After the blockbuster success of The Avengers, Marvel finally had enough clout to pursue the next phase of their conquest of multimedia programming. A few months after the release of The Avengers, it was announced that Marvel would be developing an hour-long TV series about S.H.I.E.L.D. for prime time on ABC (thanks to that Disney synergy). The series would be intrinsically connected to the film franchises, teasing and recalling events in the MCU, a first for American television. Joss Whedon, with his decades of TV experience, signed on to help develop the series with his long-time partners: Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tanchareon. Now, they had a man with experience working inside the MCU. They needed a hook that could ensure audiences that this belonged in the same universe.
After Phil Coulson's meaningful death in The Avengers, petitions sprung up immediately to revive everyone's favorite S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. People come back to life all the time in the comics, so what was wrong with bringing back the dead in the movies too? This idea clearly tickled the showrunners, and they reached out to Clark Gregg to reprise his role. Although he never expected to return to the MCU, Gregg accepted and the show had its lead. Surrounded by new faces like Chloe Bennett and Brett Dalton and established stars like Ming-Na Wen, Clark Gregg was the face of the MCU's first foray into television: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The show has never been a ratings darling outside of its pilot episode, but its core fanbase has kept the show running for over five years and 100 episodes (and counting).
This time, we're going to go over the show's pilot episode, and delve into a very brief overview of the show's progression and evolution. I have seen every episode because this is one of the few American shows I make an attempt to watch on a weekly basis, so I've been there every step of the way. From its extremely-hyped premiere to its more somber direction the most recent episodes have taken, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has rewarded both fans of the show itself and fans of the MCU time and time again. And it wouldn't be possible if it wasn't lifted by a strong cast, engaging stories and teases of what to expect from the MCU.
The pilot episode, co-written and directed by Joss Whedon, starts off pretty rough. It uses an opening montage narrated by "Skye" to firmly establish that this will take place in the MCU while cleverly not showing us any actors' faces from the movies (because that costs lots of money). The dialogue is try-hard hacktivist bullcrap, which kinda fits Skye's demeanor, but it doesn't make her very likable from the start. After a daring rescue by a down-on-his-luck father named Mike Peterson who seems to possess superpowers, our attention shifts to Agent Grant Ward. After a pretty nondescript action sequence, he meets with Maria Hill (played once again by Cobie Smulders from The Avengers) who then informs him that Agent Coulson is alive. This leads to a classic reveal where Coulson returns dramatically, only to be undercut by a Whedonism regarding just how dramatic that scene was.
That's probably the main issue with this first episode. While The Avengers did have its fair share of quips, they were few and far between. Here, the quips are concentrated, as if almost every scene needs a gag or some sort of subversion. While the show has kept this style of humor through its whole run, it has since died down since the first half of season one thanks to a story with a stronger focus and characters that become steadily more realized.
Anyways, the show quickly introduces the rest of its lead cast, sprinkled with hints of their past. We learn that Melinda May is reluctant to take on ground missions because of a tragic past despite her legendary reputation. Fitz and Simmons are introduced together as the over-excited nerds who can't seem to separate from one another. Ward has troubled family history. Skye hints that she is running from her past. Finally, Hill and a S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist hint that there is more to Coulson's death than Nick Fury simply faking it. These all the groundwork for the multiple stories to follow as the first season deals extensively with unraveling the mystery behind Coulson's rebirth, as well as Ward's true identity. Skye and May's backstories would be explored in later seasons with satisfying answers.
As for the rest of the pilot, the team is gathered and learns that Mike Peterson is actually an experiment by a group combining elements of the super soldier serum, Extremis, gamma radiation, and Chitauri tech to create super soldiers of their own, usually with disastrous results. This brings the show to its climax where the main driving force of the show is spelled out for us: this is the show about the normal people. In a world inhabited by superheroes, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s mission is to tell a story about the people without superpowers trying to deal with a changing world post alien invasion. As Joss Whedon once said in an interview, what made Coulson so popular was that he was an everyman, a normal bureaucrat caught up in dealing with larger than life personas like Iron Man and Thor. Yet he never loses his cool or loses track of who he is. Mike Peterson is the everyman crapped on by a cruel, unforgiving world, and he will do anything to be better than who he already is. This is a pretty nifty theme for the show to take on and has somehow been the core of the show through its five-season run, even as crazier elements like more aliens, Inhumans, alternate realities, and time travel have been introduced.
The pilot episode ends with the team firmly in place. Skye has temporarily found a place to belong, and Coulson shows her what his precious car, Lola, can do (a trick that is not used nearly often enough in the show). Overall, it's a solid pilot, certainly better than the next few episodes. It has solid writing, places itself firmly in the universe, establishes its characters quickly and effectively (though not with much likability), and features impressive effects for a primetime series, though the latter will always be one of this show's strengths.
