Tag: Agent Coulson

The SHIELD Debrief: Season 1, Episode 4 – “Eye Spy”

by CJC

“Maybe I should learn to fly.”

A fitting opening to an episode that proved that “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is hitting its stride in its fourth episode, with an offering of mix-it-up action with emotional and humorous beats peppered around where you’d like them. What “Eye Spy” did well was set up what we were going to see (SEE what I did there? AND THERE?) while still making it entertaining to watch. With our eye… balls… No, I’m not gonna do that. We’re done now.

We knew that Coulson was probably right about his wayward agent Akela Amador. We knew that Ward’s mention of Skye’s training would come back as a beat later. We knew that the feed was looking at the van before they did. All this, but the storytelling rhythm managed to make us still want to see what would come of it. Especially noteworthy was the very ending shot (not THAT ending shot, but the story end), with the voice-over on Akela Amador finally getting her first uninterrupted, unwatched, sleep in years. From the emotionless, inhuman faces of the opening shot to this very vulnerable idea of someone closing their eyes to sleep, it was an inspired arc.

Agent Coulson had something of an Obi-Wan Kenobi moment this episode, getting to delve into his regrets of the past with former agent Akela Amador. The concept that his trainee had gone to the dark side did not sit well with him — or at all — and he clung to the thought that there was another explanation. This shows a certain vulnerability in Coulson, as he reenacts his own resurrection through the thought-to-be-dead rogue agent. Unlike the agent we saw making the hard choice with Dr. Hall in the previous episode, this was a Coulson not quite willing to take that commitment. Though it remained firmly in the line of saving everyone, even one person doing wrong, if you can.

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“Go for short bus.”

Even Ward got to participate in this episode’s speckling of humorous lines, proving that, despite Skye’s running joke, he is not a robot. He continues to break out of his shell at a similar pace as the show itself. Even though he’s not as much a vehicle for the audience as Skye intends to be, it’s important for us to emphasize with him as much as anyone else, as he was the character we started with. There is more to Ward (hopefully), and as he peels back, he may prove to be one of the more interesting characters. Fitzsimmons were regulated to their usual background science chatter, but their participation in the entire scene in the van was precious enough to save them this episode from what otherwise would’ve been their descent into obscurity and uselessness.

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“You value me.”

Our lady spy Skye is developing: she still hasn’t learned how to use a gun quite properly but that’s a note I appreciate. Showing her learning, and failing, instead of just becoming badass overnight is a smart choice and keeps her from teetering over the edge into truly annoying. She’s also showing signs of being subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) overwhelmed by what’s been going on, which is another thing to remember: she used to live in a van down by the river. It’s reasonable for her to be in over her head right now, and it’s a note to appreciate when that comes out in the character, even if some may find her quips obnoxious.

Skye has also developed as far as her relationships, as clearly Ward is giving her more responsibility — you don’t let just anybody see through your eyes these days — and she’s developing a possible two-way fondness for Agent Coulson. Something that’s going to bite her in the ass when her continuing Riding Tide connections surface (possibly even in the next episode, if our preview is any indication. But don’t trust previews. I mean it. I know.) Skye and Coulson’s moments in the van allow us to remember that she’s a little girl out of her depth and he’s just a human beneath that suit (or is he) fighting daily against the superhuman. It’s the taste of humanity that we crave, and have come to expect, in Whedon pieces and I’m hoping that the next episode doesn’t split that open too soon.

We also saw Melinda’s value continue to rise. She sure does not go slowly into that good fieldwork. Kicking it into high gear, she proved that she was going to protect Coulson, even if that potentially meant from himself and his emotional decisions. Though they seemed to smooth things out by the end, I don’t expect this will be their last disagreement on how to run matters.

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“That’s not me anymore.”

A telling line for Agent Coulson tonight, whose changes are beginning to wear on those who knew him best before. It’s possible that his and Melinda’s fight is a result of his new and possibly not improved (for SHIELD) loose attitude, but we also know this his former protege noticed it — and something else? Did she close her eyes and see that Coulson is not truly Coulson? SHIELD strings us along for another episode with the promise of a development in that direction. With Melinda on the case, I think we are guaranteed to see more and more of this mystery unravel.

