SHIELD: Yes Men

See, this is what I was always hoping for from an episode of SHIELD. We've got minor characters from the cinematic universe who get to have expanded plots on the TV show. We've got clever foreshadowing of things to come, both in the show and in future movies. We've got humor and depth and shifting alliances. And we've got a bunch of awesome ladies kicking ass and taking names.

 I loved that this episode brought the Lady Sif in and turned it's eyes back to what's going on in Asgard. There are fun hints at where the next movie might be heading, especially with Loki pretending to be Odin wanting Lorelai alive. I wonder if she'll have a big role in the next film. I wonder what Loki is up to. I wonder how mad Sif will be at herself for not letting Lorelai goad her into murder.

But beyond all that speculation, this was a fun adventure, too. It was nice to see Melinda go up against some Asgardians and hold her own. It was heartbreaking to see her flat-out reject Ward after everything was said and done. And it's intriguing to know that she's been spying on Coulson all along. I'm so glad her character is finally being given so much to do, and it looks like there will be even more in the future.

I don't really have a lot to say. This episode was just fun, with some nice hints of what's to come. It's all I really want out of this show, which finally appears to be delivering with some consistency.

SHIELD: T.A.H.I.T.I.

Man, SHIELD really likes their acronyms. But they don't seem to have any interest in ever explaining them.

So this episode. There was a serious lack of Skye, which is interesting because it's not like she's the most interesting character ever. And she's obviously not going to die. Not when there are still so many mysteries about her origins. Not when she hasn't even gotten her superpowers yet. She really needs to get some superpowers.

I also wish that Simmons' new love interest had been fleshed out at all. He got a name and some familiarity with Ward and then he just mooned over her for a couple of scenes. Is there any reason (beyond his good looks) that she would be interested in him? Or is this just because they can't actually set up Ward/Simmons, what with Ward sleeping with Mae and all.

There just doesn't seem to be a lot to talk about, even though there should be a ton to talk about. I'm actually at the point where I feel like my lack of comics knowledge is hurting my understanding of this show, which probably shouldn't be happening. I mean, it's always nice to have easter eggs for people in the know, but I should be able to follow along. Instead I'm wondering if I should know who that alien in the tube if. Does G.H. mean something? And should I know who this Lorelai is? Obviously a seductress, but just as obviously not from Stars Hollow, CT.

At least Mae continues to be awesome. And she finally gets to show some emotion, between her concern over Skye and her fury at Quinn.

And there's Sif to look forward to next week.

SHIELD: T.R.A.C.K.S.

Guys, this episode was funny! I laughed. I enjoyed all the different character interactions. I actually felt it in my gut when Skye got shot. And even though I know she'll survive (she has to survive, right?), I'm anxious for the next episode.

A flip got turned somewhere, and I finally care about this show. It's not perfect yet. It's not even really great television yet. But it's worth watching, worth caring about, finally worth writing about.

SHIELD did a lot of smart things this episode. For starters, they shook up the team and created some new pairings. This meant that we actually got to explore a couple of relationships. We got to see May and Coulson's deep friendship on display and Ward's jealousy of that bond. It clearly isn't just sex for him. We got to see Simmons go into over-prepare mode and Coulson be a little uncomfortable with it. (That scene did go on a little long.) We got to see Skye and Fitz work together and Skye completely take charge. It was so nice to see some actual character development in all these little moments that peppered the episode.

The structure was smart, too. At first I thought we were going to get a time-loop episode. Those are always fun, so I was only mildly disappointed when I realized we were heading into flashback territory to get a new side of the story. Breaking it up like this was smart. Seeing the story play out once character at a time built on both suspense and characterization. And having the plot advance a little farther each time kept it interesting.

There were a few things that were off. The holograph table scene was a little jarring, tonally. Coulson's distress over Skye seemed a tad overplayed, though that's mostly due to a lack in previous episodes than anything in this episode.

