Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [US] ** Spoilers **

pixelburp

Average-Ro wrote: »

I would have loved to have a hunt after the alien dog next week, but I never thought it would be feasible considering how much the cgi would cost to put that alien on screen.

Plenty of shows have had the occasional all-CGI monsters roaming about, and considering Agents... is being bankrolled by Marvel and ABC, I'm not convinced they couldn't find some money down a sofa somewhere. I'm actually not sure I could be bothered watching about alien-tech storyline after this week's flaccid episode.

Greyjoy

pixelburp wrote: »

I think maybe the question of her being a double-agent was killed off too soon. At least then the mystery was a more tangible, immediate one that had potential for conflict. Agents of chaos can work well; instead she just mopes and complains about the system she's willingly participating in.

Plus her complaints that people don't trust her anymore after she revealed she was a double agent are really grating. It's as if she thinks an apology and a hug are all that's needed to settle the issue. I thought the storyline of her being a double agent would be developed over the course of the season with the finale episode forcing her to choose a side. Instead it feels like the writers just want to rush past that plot point and have the audience forget about it.

Patty O Furniture

This ep almost felt like Spies Like Us with FitzSimmons on opposite roles & looks like Skye's mother was a Shield agent? as she couldnt find out more info herself on a redacted file, where have i heard that before

At the moment Skye is intriguing yet annoying at the same time, but more to come? the next ep is the Thor crossover to see what thats like.

flazio

Did anyone else think during that scene where Coulson pours his heart out to Mae as she's Tai Chiing or whatever that was, that it wasn't Coulson? That somehow SkyeSimmons had managed to make an(other?) clone of Coulson to ask Mae about the mission?

AlmightyCushion

flazio wrote: »

Did anyone else think during that scene where Coulson pours his heart out to Mae as she's Tai Chiing or whatever that was, that it wasn't Coulson? That somehow SkyeSimmons had managed to make an(other?) clone of Coulson to ask Mae about the mission?

I really hope that isn't the case.

Bacchus

Hope that this might turn into something worth watching are quickly diminishing. There is potential but with every episode it seems the makers are determined to keep this a kids show masquerading as a prime time show. The show isn't growing at all. Every week, it's same pattern, just mix up the character pairings.

Oddly enough, it's the two scientists that I feel most invested in. Coulson exists just to wave the flag and make deadpan comments. The two agents are cardboard cutouts of themselves and Skye is becoming irritating and I can't justify why she is still part of the team, especially when Coulson seems pissed at her half the time. This line of "working off the book" is a lame reason why she's there. Also, I hate when "hackers" on TV shows are portrayed as being able to do anything on systems they've never seen before INSTANTLY! I know this show isn't aiming for reality but it's starting to feel like "oh, unstoppable/impenetrable/encrypted object in our way! Skye! Hack into it and save the day, thereby justifying your presence in the team".

I think the worst offender of all though in the show is the music. That swelling, heroic theme that it used throughout. Ugh, it's so cheap and cheesy.

I'll probably give it another episode or two (the tie in to Thor has me intrigued) but it's on it's last legs. Never a good sign when you start browsing idly through boards.ie while watching an episode.

Antar Bolaeisk

Was the Thor tie-in a big spoiler for the film?

Bacchus

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

Was the Thor tie-in a big spoiler for the film?

I think that's the next episode.... and by the looks of the promo it doesn't look like a big spoiler, just a "alien weapon fallen into the wrong hands"

flazio

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

I really hope that isn't the case.

It's clear as the episode panned out that it wasn't. It's just in the editing that one second we had Skye saying she knows just how to get the information, and the very next scene we see Coulson approaching Mae and seemed to be looking for information. I thought it seemed out of character for Coulson and thought perhaps that somehow those were Skye and Simmons' words coming out of his mouth.

Kirby

Clearly they came to Ireland so our Leprechauns could do battle with the Asgardians.

P_1

Nice use of stock footage from the Love Ulster fun and games to simulate the rioting in Oslo

:P

GottaGetGatt

Liking Coulson,tbh it's the only thing keeping me watching it.
Never saw this clip below before.He's class

AlmightyCushion

Does anyone else think Fitz looks like Eoin McLove? He sometimes even talks and acts like him.

