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TV Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ep. 13 – T.R.A.C.K.S.

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Agents_of_SHIELD_logoIn a rather over the top situation, the team heads to a train to track down the Clairvoyant where the mission goes completely off the rail splitting them up. Marvel has promised a game changing episode with a third act that’ll change the series. That’s a pretty bold claim.

Overall, the episode is an improvement, continuing the second half of the season that is much improved from the lackluster first half. The action is constant and the episode mixes that action with humor quite well.

Overall, the episode also continues the series finally piecing together the various threads of the series. The second half of the season has moved away from the “monster of the week” for the most part instead creating an ongoing narrative of the team’s pursuit of the Clairvoyant and his/her organization.

There was some actual damage done in this episode. The series finally gives us some real consequences. That, the action, the acting, the plot, it’s all improved here. That episode ends too with the confirmation (though it’s been confirmed in interviews) of fan favorite character Deathlok.

Overall, the episode is an improvement. If we had an entire season like this one episode, things would be solid. Crossing my fingers we’ll see more episodes like this. I wouldn’t call it a bold change, but it was a serious improvement.

Writer: Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Brent Fletcher
Overall Score: 7.75

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TV Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ep. 12 – Seeds

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Agents_of_SHIELD_logoWhile investigating a problem at S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy, Coulson and Melinda turn up unexpected information about Skye’s parents.

The team splits with the majority heading to S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy where someone’s been freezing individuals and things. It’s a cool special effect showing off the higher production values we’ve so far seen in the second half of the season. Meanwhile, Coulson is pissed. Joined by Melinda he’s angry about the revelation that his memories have been tampered with.

Coulson and Melinda do turn up some info on Skye after running into the agent that dropped her off at an orphanage. We learn what happened to her mother as well as a S.H.I.E.L.D. team. Coulson debates for much of the rest of the episode as to whether or not he should tell her, eventually deciding manipulating her isn’t what he wants to do.

Meanwhile, the two individuals behind the problems at the academy are on their run with their weather machine which after being turned on creates a massive storm. One of those two individuals is Donnie Gill who comic fans might know as Blizzard, the classic Iron Man bad guy. Of course they capture him, but don’t really say what happened to the storm, kind of a big thing to ignore.

The end of the episode is a chat between Coulson and Melinda about Skye’s revelation as well as something Melinda told Coulson too. We also get Skye’s reaction to the news. There’s also a nice teaser, where it seems like we get a new bad guy to the Marvel cinematic universe.

Overall, the episode was pretty good. Not as solid as good as last week, but overall not bad. If the beginning of the season was at this level I wouldn’t have been as down on it. The introduction of a new villain is cool and the revelations flow nicely. It definitely seems like the second half of the season has taken a lot of lessons from the first and amped up the production values and storytelling in general.

Writer: Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Brent Fletcher
Overall Score: 7.75

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TV Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ep. 11 – The Magical Place

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Agents_of_SHIELD_logoWith the fall break over, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is back picking up right where the mid-season finale left off. S.H.I.E.L.D. is searching for the missing Coulson and now a new person is in charge, Victoria Hand (yes that one from the comics). The tone of the team is shifted and the team expanded with numerous faceless S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

From that hive of activity we switch to Coulson who is still in the clutches of Centipede as they attempt to figure out how he was brought back to life.

Skye has been booted from the team because she doesn’t fit Hand’s plan. So she’s off playing rogue agent trying to find Coulson. The rest of the team work on a captured Centipede operative to see if he’ll spill anything. Everyone does their thing tracking down Coulson while Centipede talks him into finding out how he was brought back to life, which is great because we finally start to get details as to what’s up with that.

And we kind of do! Clearly Coulson’s return was against his wishes as we get glimpses of what he went through to be brought back. And then further details as the show wrapped up. There’s resolution of one plot point at least and it’s actually somewhat satisfying. Though the “how” isn’t given a thorough explanation the why and some details are!

Overall, the best episode of the show so far I think with pretty good acting, lots of action and a plot that moved. There’s still group dynamics, but not 10 minutes dedicated to it. The tone was much darker with some pretty gruesome special effects. It looks like Marvel is keeping up their promise of ramping up the action and learning from the first half of the season.

Here’s hoping the rest of the season is this good.

Director: Kevin Hooks
Writer: Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Brent Fletcher
Overall Score: 8.75

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TV Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ep. 10 – The Bridge

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Agents_of_SHIELD_logoStorylines and plot points are finally moving along as Mike Petersen makes a return. We haven’t seen him since the pilot episode where he was taken down by the S.H.I.E.L.D. team. Now, he’s a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, working on his super powers which are now somewhat under control. Agent Coulson recruits him to finally take on the mysterious Centipede, who we finally figure out what they want, and it’s not what you expect.

