Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D: How it is Shaping Up?

Now that MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D is two weeks in Patrick has decided to look at how it’s shaping up.

Now that Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D has started I’ve decided to look at how it’s shaping up based on my previous article about what I wanted to see from it.

Characters

Although it’s only too weeks in we can see how the characters are shaping up. Coulson is the leader, Agent Ward is the headstrong young agent, Fitz and Simmons are the plucky two scientists with little or no field experience, Melinda May is the quiet, tough veteran of the group and Skye is the resourceful yet mysterious outsider who has been asked to join the group.

Skye: Mysterious

At the moment we haven’t seen a lot of the characteristics of the character but we have seen enough to know that each member has a unique place in the team and they each have their worth. Skye and Agent Ward seem to the focal point so far. There is a definite tension between them. There is also a sexual tension between them and guessing by the Skye side of the story line, if a relationship develops between them it’s Ward who is going to feel betrayed.

So far I would say that I like all the characters but none of them has stuck out for me yet. Skye has been given the most in the first two episodes and her character is intriguing. At the moment we know she is part of a movement called Rising Tide which is trying to stop S.H.I.E.L.D from doing what they do. She is a computer anarchist really and as Agent Ward explained to her in the episode 2 the reality of the situation is actually more complicated than she may think.

Ward, Fitz and Simmons are good characters but as it’s only two episodes in there hasn’t been too much focus on any of those characters. The only trait we can say for certain is that Ward, while capable, leaps before he looks. This is good in some ways but his headstrong nature means that he could become annoying if it continues too long. Still there is plenty of time to see the whole team in action and I know that in a few weeks I’ll probably have a favourite character or characters.

Humour

Ward: Too Serious?

To be honest humour has been in place but in a way it’s not very prevalent at the moment. In the pilot had one funny incident with Agent Ward and some nice banter between Coulson and Maria Hill but after that there was little in the way of humour. There were some funny points in the 2^nd episode as well but again it wasn’t a major feature. Considering Whedon is known for his sense of wit and humour I’m slightly disappointed in it. Having seen the first two seasons of Buffy recently I would consider one of its best features is the level of humour. I know this is a different show, but it’s based on a comic book. I’m afraid that it will take itself too seriously. The tone of the show is like the MCU but it seems very serious. When I watch something on television I want to have fun and laughing is a part of that. I hope this is stepped up and that we see something different, after all Avengers and Iron Man are the most successful in the MCU and that is due to, in a small part, to the humour.

Story Arc and The Superhero element

The show has struck the right balance so far.

It’s only two episodes in so it’s hard to see any major arcs developing at the moment. Seeds of story arcs have been planted with Skye’s past and involvement in the Rising Tide movement. This is bubbling under the surface and the end of episode two seems to bare this out as being one of the major arcs in the series. Coulson’s story is also one of the mysteries of the series. “He must never know” how he came back. This is obviously going to be a big reveal during the season. At the moment it’s nice to see that the season is going somewhere but we don’t need to be too concerned of it at the moment but we can keep it in mind for the season

I think the writers have handled the superhero aspect well at the moment. It’s good to see that the team have a function outside just dealing with heroes and that has been evident in episode two. From the evidence so far it seems that whatever fears I may have had about this, the writers will find a happy balance and that is something that will make me happy anyway.

Link to the MCU

Links to the MCU have been subtle

This has been done really well so far and has been done in the way I hoped they would too. The references are small, infrequent but they are there all the same. I’m not going to mention all of them as I’m sure there are people who haven’t seen the episodes yet and I don’t want to spoil anything. One thing I did like was the cameo at the end of episode two.

This has really given me hope for the rest of the series and makes me believe that there will be more of these links to the MCU. It also allows the fans to see the wider connection to Marvel universe and keep the excitement at fever pitch when the movies are coming out.

Toy Avengers, ASSEMBLE!

To be honest I’m excited by where the series is going and where it can go. Some of the points I touched on before the series have been addressed and in the way I hoped too.  It’s early doors yet but I am hopeful and enjoying the series at the moment. Anyone who likes Marvel’s Movie Universe I think this series is for them. They won’t be disappointed.