Patty O Furniture

Kirby wrote: »

Clearly they came to Ireland so our Leprechauns could do battle with the Asgardians.

Well Thor does know a few people in Belfast if you include Kenneth Branagh :P

I enjoyed that ep & it seems that a few new pairings may make their way thru with Ward & Simmons? Skye wants to jump Ward while all it took was a bottle from Mae, although they have some spent energy to work off & Mae is getting more mysterious by the ep.

Btw was that directed by the same Jonathan Frakes from Star trek TNG?

Kirby

Patty O Furniture wrote: »

Btw was that directed by the same Jonathan Frakes from Star trek TNG?

Yup, same guy. He has directed a ton of stuff since his days as number one. :P

Although, he has been ruined for me by this. The mind boggles :P

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN6mp5hVSSc

pixelburp

Ha, Thor 2 follow-up my backside; man if I was in any way invested in the Marvel franchise I'd feel a bit ripped off. The 'tie-in' was tangential at best, consisting of a cold opening set in the aftermath of the Thor 2 finale in London that was soon dispensed with. What came after was yet another 'alien artifact is discovered and causes problems' plot-line. Yes this time the artifact is Asgardian, but as if that made a difference? Considering Thor 2 ends with a big alien beastie roaming the streets of London, you'd think that was an obvious case for SHIELD to deal with. It could have been a great chance to change the pace a little, introducing some natural stakes & excitement in proceedings, while showing Marvel had the resources to put the properly cinematic on our TV screens. Ha, as if; this show really has no intention of even trying for the low-hanging fruit.

Honestly, I'm wavering at this stage. I know the first season of many shows traditionally comes with growing pains as they try to figure out their voice and tone, but Agents... has so far failed to raise itself beyond this stuttering level of bland it occupies. It started out being terrible, now it's just boring. Poor characterisation, no decent antagonists, no decent plots, frequently terrible dialogue and an apparent refusal to associate itself with the broader Marvel world bar endless name-dropping of the film characters. I get it Coulson, you were stabbed. Thanks to you, so has the audience. Repeatedly. With your endless, endless reminders.

It looks like there are two more episode 'til the Christmas break and unless it comes up with the goods by then, I'm out. There are plenty of enjoyably mediocre shows out there that are more deserving of my time than this ambitionless drekk. It's at times like this I find it a pity Richard Dower isn't around anymore; I'd be curious to know how US audiences are reacting to this show.

Bacchus

pixelburp wrote: »

It's at times like this I find it a pity Richard Dower isn't around anymore; I'd be curious to know how US audiences are reacting to this show.

Some quick Googling and it looks like the show has dropped from 12.12 million viewers in the pilot to 6.85 million. They've lost nearly half their viewers and the last episode only spiked up a bit because of the Thor tie-in. Wow, they really need to get their act together, this is going down the pan quickly.

I'm out anyway, I hoped the Thor tie-in might spruce things up a bit but it doesn't sound that way. I'll keep an eye to see if the reviews improve over the rest of the season but, as pixelburp said, it's just plain boring to watch.

AbusesToilets

Any of you notice this in the scenes of rioting in Oslo?

Squaredude

AbusesToilets wrote: »

Any of you notice this in the scenes of rioting in Oslo?

Oslo,also known as the Dublin of Norway!

SarahBM

the big Irish Harp on the Parnell Monument might twig with some people. I havent got round to watching the latest ep yet. Im in no rush though, going by what everyone is saying.

P_1

Aye they used clips of Nassau Street and Parnell Square during Love Ulster, probably cheaper to do that than create a riot scene using CGI

SarahBM

P_1 wrote: »

Aye they used clips of Nassau Street and Parnell Square during Love Ulster, probably cheaper to do that than create a riot scene using CGI

You would think what with all the CGI tech at their disposal, they could have "photoshopped" out the Harp at least! LOL

P_1

SarahBM wrote: »

You would think what with all the CGI tech at their disposal, they could have "photoshopped" out the Harp at least! LOL

Probably but really it'd only be a couple of viewers in Ireland who would probably have twigged it, not worth the effort I'd say

Nervous Wreck

So the reference to

Dollhouse

pretty much confirms FutureEpisode

that Coulson is an LMD

. Not sure how I feel about that but amazing way to foreshadow it!

