Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Non-review Review - S1E5 "Girl In The Flower Dress"

Intro

Tonight's episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. brought out the big guns in terms of special effects and...and...I can't do this. I just can't.

I tried. I really tried. But Whedon dedication can only go so far.

This will be what I'm designating a "Non-review Review."

When Joss Whedon's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiered, I came to its defense. When everyone else was pointing out plot holes and sub-par acting, I found things in the details to admire and use as inspiration for the hope of eventual improvement in future episodes. "Give it time" I said. "It's not about substance, it's about style."

I am an ardent admirer of Whedon's previous efforts. Have watched all episodes of Firefly and the film Serenity (2005) countless times. I enjoyed Buffy the Vampire Slayer for I knew what it was intended to be: lighthearted fun. And The Avengers (2012)? One of the best super hero films ever made, with the last forty five minutes possibly being the most epic CGI-driven battle scene ever.

But Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.?

All the elements which I've come to admire in previous efforts by Joss Whedon are missing:

1) Acting that pays particular attention to subtlety, even in the face of cheesy dialogue.

2) Consistently strong, witty, dry humor.

3) The occasional moments of drama that carry actual weight.

That's not happening with AoS.

After five episodes, the only actor that is deserving of a SAG card seems to be Clark Gregg who plays Coulson. The rest seem to merely be caricatures, with the seeming inability to convey nuanced emotions.

But enough of that. I'm not a fan of negative reviews.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns in two weeks. I may or may not with my reviews.

In the mean time, here are some things that are much cooler than tonight's episode:

1) A gif of Spock petting a cat.

2) Video of Bruce Willis jumping of the top off a skyscraper while it explodes.

3) A picture of a monkey expressing sadness and joy....simultaneously.

4) Video of Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman.

5) A killer rabbit.

6) Hulk trouncing Loki.

And since we started out with a gif of Spock, let's close with one of him. And Captain Kirk. DJ'ing a rave.

Stephen Sumner is the science fiction columnist for Action A Go Go. His favorite sci-fi series include Firefly, Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek. He can be followed on Twitter at Sumner@vierlights or on the Tumblr machine at NX01Sumner.

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Review S1/E4 "Eye Spy"

Coulson for president in 2016!

Intro

Since the first episode, have been actively promoting Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. amongst friends, family and associates. Many seemed to be down on it and when I asked why, the key culprit seemed to be expectations that people held.

People were expecting the next Lost or 24. They were expecting intensity carried by drama-driven scripts.

However, as a fan of Joss Whedon, particularly his show Firefly, I felt like I understood what AoS was intended to be: light, action packed and funny.

But after tonight's episode, it seems I was a victim of my own expectations.

What Happened?

Diamonds are being stolen across Europe. Coulson decides to pursue the case, not because he was directed to by S.H.I.E.L.D., but because he believes he has a personal stake in the matter. And he's right.

The jewel thief is a former trainee of his thought lost on an mission a few years back. She was listed as a casualty, but no remains were ever found.

Coulson and the rest of the agents track her down only to discover she's been stealing the diamonds in order to raise enough capital to buy herself a way into a secret European laboratory. But her actions are not of her own free will.

After the op from a few years back, she was taken prisoner by an unknown agency, and was fixed up with an eye that can send images, view things through the X-ray spectrum, and receive typed communications. Another nifty aspect is that it's also equipped with a device that can kill her if she does not follow the commands given. Who's giving her the mission instructions? She does not know. She only knows to follow them or die.

In the end, the agents save her, and realize the goal of breaking into the secret laboratory wasn't to kill someone or steal an object; it was simply to record data written on a white board. The bad guys didn't get the data, but Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. did. Fitz/Simmons are unable to identify what it's a formula for. The best guess? It's alien!

These guys are getting on the train? I believe this is my stop.

Alphas

 - The opening sequence, involving dozens of identically dressed men, all outfitted with matching suitcases and red masks, began things with some intensity. Who are they? What are they up to? What's in the suitcases? What is going to blow up?

- Ming-Na Wen as Melinda May got a little more screen time than she has in previous episodes. In last week's show, she stated she wanted to step up and get back into combat. That came to fruition this week in a most excellent fight scene in a hotel room with Coulson's former protege. Lightning fast editing and creative use of thermal-imaging made it a true scene of awesomeness.

