Ensign Lestat's TV Log, 23/05/15
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
When Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) was first introduced, I don't think he, or anyone in the Marvel universe could have expected him to become the huge fan favourite he eventually became. Funny, loyal, with a tinge of mystery around him, he was a mainstay in the Marvel films.
And it only made sense to kill him off in the first 'The Avengers' film - not because we wanted him dead, but because if Whedon's signature on-screen murder had to happen, it could only happen to the side character, especially since his death had a requisite polarizing effect.
However, as fun as it is to have Coulson back, this time on the small screen, the vehicle for his return has been utterly poor. 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' started of slow, and picked up only after the release of 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier'. They made a bold decision to turn one of their main cast members into a psychotic Hydra agent, but with the introduction of the Enhanced (or Inhumans) the plot has become more and more convoluted.
What's made the MCU films successful have always been their overriding relevance to the real world, even when there are aliens, gods and Extremis-powered maniacs on the loose, the essence of the story is still rooted with realism (love, loss, PTSD, terrorism, paranoia). The films may not be perfect, but they have their thought-provoking moments.
With Agents of SHIELD, it always feels like it is burdened by the MCU, which in fairness, is not its fault. It can neither be a separate entity, nor an actual part of the major MCU titles. Crossovers are rare and we've not seen much overlap. Much was said about the SHIELD episode airing the same week as the release of 'Avengers: Age of Ultron', but it made nary a dent on the film.
The characters in SHIELD aren't interesting in the least. Agent May (Ming-Na Wen) is perhaps the only one who really draws us in and keeps the show afloat. The best bits are when old Coulson surfaces, the funny, quirky guy who is loyal but always in command. But those are few and far between. The two scientists grate on the senses, Fitz-Simmons (Iain De Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge) are gratingly dull, good at their jobs, but annoying otherwise. And let's not start with Skye (Chloe Bennet).
The series see-saws between storylines. We have Hydra, we have SHIELD, and we have Gonzalez's group, we have Kyle MacLachlan, and the Inhumans - it's a bit of a mess. Things have really gone sideways at the end of season 2, which should give me hope, but it's not likely to. Much like AoU itself, the current lot of Marvel stuff seems only to be props for the future work, which is frustrating. Agents of SHIELD needs it own stories, its own arcs. The characters should be fleshed out more and given actual personalities. And Coulson needs to go back to being the funny guy - everyone loves a funny guy.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
And it only made sense to kill him off in the first 'The Avengers' film - not because we wanted him dead, but because if Whedon's signature on-screen murder had to happen, it could only happen to the side character, especially since his death had a requisite polarizing effect.
However, as fun as it is to have Coulson back, this time on the small screen, the vehicle for his return has been utterly poor. 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' started of slow, and picked up only after the release of 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier'. They made a bold decision to turn one of their main cast members into a psychotic Hydra agent, but with the introduction of the Enhanced (or Inhumans) the plot has become more and more convoluted.
What's made the MCU films successful have always been their overriding relevance to the real world, even when there are aliens, gods and Extremis-powered maniacs on the loose, the essence of the story is still rooted with realism (love, loss, PTSD, terrorism, paranoia). The films may not be perfect, but they have their thought-provoking moments.
With Agents of SHIELD, it always feels like it is burdened by the MCU, which in fairness, is not its fault. It can neither be a separate entity, nor an actual part of the major MCU titles. Crossovers are rare and we've not seen much overlap. Much was said about the SHIELD episode airing the same week as the release of 'Avengers: Age of Ultron', but it made nary a dent on the film.
The characters in SHIELD aren't interesting in the least. Agent May (Ming-Na Wen) is perhaps the only one who really draws us in and keeps the show afloat. The best bits are when old Coulson surfaces, the funny, quirky guy who is loyal but always in command. But those are few and far between. The two scientists grate on the senses, Fitz-Simmons (Iain De Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge) are gratingly dull, good at their jobs, but annoying otherwise. And let's not start with Skye (Chloe Bennet).
The series see-saws between storylines. We have Hydra, we have SHIELD, and we have Gonzalez's group, we have Kyle MacLachlan, and the Inhumans - it's a bit of a mess. Things have really gone sideways at the end of season 2, which should give me hope, but it's not likely to. Much like AoU itself, the current lot of Marvel stuff seems only to be props for the future work, which is frustrating. Agents of SHIELD needs it own stories, its own arcs. The characters should be fleshed out more and given actual personalities. And Coulson needs to go back to being the funny guy - everyone loves a funny guy.
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