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[Zen]

There isn't a reason to tune into next week. Everything is standalone. Nothing carries over. They've completely excised the necessary genre convention and it's the reason the show still has that "saturday afternoon '80s/'90s serial" feel to a large degree.

You can absolutely due a procedural, but in this genre, you need some sort of running thread in the background. The X-Files had the conspiracy. Alias had Rambaldi. SHIELD has...nothing.

That's not true at all, but they need to do a better job of highlighting the ongoing threads that they have established. In the first 8 episodes we have:

'The evil organization working on Extremis'
'The mystery of Sky's parents'
'What happened to Agent Coulson'
Honorable mention
'What happened to Asian lady in the past' - which verges on pure back story padding such as what we've learned about Agent Ward, but they've been playing it close to the vest enough to warrant mention

That's 3 mysteries and an ongoing antagonist plot. AoS needs to build up the external threats more, but they are there.

 

[angular graphics]

There isn't a reason to tune into next week. Everything is standalone. Nothing carries over. They've completely excised the necessary genre convention and it's the reason the show still has that "saturday afternoon '80s/'90s serial" feel to a large degree.

You can absolutely due a procedural, but in this genre, you need some sort of running thread in the background. The X-Files had the conspiracy. Alias had Rambaldi. SHIELD has...nothing.

It has the "Coulson was revived mysteriously" element which is in every single episode(?) since the pilot and has developed exactly 0% since then.

 

[kirblar]

It has the "Coulson was revived mysteriously" element which is in every single episode(?) since the pilot and has developed exactly 0% since then.

"We have an interest in Skye"

"Why her?"

"..."

 

[Zen]

It has the "Coulson was revived mysteriously" element which is in every single episode(?) since the pilot and has developed exactly 0% since then.

Not true, we've gotten hints all the time, if not actual progress, probably because once it's revealed well it's revealed. Hopefully they've planned out how to reveal it while also tying it into larger development s in the series that open up new narrative threads.

His heightened reflexes, energy levels, muscle memory, mental programming, mental state, and the level of the 'conspiracy' to keep it from him, these are all things that have been shown slowly over the 8 episodes.

Do they need to amp up the pace of these mysteries and do a better job at building momentum, sure, but it's completely incorrect to state that the show doesn't have any.

 

[angular graphics]

Not true, we've gotten hints all the time, if not actual progress, probably because once it's revealed well it's revealed.

His heightened reflexes, energy levels, muscle memory, mental programming, mental state, and the level of the 'conspiracy' to keep it from him, these are all things that have been shown slowly over the 8 episodes.

Do they need to amp up the pace of these mysteries and do a better job at building momentum, sure, but it's completely incorrect to state that the show doesn't have any.

I know. Like I said I think it's being brought up in every single episode, but like you said, with no actual progress.

 

[Zen]

Semantic walk backs aside, we've gotten more over the course of 8 episodes than we had after episode 1.

 

[angular graphics]

Sure, more.. of the same

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

That's not true at all, but they need to do a better job of highlighting the ongoing threads that they have established. In the first 8 episodes we have:

'The evil organization working on Extremis'
'The mystery of Sky's parents'
'What happened to Agent Coulson'
Honorable mention
'What happened to Asian lady in the past' - which verges on pure back story padding such as what we've learned about Agent Ward, but they've been playing it close to the vest enough to warrant mention

That's 3 mysteries and an ongoing antagonist plot. AoS needs to build up the external threats more, but they are there.

Yeah, AoS has it, but they have no consistency.

 

[kirblar]

Semantic walk backs aside, we've gotten more over the course of 8 episodes than we had after episode 1.

But it's not a narrative plot thread. It's a character one. The show has no narrative thrust. It's just spinning wheels. Going for "character" like it's a USA network show isn't going to work here.

 

[Caboose]

When is this show gonna stop being so boring? Stop with the procedural bullshit already, please.

 

[jb1234]

I know. Like I said I think it's being brought up in every single episode, but like you said, with no actual progress.

The show feels like the Anti-Arrow. Arrow would have dealt with these mysteries in just a couple of episodes and then moved on to the next mystery and plot arc. SHIELD is content to drag things out to the point where people just won't care anymore once they're resolved.

 

[Escape Goat]

Commander Riker directed this episode. Guess Joss reached out to his nerd idols. I hope Levar Burton gets a crack.

 

[strobogo]

What if the real story of the show is a meta story of the show progressively getting better and more interesting by having team mates bang it out?