Theories are, naturally, bouncing all over the internet. He’s a robot. He’s Vision; that’s a popular one. What do you think? Let me know, or I’ll assume that you’re all the robots instead.

Jeez. You’d think a robot would have something more productive to do with its time.

‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Picked Up For Full Season!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: ABC surprised absolutely no-one today when they announced that Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has received a full season order.

Sure, ratings fell substantially after the series premiere’s MASSIVE 20 million viewers, but the show is still more than popular enough to warrant more episodes. According to Deadline, Agents is still ranked the  #1 series in the 2013-14 season among adults 18-49, and boasts solid DVR gains weekly.

The full season order brings the total episode count to 22, which should be more than enough to please fans until a second season is inevitably (probably) announced.

What do you think of the series so far? I’m not much of a fan of the villain-of-the-week formula, so I sure hope that something about S.H.I.E.L.D. changes soon, or I can sure see things getting stale fast. In any case, I’d probably keep watching just to see agent Coulson’s weekly quips. That dude’s wonderful.

The SHIELD Debrief: Season 1, Episode 3 – “The Asset”

by CJC

“We don’t have truth serum.”

DAVID CONRAD, CHLOE BENNET

After last week’s episode, I went into “The Asset” hesitantly, to be sure, but this week’s fare delivered more on par with the first episode: not spectacular, but very entertaining. It’s quick, witty, action-packed stuff, and if Agents of SHIELD can stay in this realm, then it’ll be on a fairly good leg, but still with room for improvement. It’s notable that in the episode not meant to bring the characters together, it did a better job of it, and without being quite as obvious. Though, it’s arguable that EVERY episode has the purpose of bringing the characters closer together, so there’s that. There was progress with Melinda, who decided that she needed to be back in combat if she was going to continue with the team — partially in order to save Coulson’s butt. There was a defining moment for Coulson himself, when he had to make the hard choice during the fight from Inception to either save some lives or potentially save a lot of lives. Coulson choosing to live in the moment and save those who were present, as well as Hall’s argument that these were decisions SHIELD made all the time, was a nice hark back to my complaint last week that SHIELD was too “white knight”. Two for you, Agents of SHIELD.

We also saw Skye progress as a potential field agent, rather than just a nerd at a computer, which left her hacking to a small cameo, but not her background: villain of the week, Tamoh Penikett lookalike David Conrad attempted to lure our Rising Tide undercover while she was… undercover (but kinda not?) into working for him. Skye chose her new SHIELD family, partially thanks to some personal sharing by Ward (anyone else really enjoy the flip they pulled on ‘Big Brother’?), but that doesn’t quite resolve how we saw her answer the Rising Tide query in the previous episode. So, surely, we have more testing of the loyalties to come in the future.

This week’s episode also played out like a small movie — giving us the origin story of a potential reoccurring character that ties into Marvel legend but remained accessible to casual viewers (like me). While anticipating the “end credits” scene to be exactly what it was, I still enjoyed the potential for growth, and for that decision to come back to bite Coulson in the ass. Hard decisions are about consequences, and good storytelling doesn’t make things easy for the characters.

“I saw plenty of action with the Avengers.” “… And you died.”

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More importantly, really: Coulson still wears his suit when coming in from a water approach and climbing a beach full of patrols. Notice how Ward went all Mission Impossible, but Coulson was having none of that.

We got to see more combinations of characters like that, and the quote above, as relationships progressed. Fitzsimmons even managed to perform jobs separated from each other, giving them slightly more defining characteristics. Though, anyone else catch that even Coulson calls them by their shipper name? And speaking of ships, hopefully male! Fitzsimmons will find more personality than just trying to impress Skye in the next episode. They deserve their own moment to shine so that Skye and Ward don’t overtake them as far as personal sharing goes. It’d be nice to see someone else take an interest in the geeks, or for them to step forward, so that it doesn’t become too overloaded with certain characters over another. Balance is important with an ensemble cast, lest some become extraneous or just there to make the others look cool.

Other things of note: Melinda handed over ALL Headquarters’ communications to a known terrorist hacker? All of them?! What happened to not trusting her? This certainly seems like a step. Though I suppose we might imagine that HQ’s communications aren’t exactly in lay terms, but that doesn’t mean that Skye couldn’t do some damage with that information if she wanted to. Also, shouldn’t they wear more protective shielding than they do when handling unknown, dangerous artifacts? Everyone’s just standing around in their civvies. It seems vaguely irresponsible, if you ask me. Which you didn’t. But this is my review and you clicked it, so nyeh.