SarahBM

I think I must be an episode behind or something.

the last ep I saw was about the team going to the HUB and fitz and ward being sent on a mission with no extraction.

I am watching on Channel four.

its not great like but Im still watching.

humanji

SarahBM wrote: »

I think I must be an episode behind or something.

the last ep I saw was about the team going to the HUB and fitz and ward being sent on a mission with no extraction.

I am watching on Channel four.

its not great like but Im still watching.

Yeah, you're on the UK time. The latest episode is shown on Tuesday in the US and Friday in the UK (and Sunday in Ireland).

Mickeroo

Looks like the only direct tie in with Thor is

the first 2 minutes, now it's just reverted back to people messing around with alien tech and the team going after them. Bit of a let down. Really hoped they would have been going after the monster that was shown after the credits in Thor.

pixelburp

Mickeroo wrote: »

Looks like the only direct tie in with Thor is

the first 2 minutes, now it's just reverted back to people messing around with alien tech and the team going after them. Bit of a let down. Really hoped they would have been going after the monster that was shown after the credits in Thor.

I think in the cold light of day there's a massive creative stranglehold taking place with this show, stemming from the two major components producing it. NBC and Marvel can hardly be accused of being the greatest creative forces going, and with the latter displaying a rigged and almost myopic approach to their franchises in the cinema, it can't come as a huge surprise that a TV spin-off has been as bland and uninspired as Agents... turned out to be. Its aversion to risk is so strong it won't even overlap with its own mythology such as the Thor 2 link-up - that takes some doing!

It's so average and cliché I can't summon any strong emotion to hate on it; at least with patently ludicrous / dreadful shows they can sometimes be entertaining in their own way (eg, I believe Sleepy Hollow is daft as a brush but still enjoyable), but Agents... hasn't a single distinctive voice or tone to call its own.

Onthe3rdDay

pixelburp wrote: »

It's so average and cliché I can't summon any strong emotion to hate on it; at least with patently ludicrous / dreadful shows they can sometimes be entertaining in their own way (eg, I believe Sleepy Hollow is daft as a brush but still enjoyable), but Agents... hasn't a single distinctive voice or tone to call its own.

But isn't that the worst thing of all for any Television Programme to become. A show that just doesn't matter one way or another. It's bad news when people can even be bothered to say what they don't like about it. One friend of mine who's really into this world just doesn't seem to care. It's not that he hates it, it's just none of the new lot matter. They're just pretty faces.

Mickeroo

pixelburp wrote: »

I think in the cold light of day there's a massive creative stranglehold taking place with this show, stemming from the two major components producing it. NBC and Marvel can hardly be accused of being the greatest creative forces going, and with the latter displaying a rigged and almost myopic approach to their franchises in the cinema, it can't come as a huge surprise that a TV spin-off has been as bland and uninspired as Agents... turned out to be. Its aversion to risk is so strong it won't even overlap with its own mythology such as the Thor 2 link-up - that takes some doing!

It's so average and cliché I can't summon any strong emotion to hate on it; at least with patently ludicrous / dreadful shows they can sometimes be entertaining in their own way (eg, I believe Sleepy Hollow is daft as a brush but still enjoyable), but Agents... hasn't a single distinctive voice or tone to call its own.

Onthe3rdDay wrote: »

But isn't that the worst thing of all for any Television Programme to become. A show that just doesn't matter one way or another. It's bad news when people can even be bothered to say what they don't like about it. One friend of mine who's really into this world just doesn't seem to care. It's not that he hates it, it's just none of the new lot matter. They're just pretty faces.

I've actually found it hard to sit through many of the episodes. I missed an episode in the last few weeks and I feel no need to seek it out to catch up or anything. I find myself looking at my phone through a lot of it.

Even though this one was a major let down I will say it was probably the strongest episode of the series so far, yet it was still pretty bland overall.

Really is a shame though, there's a rich world of characters for them to draw on and they give us this. I do like Clark Gregg

(who must certainly be an LMD at this stage)

but his character alone won't rescue the show. There's so many lesser known characters in marvel comic books that could have been used in this show, even if only for an episode or two.

Really hope the properties given to Netflix get a bit more freedom in their production. I would hope since they're generally darker characters or not as well known as Iron Man & Co. that that will give them a license to be a bit more creative with them.