The episode is pretty action packed with quieter scenes mixed in between the action. There’s also quite a few references to the greater Marvel Universe showing continuing a slow move to make the television show fit in more with the cinematic universe.

And that’s what this episode does, gives us more of a cinematic feel to the show. It ends on a cliffhanger, it brings together some plot points that have been thrown out like crumbs, it isn’t a one and done episode. We’ve been told to expect more of this in the second half of the season.

While the episode wasn’t perfect, it was an improvement from the “monster of the week” of previous episodes. Here’s hoping the second half of this season sees more of this when the series returns in January and doesn’t backslide.

Director: Holly Dale
Writer: Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Brent Fletcher
Overall Score: 6

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TV Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ep. 9 – Repairs

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Agents_of_SHIELD_logoRemember how stuff would randomly move around when Magneto got angry in the X-Men movies? Yeah, that’s how the beginning of this episode starts with a young woman exhibiting powers, which leads to the S.H.I.E.L.D. team to swoop in and contain the situation.

After lots of chatter and some scientific debate, it turns out, the captured individual wasn’t as responsible as everyone thinks. The real culprit sabotages the plane, cutting power, for the second time in the nine episodes. With the plane grounded, the team must fight a villain caught between two dimensions.

And that’s part of my issue with the episode. I can overlook the utter stupidity of the team who were taken down with ease, it’s the lack of really delving into the multi-dimension aspect of the villain. Just give us comic geeks a glimpse of what world the bad guy is dipping in to. It was simple fan service that was overlooked.

The show wrapped up in a rather ho-hum way. It was an attempt to show Agent May can be a kick-ass fighter as well as a level-headed person with a heart as well. Overall, the episode shows the unevenness of a show that’s struggling to find its voice and stand out from the crowd.

Director: Bill Gierhart
Writer: Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Brent Fletcher
Overall Score: 6

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TV Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ep. 8 – The Well

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Agents_of_SHIELD_logoIn the aftermath of the events chronicled in the feature film Thor: The Dark World, Coulson and The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. pick up the pieces — one of which threatens to destroy a member of the team.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the eighth episode of the series we get a bit more of what the series should be as it ties in directly to the latest hit Marvel movie, Thor: The Dark World. With a piece of Asgardian technology on Earth, there’s a mission to retrieve it from a bunch of rabble rousers and at the same time a lot of discussion as to what exactly Thor and his people are. It’s laid out simply, they’re aliens and primitive man didn’t know any better, so they called them gods.

We also get a bit more insight into Ward’s character and a hint at the trauma behind him. Through flashbacks we see some vents in his childhood that clearly had influence on the character today. It’s a nice way to give characters depth and move the story forward. And with that there’s also hints there’s a lot Melinda May, played by actress Ming-Na Wen, has more going on for the rather quiet character.

As a whole, this is one of the better episodes of the series tying into the Marvel movie universe much more closely and working with more of Marvel’s tools, instead of sticking to a new monster of the week episode. While it doesn’t dive too deep into the mythology of Thor’s world (the weapon and a character aren’t familiar to me), it felt a lot more tied in and done so organically.

This is a good example of what we should be seeing more of, an entertaining episode that does a lot to fill in the world and characters.

Director: Jonathan Frakes Writer: Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Brent Fletcher
Overall Score: 7

TV Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ep. 7 – The Hub

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Agents_of_SHIELD_logoMarvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. n the seventh episode has gotten a little better, mostly because it moves away from the mystery of the week formula and instead delves deeper into the organization that is S.H.I.E.L.D. and the team’s role within it.

The episode is pretty basic in that a terrorist organization has stolen a S.H.I.E.L.D. weapon and plans on using it to declare their independence. To stop them, Ward and Fitz are sent in to destroy the weapon in a mission that’s level 8, though the team is level 7. The episode focuses on that distinction and the level of secrecy within the organization as team members deal with that differently.

It’s something that’s worth exploring and the episode bounces back from a poor showing last week to give us something that’s much more interesting. The series has set up that Coulson’s team is a bunch of mavericks and the episode pushes that narrative further.

There’s also some movement in a greater storyline as Skye’s history is brought up towards the end and Coulson explore’s his miraculous return from death. That’s the strongest thing going right now in the series that’s been uneven at best and a disappointment at worst.

Hopefully we’ll see more of this direction in the future as the series continues to find its footing.

Director: Bobby Roth Writer: Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Brent Fletcher
Overall Score: 5.25

TV Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ep. 6 – FZZT

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Agents_of_SHIELD_logoMarvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has fallen into a general pattern. The show starts off with a mystery worthy of Buffy or some other show we’d see on the CW. Then it goes into some action sequence and then some elaborate ending that doesn’t always make sense or there’s a macguffin to fix things. Then there’s the monster of the week issue. We’ve gotten hints to expect a long term narrative, but other than the main characters, that hasn’t played out a whole bunch at all. It’s rather repetitive. Watch, rinse, repeat.