“Saying his name repeatedly does not increase productivity. Or… maybe it does.”

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Lampshades! Don’t know what I’m talking about? Go drown yourself in TV Tropes and come back here after a year. No? Okay, well, lampshading involves clicking the light on a usual cliche — turning it upside-down. When Agents of SHIELD has Fitzsimmons call Coulson out for doing the typical frantic shouting of names during a countdown, it’s the pointing out of a cliche. Of course, then it works, so that’s a whole other layer of humor. It’s important to have layers, which is often what saves SHIELD — well, the show, not the organization, as most of them seem to lack in certain variations of humor the higher up you go. Skye’s finding out the hard way that making quips during a briefing is not exactly the go-to reaction. Though, hopefully, she’ll learn the lesson and not be “that person” every time or we’ll be back in cliche town.

Another example is Fitzsimmons miming Skye’s breasts and then ending up just saying “boobs” after all.

This episode also did well with tie-ins that while not perfectly subtle were also not stupidly in your face — like the PSA message of last week. Most importantly, the comment about creating muscle memory harkening to Coulson’s being “rusty”.

As a parting thought: what do you think about Coulson’s lack of muscle memory? Are those not his muscles? Is it not Coulson? And how many episodes do you think will go by before we see villain Hall (back as Graviton, of course)?

The S.H.I.E.L.D. Debrief: Season 1, Episode 01 – ‘Pilot’

by CJC

“The world is full of wonders.”

On the surface, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD treads where Heroes, Alphas, and even the 70s’ Tomorrow People have dared. In practice, it’s a gleaming hour of pure fun tumbling through the fully realized Marvel universe to bring to life the potential of a new and exciting corner of superheroes. Only these heroes are less super, and more suited, as the premise (and all the ads) points out. It’s about the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division, which has been seen in glimpses in previous movies and at the forefront of The Avengers. The concept itself — a ragtag team of ‘who would’ve thought it’ agents and non-agents working together to fight the odds — does not blow away on its own. It will be the cases and the characters that make it.

However, peppered with quick one-liners and quiet visual gags, Agents of SHIELD redeems its flagging concept with its unending sense of humor and the subtle delivery of twists. Rather than throw them in your face with act breaks and music of impending doom, SHIELD chooses to roll just as naturally into its secrets as it does into everything else, helping you roll with the flow instead of be distracted by gags.

“This is the new world.”

In the realm of tie-ins, SHIELD does a complete job fitting itself into the niche of Marvel movie-verse. From direct references to billionaires in flying suits (said in the show as if it’s not crazy at all) to super-soldier serum to the ultimate question of is this team going to be able to act like a team: SHIELD delivers a Marvel super rollercoaster. Add in references to “with great power” and a Clean Slate concept, and the show’s not only self-referential but gleefully self-aware (as well as rival-aware). It’s grounded in both our world and theirs, when Ward mentions cosplay girls surrounding Stark Tower, allowing us to experience what would be an extraordinary thing (superheroes!) in a way we can understand (geekery and fanning!).

How is Coulson alive? Will the show ever solve that mystery?
How is Coulson alive? Will the show ever solve that mystery?

It’s interesting to note that the superheroes — the crowning Heroes of New York! — are considered to be at a security level unequal to knowing that their beloved Coulson is alive. This is highly indicative of the kind of operation Nick Fury runs. People only know what he believes they should know, and it casts an intriguing, darker light when you remember that this is an operation run by humans deciding what’s best, and they use the superheroes like tools; assets to be respected, but ultimately steered. Behavior like this has gotten villains in the past in trouble, and it would be glorious to see its effect on SHIELD in the future.

“We’re not exactly a team.”