But those moments get balanced out by May's brilliant escape. By Fitz's concern over Simmons when she gets frozen and the beautiful shot of their hug at the end. By the look on Skye's face when Quinn shoots her for the second time. (Okay, my emotions in that scene may have been tied to my flashbacks to Kaylee's gut wound. This episode had more than a little in common with Firefly. But that appears to be a good thing).

I'm excited again.We have interesting relationships, serialized plot, a cohesive bad guy, promises of Sif. Now if the show can just keep on improving, it may be worth committing to a second season.

SHIELD: Seeds

One of the first rules you learn about writing is "Show, Don't Tell". Don't say that a couple fell in love, show it happening. Don't say that someone learned a lesson, show the consequences of their actions and the steps they took in wake of them. Don't talk about a pivotal character moment, show the revelation happening.

At the end of this episode, Coulson gives a big speech about how to react when life hands you a shit sandwich. Thematically, it all works. It ties together his misgivings about his resurrection, Skye's reaction to learning about her past, and the birth of a new super villain. But parts of it would have worked so much better in Skye's voice. I don't want to hear that she looked past her revolving door experience of the foster care system to see the protection of SHIELD while she looks mournfully at a memorial. I wanted to see and hear her reach that conclusion. Her character arc would have worked so much better if it hadn't been delivered by a third party.

The show, is of course, trying to make this all about Coulson. But why couldn't that have been a conversation between the two of them?

The whole speech at the end reminded me strongly of the second season finale of Buffy. The episode handles these themes, the ultimate message, and even the cheesy voice over so much better. Because we aren't told that Buffy made the hard choice in the end. We get to see her whole journey and are able to understand fully both why she made that choice and how much it cost her. We barely get a glimpse of Skye after she gets handed a bag of lemons until we hear that she's decided to make lemonade.

I don't want this show to be a second-rate retread of a show I've already seen. A show that this one can't even hold a candle to in terms of character development, season-long arcs, and thematic tie-ins.

SHIELD is trying. It's getting better. But I still just barely care about these characters. And I need to care about them to stay invested in their journeys. To keep watching the show.

Earlier this week, the episode of Sleepy Hollow brought me to tears. It's cheesy and over the top, but it still manages to hit all the emotional beats that it needs to. Now I cry easily, especially at TV, movies, even commercials. And this episode should have brought me to tears. Happy tears, but tears none the less. Instead it made me groan and roll my eyes and wish that I was watching a show that aired 15 years ago.

Still, seeds have been planted, and some of them look interesting. Hopefully this show can still pull it together in the back half of the season. At least all the bad guys are starting to coalesce into one shady agency.

SHIELD: The Magical Place

I kind of stopped writing about SHIELD toward the end of last year. I mostly blame the holidays. Everything gets ridiculous and busy in December. But I'd be remiss if I didn't also say that there just didn't seem to be much to talk about. Instead of the deep, smart, layered show I was expecting last summer, I got something way more generic and it's hard to spit out words about that every week. And since I don't get paid to do so, there was really no motivation to keep going.

But it's a new year and I have a self-imposed quota to meet, so these are coming back. I'm trying to remind myself that Whedon's shows always take a while to get going The first five episodes of Dollhouse were bland and generic. Same with almost the entire first season of Angel. Buffy's first season is practically unwatchable, except from a nostalgia point of view. So there's precedent for things to get better. Even if Joss isn't nearly as involved in this show as he was in the first three. Regardless, I hope that SHIELD manages to pull itself together by the end of this season. If only because I can imagine, despite the lackluster "crossover" with Thor, a great setup for the next Captain America movie. Assuming that's what they're going for.

So. Tahiti. The Magical Place. Turns out this is a call and response that's been programmed into Coulson's brain, and he finally realized. The hint from a few episodes back that Coulson was a doll ("Did I fall asleep?") wasn't too far off the mark. We still don't know how they brought him back to life, but we know that they did some pretty serious messing with his brain. There's a Wolfram and Hart vibe going on with S.H.I.E.L.D. now, in that Coulson's contract appears to extend beyond his natural death. And Director Fury definitely looks like the bad guy.

