John Orquiola
Scrapple
Level: 132
   
Posts: 4402/4479
EXP: 26731530
For next: 400474
Since: 28.2.02
From: Boston
Since last post: 3449 days
Last activity: 3449 days
|  #1 Posted on 6.11.13 0653.13
Reposted on: 6.11.20 0653.22 | "F.Z.Z.T." (besides upping the ante on making the recapper type even more capital letters with periods) introduces two welcome items into Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: a Chitauri helmet left over from The Avengers and, more importantly, the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. cast's acting shoes. They all wore their acting shoes this week, delivering a series' best-thus-far apex of dramatic performances and emotional gut punches. Perhaps recognizing, six episodes in, that the audience may not feel much more than a certain weary fondness for the brainy combo of Fitz-Simmons, "F.Z.Z.T." introduces the possibility of losing Simmons this early in the run. We don't lose her, of course, because Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't that kind of show about spies (like, say, Homeland is.) Even for a jet setting crew of young superspies facing unheard of dangers in a world were superpowers and aliens exist, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. maintains a level of safety, to the chagrin of some of us who want more risk. Risk! Risk is their business! But in exploring the steely core of heroism buried within the cheery, chatty Agent Jemma Simmons, we do end up liking her more, even as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. performs contortions of logic and believability to make it so.
The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. investigate a series of bizarre circumstances involving a dead scout leader floating in mid-air emitting tendrils of electricity. Skye and Fitz-Simmons are correct: this is kind of cool. The show introduces this in a spooky opening but then gradually abandons the horror angle as the Agents discover another floating body in a barn. Skye's investigative work reveals a connection: both victims are firefighters and were first responders after the Battle of New York. A trip to the fire house concludes the investigation upon meeting a nervous third firefighter also about to blow (what is it with this show and people who are going to explode - first Extremis and now this?) and learning the firefighters are in possession of a Chitauri helmet, a souvenir from New York. The helmet comes complete with an alien virus that infected the firefighters.
Coulson has S.H.I.E.L.D quarantine the helmet and The Bus flies it back to The Sandbox, a S.H.I.E.L.D biohazard containment facility in West Africa, but they soon learn that Simmons has contracted the alien virus when things start floating in their lab. She has two hours to live. Also, when she explodes in two hours, she'll destroy The Bus and kill everyone on board. So of course, much of that time is wasted with her sitting forlornly against the glass of the containment wall back to back with Fitz. But this is all right, she's young and only human dealing with her circumstances. It's drama. But what is not all right is how, in a circumstance where your best friend is dying, Fitz did not at any point press his palm against the glass so Simmons can match it, nor did Fitz-Simmons have The Conversation You Absolutely Must Have When Your Best Friend Is Sealed Off From You In A Biohazard Quarantine And About To Sacrifice His/Her Life. That conversation begins with, "Ship... out of danger?" Fitz-Simmons' running joke of his saying "vaccine" and her correcting him with "antigen" probably won't be aped in a J.J. Abrams movie in reverse thirty years from now.
As the other Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. cope with the possibility of losing Simmons and dying themselves, and the terrible option of preventing the second thing from happening, Coulson video conferences with a new bigwig from S.H.I.E.L.D. we meet for the first time: Agent Blake (please let his first name be Donald) played by Titus Welliver! Awesome to see Titus Welliver, although, while S.H.I.E.L.D. certainly is a giant organization, between Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Agent Blake, and whomever Robert Redford plays in the upcoming Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a little clarification on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top brass and who outranks whom would be welcome at some point. Agent Blake informs Coulson of orders: if Simmons' is about to blow, he's to dump her in the ocean and save The Bus. Logical. Coulson pretends the equipment doesn't work, a move straight from Spock's Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country playbook, and ignores orders in a completely irrational move that justifiably earns a frown and glare from Melinda May.
