Repairing a Broken Shield - Review of Agents of SHIELD S1E1-2

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D had a rough start last year when it first premiered. Loose story lines, a lack of vision and some questionable directions. When I first started watching I was waiting with bated breath for the moment when they were crossing over with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that would didn't quite happen to the extend I had hoped for...at first. But something else happened, the chemestry between the main cast grew, the seemingly insignificant plotlines all lined up, and the season finally ended on such a high-note, that I almost forgot my first disappointment. The clean-up episode following Thor: The Dark World didn't feel too connected with the MCU, but when the final 3 episode hit, and the twist from Captain America: The Winter Soldier (where it was revealed that S.H.I.E.L.D for years had been infiltrated by Hydra) it all tied in with the show so nicely! And it was a finally with an impact, not everybody made it out unscathed, and just as shown in Captain America, S.H.I.E.L.D was dismantled.
But by the end Coulson was apporach by Nick Fury, who by the public is presumed dead, to take over as director to rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D. And after that happened, we were left with a cryptic message that Coulson wrote on the wall, guided by some unknown entity - maybe linked to his revival after the Avengers incident with Loki.

I have included both episode 1 and 2 into my review as it can easily be watched as one cohesive episode. Let's get cracking!

It is clear that we're dealing with a different kind of S.H.I.E.L.D this season, even from the start. Under Coulson's leadership, they have recruited mercenaries to expand their small roster, one of them being an ex-agent. We also see a more capable Skye, who allegedly have been trained by agent May. This was very pleasing to me, as I did find Skye's character in the last season to be a bit underwhelming. She is this genius hacker, but when the team concist of two young, brilliant science prodegies (Fitz and Simmons), her position were often reduced to damsel in distress. This time around, she has gained some character. Speaking of  Fitz and Simmons, after their escape from death in last season's finally, Fitz have not been the same. His train of thought gets shifted, he forgets words, and worst of all, he talks to himself thinking that he is talking to Simmons, who in reality had left the team after seeing what has happened to Fitz. This is truely the biggest casualty the team has suffered, as they are now without their dream science team.
I did find it curious that they're keeping Ward locked up at their base, and she only wants to talk with Skye. The whole situation could take an unfortunate turn, as I don't want them to forgive him for selling them out to Hydra, but they might have sowed the seeds for a potential redemption of his character - but they have to be cautious, as they might become cheesy if not handled correctly.

It was really pleasing the way they handled the introduction of Carl Creel, also known as Absorbing Man from the comics. His unique powers translated well over to television, and him working for Hydra despite them being in hiding shows that they are still very much a threat. Knowing that he was the only person able to handling the Obelisk, showcases Hydras level of intelligence, and makes them that much more threatening to Coulson and his team. This also translates into a better overall story arc from the beginning, in contrast to last season.

I found the addition of the mercanaries to be a bold, yet rewarding choice for the show. Especially the character of Lance Hunter, a former operative for the Special Air Services, as we don't really know where his allegiance lies within the first two episodes. We don't know whether or not he is going to sell out Coulson to Brigadier General Talbot, who is on the hunt for any remnants of S.H.I.E.L.D. In the end he joins up with the team, and I believe we will see some great new interactions.

There was almost no complains for me to be had for the first two episodes, not anything that hasn't been wrong with the show before. What I'm referring to is the sometimes abysmal CGI effects, where I almost cringe. This is especially true when they're using any of their hightech airplanes. And it is really bafflling to me how they can make a guy like Absorbing Man look so good, but still has a hard time with their airplanes - oh well.

Of Course it wouldn't really be Marvel without a little nod to long time fans in form of easter-eggs as well as hints to the Marvel Universe. This time they used the opening of the first episode as a short introduction to Agent Carter (an upcoming Marvel show set at the end of World War II, with familiar characters from Captain America: The First Avengers), who is seen apprehending Dr. Daniel
Whitehall of Hydra and reclaimed the Obelisk from them.
And that all worked wonderfully when we find out in the second episode, that Whitehall is somehow still alive decades after the end of World War II.

As this wasn't enough, we also see Raina again, who is now working under some unknown assailant. She knew about Creel's possesion of the Obelisk and even manages to double-play both the new S.H.I.E.L.D and Hydra. And for some reason, her new boss is strangely interested in getting his hands on Skye.



It seems that we now have a three-way struggle at play only after two episodes, and I can't wait to see where this will take us. I am a little reluctant because of the fact, that the next movie in the MCU is Avengers 2: Age of Ultron, so I doubt we will see much crossover from the movies, but I am hopeful!