But let's forget about that, since this episode raised more questions than it answered, and look at everything else. I really liked this episode. I don't know if it was actually better than the episodes from last year, or if the hiatus allowed me to adjust my expectations, but I had a bunch of fun. Seeing Skye off on her own and in her element being proactive and solving problems was great. Watching Coulson bounce off Raina, who really helped his doubts to flourish, was also fun. And the other characters were there, too.

I still groaned at some things (like when the plane turned around), but mostly I'm along for the ride now. The action scene at the beginning felt right, Mae's false betrayal to get Skye outside the system. And if the previews for next week are any indication, Coulson appears to be done keeping secrets. So more answers are on the way. I hope they end up being worth the wait.

This isn't even close to my favorite show on television right now (in fact, it's probably the most likely to get dropped if I find myself short on time), but it's entertaining. And I guess that's all I really need it be.

SHIELD: The Well

So I missed writing about last week's episode. We watched it in fits and starts around phone calls from Kevin's office, so the whole thing is a bit disjointed in my mind. Then I never had the time or inclination to go back and watch it again. So I never really gathered my thoughts enough to write anything. Suffice to say that I liked seeing different partnerships. Simmons was adorable when proclaiming that following the rules made her feel nice and Fitz got to be both smart (breaking and fixing the fuse box) and stupid (eating a prosciutto sandwich) out in the field with Ward.

This week we get some more fun relationship stuff and a look at Ward's childhood. I've stopped caring about whatever the case of the week is. It's never really that good, and I don't know that the bad guys even had a reasonable motivation this week. But there were some good character beats mixed in between the show's attempt at a case-of-the-week plot.

The most interesting interaction was, of course, Melinda inviting Ward into her room at the end. I like that, for all of Skye's earnestness, Mae was the one who understood what Ward needed. Mae tends to understand what everyone needs in general. She's by far the most perceptive member of the team, and I like how down-played that is.

Strangely, the relationship I'm finding myself most invested in is that of Ward and Simmons. Their scenes together are adorable, and I find myself wanting them to spend more time together.

Despite the lackluster cases of the week, the reliance on action sequences instead of character beats, and the complete lack of any superheroes, I've managed to become invested in this ragtag group of characters. So I guess I'm in it for the long haul now. Let's just hope that the Captain America tie-in in the spring is more meaningful than this throw-away Thor tie-in.

SHIELD: F.Z.Z.T.

We got an episode about Simmons! I was so excited to learn more about her character and watch her interact with more than just Fitz. Although it was also nice to see more definition in her relationship with Fitz.

Anyway, this was an exciting episode that kept me guessing. I liked that the monster of the week wrapped up so quickly and we were able to spend a bit more time with the team. I suppose that was an extension of the MotW, being the same virus and all, but it nice to see it contained to the main cast. After the third firefighter died, I fully expected the episode to turn to Coulson's resurrection, it being November sweeps and all. So I was surprised when it was revealed that Simmons was infected.

I really liked watching her try not to fall apart as she frantically searched for a cure for herself. It sure was lucky that she had three lab rats and it took her three tries to get the antiserum right. But I did like the breakthrough moment and Fitz rushing in to help her.

The whole skydiving bit was seriously thrilling, too. An excellent use of the huge budget this show has.

As for relationships, it seems the Fitz has a crush on Skye, though I doubt she reciprocates it. Simmons may or may not have a crush on Fitz (setting up a handy mirror of Buffy-Xander-Willow that I'm not sure needs to be repeated). But mostly I'm interested in Skye and Simmons' friendship. Skye clearly cares more about her (and probably all of them) than she's let on, and I want more of that.

This show definitely has the action scenes down. The witty dialogue is coming along. And now we need to work on all of the relationships. That's what tends to make a Whedon show special, so I'm glad that we're starting to deepen them.

It's also worth noting that the November 19th episode will apparently deal with aftermath of the Thor movie, which is an interesting ploy. I doubt there's anyone watching this show who wasn't planning on seeing that movie, so I don't think this is an attempt to boost box-office sales. As for getting more people to watch the show, well we'll have to wait and see if that ploy works. It better be an excellent episode, though, if that's what they're going for. Otherwise this will backfire horribly.

