Marvel hit the movie scene with an ambitious plan, to create a series of movies in a shared universe that would ultimately culminate in one of the highest grossing movies of all time: The Avengers. Following the success of the movies ABC has taken to the small screen to continue it’s vision. While a show like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t fit the typical ABC formula, being owned by Disney, this isn’t something ABC could let go to any other network.
With the pedigree behind this show, from Joss Whedon to the connected Marvel universe, to a wealth of source material to draw from, I came in optimistic but cautious. Right away I was a little put off by the look of the show. Maybe it’s because we’re used to seeing S.H.I.E.L.D. on the movie screen and now we’re seeing a much smaller budget, but with shows like Breaking Bad and the Walking Dead having such a unique look it’s hard to give S.H.I.E.L.D. a pass on the “television” look of the show. That’s not saying that they spared on the budget. There are plenty of special effects throughout the pilot as well as a few choreographed fight scenes. Right away we are thrust into a mission as agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton) is tracking down a piece of interesting tech.
*Spoilers ahead*
Speaking of tech, there are plenty of subtle nods to the Marvel universe at large. The tech that Ward tracks down is a piece of Chitauri technology and that is just the beginning. Extremis, gamma radiation, “unknown” organizations, as well as a few super heroes are all mentioned. Some are even a large part of this episode. We can only hope that the Marvel universe will continue to be deeply tied into what is happening with the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
Speaking of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) makes his triumphant return though there are almost immediately hints that not all is what it seems. Coulson however is still full of charm and provides plenty of laughs. Cobie Smulders reprises her role as Maria Hill, though it’s unclear how often she will show up due to the final season of How I Met Your Mother. Other agents include the mysterious Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), who gets picked out from behind a desk but gives us a glimpse of her ability to kick ass. Leo Fitz (Lain De Caestecker) and Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) fill the role of accent sporting, bantering, scientists. Finally Skye (Chloe Bennet) fills the attractive newly recruited hacker.
The pilot shows a lot of promise and with Joss Whedon behind the wheel there is great expectations. The pilot already shows that S.H.I.E.L.D. knows it’s audience is filled with fans that know the deeper Marvel universe. The series tease showed what looked like even more big budget moments to come. The case of the week formula should keep Marvel, Avengers, and newcomers alike interested for the foreseeable future.
This is definitely a show to keep your eye on, anyone else watch the pilot? What were your thoughts? Sound off in the comments below!
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