointing for me considering the source material it’s based on. One other thing I had hoped for was more of a showdown with Garrett, now don’t get me wrong, what was on display was cool, but I had just hoped for more. Also is it wrong that I wanted either Fitz or Simmons to die in this episode? While I love them as characters, I like it when shows take risks and kill main characters because it really adds drama.

Conclusion

In conclusion “Beginning of the End” is a great episode and is a very good end to this series. This episode had a great combination of action, drama and foreshadowing and it was handled smartly. There was so much to like and appreciate like the small character moments with Fitz and Simmons, seeing May unleashed her fury on Ward, John Garrett’s crazy yet awesome speeches and the return of Nick Fury. While there are still some questions left unanswered, overall this was a strong episode and I can’t wait to see what happens in season 2.

Rating: 9/10

So what did you think of “Beginning of the End“? Was it everything you wanted, were you disappointed or did you want more? Whatever your thoughts drop them in the comments below and I’ll see ya again for my season review! 😀

 

LATE Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “Nothing Personal” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the interweb, time for my late review of episode 20 of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. entitled “Nothing Personal“. I was actually gonna review this last week Wednesday but since my schedule has been messed up I haven’t gotten around to reviewing the show until now. 😦 Anyways… So now we’re finally in the final stretch of episode in AoS and it has taken a while to get to this point, but we’re here now and thing are definitely getting more and more interesting. So how has the latest episode fared? 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

Just when there’s no one left to trust, Agent Maria Hill returns to team up with Coulson as S.H.I.E.L.D. is being destroyed around them.

What I Liked

This was another great episode filled with more interesting pieces of information being divulged for both the heroes and the villains too. There was more character development for Skye and Ward, Coulson, Fitz and Maria Hill in an episode that was fairly dramatic, emotional and melancholy overall.

Here’s some of my highlights:

• Hooray for the return of Maria Hill: It was so good to see Cobie Smulders back as Maria Hill as I believe she has so much more to give to the MCU and in this episode we got see a bit of that. Her introduction scene was great, the Man-Thing reference and the fact that she was talking to Pepper Potts on the phone was just delightful (again establishing that shared universe which makes the MCU so fun and engaging). Also I enjoyed not only her interactions with May but also with Coulson too. Those were some very heated and insightful conversations especially with Coulson being annoyed at her for leading Colonel Talbot and his team to the secret base.
• Skye and Ward, the Awkward Couple: Just seeing these two together is awkward. You can see that they’re lying to each other to the point where you’re just waiting for one or the other to crack. Obviously Skye eventually breaks her cover and let’s Ward know that she knows about his Hydra dealings.
• Fitz is Angry and in Denial: Man it seems like man can never catch a break. First he lost all hope when he came close to death a few episodes back, plus he’s had to deal with Triplett imposing in on Simmons and now he finds out that one of his own team mates is Hydra. Seeing him snap at Triplett was cool, he’s totally distressed, in shock and doesn’t wish to believe the truth. You can understand is anger and frustration, he’s all over the place and I loved seeing his aggressive and emotional breakdown.
• Deathlok’s Back: Yay, my Terminator friend is back and he’s totally badass. I love how menacing he is, I love how he blames Skye for his son’s protection being compromised and then that point when he shots that thing at Ward and potentially kills the guy is great. He won’t hurt Skye, but he’ll nearly kill Ward just to prove a point that she’s not a killer, oh and obviously to get the hard drive encryption code. Also it seems like Deathlok can also be funny, like that point when he tells Ward to fly the plane and Ward says he can’t, then Deathlok shock’s him, bringing up his heart rate and then gives him a tap on the face. That was so cheeky.
• The Infiltration of Providence: So it seems like the Providence base got a visit from Maria Hill and the special forces which was a another surprise. Adrian Pasdar returns as Colonel Talbot and he’s very bossy, rude and throws his weight around in a cool and villainous kind of way. I like how he just doesn’t give a crap about the team and wants to keep the world safe, but has a twisted kind of logic about how to get the task done.
• Coulson Talks About Tahiti… Wait, What?: So yeah the first time I saw this I was severely confused and even after watching the episode a second time I’m not quite sure hat that last end scene meant. So May found a video of Coulson talking about the Tahiti project and recommending that it be shut down because of bad side effects among other things. But I’m wondering, who is this guy? Is it Coulson before or after his memories got replaced? Is this a Coulson clone? I don’t even know what this means and that both excites and troubles me.