PS Does anyone know what F.Z.Z.T stands for?

SHIELD: The Girl in the Flower Dress

Every now and then work explodes and makes it difficult for me to watch (and then write about) tv. So I was late getting to this episode and even later to write anything about it. Frankly I was just too tired last week to really engage with this show.

Surprisingly, that made the show rather more enjoyable. Or maybe not surprisingly. Maybe the word I'm looking for is disappointingly. I want this to be a show that makes me think and that sparks interesting conversations. But it remains a collection of really cool action sequences strung together by a bunch of witty one-liners. And there's nothing exactly wrong with that. It's certainly a show that I will continue watching until it gets canceled. Or at least until the end of the season. I just wanted and, perhaps foolishly, expected more.

Then again, we're still only five episodes in. There's still time for it to be great.

In the meantime we're circling around to yet another shadowy organization. That puts the count at four, which is a lot to be juggling. Unless there's some nefarious connection between everything, which seems both likely and easy.

At least Skye has a more interesting motivation now that doesn't force her to constantly be a double-agent. Her loyalties are more clear now, and they're mostly to herself. She isn't in direct opposition with her team, though.

Here's hoping this show gets better. Or at least gives me more to talk about

SHIELD: Eye Spy

SHIELD just keeps getting better, which is definitely a good sign. Elements of serialization are starting to leak in, and I'm sure they'll become important soon. The dialogue is getting better, and, in my opinion, the actors are getting better at delivering it. Unlike many others, I have no issues with Chloe Bennet. I think she's doing a pretty good job in this role, and she usually gets the most laughs out of me. Of course, she reminds me of no one so much as Eliza Dushku, and I always had more of a soft spot for Dushku than many others. Maybe I'm just more forgiving or more in tune with their acting choices or something.

This episode opened with a scene that was familiar to me. A bunch of people, dressed identically and wearing red masks and carrying briefcases all enter a subway station and board a train. This happened to a train I was on in London, except that they were wearing Guy Fawkes masks. It had the same sort of surreal feeling that this scene evokes. Of course, the people on my train were merely protesting the Church of Scientology not carrying diamonds. And there was no blackout during which they were all killed. So maybe not so similar.

The story of Akela unfolds really nicely, and I liked the mystery that surrounded her. Both exactly what her powers were (I was going with telekinesis while Kevin guessed super-hearing) and what her goal was. That she was ultimately a pawn who Coulson was able to set free was a really nice resolution.

Of course we now have another shadowy organization when what I really want is to learn more about Rising Tide. I don't think these two are connected, since they have polar opposite mission statements. Then again, you never know. At any rate, the previews for next week promise that we'll get back to Skye's divided loyalties soon.

All of the relationships on this show are also coming along nicely, and that's where Whedon shows always ultimately shine. We have Coulson mentoring Skye, Skye starting to establish herself as a partner for Ward, Mae's respect for Coulson while she's also willing to disobey him, and the sibling-like closeness of FitzSimmons. There's a lot to play with here, and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone grow over the course of the season.

There were also a lot of cute little moments, which are really what make the show for me. Chloe not knowing the difference between the safety release and the magazine release was great, as was her meek "bang" right before Akela knocked their van over. Simmons needing to pee and Ward recommending the water bottle. And, of course, Akela wondering what happened to Coulson. I maintain that we should take the phrase "Tahiti is a magical place" at face value, but I'll be interested to learn the specifics of Coulson's resurrection.

SHIELD: The Asset

As we get farther from the pilot, we're starting to get into the meat of what this show is capable of without the scaffolding of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And so far the results are promising. This was easy my favorite episode of the show so far.

The reasons for that are, I think, two-fold. The characters are starting to get more fleshed-out, which was bound to happen over time. I have reasons to care about Agent Ward now, and I can see the common ground he might share with Skye. Skye's conflict is becoming better-defined (though it seems to boil down to which bad guys are the worst in any given situation). We still haven't learned much about Agent May's past, but since Ming-Na Wen may be the best actor on the show we don't really need to in order to care about her character. The fact the she's changed her mind about going into combat has me hopeful that we'll get her backstory soon. (Please, don't pull a Shepherd Book on us...)