It’s not uncommon for the Whedons to turn typical concepts on their heads, but SHIELD is only halfway there due to a slightly underdeveloped cast of team members and a lukewarm plot that’s a mix of Luke Cage’s origin story and Iron Man’s Extemis storyline. The strong members of the cast naturally include Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson, whose consummately overworked everyman is tempered perfectly by his quick and quiet delivery of wit. He can stand his own against superheroes and unruly teammates alike, with the occasional splash of badassery — like his ability to duck like a mofo; though, really, who didn’t expect those car doors to come flying off? Ming-Na Wen follows, as Melinda May, and Coulson’s second-in-command (they don’t say as much, but come on). Her quiet no-nonsense attitude is different than Coulson’s half-smile pleasantness, but she harbors the same ‘this is why I’m in SHIELD’ skills beneath. She was also introduced with the best possible hook: a seemingly uninjured, and capable, agent choosing a desk — something Coulson or Maria Hill would kill to get away from. We look forward to knowing more about her simply from that.

Melinda May was a great contrast to Coulson.
Melinda May was a great contrast to Coulson.

The rest of the crew suffers from less introduction — or too much introduction. Brett Dalton as Agent Ward is brought in as our point-of-view, letting us see him in action before he’s introduced to the story. At first, he’s the typical vigilante-type agent: the lone-wolf who’s too cool for the world. However, in getting to see Coulson systematically break him down with his differing tactics is pleasant enough to hopefully keep him from becoming just impossibly annoying with his snobbery and disagreeing. He might be an effective foil for Coulson, should he learn to operate on his level, but, for now, we can hope he just won’t get in his own way and that any reveals for him in the future, though not hinted at yet, are intriguing.

Chloe Bennet plays Skye. Let’s pause on that for a moment because… Skye. Also, because I originally mistyped it as ‘Skype’. Skype suffers the most from unflagging tropes: the sassy, overly skilled hacker, who has a quip for everything and nobody can possibly be better than her. It takes a certain kind of person to let you feel okay watching your favorites get taken down a notch, and Skye doesn’t quite fulfill that before besting Coulson, and SHIELD, at encryption. Luckily, Coulson has a few other things up his sleeve, but Skye, though she possesses a few quality lines (including that cough-and-miss-it comment about cosplay), trends dangerously towards the cliche. The hope for her is that now that her ‘recruitment’ is out of the way, she can begin to blossom. And hopefully not into some kind of double-crosser, thanks to whatever techno-gadget she shoved into her bra.

Yep, Skype was pretty annoying.
Yep, Skye was pretty annoying.

Ian de Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge play Fitzsimmons. Yes, Fitzsimmons the unit. This joke is made early on, but it’s unfortunately prophetic, as the two don’t manage to separate from each other much in terms of character development or usefulness. The power of bickering accents aside, they are also cloaked in a sense of typical characterization they must shed — and likely will, if Whedon’s past is any indication. So we’ll give them another episode or two before any full analysis.

We’ll end with a shout-out to Ron Glass, and the opening of the floor to you, to agree, disagree, or just do what internet commentators do.

Let’s all just agree on one thing: Lola’s not making it through the season.

Don't touch her.
Don’t touch her.

Watch A New TV Spot For ‘Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Following the first full trailer released last month, ABC has debuted a new TV spot for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. This spot aired during last night’s NBA finals, and has now been released online.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is still without a premiere date, but the series will air on Tuesdays this Fall. Watch the new spot below, and let us know if you’re excited!

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Clark Gregg reprises his role of Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel’s feature films as he assembles a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. Coulson’s team consists of Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), highly trained in combat and espionage, Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) expert pilot and martial artist, Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker); brilliant engineer and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) genius bio-chemist. Joining them on their journey into mystery is new recruit and computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet). From Executive Producers Joss Whedon (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” ”Buffy the Vampire Slayer”); Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” pilot co-writers (“Dollhouse,” “Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”); Jeffrey Bell (“Angel,” “Alias”); and Jeph Loeb (“Smallville”) comes Marvel’s first TV series. “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television.

‘Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ To Air On Tuesdays, Watch A New Teaser! Update: Full Trailer!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was just ordered to series last week, and ABC is not wasting any time buiding anticipation for it.

First, we saw a neat first teaser during Sunday’s Once Upon A Time season finale. Shortly afterwards, a mysterious viral marketing site popped up online. Now, it’s time for more footage. The newest teaser clocks in at just seven seconds (I’m guessing we’re going to see a lot of these…), and is titled ‘Welcome to Level 7’. Take a look below, and let us know what you think!

The network has also released their Fall schedule, and while no premiere date or episode count has been revealed, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will air on Tuesday nights at 8pm. With just months to go until we finally get to see the show, how freaking excited are you?