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Commander Riker directed this episode. Guess Joss reached out to his nerd idols. I hope Levar Burton gets a crack.

Jonathan Frakes directs a LOT of television. I doubt this was less "oh, nerd brethren, come to me" and more "I have a check."

 

[Angelus Errare]

I'll say how I've felt since this show started. But I crush harder on Simmons than Skye.

And where the fuck is Ruth Negga!? She needs more screen time dammit!

 

[crimsonspider89]

Yo forgot the group from episode 4 and 3.

Remember the weird science plans and forced agents? The scientist who is profiting from the stuff SHIELD is trying to protect the world from? And of course, Graviton.

 

[Kai Dracon]

If the show is going to try and stick to its human scale, I would agree the super spy angle should be played up more. AIM, Hydra, or whoever should be emphasized more as a credible adversary for SHIELD. With the right framing, it could be made to seem as if the problems of Super Guys in suits having a punch-fest a few times a year is small potatoes compared to what SHIELD has to deal with day in and out.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

That whole Girl in the Flower Dress thing is probably coming back soon-ish, right?

Seriously, if you haven't yet - check out Warehouse 13. It's what this show is aspiring to be. Not that Warehouse 13 is GREAT television or anything, but it's essentially the ideal of what Agents of SHIELD is attempting.

 

[Hindle]

The writers really need to look at Lost when it comes to planting intriguing storylines. 8 episodes into the latter and we had hints of so many cool mysteries, these guys need to do the same.

 

[Blader]

Last ep was bad. This show is too inconsistent.

 

[Rafa=FedKilla]

The music in this show is awfully, it really is Saturday afternoon Beastmaster and Hercules fair....

 

[Toa TAK]

The music in this show is awfully, it really is Saturday afternoon Beastmaster and Hercules fair....

I'm pretty sure that's what McCreary was going for.

 

[Jay Shadow]

The writers really need to look at Lost when it comes to planting intriguing storylines. 8 episodes into the latter and we had hints of so many cool mysteries, these guys need to do the same.

That's the problem with most genre shows after Lost. All they focus on are the mysterious character pasts and forget to make the present interesting enough for the general public to stick around for. Which is why all these shows drop viewers like crazy the first few months before it levels out to what their real audience is gonna be.

 

[SquiddyCracker]

The norwegian guards were so awful.

 

[Rafa=FedKilla]

I'm pretty sure that's what McCreary was going for.

Yeah thats not really something to strive for....

 

[angular graphics]

The music in this show is awfully, it really is Saturday afternoon Beastmaster and Hercules fair....

Well.. that's something because I haven't even noticed the music for the most part. If you asked me if eg the latest episode had any I wouldn't be able to tell. I don't remember any of it.

 

[jb1234]

Yeah thats not really something to strive for....

He's just doing what the producers ask for. Blame them if you don't like the music (which has largely taken a backseat the last couple of episodes).

I admit to giggling during the one scene where the Norwegian dude was crying. Bad, bad acting.

 

[SquiddyCracker]

Mard is the superiour pairing.

Let's get tumblrish in here!

 

[RangersFan]

Terrible show, bout to axe it from my weekly watch list which is hard to do as I watch everything. Even the marel universe can't keep me watching anymore.

 

[Apoc29]

Ward was at the top of the well. He was the one with the rope who wanted to save the kid at the bottom of the well. This is why Ward feels it's his responsibility to keep everyone else safe. The incident at the well made him feel powerless. Powerless to save someone he was responsible for.

Seems like the most likely scenario is:
Kid in the Well = Ward's younger brother
Kid with the Rope = Ward
Larger kid telling kid with the rope "not yet" = Ward's older brother.

The kid with the rope was indeed Ward. Watching that scene back, the bigger kid says to him "Not yet, Grant."

It was my first reaction that the rope kid was Ward, but later on I thought it would have been more interesting for the bully to be Ward because you would have to be pretty hate-filled to want to leave a kid in a well; I didn't get a sense of hate from the rope kid, more of a sense of fear.

 

[saunderez]

Terrible show, bout to axe it from my weekly watch list which is hard to do as I watch everything. Even the marel universe can't keep me watching anymore.

Yeah I'm out too. Centering an episode around a movie I haven't seen is the last straw for me. The Avengers stuff was bad but the Thor 2 stuff was terrible.

 

[BlackNMild2k1]

Yeah I'm out too. Centering an episode around a movie I haven't seen is the last straw for me. The Avengers stuff was bad but the Thor 2 stuff was terrible.