I also like that the show seems to be getting more confidence. The advertising is absolutely abysmal (I cringe every time I hear a radio ad), but the plots are coming along. I liked that this one toyed with the idea of a super-villain who wasn't entirely evil. He did some bad things, but he also made some points that Skye agreed with. The titular asset is the one who's on the path to becoming a super-villain, trapped in the gravitonium and locked in an unmarked vault. If he's not just ignored for the rest of the show's run (which, given Whedon's track record he probably will be) he could pop up as a really great bad guy in a future episode.

There isn't a ton to say about this episode. It was fun. The banter between the characters is improving. Coulson's immediate past remains a mystery, and probably will until the season finale. At the end of the day, the show is entertaining and holds my attention. That's enough for now.

SHIELD: 0-8-4

 It's hard to talk about a show this new. Things aren't quite where I want them to be yet, but they're moving in the right direction. You need to be patient with new shows, especially new Whedon shows, while they find their footing. You also need to be patient while everyone else gains confidence and backs off so the people in charge of the show have some room to try new things.

So what we have is a second pilot, with a touch more character development, a ton of action scenes, and a reference to nearly every movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Did you know that Stark is officially a S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant, not an agent? Or that the last 0-8-4 was Thor's Hammer? Or that Hydra used Tesseract technology and Gamma Radiation to make weapons of mass destruction? Fury even made an appearance in this episode!

Eventually we'll movie away from the movies as SHIELD learns to stand on its own legs. For now they're doing their best to remind everyone why they started watching this show in the first place.

But on to the characters, because that's what I'm here for. At least, it's what I should be here for.

I know it isn't the popular opinion, but Simmons continues to grow on me. I like that she and Fitz are starting to get some definition. They're beginning to become individuals instead of a single character split in two. So far, Simmons is far more gung-ho about being in the field. She's the one who dragged Fitz out of his comfort zone so they could go in the field. And she's the one teasing him about snakes and Dengue fever.

Ward remains my least favorite of the group. The actor can't quite pull off some of the dialogue, but I hope he gets better with time. For now he's basically Riley 2.0, the new and not-improved version. (Or maybe he's Riley 2.5, since Ballard was Riley 2.0? I don't know.) If he was just a little less serious, he'd work so much better. There are hints of it, like in his scene with May at the end. Actually, both of his scenes with May. I really like the two of them on screen together, so here's hoping they build on that relationship.

Ward and Skye on the other hand. I don't really know what to make of them, because their conflict did not go where I thought it would go. Instead of an argument about the good S.H.I.E.L.D. does versus the people it steps on, we got an individual vs team conflict. Maybe the other conflict is just being saved for later, though, when Skye's double-agent status is revealed.

Speaking of which, Coulson knows, right? He has to know. He's not that stupid. I can't figure out if he genuinely wants her on his team or if he's just using her to find Rising Tide, but there's no way he thinks it's this easy to get her on their side.

SHIELD: Pilot

You can't really tell from this blog, but I watch a lot of TV. Some might say a scary amount. I love the long form story-telling and character growth that you get to experience watching a TV show grow and evolve over years. I like the anticipation of waiting until the next week to find out what happened. And I like seeing how different shows comment on or fail to comment on a variety of social issues.

My television tastes are wide and varied. I loved silly, escapist TV, like last year's The Carrie Diaries (which I still think has one of the more nuanced and thoughtful depictions of a teenager coming to terms with his sexual orientation), True Blood (vampires and cliffhangers!) or the new show Sleepy Hollow (time-traveling Ichabod Crane! Also one of the most racially diverse casts currently on television). I like happy comedies like How I Met Your Mother (which has a lot of fun playing with structure and time) and Parks and Recreation (honestly, one of the happiest, feel-good TV shows around). I also enjoy some harder-hitting dramas, like Justified and The Americans which deal with, respectively, trying to break free from your parents' legacy and what it takes to make a marriage work.