UPDATE: Just seconds after this article was published, ABC released the full trailer for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The preview clocks in at just under 3 minutes, and it looks amazing. Watch it below!

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Clark Gregg reprises his role of Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel’s feature films as he assembles a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. Coulson’s team consists of Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), highly trained in combat and espionage, Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) expert pilot and martial artist, Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker); brilliant engineer and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) genius bio-chemist. Joining them on their journey into mystery is new recruit and computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet). From Executive Producers Joss Whedon (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” ”Buffy the Vampire Slayer”); Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” pilot co-writers (“Dollhouse,” “Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”); Jeffrey Bell (“Angel,” “Alias”); and Jeph Loeb (“Smallville”) comes Marvel’s first TV series. “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television.

‘Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Viral Marketing Begins!

by Derek Kraneveldt

ABC is sure going full force with this one.

Along with the first teaser for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (damn that’s a lot to type), the network has also launched the first piece of viral marketing for the anticipated series with a blog named The Rising Tide.

The site appears to be run by an anti-S.H.I.E.L.D. organization, as the top of the homepage states “WHO IS S.H.I.E.L.D.? WHAT ARE THEY HIDING? SUPER-POWERS ARE REAL. ALIENS EXIST. WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE? WE WILL UNCOVER THE TRUTH. WE WILL NOT REMAIN SILENT ANY LONGER.”

It’ll certainly be interesting to see what The Rising Tide comes up with as Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. approaches. Currently the site features a series of short conspiracy videos tying S.H.I.E.L.D. to a plethora of disastrous (and Marvel related) events. Check out the videos below, and let us know what you think!

Clark Gregg reprises his role of Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel’s feature films as he assembles a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. Coulson’s team consists of Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), highly trained in combat and espionage, Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) expert pilot and martial artist, Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker); brilliant engineer and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) genius bio-chemist. Joining them on their journey into mystery is new recruit and computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet). From Executive Producers Joss Whedon (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” ”Buffy the Vampire Slayer”); Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” pilot co-writers (“Dollhouse,” “Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”); Jeffrey Bell (“Angel,” “Alias”); and Jeph Loeb (“Smallville”) comes Marvel’s first TV series. “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television.

Full First Look At ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Earlier today we showed you a quick first look at Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.; while that first preview was just a few seconds long, it skyrocketed anticipation for tonight’s longer look.

That longer look premiered during tonight’s season finale of Once Upon A Time, and it’s now available online for your viewing pleasure. It’s an unreal first tease at what is set to be one of the coolest television premieres of the year! I don’t want to spoil anything, so simply watch the video below, and let us know what you think!

Clark Gregg reprises his role of Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel’s feature films as he assembles a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. Coulson’s team consists of Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), highly trained in combat and espionage, Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) expert pilot and martial artist, Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker); brilliant engineer and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) genius bio-chemist. Joining them on their journey into mystery is new recruit and computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet). From Executive Producers Joss Whedon (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” ”Buffy the Vampire Slayer”); Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” pilot co-writers (“Dollhouse,” “Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”); Jeffrey Bell (“Angel,” “Alias”); and Jeph Loeb (“Smallville”) comes Marvel’s first TV series. “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television.

Watch Six Seconds Of Footage From ‘Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.’!

by Derek Kraneveldt

We’re still hours away from the first full look at Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but ABC has been kind enough to release six seconds of footage from tonight’s teaser.

It’s a quick look, but it’s a cool one. Production values look pretty high on the project, and it should be an absolute blast to watch. The show received its series order just a few days ago, and ABC is not wasting any time promoting it.

Watch the footage below, and look for the full teaser later tonight! Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. hits ABC this Fall!

Clark Gregg reprises his role of Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel’s feature films as he assembles a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. Coulson’s team consists of Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), highly trained in combat and espionage, Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) expert pilot and martial artist, Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker); brilliant engineer and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) genius bio-chemist. Joining them on their journey into mystery is new recruit and computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet). From Executive Producers Joss Whedon (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” ”Buffy the Vampire Slayer”); Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” pilot co-writers (“Dollhouse,” “Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”); Jeffrey Bell (“Angel,” “Alias”); and Jeph Loeb (“Smallville”) comes Marvel’s first TV series. “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television.