- This may be an over-generalization, but I gained joy from the simple fact that a character like Coulson is a major player on a prime time show this season. We live in a day and age where anti-heroes reign supreme, and many shows are simply vehicles to see how deep into darkness characters can go (**cough**gameofthrones**cough.) Having Coulson as the primary character, a genuine good guy intent on honor, compassion, reason and loyalty, is a factor for which I'm appreciative every week.

 - Bret Dalton as Grant was in his element during the escape from the secret lab. The entire sequence was well crafted.

0.23 seconds after a knife is thrown at her. Yes. She is awesome.

Deltas

 - The show attempted to take on a more serious tone this week much to its detriment. The first three episodes seemed to want to establish that it's not meant to be seen on the same plane as Battlestar Galactica or Lost. To speak in Whedon-esque terms, on the spectrum between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly, AoS was leaning more towards the former: fun, funny and action packed. The intensity of the opening scene was excellent, but was never recaptured during the rest of the episode.

 - In line with the above Delta, there was a focus in this episode between Coulson and Skye. He carried his weight in the delivery of lines, however, from my perspective, she did not. Chloe Bennet is certainly pleasing to the eye, but her skills as an actress would be better suited for a show like General Hospital. (Is there any way we could restart the season, but this time casting Nicole Beharie of Sleepy Hollow as Skye? She's probably the best actress on TV this fall and deftly handles cheesy dialogue.)

 - Excellent actors have been chosen for minor/supporting characters...up until this episode. The actress who played the jewel thief had only one facial expression throughout: "Look angry". Subtlety was not her strong point, but one that was very much needed.

Dialogue of Awesomeness!!!

Skye: If you think this woman deserves a second chance, we should give it to her. Even though she tried to kill me and I kind of hate her guts.

Action A Go Go or Action A No No?

Since it began airing, AoS has been about style over substance, wit over drama. The creators of the show attempted to take a more serious route with this episode, which although admirable, was ill-conceived. At the center of it all were two actresses that couldn't carry the weight. It receives...

Two out of five Arnolds!

Stephen Sumner is the science fiction columnist for Action A Go Go. His favorite sci-fi series include Firefly, Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek. He can be followed on Twitter at Sumner@vierlights or on the Tumblr machine at NX01Sumner.

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Star Chloe Bennet Running Down Stairs. That Is All.

For some moments, there are no words.

However, I will simply state that if there were a gif Hall of Fame, this would be in it.

You're welcome.

If you'd like to check out a review of the latest episode of Joss Whedon's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which includes the new feature Dialogue of Awesomeness! just click here: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Review S1/E3.

Stephen Sumner is the science fiction columnist for Action A Go Go. His favorite sci-fi series include Firefly, Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek. He can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/VierLights or on the Tumblr machine at http://vierlights.tumblr.com/.

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Review S1/E3 (Spoilers!)

Style over substance? I'm ok with that. If you want substance, PBS is airing Shakespeare this month.

Intro

Have been given the green light to cover Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for Action A Go Go. Just wanted to take a few moments to show where I'm coming from. For after all, expectations are important.

Let's face it. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is not about substance. It's about style. It's about moments that make you go "Whoa...that was awesome." It's about cool dialogue. It's about characters that are easy on the eyes. It's about the occasional teaser arising from the rest of the Marvel universe. And perhaps most importantly, its about the occasional laugh.

My coverage of the series will not be an in-depth analysis of the impact of modern popular archetypes and how they convey meaning while exposing the collective conscience of early 21st century Western culture.

I watch the show to defrag. Hopefully, I can help you do the same.

The structure of this, and all future reviews will be the same: What Happened?, Alphas (the good), Deltas (the not so good), Dialogue of Awesomeness! and Final Verdict.

Let's begin, shall we?

What Happened?

A S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist named Franklin Hall gets kidnapped. Agent Coulson and the rest of the crew are responsible for finding and rescuing him.

Turns out the kidnapper is a billionaire named Ian Quinn who is intent on using a rare element called gravitonium to create a machine that affects gravity in ways that would have major global ramifications.

Upon discovering his secret lair in Malta, the agents are at a loss for what action to take, for fear of breaking international law.

Through her hacking skills and anti-establishment CV, Skye gets herself invited to Quinn's compound for a party intended for investors.