After this pilot, the first season would be bombarded with cameos and guest-starring appearances from Samuel L. Jackson, Maximilliano Hernandez, Jaimie Alexander, etc. It would also feature a weak tie-in with the next MCU film, Thor: The Dark World. But this nods to the MCU would ultimately be the show's biggest weakness: its adherence to the MCU itself. These cute Easter eggs add a level for fanboys, but it gives the show an inconsequential feel since it can never directly affect the movies thanks to the drastically different production schedules. The show has since grown into its own thing, and while this does make it feel somewhat divorced from the MCU at large, it has allowed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to thrive as its own entity.
The show has chugged on with most of its original cast, making a few adjustments here and there. After Captain America: The Winter Soldier revealed that Hydra had infiltrated the US government, including S.H.I.E.L.D., this completely changed the course of the show which had been mostly spinning its wheels beforehand with inconsequential plots vaguely connected to the rest of the MCU, yet still managed a decent job of building our characters for what was to come. In the classic episode "Turn, Turn, Turn", Hydra makes its presence known and S.H.I.E.L.D. crumbles beneath our team. One of the Hydra sleeper agents turns out to be Ward's mentor, played by Bill Paxton, and not only that, Ward is a Hydra agent as well!
This HUGE revelation knocked the socks off of many, and shattered the happy-go-lucky tone of the first several episodes. The show has never looked back from this, delving into much darker territory with each new season. Since Ward's reveal, the show got a whole hell of a lot gorier (thanks to its later timeslots) and delved into grimmer territory with scarier villains like Hive and Aida. We learn that Coulson's resurrection was not pretty, in fact it was pretty horrifying. Even the cinematography has reflected the change; just compare any shot from the pilot to any shot from one of the newest episodes and you'll see that the color has been virtually drained. I'm not sure this is a good thing since it's often on the verge of joyless, but the writing has become significantly sharper since the often cringey first few episodes.
The writers have put a ton of work into making the show work over its run, namely by somehow turning these once one-note characters into really lovable heroes. Skye's transformation from try-hard, duplicitous hacktivist into a strong soldier has been gradual and rewarding, helped immensely by Chloe Bennett's growing acting skills. Fitz and Simmons once started out as insufferable ramblers, but now they're one of the most beloved pairs on TV, with both Iain De Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge becoming THE best actors on the show. Ward, though not a hero, was saved by his heel turn, giving Brett Dalton way more to do than just be sexy and muscular. May has retained her kick-ass personality, finally moving past her regrets and accepting her role as the warrior of the team. Other main cast members have come and gone as well, including Lance Hunter, Bobbi Morse/Mockingbird, Alphonzo "Mack" MacKenzie, and Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez. All of these cast members have had a valuable impact on the show, adding unique dynamics that keep the show fresh and exciting for loyal viewers like myself.
If I had to pick a favorite season, I'd be split between two or four. Season two introduced several fantastic elements into the show; including exploring Skye's past and revealing that she is in fact Daisy Johnson/Quake from the comics, the introduction of the Inhumans into the MCU, and more fantastic characterization for Ward, turning him into one of the MCU's best villains ever. However, season four introduced the MCU's freaking awesome version of Ghost Rider, and featured a fantastic story arc that was a direct and absolutely not subtle commentary of the Trump administration. Season one is held back by a weak start that's far too low-stakes despite an amazing second half. Season three starts off strong and has some highlight episodes, but ultimately drags and has a weak finish. Finally, season five started off weak as well, but it's really found its legs in the most recent episodes (episode 100 is easily one of the best episodes of the show).
Unfortunately, I have every reason to believe Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is in its last season. Ratings have dropped to all-time low numbers this past season with no signs of improving, not helped by ABC putting the series in a death-slot on Friday nights and following up the disastrous Inhumans series (again...we'll get to that). But it's hard to complain. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has enjoyed a long, successful run with millions of devoted fans who crave every new episode. However, the show has basically run its course by this point. They've been to space AND the future. They've thwarted alien invasions. They've almost completely stomped out Hydra. If the show goes on any longer, I have no doubt the writers will run out of ideas. So hopefully when the season ends this May, the writers will have enough sense to let the show end on a high note. No forced cliffhangers, please. Let's not pull an Agent Carter (grr...).
However, Coulson will continue to live on even if Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. comes to a close. It was recently announced that Clark Gregg will finally return to the MCU movies in Captain Marvel, albeit in flashback. Still, this opens the door for Coulson's surefire return. After all, this five-season show can't just be simply ignored by the rest of the MCU. For many like myself, it has been a huge part of what has made us loyal for so long. It is a show that has grown and evolved precipitously, guided by a cast and crew that clearly have become a family, much like the characters within the show. If Avengers 4 wants to throw a nod to the show, that would be...kinda nice.
So if you started watching the show but quit due to its weak start, please give it another chance. It has become one of the most consistent superhero shows on television, and that includes Marvel's Netflix output. It's a commitment, but it is a commitment that continues to be worth it week after week.
Next time, we'll be returning to the movies with the most widely disliked MCU film. But I don't think it's THAT bad (Note: I wrote this before rewatching it. Fingers crossed I won't have egg in my face). We'll see if the Mighty Avenger will ever catch a break.
Next time: Thor: The Dark World
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