Charlie Andrews is granted Level 7 access to review Marvel’s new TV show ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’
With MarvelÔÇÖs Avengers Assemble! standing as the third highest grossing film of all time and every frequent release being another smash hit, the company has undoubtedly mastered the art of box office success. But now they have turned their attention to the small screen with a desire to rival the dominance of competitors DC. MarvelÔÇÖs Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is shaping up to be an explosive, character driven thrill-ride.
The pilot episode opens with the introduction of the male protagonist, Agent Ward (Brett Dalton), in a scene that acts as a stereotypical spy scenario that, naturally, escalates into violence, yet still has the element of humour which has been evident in Avengers Assemble! and the Iron Man trilogy.┬á Shortly after the confrontation, special-guest star Cobie Smulders (reprising her role as Agent Maria Hill) is revealed questioning Ward about ÔÇ£what S.H.I.E.L.D stands forÔÇØ. After Ward extends the acronym Hill asks what it means for him; typically Joss Whedon (director of AvengerÔÇÖs Assemble! and guest director of the showÔÇÖs pilot episode) utilises this moment for a classic piece of satirical humour with Ward replying ÔÇ£that somebody really wanted our initials to spell out shieldÔÇØ. This is not the first cheap one-liner and, although most are witty and clever, there are some recurring jokes that are annoying and get old really, really quickly: namely Fitz and Simmons.
Iain De Caestecker as Fitz and Elizabeth Henstridge as Simmons 
As with AvengerÔÇÖs Assemble!, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D offers a team dynamic in the form of ÔÇ£Level 7ÔÇØ; a group of specially selected agents chosen by Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg; the walking, talking, dead agent killed by Loki in Avengers) who are on the hunt for a man with superhuman abilities, as Coulson believes other interested parties will be looking for him as well. CoulsonÔÇÖs team consists of young, inexperienced, scientific specialists Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge), ÔÇô who, based on their irritating collaborations, may as well be the same character ÔÇô Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) ÔÇô who has a mysterious past of her own ÔÇô and Skye (Chloe Bennet) ÔÇô whose fascination of superheroes and suspicion of S.H.I.E.L.D leads to her recruitment by the end of the episode. These characters are immediately established as a mismatched grouping but it will be interesting to see how they work together and ultimately form a team. Skye seems to be ÔÇ£a riskÔÇØ but there is no reason to doubt WhedonÔÇÖs character development.
Quench Verdict: 4/5
What do you think to Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D? Has it lived up to your expectations or are Fitz and Simmons to much to tolerate? Let us know what you think in the comments section below
If you have seen the lady in the flower dress episode you can see that Skye was a bad recruitment, she betrayed the entire team. They are not your typical team, but don’t forget they are young, they are not really a “team” yet. And yes, Simon Pegg is far better than Fitz and Simmons
Simon Pegg > Fitz and Simmons
Skye is such an abysmal character, why did they even recruit her? When looking at the team members on offer you do wonder if they actually resemble the typical spy team often seen in Mission Impossible
Great review Charlie. Very informative & gives you a great insight into the new show.
Haven’t seen the series but I’ve heard good things about it, hoping they actually explain Coulson’s death though but it’s nice to see Marvel coming back on TV with fresher ideas. Good review too! 🙂
I love the new Series! It is so different to what Marvel usually do. I really like the different characters especially Skye and Melinda and I think that it is really cleaver how they put it all together. And i can’t wait to see what they do next!