Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - First Impressions

Before watching the first episode I'm putting down my initial thoughts going in to watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I've avoided almost all discussion about it because, honestly, I don't have the highest expectations. Not to say it won't be enjoyable, because I'm a proper geek and it's a show about comic books.

Personally, I've become burned out on this episodic "villain-of-the-week" paradigm that the geekier shows have fallen in to. Battlestar Galactica made this even worse by proving that a show can blend episodic and serial to make a series with an amazing story that progresses alongside the characters as they solve whatever new problem they're facing that week. That's no fault of Agents, of course, and I'm sure they could have a very successful show.

What makes me most doubtful is what they'll be able to accomplish. I'm not a comic guru, but SHIELD agents don't seem terribly impressive to me. I mean you have the superstars like Black Widow who nearly supersede human capabilities without going beyond being human. But really, SHIELD agents don't seem like they're equipped to handle the enemies that make us love comics so much. [I could of course be mistaken, and SHIELD could have some low-grade heroes in it, but from what I've seen in movies and shows they're just highly-trained humans]

So what does that leave them? A bunch of B-list enemies, perhaps with the occasional mention of a bigger name that won't really affect the show much unless they're promoting an upcoming movie.

I hope I'm wrong, but I fear this will become a cross between the bad episodes of Smallville/Supernatural and the better episodes of CSI. I'm open minded, and I'm not just going to cross my arms and frown the whole time. Those are just the expectations I've set, and I hope AoS can exceed them.

With that being said, excuse me while I enjoy the first episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

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I guess I was on the right track. There's a conspiracy that will likely span the entire first season, there will probably be a "________-of-the-week" format; there's a good deal of wink wink, nudge nudge as they talk about the franchises that made this show possible; and the agents are just really good at what they do, using technology and skill rather than powers.

After episode one I'm willing to give it a few more weeks, but I don't know if it'll stick. The entire episode reminded me a kid who does something that adults find cute, and then keeps doing it until someone pats their head and says "Okay, that's enough now."

• The show has some humor, but at times it's so nonsensical or sarcastic that it seems like it came from a teen fiction writer. The actual jokes are also incredibly simple and broadcast before we get to the punchline- that's fine for Big Bang Theory, not so much here.
• They did a good job showing how SHIELD could be cool without the Avengers, but how many times do they need to have someone stop in the middle of what they're saying they've been immediately proven wrong?
• The main cast is varied and has the potential for any viewer to have their own favorite, while at the same time the characters just play a type. Colson is the lighthearted hopeful. The Black Widow-esque agent is the stoic, all-business tough guy. The two mad scientists are witty, but spend most of their screen time talking over one another without really saying much that adds to the scene. The hacker can do amazing things with limited resources, and like the female hacker in Arrow is plucky, sarcastic, and full of gumption.
  
  It's episode 1, and you can't get much character depth while introducing the entire cast and the show's premise. But with so many bodies on screen, none of which seem to be small players in the show, I wouldn't be surprised if the writers had to choose between having a bunch of shallow characters or shuffling a few of them to more supportive roles.
• We got a lot of fan service, but at the same time it felt so forced that it could be accused of name-dropping. It's obviously needed to let people know the timeline, as well as ease people from a blockbuster to a TV show. But if they don't allow themselves to break out of that shadow, all we'll have is something to fill the void between superhero films. 

Again, it's episode one of a show that has a lot of baggage attached to it. Setting itself up as a worthwhile successor to the Avengers while simultaneously needing to break away from it is no small order. Now that they've handled most of the foundational material I'm curious to see where the show goes. Will it just be filled with recruiting or eliminating the "freak-of-the-week" like every show out there, or will Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. be able to bring something refreshing to the bloated TV lineup for geeks around the world?  I guess we'll find out next week!

So what did you guys think? Apart from the Marvel license, does AoS look like it will keep your attention? Were you disappointed at all?

See you tomorrow!

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