The episode had almost nothing to do with the movie, regardless of them promoting it as a tie-in the movie. All this episode did was have it's most direct reference to an MCU movie by picking up right after the events of Thor 2, but not actually containing anything in it that carries over from the movie itself.

They better do more with the upcoming Capt. America: Winter Soldier episode.
they better lead up to the movie, have events that take place during the movie, and then carry on directly after the movie, forever effected by the fallout.

 

[strobogo]

The only thing that took me out of the episode was Daniel Romalotti Jr.

 

[SquiddyCracker]

This is a pretty terrible show.
I'm just watching it because of Tahiti.

 

[fallengorn]

they better lead up to the movie, have events that take place during the movie, and then carry on directly after the movie, forever effected by the fallout.

I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

[Cornballer]

- Collider Interview: Showrunners Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon Talk MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

 

[fallengorn]

TANCHAROEN: Luckily, we have Jeff Bell and Jeph Loeb, right alongside us.

That quote really inspires confidence.

 

[Showaddy]

That quote really inspires confidence.

Wow that explains an awful lot. Loeb is like a reverse King Midus, everything he touches turns to Shit.

 

[Weapxn]

Yeah I'm out too. Centering an episode around a movie I haven't seen is the last straw for me. The Avengers stuff was bad but the Thor 2 stuff was terrible.

There are plenty of valid complaints you can make about this show sucking, but that right there is some horse shit, dude. I haven't watched Thor 2 yet either, and I didn't feel like I had to. That was so loosely connected to the movie that a kindergartner could've watched it and understood it.

That quote really inspires confidence.

I'm giving this show a season. Regardless of how bad it gets, I'm going to power through. That quote is not a good sign though. Meh.

 

[SRG01]

Spoiler

With that last bit, I imagine The Scarlet Witch brought Coulson back to life (she does have a resurrection ability). Tahiti is a magical place.

Spoiler

They did say his girlfriend as a cellist... And Wanda is supposedly one too, right?

 

[Seigyoku]

Back in august. Ahoy

EDIT: Holy crap she's 49!

It was her birthday today (well yesterday now.) She's 50. I'd kill to look like that at 50. Heck, I'd commit some crimes to look like that now!

 

[Mariolee]

It was her birthday today (well yesterday now.) She's 50. I'd kill to look like that at 50. Heck, I'd commit some crimes to look like that now!

Make up is some crazy shit.

Even then though, that body is pretty smanging.

 

[adamsapple]

Ok so I saw Thor 2 and the "cross over" episode, and it's the worst cross over ever -_-

 

[Shadow780]

It was her birthday today (well yesterday now.) She's 50. I'd kill to look like that at 50. Heck, I'd commit some crimes to look like that now!

Susanna Hoffs is almost 55 and still look smashing. Some people are just lucky.

 

[Hours Left]

Wait, really?

That sucks. Maybe in the future AoS will be serialized?

Jeph Loeb hates serialization of Marvel shows. I cringe when I see his name in the credits.

 

[Mariolee]

So why does Jeph Loeb suck? Just because he hates serialization?

 

[Hours Left]

So why does Jeph Loeb suck? Just because he hates serialization?

Among other things, he's already taken previous successful Marvel shows and retooled them into the grave. He doesn't have the best record when it comes to these things.

 

[Emwitus]

Terrible show, bout to axe it from my weekly watch list which is hard to do as I watch everything. Even the marel universe can't keep me watching anymore.

what marvel univerese? Show runners act like it doesn't exist apart from name dropping.

Yeah I'm out too. Centering an episode around a movie I haven't seen is the last straw for me. The Avengers stuff was bad but the Thor 2 stuff was terrible.

It'd be nice if they actually did that.

 

[Zen]

That quote really inspires confidence.

Yeah........................................

 

[Toa TAK]

The norwegian guards were so awful.

I chuckled pretty hard during their scenes. At least we were entertained.

Yeah thats not really something to strive for....

I really dig the main theme, but beyond that, even his Walking Dead score pops out more than the music here.

Mard is the superiour pairing.

Let's get tumblrish in here!

How about this: Fitzsimmons!

Wow that explains an awful lot. Loeb is like a reverse King Midus, everything he touches turns to Shit.

I laughed really hard at this.

Jeph Loeb hates serialization of Marvel shows. I cringe when I see his name in the credits.

Sucks. Why is it that it seems we're always stuck with him?