Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV Review)

 

Review by Paeter Frandsen

 

I've really enjoyed all of the Marvel movies since Marvel itself took control of their properties. So when it was announced that ABC would run a weekly TV series set in the Marvel cinematic universe, fans like me sat bolt upright and took notice. And when it was announced that Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. (played by Clark Gregg) would be resurrected to join the cast, Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. suddenly became the most hotly anticipated fall TV show among the widest spectrum of geeks, myself included. And with Joss Whedon, the writer and director of “The Avengers,” onboard to create the series, it was sure to be amazing, right?

The story opens with Grant Ward, a skilled young agent, being transferred against his will into a higher security division of S.H.I.E.L.D. that focuses on investigating and containing potential super-human threats. Grant is young, presumably attractive, and has a bit of a roguish streak. And that's about all there is to him.

Skye is a conspiracy theorist hacker who lives in her van and has dedicated her life to uncovering super-human matters that the government doesn't want in the public eye. She has a somewhat nervous, self-deprecating personality and is probably meant to be a "quirky" character. But the fact that she has the looks of a Hollywood leading lady, the shampoo commercial hair to match, and make-up and clothes that give her an attractive, well-groomed appearance is at odds with the quirky feel the script is attempting to give her.

There are a few other characters in the ensemble cast that haven't had much time to shine yet, but have hints of potentially interesting character traits. However, one of the biggest problems with the show is the casting (which is further exacerbated by the costume/make-up design). The show could have done itself many favors by casting more character actors in the roles that are meant to be strange and interesting, instead of the standard leading-actor types that were used here.

Maybe they felt they had enough in the "character acting department" already with Clark Gregg leading the cast. And if that was their thinking, it’s tough to be hard on them for their mistake. Gregg does great things with every line he is given, elevating the material whenever he opens his mouth. He is both funny and humble, as we know Coulson to be, and also surprisingly commanding and firm when the situation calls for it.

My hope is that the show will lean more toward a "Coulson-centric" affair as time passes, or at least for as long as it takes to figure out how to make Skye more believable and Grant more interesting. But in reality, Skye and Grant have already clearly been set up for a formulaic comedic romance subplot that will start with them hating each other until they realize their true feelings behind the confusing rage of their hormones and decide to couple up in hopes of securing ratings during sweeps week.

Guest performances are all nicely done, which bodes well for the revolving door of guest cast members the show will employ. Visual effects and fight sequences were executed well, with only a few instances of a TV budget being glaringly obvious. From a pure action/adventure standpoint, I think the show will live up to the Marvel movie legacy, although on a smaller scale.

The script is a mix of good and bad. There were some nice plot turns that I didn't see coming, but the dialogue is filled with jokes that fall flat most of the time, either because the jokes themselves are duds or because of the uninspired delivery of the cast.

 

The story has some nice nods to multiple aspects of Marvel movie continuity, including the recent "Iron Man 3". It will be interesting to see how quickly they incorporate the events of "Thor: The Dark World" after its release in November. I suspect hardcore Marvel fans will have plenty of reasons to come back to this show each week based on the nerd-candy of continuity references alone.

As far as the premiere goes, there was very little that I think is likely to leave viewers contemplating moral or spiritual issues. Sure, there are the basic moral dilemmas you find all over the place in fiction, and this little something is better than nothing. But coming away from this premiere, most people will be thinking about secret agents and people with super-powers, rather than whether or not Thor is really a "god" or how far one should go to protect his own family.

If you're a geek that has time for lots of TV in your life, you'll want to check out Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., especially since most shows of this kind that last only get better. But if you're like me and you only have time for nerdy TV masterpieces like Farscape, Battlestar Galactica, and The Walking Dead, this show isn't even in the same ballpark of quality… although it may get there in time.

Quality: 7.5/10

Relevance: 6.0/10