‘Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Announcement Coming Tomorrow! UPDATE: It’s Official!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Did anyone seriously think that this wasn’t going to happen?

It looks like Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. has received a full season order. THR reports that the announcement will come at some point tomorrow, May 10th. The episode count for the first season has not been revealed, but based on the popularity of any Marvel IP these days, I’m sure that ABC wants to air as many as possible.

UPDATE:

As expected, ABC has just announced that Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been picked up for a full season. No premiere date has been set, but the network announced that the show’s marketing will begin on Sunday, May 12th at 8PM, preceding this year’s Once Upon A Time finale. The first image from the series, as well as the logo have also been revealed. Check them out below!

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Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will feature a pilot directed by Joss Whedon, who will also act as an executive producer on the series. A short teaser for the show appeared on ABC’s official YouTube Channel yesterday (before promptly being removed). I’ve embedded a working version below, so watch it while you can! The footage features a Hulk-like creature destroying a car, and the effects look pretty damn good!

Now that the series is official, how freaking excited are you!?

Clark Gregg reprises his role of Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel’s feature films as he assembles a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. Coulson’s team consists of Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), highly trained in combat and espionage, Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) expert pilot and martial artist, Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker); brilliant engineer and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) genius bio-chemist. Joining them on their journey into mystery is new recruit and computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet). From Executive Producers Joss Whedon (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” ”Buffy the Vampire Slayer”); Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” pilot co-writers (“Dollhouse,” “Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”); Jeffrey Bell (“Angel,” “Alias”); and Jeph Loeb (“Smallville”) comes Marvel’s first TV series. “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television.

Official Synopsis & Title Revealed For Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. Pilot

by Shawn Madden

We’ve heard about the cast of, but other than that there’s been plenty of secrecy surrounding the Marvel & ABC’s upcoming pilot for their S.H.I.E.L.D. series. ABC Network has now provided a an official synopsis for the Joss Whedon directed pilot, which also reveals that the series will be called Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Check out the synopsis for the hour-long prospective series below.

Joss Whedon (MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) shows us not all heroes are super with MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.
 
Fresh from his role in the summer’s box office smash, MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS, Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) returns to the worldwide law enforcement organization S.H.I.E.L.D. He puts together a small, highly trained, team of Agents to tackle the cases that haven’t been classified yet, the new, the strange and the unknown. That team consists of straight arrow Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), an expert in combat and espionage; pilot and martial artist Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen); and brilliant if socially awkward scientists Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge). They’ll be joined by civilian new recruit and computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet).
 
Prepare for an epic adventure that showcases the hope and wonder of the human spirit. This is a world of Super Heroes, aliens and the unusual – of action, spectacle and world spanning stories. The show will speak to the human condition through the lens of our very human, non-powered S.H.I.E.L.D agents – that together we are greater than we are apart, and that we can make a difference in the world.
 
Executive Produced and co-written by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen (Dollhouse, Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog), Jeffrey Bell (Angel, Alias) and Jeph Loeb (Smallville, Lost, Heroes) comes Marvel’s first live-action TV series, MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

Word is that the pilot for the prospective series (who are we kidding…it’s going to get picked up) will air sometime in August.

SXSW 2013: Joss Whedon & Clark Gregg Talk ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’, LMD’s And More

by GeekscapeStaff

We caught up with Joss Whedon and Clark Gregg at SXSW and talked with the two about the upcoming pilot for Marvel & ABC’s S.H.I.E.L.D. Now, while they couldn’t reveal to us too much about the project, we did finally find out who would win in a fight between Agent Coulson and Nick Fury.

 

 

You can catch the pilot for Marvel & ABC’s S.H.I.E.L.D. this summer. Also make sure to check out our review of Whedon and Gregg’s latest film, Much Ado About Nothing, here.

Tony Stark Won’t Know That Agent Coulson Is Alive In ‘Iron Man 3’

by Shawn Madden

Hoping to find out how Phil Coulson survived the events of The Avengers in Shane Black’s Iron Man 3?  During a roundtable Q&A for the upcoming Marvel Studios film, Kevin Fiege was asked whether or not Tony Stark knows that the fan-favorite Agent is alive. Fiege responded with:

 

Does Tony know that?  No.