There are some other things I wanted to about like when May was climbing out of that grave at the cemetary and that dude saw her, that was funny. Also the way the episode ended before the secret ending was a nice, if somewhat melancholy one. With Maria Hill confirms that S.H.I.E.L.D. is no more and that there is nowhere else to hide, Coulson and his team have no base of operations, no proper home or protection or any official missile. They are just people, people with skills who are being hunted for their association with an organization that has now been destroyed from the inside.

What I Disliked

Firstly the way that Skye and Ward were acting around each other was a bit dodgy, I know that they were meant to be lying to each other but I swear the way their back and forth conversations were going, especially in the diner was just unbelievable. By that point in the real world one of them would have just said “Is there something you wanna tell me?” or “Okay let’s cut the crap”. Also I wasn’t keen on the way Adrian Pasdar has been treated, it’s too bad the dude along with the rest of his team get taken out so quickly.

Conclusion

In conclusion “Nothing Personal” is another good episode. This episode had a lot of great high points like the tension and deception between Ward and Skye, seeing Deathlok again and having Coulson and company discover the hidden agenda of Ward was delightful. While the episode didn’t blow me away, it was still a great episode and I am really curious to know what’s gonna happen in the season finale because there’s still so many unanswered questions.

Rating: 8/10 (Conflict and secrets being exposed makes for a good episode)

So what did you think of “Nothing Personal“? Whatever your thoughts drop them in the comments below and I’ll see ya again for episode 21! 😀

 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “The Only Light in the Darkness” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the interweb, time for my review of episode 19 of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. entitled “The Only Light in the Darkness“. AoS has been turning out some really good episode as of recent, does this episode continue to give us the good stuff? 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

In this episode Coulson selects a few members of his team to go out into the world to protect a woman from Marcus Daniels (Blackout), an escaped convict from The Fridge who has his eyes set on this woman from his and Coulson’s past.

What I Liked

What we got this week was another interesting episode with cool discoveries, character development and another dude with superpowers (which is always another welcome addition for me). While there’s not as much to talk about here as there was in the last episode, I’ll just do my episode highlights again below:

• Agent Koenig & The Lie Detector: I loved this part so much. Seeing Agent Koenig submit the team to a series of questions was not only insightful but hilarious too. We so many interesting and random facts like the fact that May was married once, Triplett is the grandson of a Howling Commando and Skye had a really horrible name at her orphanage. Also Fitz and Simmons can be complicated when it comes to answering basic questions. The questions about Project Insight and Alexander Pierce were really interesting and it was nice to see the show still referencing Captain America 2. The answers for the box on the deserted island were great: 1) May: Machete (badass), 2) I loved how Fitz said he wanted Simmons to be in the box haha, 3) Simmons: The Tardis (amazing answer, such a nerdy answer). And then of course the answers about why they are still around were great, Simmons is unsure, Fitz wants to keep the people he trusts around him, Triplett wants beat Hydra like his grandfather did, May’s answer was Coulson and Skye says that S.H.I.E.L.D. is the only home she’s had. Things however got really heated when Ward was in that seat and hell the dude almost got shot too, you could see that both Ward and Koenig were feeling the heat and the tension there was unbelievably high. Loved it.
• May Jumps Ship: Poor May, she’s still trying to get Coulson to trust her but it seems like Coulson isn’t having any of it, the tension between the two of them is on fire. And considering the way that she’s been treated, I’m not surprised that she decided that enough is enough, but I’m still gutted to see her go, she’s my favourite. I’m curious to know why she is going after Maria Hill now, that’ll be an interesting conversation. Also how cool is it that May’s mother knows about S.H.I.E.L.D., is retired and still has connections, that is badass.
• Ward Goes On The Hunt To Kill: So after Ward disposes of Agent Koenig and notices that Skye has left the room, he believes that his cover may be blown and then he walks down the hallways shouting for Skye. The way he walked and the ominous music in the background made him seem like a Terminator out to kill and it was cool as hell, I just wish he had done something badass.
• Skye and Ward Are Lying To Each Other: So it seems like Ward isn’t the only one who can lie about himself as Skye pretty much guessed Ward was working for Hydra when she found a dead Agent Koenig. So she composed herself and then tried to play Ward and get him to sleep with him, but then Ward’s saying that have to go meaning tha he’s on to her, but also is trying to complete his mission too. I just liked how some things have been discovered and yet neither character is willing to give up what they know.