Meanwhile, Fitz-Simmons realize the obvious solution: that the Chitauri who wore the helmet is immune from the virus and a vaccine/antigen can be manufactured - in minutes! - from its DNA residue. Fitz risks his own life by entering the quarantined lab and helping create the vaccine/antigen. When it doesn't work and the lab mice keep floating, hope seems lost. So Simmons does the noble thing: she bonks Fitz on the back of the head with a fire hydrant. What? And then she opens the landing bay doors and jumps. What? Also, physics? First the rubber raft and now this: what is it with the physics on The Bus where air pressure doesn't work right and creating a hole a plane in mid-air doesn't cause everything and everyone to be sucked out? Upon realizing Simmons has de-planed, Fitz grabs a parachute to make a rescue, but Ward does it instead and pulls off a highly unlikely, perhaps impossible by the laws of physics, James Bond in Moonraker (referenced by Fitz) rescue of Simmons. Who, by the way, is cured. The antigen did work, it was just a little slow. Crisis solved. Our team is still intact and remarkably no worse for wear. ("She's resilient," is how Coulson writes off Simmons, someone who should be undergoing weeks of S.H.I.E.L.D. counseling.) Finally, the deep, true, yet bizarrely unspoken of sexless friendship between Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons is reaffirmed, with the series basically stating "We are not dealing with that yet, if ever." But I am glad Simmons is okay. I mean, killing her would have been a ballsy move, but okay, don't. That's fine too.
There's more drama going on with the other Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. After being revealed as a traitor in the previous episode, it's bluntly explained Skye made the requisite rounds of apologies and is pretty much okay with her fellow Bus-mates, except Ward. (And possibly Melinda, but Skye's not as worried if Melinda doesn't like her. It doesn't seem like she likes anyone.) Skye chafes under Ward's coldness, his willful ignoring of her when she's being cute, and his passive-aggressive digs at her. His meanest one, "Everyone checks out on the first pass" made her cry and yeah, it really was pretty mean. Skye is also chafing from the bracelet she's forced to wear that monitors her "every keystroke... and cholesterol." Plus Ward totally didn't laugh at her Captain America joke. Also mean. But when Simmons was dying and their lives were all in danger, Ward softened a bit and let Skye stay in the room with him while he broods about how he can't protect them from things like alien viruses, revealing that Ward sees himself as the team's protector.
As for Coulson, he ordered a total physical workup on himself, inviting a different set of suspicious glares from Melinda (who also may have died and come back in the past the way Coulson did. Did she also go to Tahiti?) S.H.I.E.L.D.'s physical reports say there's nothing wrong, besides his iron being a little high (cue Iron Man joke), but Coulson feels different. Also, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s medical report could be lying. That has to be taken under consideration. Melinda makes him open up his shirt and for the first time we see what's behind Coulson's suit: a pretty gnarly scar from Loki's scepter. Whatever may or may not be wrong with Coulson, bottom line is that he did die (he even told the fire fighter with the Chitauri helmet what it's like when you die) and now he is back. That, by definition, makes Coulson a different person, as Agent Blake found out when Coulson told him off Wild West-style after Blake threatened to take his "dream team" away. Phil Coulson will ignore any order he damn well chooses to. It's really no different from Nick Fury ignoring the Jedi Council and firing rockets at his own plane when they told him to nuke Chitauri-invaded New York and he balked. Ignoring S.H.I.E.L.D.'s orders seems to be the mandate of an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, to Skye's delight, we learn that Fitz and Simmons both do impressions of Ward. And so does Ward, for that matter. Ward impressions are Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s version of the Bluth family each having a chicken dance on Arrested Development. I bet Melinda May's Ward impression would bring The Bus down. | Promote this thread! |             | Spiraling_Shape
Bierwurst
Level: 92
Posts: 1349/1946
EXP: 7682737
For next: 74230
Since: 2.1.02
From: PA
Since last post: 11 days
Last activity: 4 days
| #2 Posted on 6.11.13 0718.05
Reposted on: 6.11.20 0719.02 | I thought they did a great job of finally making us care about Fitz-Simmons. The first half of the episode was also wonderfully X-Filesy.
I forgot about this until his 2nd brief appearance, but Titus Welliver was reprising his role from that short film that was on the Avengers Blu-ray. Same SHIELD agent. Continuity!
I get that people complain about the constant references to the "battle of New York" on this show, but I think it just reinforces the importance that those events had in the Marvel movie/TV universe. Unlike in the comics, city-destroying alien attacks don't happen every month, so it was a MASSIVE, world-changing event. And there are still repercussions happening from it. | John Orquiola
Scrapple
Level: 132
Posts: 4403/4479
EXP: 26731530
For next: 400474
Since: 28.2.02
From: Boston
Since last post: 3449 days
Last activity: 3449 days
| #3 Posted on 6.11.13 0728.44
Reposted on: 6.11.20 0728.44 | Originally posted by Spiraling_Shape
I get that people complain about the constant references to the "battle of New York" on this show, but I think it just reinforces the importance that those events had in the Marvel movie/TV universe. Unlike in the comics, city-destroying alien attacks don't happen every month, so it was a MASSIVE, world-changing event. And there are still repercussions happening from it.
