I got to admit that the trailer didn't grab me when it first
aired years back but curiosity eventually got the better of me lately and
decided to finally take a look. I'm not a hardcore MCU fan but I've watched my
share of MCU movies and Marvel Comics here and there. This will my review of
the first Season of the show. Also minor spoilers as usual.
The show follows a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents on
several dangerous cases revolving around Project Centipede and a
certain dead agents resurrection. The first season takes place after the
Avengers (2012) film. The show acknowledges the MCU as terms and characters
from the MCU itself made appearances every now and then and footages from the MCU
movies are used as well.
Plotwise the show is surprisingly good specially if you have
been keeping touch with the MCU Films. The enjoyment of the series stems on the
viewers knowledge of the MCU as the more your familiar with the Marvel films
the more you will most likely enjoy the series. The show does however gives
enough hint so folks new to the MCU will have enough knowledge of what is going
on. Then again who doesn't know about these things by now.
One thing that I like about the show is its pacing. The show
is partly episodic but drops hints and sub plots along the way that things that
was teased at an earlier episode comes full bloom and becomes relevant in a
later episode. The show plays like a comic strip that each episode are linked
with each episode wanting the viewers to know more. The whole cloak and dagger
was done right that you basically have trouble who to trust as loyalties and
agenda changes a lot in this. They build up on one another that when you get to
the episode Turn Turn Turn you will feel like your head just went into a
blender. And that's one of the shows strong points.
Character wise a lot of the character are pretty much the
cliche archetype with each falling into the typical category of No none sense
leader, computer expert, chemical expert, the super agent category and the
likes. Its cheesy but it works as the show develops each character as the
series progresses and leaves enough back story and personality that you end up
caring for a lot of them. Same goes for the villains as they aren't just evil
they are evil for a reason. Something very few series and movies get right.
Visually the show is the typical spy vs spy espionage visual
with a little bit of superhero/super villain spin. Pretty much the standard MCU
visual but with a tone down tv series budget. Most of the scene are done inside
a modified Boeing C-17 plane designed by visual effects company FuseFX as the
aircraft serve as the Agents flying base done via CGI.
Oddly with all the praises the show isn't without its
drawbacks as some of the characters relationship didn't work for me specially
the ones around the Agents core science and tech specialist Fitz and Simmons. The
show didn't give it enough time to develop it so by the end of the show I feel
the least impact from it. Then again there are already a ton of crazy stuff
going on the show as it is. Still this is the first Season and this got one of
the best villains in a series I've seen in a while so I'll forgive them for
that.
As a whole Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
is a highly fun and entertaining series for any MCU fan. if you like a spy
drama with a heavy hint of superhero mumbo jumbo then this is a series
that you should give a try. It is a safe bet though that the more you know
about the MCU movies the more you will enjoy and understand the series but even
folks with little knowledge of the MCU films but love a good spy vs spy theme action
drama will love this as well. Its certified recommendation if your any of the
above mentioned.
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