What I Disliked

Now let’s talk about what I didn’t like. This is the first episode where I felt like I got nothing from the episode in the sense that, you good almost take this episode of the season and it wouldn’t matter. I mean sure Ward’s actions definitely need to be accounted for as well as May disappearance, but other than that nothing else in this episode really has any consequence in the grand scheme of things. I was also hoping to feel a deeper emotional pull towards Coulson because of his history with Audrey but the writers I guess just didn’t feel like going for that emotional depth I guess. And speaking of missing opportunities for emotional depth, that point when Simmons said that her and Fitz needed to talk, that was the PERFECT opportunity for him to tell her how he feels and he said nothing. Fool! But the main thing that bugged me was that my man Agent Eric Koenig was wasted in this episode by Ward already, WHAT THE HELL!?! Now I now since he was a guest star that his time wouldn’t be long but bloody hell, the dude was cool, best new character in ages and then he gets taken out just like that? It’s bullshit. I am severely saddened and gutted that the writers didn’t give him more to do, he had so much potential to be a cool recurring character. Dammit Ward!

Conclusion

In conclusion “The Only Light in the Darkness” is good episode and has a lot of interesting points like Ward’s double agent status almost getting compromised while hanging with Skye, Coulson’s history with the cellist lady and having May leave the team. That being said this was a fairy tame and lacklustre episode when compared to the last five, it just lacks an intriguing hook and satisfactory conclusion.

Rating: 7.5/10 (A good episode but nothing special)

So what did you think of “The Only Light in the Darkness“? Whatever your thoughts drop them in the comments below and I’ll see ya again for episode 20! 😀

 

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

Howdy ladies and gents of the interweb, time for my review of episode 18 of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. entitled “Providence“. So it seems like AoS struck gold last week with “Turn, Turn Turn” with most people really loving the episode and believing that AoS has finally becoming the show they wanted in the first place. So how has this week’s episode fared? 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

With Colonel Glenn Talbot now on their trail, Coulson and his team seek refuge in the last place anyone would look, where they begin to uncover S.H.I.E.L.D.’S most dangerous secrets — secrets that could destroy them all.

What I Liked

For me this was another solid episode, it picks up right where we left off before and weight of Hydra’s infiltration of SHIELD in the last episode can definitely be felt here as there are actions and consequences taken for both the good and bad guys. Trust seemed to be a key feature in this episode, it was really about knowing who is telling the truth or who is lying, knowing who to believe or who distrust and just having faith in general. I liked all of that stuff and then some.

Now let’s talk about my personal highlights:

• Coulson The Believer, Coulson The Crazy: Another episode, another time you feel for Coulson. This must be his most emotional episode yet. Even after Hydra has brought SHIELD to the ground he is still a firm believer in the organization that he worked for and you want to believe in him and hope that his instincts are correct, but with all the recent happenings it is hard to ignore how questionable he looks. It also doesn’t help when he finds coordinates on his S.H.I.E.L.D. badge that he believes to be Nick Fury even though he is assumed dead at this point. He still goes after this supposed rendezvous point anyway even when his team questions him. His strong belief that Fury is reaching out to him makes him look crazy and delusional especially when Melinda May and other members of the team question his actions. This leads to one very emotional speech when they get to their location in the middle of nowhere and Coulson proclaims that they are still agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and that it carries weight, seeing the anger and desperation in his eyes in painful and saddening, but amazing thanks to the acting of Clark Gregg. Thank god Coulson wasn’t wrong though lol.
• Fitz The Jealous One: Ah man poor Fitz, this guy has it bad. Last episode he almost got killed, now its back to him losing his friend to another man again. So here we have Fitz clearly aware of how much Simmons is attached to Triplett and clearly he’s annoyed, so he makes glares from the background and tries to contradict Triplett just to look cool in front of Simmons which is admirable but foolish. But the worst part for him is when in the woods he tells Simmons that he doesn’t want things to change between them and she says it’s too late for that, us audience members knows she’s referring to the new Hydra threat, but Fitz sees this more as the end of their potential relationship and the start of hers with Triplett. Our man is losing and you can’t help but feel for him. 😦
• Garrett and Ward, Partners in Crime: Man these two look like they’ve been teaming up and doing stuff like this for years, not surprising considering how long they’ve known each other. These two have a great repore with each other with some funny lines of dialogue and good screen chemistry. I love the way they operate, their infiltration of The Fridge was cool and even more impressive is when Ward has to go back to Skye and create a believable story, so Garrett beats Ward up to make it look like he was in a heavy fight. That scene was just brutal and just shows how far they are in sync, its mad, but smart at the same time.
• Grant Ward is SO Bad: Man this dude is dodgy. Ward is really playing up the fact that he is bad guy by busting Raina out of jail, hanging with Garrett, pretending to care for Skye and still pretending to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in general. This guy is so full of trickery. I liked both of his insightful conversations with Raina and Garrett, with Raina we discover that he got his former team’s trust by saving Simmons and sleeping with May and befriending Skye by being her superior officer. And with Garrett we find that he didn’t want Skye to be shot in the way that she did, but Garrett says that while he understands why Ward likes her, he says not to forget the mission and why he was doing it in the first place. We also learn that he’s been on the bad side since before joining Coulson’s team and that he really has been pretending the whole time, this makes Brett Dalton much cooler now.
• Raina’s Back: So we catch up with Raina who has been stuck in jail making paper flowers (which doesn’t make her look weird or crazy at all), but then she’s sprung out by Ward and meets the famous Clairvoyant only to find out that is Garrett, but also that he has no special powers. Naturally she’s confused, cheated and disappointed by the events that take place between her, Ward and Garrett, but when she’s told that she’s needed for the centipede project again with all the resources at hand, she seems to fall right back into play again. I did miss this character and her odd yet calm demeanour and the fact that she may be able to solve the mystery behind Coulson’s death with all the samples that Garrett stole intrigues me.
• The Return of Ian Quinn and the Gravitonium: Ah Ian Quinn, how I missed you. So after being busted out of jail, Quinn has no kind words for Garrett, rightfully so considering all the crap that Garrett did to him. But then when Garrett presents Quinn with the Gravitonium you can see that the dude is pleased. And rightfully so, when Grant and Ward found that special something at the bottom level of the Fridge I prayed that it was the Gravitonium and thank god it’s returned. Its been ages since it was last seen and if its come back into play now then there must be plans for it, I just wonder if that doctor is still in there.

Other things I observed was the inclusion Patton Oswalt and Adrian Pasdar was great as Agent Eric Koenig and US Air Force Colonel Glenn Talbot (especially Oswalt he was hilarious). Koenig also let’s Coulson know that Fury is still alive and that only he can know about it (outside of Captain America, Maria Hill, Black Widow and Falcon). Agent Triplett is definitely sowing up a bit more and making himself known among the group, even if Fitz doesn’t like him and we also learn that Coulson plays Call of Duty, damn he just gets cooler al the time. And silly little Skye has her school girl crush on Ward, not knowing that she finding information to the enemy and that he’s just faking emotions! At least I hope he is and there’s no redemption for him.

What I Disliked

There wasn’t much I disliked this time around, I guess the only thing I would have wanted was more Gravitonium. 😛

Conclusion

In conclusion “Providence” is another good episode. It puts the Hydra threat at the forefront and shows Garrett and Ward making movements and assembling their big guns by grabbing key characters and items from previous episodes. On top of that we ee that even though Coulson and his team aren’t necessarily an official organization anymore, they are still a team and still believe that there is hope.

Rating: 8.5/10

So what did you think of “Providence“? Whatever your thoughts drop them in the comments below and I’ll see ya again for episode 19! 😀