This episode spins out of The Avengers, with a piece of alien technology taken by some firemen spreading a disease, which then leads the team to transfer and cure the disease. Of course they solve the puzzle, but drama and action ensues, it all wraps up neatly. Through it all Agent Coulson continues to ponder his death and resurrection, while Agent May toys with us viewers, this week playing along with Coulson and ensuring him he did indeed die and came back. It’s all rather tiresome already 6 episodes in.

There’s a lot that’s good here, and the show is so close to getting it right. There’s an Alias vibe, there’s a Buffy vibe, and mix in Marvel’s properties, this should be gold. But, it’s not. Something isn’t firing right, and the series as a whole hasn’t quite been a failure, but it’s not the juggernaut it should be and that other comic turned television show is. Overall, it seems Marvel needs to circle back and reassess.

The easiest fix is the stick with the current format, but tie in a longer narrative, and give us some truly bad guys, instead of this X-Files with comic book characters. A Skrull invasion (Secret Invasion anyone?) or Hydra is perfect for a nemesis. Add in more for the comic fans for them to get excited about. Overall, the show is playing too hard for the masses instead of the comic fans who will bring in the masses. It’s worked for others, it can work here. But, instead, the show feels safe, and for that, it misses its mark.

Director: Vincent Misiano Writer: Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Brent Fletcher
Overall Score: 5.25

TV Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ep. 5 – Girl in the Flower Dress

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Agents_of_SHIELD_logoThe fifth episode of the series starts off introducing us to a new individual with a super power. That individual runs into trouble which calls in S.H.I.E.L.D. It seems this individual was on their radar and they think they have a mole whose leaking information to Rising Tide. All eyes turn towards Skye who maintains her innocence and wants the chance to prove her innocence.

This abducted individual is made an offer to enhance his power, with his abductor using the story of Steve Rogers as an enticement. Once again, it’s nice to see the show tie into the movies and not doing so in an over the top way, instead a mention of a character or event is dropped. It creates a unified world without being over the top. The bad guy behind the abduction is named Raina, a Marvel character, but since she’s a part of the Saurid race, and this woman is African-American, I don’t think there’s much of a connection, though could be very cool if she actually does.

Once again, the team goes on a mission, leading to an individual who will lead them to what they want. Turns out he and Skye have a history and she’s been in contact with him. Is she really a traitor? Now it’s not so clear.

The abducted individual now called Scorch gets juiced up with Extremis juicing up his powers and driving him a little crazy. Again, it’s nice to see Extremis used, but really, how much of this stuff is going around? They fight, stop the bad guy with bad acting and so-so action.

It all ends with a heart to heart between Coulson and Skye where she makes a choice as to where she stands. It adds a bit of layers to the show, but continues to sub-par acting. Followed by a discussion between some bad guys setting up a long term nemesis for S.H.I.E.L.D. We’re finally getting the start of a long term multi-episode story that Whedon does well with.

The show had its moments, with some ok action, some ok humor, but overall, much like the series itself it had way more potential than payoff. Five episodes in it still struggles to find it’s own voice and really stand out from the movies it spun out from.

Director: Jesse Bochco Writer: Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Brent Fletcher
Overall Score: 5.25

TV Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ep. 4 – Eye-Spy

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Agents_of_SHIELD_logoThe episode starts off with some rather oddness with men in red masks walking around, but the focus is really a former agent turned rogue who is now robbing places for diamonds. We learn that the thief is actually a former protegé of Agent Coulson who takes it as his task to track her down, as there’s more than meets the eye.

They track her down and head out to capture her and sit around, a bunch. The first 20 something minutes of the show is this team looking for their target or discussing about finding their target, it’s rather boring. Turns out, she’s being controlled…. by someone. So that made it somewhat interesting.

The good is the show continues to flesh out a bit of the history. That’s often done with throw away lines though, so it’s hits here and there and could be so much more for comic fans. Tonight’s episode for instance could have referenced the Red Room from the comic books, which would also play into the next Captain America movie really well. Maybe this is the plan, but who knows, we didn’t get many answers in the episode.

There’s a lot of bad though. The show again slipped into the worst of what we’ve seen from previous episodes. The action was meh, until the final 15 minutes or so. The acting was laughable, with almost robotic performances. I think we’re starting to see the opposite of the Star Trek rule with odd number episodes being good and even ones rather poor.

The episode got better as it went along, but overall the show has a long way to go.

Director: Roxann Dawson Writer: Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen
Overall Score: 5.5

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