Turns out, Hall was friends with the Quinn in college where they'd discussed creating the very machine the billionaire is on the verge of finishing. He just kidnapped Frank for final touches.

The gravitonium generator. Nice!

With Skye's help from the inside, Coulson and Grant break through the island's defenses and reach the scientist...who doesn't want to be rescued. He devised the plan to be kidnapped so that he could destroy the machine, with the intent of sacrificing himself (and anyone else on the island) in the process. He didn't ask S.H.I.E.L.D. for help at the start, for he was just as fearful of a government agency getting their hands on it as he was of Quinn using it for nefarious means.

With the device activated, the billionaire escapes via helicopter. Coulson shuts it down by using gravity to suck Hall into the machine and therefore short circuiting it. The day is saved.

Although, is it? Am certain Quinn will show up again.

And the device? Hidden away in a S.H.I.E.L.D. vault. With the last fleeting image from the show being that of a fluidic, silver, CGI rendered hand arising from the machine.

See the hand? Mwahahahaha!

Alphas

1) First, the truck driver with the handle "Big Boy." A minor character, but...he had character! Only on screen a few seconds and I was already thinking to myself,"This guy? This guy's alright." Add to that element the fact that within the first minute of the show we unexpectedly see a huge, dark SUV flung through the air by some unseen force? And then another? And then an eighteen wheeler? A good start. A very good start.

Airborne heavy motor vehicles in the opening scene? Thank you Mr. Whedon!

2) The kidnapped scientist? Again, Whedon is doing an excellent job with picking actors for the minor characters. Just think "Anthony Hopkins gone geek."

3) Fitz/Simmons continue with the light, brief, geeky scientist awesomeness. Half the time their terminology is gibberish, but it's a fun exercise picking out the real science. Fitz is cool, but Simmons? In my mind, a doppelganger for Keira Knightley. This is a good thing.

4) Am fairly confident this episode settled quite clearly that Skye isn't going to be an "X" factor throughout the season regarding whether she's with S.H.I.E.L.D. 100% and not a double agent working for the bad guys. Glad to see she's aboard for real.

5) Melinda stepped up and clearly put forth that she wants to get in on the combat, counteracting previous episodes where she said she wanted to avoid fighting. This is awesome. Her countenance suggests that there's serious potential for Action A Go Go levels of coolness and I was dreading the possibility that they'd play the "I hate violence, but get sucked into it any way" card for the rest of the season. Let loose the dogs of war...and Melinda!

6) After the gravitonium generator is turned on, and just seconds before a commercial break, Coulson utters the words,"Something tells me that wasn't the off button..." and then suddenly gets pulled by gravitational force to the right. A brief moment, but the kind that adds humor to the show. And much welcomed in a world where people and shows take themselves a bit too seriously.

Deltas

1) There was a sub-plot between Grant and Skye where the former reveals having had a rough childhood. I think he handled it well, considering how melodramatic it was (even for Whedon.) I can write an entire article on the skilled craftsmanship of the show in general (and I probably will), however, the one weak link would be Chloe Bennet as Skye. Yes, a fine, firm, feminine form. But during the more subtle scenes such as this, I could hear the director off stage whispering,"Act...act!"

Her thespian skills may be lacking, but she can run. Very well.

Dialogue of Awesomeness!

Melinda: Without a man inside it's impossible, unless you're immune to pulse laser emissions.
Fitz: If we had a monkey, we could get in.
~
Grant: She's holding back sir. She says she wants to be an agent, but she won't commit. She doesn't listen. She makes jokes.
Coulson: Were you hard on her?
Grant: Sure. I tried playing nice too. I need a new strategy.
Coulson: Try no strategy. Stop thinking like an operative, start thinking like a person.
~
Coulson: (under heavy gunfire) We need a reset here Fitz...(more gunfire)...Fitz!
Simmons: Saying his name repeatedly does not increase productivity!

Final Verdict

Fast paced. Fun. Shiny special effects. Digging deeper into the character's backgrounds. Some questions answered.This week's episode gets...

3 out of 5 Arnolds!

Am tempted to go with 4 out of 5, but the season is still young, and am expecting awesomeness levels to increase as the weeks progress. See you next week!  

Stephen Sumner is the science fiction columnist for Action A Go Go. His favorite sci-fi series include Firefly, Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek. He can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/VierLights or on the Tumblr machine at http://vierlights.tumblr.com/. 

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