Who's complaining about that? There should be more references to past events in Marvel movies on this show. And there will be soon when Agents of SHIELD deals with the aftermath of Thor: The Dark World on a future episode. | Spiraling_Shape
Bierwurst
Level: 92
Posts: 1350/1946
EXP: 7682737
For next: 74230
Since: 2.1.02
From: PA
Since last post: 11 days
Last activity: 4 days
| #4 Posted on 6.11.13 0823.28
Reposted on: 6.11.20 0823.28 | Originally posted by John Orquiola
Originally posted by Spiraling_Shape
I get that people complain about the constant references to the "battle of New York" on this show, but I think it just reinforces the importance that those events had in the Marvel movie/TV universe. Unlike in the comics, city-destroying alien attacks don't happen every month, so it was a MASSIVE, world-changing event. And there are still repercussions happening from it.
Who's complaining about that? There should be more references to past events in Marvel movies on this show. And there will be soon when Agents of SHIELD deals with the aftermath of Thor: The Dark World on a future episode.
I've seen it in other reviews, not you... And I'm excited about the impending tie-in to the Aftermath of Thor (directed by FRAKES!). My friend joked that he will insist on Coulson sitting in a chair Riker Style. :) | John Orquiola
Scrapple
Level: 132
Posts: 4404/4479
EXP: 26731530
For next: 400474
Since: 28.2.02
From: Boston
Since last post: 3449 days
Last activity: 3449 days
| #5 Posted on 6.11.13 0832.58
Reposted on: 6.11.20 0832.58 | Wait, other people review this show besides me and Steranko? I bet they're not very good. 
But seriously, who are these reviewers? I sure don't understand complaining about referencing The Avengers. One of the strengths of this show is its Marvel Universe setting. Considering how important SHIELD is in the upcoming Captain America movie, I hope there are major repercussions from that dealt with on Agents of SHIELD. | Spiraling_Shape
Bierwurst
Level: 92
Posts: 1351/1946
EXP: 7682737
For next: 74230
Since: 2.1.02
From: PA
Since last post: 11 days
Last activity: 4 days
| #6 Posted on 6.11.13 1150.36
Reposted on: 6.11.20 1150.36 | Ya know, I must've read it somewhere at some point but I apologize that I don't know where... I just skimmed over the last few AV Club reviews, and while they have their complaints, that ain't one of 'em.
Regardless, hooray for S.H.I.E.L.D. getting better, even as the ratings slide...
"Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. hit a new series low with a 2.5, down two tenths from its last original's 2.7 adults 18-49 rating." http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/11/06/tv-ratings-tuesday-marvels-agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-hits-low-the-voice-slides-person-of-interest-dads-the-originals-steady/213949/ | It's False
Scrapple
Level: 151
Posts: 5895/6155
EXP: 42756803
For next: 539773
Since: 20.6.02
From: I am the Tag Team Champions!
Since last post: 2088 days
Last activity: 470 days
| #7 Posted on 6.11.13 1157.13
Reposted on: 6.11.20 1157.24 | Just based on that Joss Whedon track record, I was completely convinced that we were losing Simmons. Even when Ward saved her with ten minutes left to go in the show, I wasn't entirely convinced that she wouldn't just suddenly bite it out of nowhere, just because Joss Whedon has that track record of heart-wrenching endings. Having that reputation really helps a lot, because it made this episode feel very high-stakes.
I think we can officially throw the Coulson android theory out the window. I'm now leaning towards either Super Soldier formula or magic resurrection.
I really don't know what more can be done to help this show's ratings, because the quality is just fine. If the Thor tie-in doesn't help, then it's REALLY time to panic.
(edited by It's False on 6.11.13 0958) | oudom
Boudin rouge
Level: 47
Posts: 297/508
EXP: 754938
For next: 11271
Since: 12.1.12
Since last post: 2690 days
Last activity: 2488 days
| #8 Posted on 6.11.13 1213.04
Reposted on: 6.11.20 1213.13 | Originally posted by John Orquiola
As the other Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. cope with the possibility of losing Simmons and dying themselves, and the terrible option of preventing the second thing from happening, Coulson video conferences with a new bigwig from S.H.I.E.L.D. we meet for the first time: Agent Blake (please let his first name be Donald) played by Titus Welliver!