But I'll always have a soft spot for Joss Whedon's shows. I grew up watching Buffy (and then Angel) every Tuesday night, and made it a point to catch both Firefly and Dollhouse when they were originally airing. I'm beyond excited to have a Whedon show to look forward to on Tuesday night's again, even though Joss' brother and sister-in-law will be more in charge of the day-to-day running of the show. But since that team was responsible for most of my favorite episodes of Dollhouse, I have every confidence in them with this new show.

All of this brings us to the point. I've sort of been wanting to talk about TV on this blog like I do with books. I watch way too much to comment on everything (that would be a full time job). But I figure I can handle a single series pretty easily. And what better series than Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (hereafter, SHIELD)? I'm sure there will be some cool things to talk about as the series progresses.

But for now we just have the pilot. I've gotten the impression that I'm more pleased with this show than a lot of people. I think disappointment was to be expected, though. There was so much hype since this was announced, that there was just no way it could live up to those expectations. Add in to that the fact that Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Marvel, Disney, ABC, and probably countless other people all had a vested interest in their vision for this show and you end with something that was perhaps a little too broad. When you also consider the fact that Whedon is historically pretty bad at pilots (Firefly being the exception), and the show can only get better. (Hopefully.)

So yeah, I'm pretty optimistic. There are some strong characters here and hints about backstories that will help flesh out the walking stereotypes we saw in the pilot. Agent Ward has some serious family issues. Something happened to drive Melinda May away from fieldwork. It was heavily implied that Skye erased her own identity for some reason. And there's the central mystery of how Coulson was resurrected (maybe Tahiti really is a magical place). When the show gets a little room to breathe and finds its focus, I bet we'll end up with something excellent.

Of course, I genuinely enjoyed the pilot, too. Sure, J August Richard's character had some pretty awful dialogue. His speech at the train station was too broad and obvious, likewise his scene at the factory. Neither had that Whedon flavor that I've become so enamored of over the years. But his line about living out his origin story made me laugh. And Skye's insistence that "With great power comes...a lot of weird stuff" was a nice call to the fact that the Avengers legally have to separate themselves from Spiderman.

The thing I'm most interested in seeing developed is the antagonism between Skye and Ward, which will, of course stand, in for the transparency vs security debate. Whedon is aware that with the recent trial of Private Chelsea Manning and the whole Edward Snowden debacle, this is very much in the forefront of a lot of people's minds. And he has the perfect vehicle with which to explore it. Then again, this is also the part of the show that I can see falling completely apart.

Whedon is anti-establishment. This has been a theme in his work as early as Buffy (with Buffy fighting against big bads like The Mayor and Adam/The Initiative, and ultimately rejecting The Watcher's Council). Mal Reynolds was fighting against The Alliance (Big Government) while Echo and her friends were taking a stand against Rossum (Big Corporation). Even in The Avengers, there are hints that S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't the altruistic organization it claims to be.

The show, however, has to do its best to make S.H.I.E.L.D. the goods guys. Or at least, Coulson and his team. They're the protagonists that we need to be rooting for, and I want to see lots of coll superheroes and superhero-related shenanigans. Whedon is going to have to find some middle ground between the individual and the establishment. He's going to need to get better about articulating Ward's and Coulson's sides in this debate, so that Skye can reasonably justify working with them.

Ultimately, I worry that this will become a rehash of Angel's fifth season. Don't get me wrong; I love Angel's fifth season. In my opinion it's the best season of that show. But I want to see something different from SHIELD, something more nuanced than good guys vs bad guys. S.H.I.E.L.D. may be shady, but it's no Wolfram and Hart, and I'd hate to see it become that over the course of this show. So here's hoping we get some interesting morally grey area and good debate about the need for secrecy in some cases versus the right to knowledge in others. Where should that line be drawn and who ought to decide that? That's what I'm hoping to be able to talk about with this show.

That and the adorableness of Simmons. Did you see her face when she welcomed Ward to the team? Or when the alien tech actually started dripping? I can already tell she's going to be my favorite, even if I have trouble understanding half of what she says. That's what subtitles are for, though, right?