ABC Tuesdays @ 8pm ET
Clark Gregg reprises his role of Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel’s feature films, as he assembles a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary.
Without a doubt, the most highly-anticipated new television show this fall season was ABC's "Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.", the small-screen spinoff of last summer's über-blockbuster "The Avengers". Instead of continuing the story of Iron Man, Thor and the other superheroes, "S.H.I.E.L.D." focuses on the very human heroes in the black suits who are seen lurking around the edges of Marvel's cinematic universe. Here the Strategic Homeland, Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division is moved front and center, as they investigate and pursue super-powered threats. The show was created by Joss Whedon, the writer/director of "The Avengers" and the creator of such cult classic TV shows as "Buffy The Vampire Slayer", "Firefly", and "Dollhouse".
Whether you're a diehard comic book nerd, a casual fan of the "Avengers" franchise, a member of the cult of Whedon, or just looking for a new action show to follow, chances are you've heard of "S.H.I.E.L.D." But does the show live up to the immense hype?
Unfortunately, the answer -- in the pilot at least -- is not quite. But this is through almost no fault of the show itself. First of all, it's almost always impossible to live up to sky-high expectations. Secondly, when you take a franchise famous for its mega-budget, visual excess, and huge star power and shrink it down to TV-size, it's inevitably going to take a period of adjustment before it stops feeling underwhelming. And finally, the first episode of a new show typically has to cram so much information into one hour that it often comes across as rushed and messy. This is true of all pilots -- most shows don't really find their footing for two or three episodes.
"S.H.I.E.L.D." is led by fan-favorite Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson, who is seemingly back from the dead after being killed by Loki in "The Avengers". The mystery of his resurrection will likely be one of the underlying threads of the first season. The rest of the team is rounded out by fresh-faced youths, each with a specialty that makes them unique to the team. Brett Dalton ("Killing Lincoln") is Grant Ward, suave super-spy and Coulson's number-two. Chloe Bennet ("Nashville") plays Skye, a hacker who starts out anti-S.H.I.E.L.D. but is quickly recruited to join their team. Ming-Na Wen ("ER") is Melinda May, ace pilot and martial arts expert who is brought out of self-imposed exile in administrative work to reenter the field. Iain de Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge, both relative newcomers from across the pond, play Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons, a fast-talking pair of researchers (he, engineering; her, biochem) referred to jointly as Fitz-Simmons.
Dalton and Bennet are featured the most heavily in this first episode. Dalton proves himself to be completely capable in the role, if also fairly unremarkable. He's the straight man in a sea of more interesting characters, and will have to work that much harder to make his character unique. Bennet fares better -- her Skye is so far the most well-rounded character, and she portrays the intelligent hacker with ease and a surprising sense of comedic timing. Fitz-Simmons are together the most under-developed characters in the pilot, their defining character traits so far being "funny accents."
The plot of the pilot revolves around the investigation of a man infected with the Extremis virus, which you may remember from this summer's "Iron Man 3". Centering the first episode around a familiar term from the Marvel universe is a clever way to get fans of "The Avengers" invested in the show. So far it seems like the show will play out in a fairly procedural format, with the team investigating a new threat every week while also delving into the backstories of the agents. It remains to be seen how regularly tie-ins to the events of the Marvel films or cameos from actors in the franchise will occur throughout the series.
The pilot of "S.H.I.E.L.D." is admittedly a bit of an underwhelming mess, but the main thing it shows is potential. As the series moves out of its first episode and gains room to breathe, hopefully it will grow into a smart, captivating show about a team of uniquely quirky people working together to stop threats with mysterious powers. Sound familiar? It's a format Whedon has nailed before, in pretty much every project he's ever worked on, and there's no reason to believe he can't succeed at it again here.
What did you think of "Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D."? Super-awesome or super-lame? Share your thoughts by tweeting us @StageBuddy!
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3T-evQZiQo[/youtube]