 

Well, looks like we’re going to have to wait until Joss Whedon’s pilot for S.H.I.E.L.D. airs on ABC this summer to find out how Phil survived the battle of New York.

 

Source: Collider

Cobie Smulders Could Appear As Maria Hill On Marvel & ABC’s ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’

by Shawn Madden

Clark Gregg may not be the only member of the Marvel Cinematic universe that could be appearing in Marvel and ABC’s S.H.I.E.L.D. series. There’s a chance that Cobie Smulders could possibly appear in the series as S.H.I.E.L.D. operative Maria Hill. When asked about the possibility the actress told website IAmRogue:

 

maria-hill-2

 

“The commitments to [How I Met Your Mother] don’t affect it and I can’t really say but there are definite talks about it.”

 

With her other series, the long-running CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother, coming to a wrap there’s a definite chance that we could see Smulders appear alongside The Avengers alumni Clark Gregg in the series if it gets picked up. Oh, who are we kidding? We meant when it gets picked up. The series pilot is currently rumored to air sometime in August.

 

Source: IAmRogue

Marvel & ABC’s ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Pilot Confirmed To Take Place After ‘The Avengers’

by Shawn Madden

When word broke that Clark Gregg would be returning as Agent Coulson for Marvel & ABC’s S.H.I.E.L.D., many wondered if perhaps the series would be a prequel to Marvel Studios the Avengers. There’s also been plenty of theories regarding how the character would re-appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now, while speaking with IGN, ABC President Paul Lee was asked how Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. would tie in with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he has revealed that the pilot will be taking place after the battle of New York in The Avengers. So, life model decoys?

 

“There is no question that it is part of the Marvel Universe. In fact, the story takes place after the battle for New York.”

 

He also pointed out that while this is a part of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, this series is very much a standalone series at the same time.

 

“This is S.H.I.E.L.D. They’re following their own particular stories. There are characters in it, Coulson, who clearly comes from Avengers. So it’s part of the world, but we’re going to be very, very careful that we don’t tread on the toes of the features and build a whole new world. And that’s what Joss Whedon does better than anybody else. He’s built a world for us.”

When asked about introducing more Marvel characters if the series gets picked up (even though we all know it’s going to), Lee sounded pretty optimistic about the possibility.

 

“I think if we’re lucky enough to have a great series, we’re obviously having fun with that. At this point though, we have a number of characters at the heart of the script who are real characters, who are the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and the first task is to make those guys great and relatable and everything that a great show needs. Beyond that, fingers crossed!”

Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot begins filming next week and will most likely air on ABC during the fall.

 

Source: IGN

Lord Of The Rings: The Worst Movies Ever Made Ever

by Joe Starr

This past Thanksgiving, to prepare for the upcoming release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, I picked up the Lord of the Rings: Extended Editions blu ray set. I really loved the Lord of the Rings films and was excited to revisit them in on their glory!

I can’t explain to you what happened, because these movies are awful. They’re terrible. I can’t outright prove that these three movies caused all of the cancer in the three years they were released, but it can’t NOT be proved, either. Here’s a bunch of reasons why Peter Jackson ruined everything and also probably caused Superstorm Sandy!

Disagree? I’m @joestarr187. Let’s yell at each other! But also, you’re wrong and I’m a writer on the internet!

Crappy slo-mo shots!

I’m sure slo-mo shots looked fantastic in PJ’s wannabe Sam Raimi zombie films, but there’s really no place for them in a billion dollar epic franchise based on the king of all fantasy books. But there are a thousand of them anyway: In Fellowship, almost every shot of Orcs doing stuff in Saruman’s forges looked like Ash would be swinging in yelling ‘GROOVY’ while chainsaw arming people to death. I’m amazed no one got raped by a tree.

Maybe if Peter Jackson hadn’t been so worried about his beard looking nice against his piles of money he would have spared us all the B movie overkill cheese, because by the time Haldir slo-mo died I almost fast-mo died.

Justifications, please!

In Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings, we’re just told things, and never really told why. It’s something that is in the book, so it needs to get marked off of the checklist. If you haven’t read the books, the vague justifications seem like lazy and nonsensical writing. Of course, lazy writing is to be expected from Peter Hackson.

In Fellowship, Elrond tells us that ‘the time of the elves is over’ and that they’re ‘leaving these shores.’

Ok.