He was in the Marvel One Shot "Item 47" (the crappy one with Lizzy Caplan). It looks like Maximiliano Hernández will appear next week... he has been in Thor, a couple of One Shots, and there's pics of him on the set of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. | dMp
Knackwurst
Level: 111
Posts: 2612/3003
EXP: 14725821
For next: 142585
Since: 4.1.02
From: The Hague, Netherlands (Europe)
Since last post: 154 days
Last activity: 5 days
|  #9 Posted on 6.11.13 1226.32
Reposted on: 6.11.20 1226.47 | Originally posted by It's False
I think we can officially throw the Coulson android theory out the window. I'm now leaning towards either Super Soldier formula or magic resurrection.
(edited by It's False on 6.11.13 0958)
His iron level is too high. Yeah, being some sort of android can do that to you.
Though of course if there's something special about him they wouldn't tell him but return the report saying he is 'normal'.
I was hoping he'd say he used to have a raised sugar level or astma or whatever but not any more..Maybe it's too soon for that.
I thought this was the best episode so far. It was about the team and the people and not so much any outside evil-doer.
Putting the focus on Fitz made her more of a person/character and not just the 'scientist who helps solve stuff'
Can't wait until they give May her own episode.
| Moss
Summer sausage
Level: 45
Posts: 388/431
EXP: 621401
For next: 38768
Since: 23.9.10
From: Calgary, AB
Since last post: 3341 days
Last activity: 3325 days
|  #10 Posted on 6.11.13 1322.00
Reposted on: 6.11.20 1323.42 | They could have built his android body with scars to make him appear human.
Originally posted by Spiraling_Shape
I get that people complain about the constant references to the "battle of New York" on this show, but I think it just reinforces the importance that those events had in the Marvel movie/TV universe.
Considering in real life people still regularly talk about 9/11 which was over a decade now I don't see what they're bitching about- it's pretty realistic.
The show is set in "real time" right? If so the Battle of NY happened in May 2012 and the team was put together in Sept 2013...approximately. So it's a year after- think about how often people (especially agents of Homeland Security) were talking about 9/11 a year after...now imagine instead of terrorist hijacking planes it was motherfucking aliens in big-ass spaceships being led by a Norse god.
Seems like they talk about a reasonable amount. Plus the movie they're referencing made a billion dollars faster than any movie in history and is the entire reason this show exists.
I'm far more upset about objects of different masses falling at different speeds. | John Orquiola
Scrapple
Level: 132
Posts: 4405/4479
EXP: 26731530
For next: 400474
Since: 28.2.02
From: Boston
Since last post: 3449 days
Last activity: 3449 days
| #11 Posted on 6.11.13 2045.09
Reposted on: 6.11.20 2045.10 | | Hey Steranko (hollywoodreporter.com) is right: to save skydiving Simmons, why didn't they use the flying car? They have a flying car! Oh. Right. Budget. Damn TV budget. | Greymarch
Boudin rouge
Level: 52
Posts: 278/517
EXP: 1024205
For next: 59643
Since: 24.2.03
From: Toronto, Canada
Since last post: 2033 days
Last activity: 1221 days
| #12 Posted on 6.11.13 2310.58
Reposted on: 6.11.20 2311.33 | Originally posted by John Orquiola
Hey Steranko (hollywoodreporter.com) is right: to save skydiving Simmons, why didn't they use the flying car? They have a flying car! Oh. Right. Budget. Damn TV budget.
Coulson had the keys? Ward doesn't know how to fly it? Not insured? | SchippeWreck
Banger
Level: 108
Posts: 2420/2862
EXP: 13313866
For next: 206677
Since: 26.3.03
From: Glendale, CA
Since last post: 1994 days
Last activity: 65 days
| #13 Posted on 6.11.13 2325.27
Reposted on: 6.11.20 2325.27 | Originally posted by Greymarch
Originally posted by John Orquiola
Hey Steranko (hollywoodreporter.com) is right: to save skydiving Simmons, why didn't they use the flying car? They have a flying car! Oh. Right. Budget. Damn TV budget.
Coulson had the keys? Ward doesn't know how to fly it? Not insured?
Not built for flying at that altitude? Can't fly straight down? Ward might have hit and killed Simmons? Coulson said "Don't touch Lola."? | ekedolphin
Scrapple
Level: 147
Posts: 5286/5747
EXP: 38967380
For next: 470815
Since: 12.1.02
From: Indianapolis, IN; now residing in Suffolk, VA
Since last post: 378 days
Last activity: 18 days
| #14 Posted on 7.11.13 0259.03
Reposted on: 7.11.20 0259.32 | When Simmons jumped out of the plane and we went to commercial, I actually said, "Good thing Lola can fly." And then they went with a parachute jump instead. Hey, Ward gets to save the day after all, hooray! And to think he wasted all that helplessness angst.
