Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The Real SHIELD problem basically runs into the problem the show is very much Protagonist-Centered Morality where Coulson is always right and SHIELD being his personal dictatorship unanswerable to any authorities (despite SHIELD being destroyed because it was corrupted due to being unanswerable to any authorities) is both necessary as good. The show really really wants no Deconstruction of Covert Agencies.

The point of the Real Shield was more to give them an excuse to show the fall of Hydra from yet a different perspective, and in order to introduce the Monolith and the giant ship. Also, someone else needed to die in Coulson's place. So I wouldn't say that it didn't pay off, just not in the way we would expect.

Plus, I actually feel that The Real Shield was 100% in the wrong. If they had coordinated with Coulson from the get go instead of infiltrating him and then being all sanctimonious about "trust", Agent 33 might have never fallen in Whitehall's hand, because then Coulson would have had the resources to reach the safe house in time.

I actually like Gonzales. Sure, he was a hypocrite to a degree. Doesn't mean he didn't have some very valid points.

Great 100th episode.

This is my favorite show since Buffy and Angel ended.

It's also my favorite part of the MCU. I'm enjoying it way more than the movies. Shame that so many people give up on it in the first couple of episodes.

While the Real SHIELD made plenty of mistakes, I definitely wouldn't say they were 100% wrong and Coulson's side didn't help matters.

IIRC wasn't Battle-S.H.I.E.L.D still not answering to authorities? They just had a "council" for the Director to work with. The season that deconstructed covert agencies was Season 3 with... whatever Rosalind's group was called. They were the "proper" authorities that SHIELD was being tailed by that season, and SHIELD was only given legitimacy through Rosalind's organization... right?

(I've not watched this show in awhile.)

Eh, while I do agree not all Marvel movies were great, I wouldn't go as far as saying this show was better or more enjoyable. It has the usual issues with these kinds of series: too many to be continued, dragging on with the villains being defeated... still, I agree that it's a very enjoyable show that gives an interesting look at the MCU.

Honestly, if there is one thing you can't accuse Ao S of, it is "dragging on" with anything. The show has a tendency to speed through the plot lines. I am ready to bet that we will see the pay-off to Deke next episode or the episode after.

... Fair enough, I guess it is faster than other shows. Sorry, just really dislike perpetual to be continued. Entirely personal tastes here.

I don't mind it as long as I get a wrap up of the storylines by the end of the season. Which is something Ao S usually provides, no endless dragging out of so called mysteries.

Which is why I don't mind as much in this show's case. But for exemple, in some manga it becomes unbearable.

Anyway, to stick to the topic, when would you say Agents of SHIELD really started getting good?

Season 2? 2.5 at the latest.

I feel like there's been way more character development in this show than any of the movies.

Since the end of Season 1, AoS has been good, with the exception of the Ghost Rider and Space-Arc, imO.

Well, it's a series. They have more time and episode to flesh out the characters than a movie does. So the comparison seems spectacularly unfair to me. Not saying movies should have no Character Development obviously, but you can't have the same expectations for both.

But, yeah, I agree with others, the HYDRA twist was where it started to get really good.

edited 14th Mar '18 3:41:31 AM by Theokal3

I think that with the exception of some selected episodes (most of which aired early on), the show has always been at least good. You just have to watch all the reactors who get into the show late. It is always "yeah, we know it didn't start all that great" and the, after the first few episodes, it is always "honestly, what were people complaining about, I really like this show". I think that Ao S was mostly the victim of high expectations paired with the usual early world building problem most show have.

It think that the show has been great since turn, turn, turn, with some outstanding episodes sprinkled into the mix, and it really blew every other show out of the water in season 4.

Between episodes like Tracks, 2XXX (whatever the number was) hours, Melinda, Maveth, Turn, Turn, Turn, SOS, Spacetime, Self-Identity and What if, there is nothing the show has to be ashamed about.

Also, best canon pairing ever!

After this season I'm going to go back and watch the show from the start. I'm curious to see how season 1 compares several years later.

Based on my own experience: It is actually better upon second watch. It's like seeing the Sixth Sense for a second time, once you know what the writers were going for and what they kept alluding to in the first episodes, you feel like an idiot that you didn't recognize Ward for the traitor he was.

Also helps when you actually care about the characters. I remembered back then, I had trouble to connect to the characters until the second season. But seeing them suffer again and actually adoring them makes the dramatic scenes so much more heart breaking.

There is one thing Agents of SHIELD drags out.

The Fitzsimmons relationship

Not compared to other shows....one season for them realizing that there might be something between them, one season for them deciding if they should start dating, one season of them finally getting there, one season of them being a couple and finally the marriage in season 5. Other shows would have spend at least two seasons on every step, and that without the excuse of having one of them on a foreign planet and one of them being brain damaged for respective one season.

Fair enough, I guess

This show does seem to have a habit of reinventing itself and isn't afraid to mess with the status quo. These characters on the show have seen some shit in the past few years. Fitz is the character I root for the most to triumph, with him getting through his traumatic brain issues in season 2 to searching endlessly to find a way to get to Simmons in season 3, then to this recent season with choosing to cryo-sleep for 70 years just to reach the future to save her.

I am still wondering what they will do with the Fitz currently floating around in Space.

Enoch is also out there. If they prevent the Bad Future he'll probably realize but it still leaves the question of what happens to present Fitz.

Maybe Fitz dies to change the future and then Enoch turns up with frozen Fitz because in this timeline there is no need for him to keep being asleep......