Good episode, I thought. Fitz-Simmons needed a character-development episode. And it had the biggest tear-jerker moment of the series thus far when Coulson talked to the firefighter who was about to die.
I'm concerned that I'll have a much harder time following the series after Thor 2 comes out, because I'll probably wait for the DVD. | Peter The Hegemon
Lap cheong
Level: 88
Posts: 1546/1779
EXP: 6543463
For next: 107227
Since: 11.2.03
From: Hackettstown, NJ
Since last post: 29 days
Last activity: 18 hours
| #15 Posted on 7.11.13 0343.22
Reposted on: 7.11.20 0345.29 | | I'm surprised so many people liked this episode. I hated it. I never for a moment believed that they'd kill off Simmons, and I certainly wasn't feeling sympathetic toward her--the episode if anything had me rooting for her death just to be rid of those Fitz-Simmons scenes. And the whole thing was just so horribly contrived--the disease didn't affect anyone when they first aquired the helmet, but all of a sudden is gets them when they clean it? How many people does it take to clean a helmet, anyway? And then they all die at different times, but we know exactly when Simmons is going to go, and it happens to be right when they're over the Atlantic? Lame, lame, lame. | Tenken347
Knackwurst
Level: 114
Posts: 2223/3253
EXP: 16162143
For next: 147474
Since: 27.2.03
From: Parts Unknown
Since last post: 10 days
Last activity: 4 days
| #16 Posted on 7.11.13 0533.23
Reposted on: 7.11.20 0534.24 | | I thought it was a pretty good episode, but I hate Agent Ward and I hate Brett Dalton, the actor who plays Agent Ward. Both are terrible. The "steely" look on his face when he jumped out of the plane absolutely ruined any semblance of drama. It's a bad, boring character being played by an actor who is incapable of bringing any life to it. | bubblesthechimp
Boudin rouge
Level: 52
Posts: 507/521
EXP: 1059003
For next: 24845
Since: 22.3.02
From: Weymouth, Ma
Since last post: 3067 days
Last activity: 2941 days
| #17 Posted on 7.11.13 0953.11
Reposted on: 7.11.20 0954.50 | Originally posted by John Orquiola
Wait, other people review this show besides me and Steranko? I bet they're not very good.
But seriously, who are these reviewers? I sure don't understand complaining about referencing The Avengers. One of the strengths of this show is its Marvel Universe setting. Considering how important SHIELD is in the upcoming Captain America movie, I hope there are major repercussions from that dealt with on Agents of SHIELD.
Found one of these reviewers! This guy seems convinced that the big event that changed the marvel universe is being used as a crutch to move the plot forward and that they should find some other marvel universe stuff to fall back on.
http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/11/06/marvels-agents-of-shield-fzzt-review | lotjx
Scrapple
Level: 129
Posts: 3566/4785
EXP: 24705476
For next: 344245
Since: 5.9.08
Since last post: 1570 days
Last activity: 1409 days
| #18 Posted on 7.11.13 1848.37
Reposted on: 7.11.20 1848.47 | | It was a very good episode. | John Orquiola
Scrapple
Level: 132
Posts: 4410/4479
EXP: 26731530
For next: 400474
Since: 28.2.02
From: Boston
Since last post: 3449 days
Last activity: 3449 days
| #19 Posted on 7.11.13 1851.25
Reposted on: 7.11.20 1851.27 | Originally posted by lotjx
It was a very good episode.
I just rated that a 10. | theremin
Boerewors
Level: 40
Posts: 276/338
EXP: 408819
For next: 32494
Since: 31.1.12
Since last post: 2096 days
Last activity: 2096 days
| #20 Posted on 7.11.13 1937.17
Reposted on: 7.11.20 1937.25 | Originally posted by bubblesthechimp
This guy seems convinced that the big event that changed the marvel universe is being used as a crutch to move the plot forward and that they should find some other marvel universe stuff to fall back on.
I honestly thought that this was the whole point of the show. It's Item 47: The TV Series.
Maybe it'll branch into something more in the future, or certain episodes might do different things, but it has mostly been them dealing with ramifications of the BONY. |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Pages: 1 2 Next