Erm… Why? And if they’re leaving, why do they keep sticking around to do things? It makes no sense.

Why not just have Elrond remind Gandalf that the elves have been defending Middle Earth for centuries and are being ordered to evacuate. It’s more or less faithful to the books, as the elves had been encouraging everyone to get on the ships and get the hell out for ages and it’s a better reason than ‘they just are.’

And why does Gimli want to go to Moira? That place is clearly terrible and it seems like he’s the only guy that doesn’t know it. It’s like that one buddy who hasn’t been to a Pizza Hut since 1995 and always wants to go to Pizza Hut and doesn’t know that they fell into shadow sometime in 2001. Is Gimli an idiot? He keeps talking about going to Moira and Gandalf just rolls his eyes with intense fear at the idea and Saruman the Narrator tells us it’s full of crazy looking demons but Gimli keeps right on rambling about his cousin Balin and dwarf buffets.

Just let Gandalf explain why he doesn’t want to go: no one’s heard from Balin’s colony and they might be dead and you need to deal with that and Gimli can ach and laddie and bad date and I’d rather watch that scene than Cahadras, the most worthless ten minutes of any film ever made (and I’m including every youtube video ever uploaded).

Who are all those men fighting for Sauron? We’re never told. They’re just wicked, which with the robes and the elephants  just ends up being uncomfortable code for ‘brown people.’

No more original songs!

There are a million songs in Lord of the Rings. If you cut all of the songs out of Lord of the Rings books, they’re shorter than The Hunger Games.

So why Fellowship ended with a song written by Enya is a mystery so unsolvable that Robert Stack should be telling you about it.

Explain why LOTR is terrible? I can’t deal with that right now! #Transformersjoke

You really have to have Enya? Fine. Just have her open to a random page of the book and plink out some Pure Moods with a rain stick and some synthesized chimes. Just use the lyrics that are already there.

Tolkien is a better writer than you!

Thanks to Eater Jackson, Lord of the Rings is not a good example of an adaption that improves the movie. His version of Aragorn and Arwen’s story is a great example.

Aragorn is ‘one of them Rangers’ and he loves Arwen and he is supposed to be the king. What’s a Ranger? Why isn’t he King? Why hasn’t he just gone ahead and married Arwen?

Apparently in the book these explanations are super complicated, so they had to be changed. So Pete, why isn’t he the king? Well, he’s full of fear and self doubt! The most muddled and lame justification in movie history! Yay!

The problem with Aragorn being full of doubt and weakness is that throughout the next 3 days worth of movie, nothing Aragorn does remotely suggest that he’s afraid, weak, or unsure of himself. He is a total bad ass that sets the Witch King on fire at Weathertop. Gandalf couldn’t even do that, and he’s Magneto. And that guy in Da Vinci Code. Remember when that was a thing that mattered?

The explanations in the book? NOT COMPLICATED. Elrond won’t let him marry Arwen until he’s defeated Sauron and claimed the throne of Gondor. He’s a classic movie dad making the guy that loves his daughter prove himself.

One does not simply walk into Diane Court.

Oh and Sauron destroyed Arnor, his homeland. This gives Aragorn real stakes. How cool would him trusting Frodo to go to Mordor alone with his love life and revenge at stake have been? A lot better than ‘I swore to protect you! Remember earlier when we said you’d have all our weapons?’

The adaptation also tried to make Arwen a cool bad ass chick. They started out well enough with her showing up in the woods to save Frodo, but her storyline quickly devolves into a bunch of terrible nonsense about her leaving Rivendell but coming back six times and then almost dying for some reason and who cares. She’s a Bella Swan that sits and cries and then gets married.

Let the book do the work for you. In the book, Aragorn rides around being awesome with a group of rangers and Elrond’s sons. Later, Elrond’s sons deliver all of Aragorn’s king gear to him in Rohan. Just make the brothers Arwen!

Toss a scene after the Council in Rivendell of Aragorn and Gandalf ordering the Rangers, led by a likeable Phil Coulson character, to spread out and take warnings about Sauron throughout Middle Earth. Arwen tries to go and Elrond won’t let her because parents just don’t understand. And then instead of a random group of elves showing up at Helm’s Deep, Phil Coulson can show up with Rangers and we’ll like him even more.

With Arwen ACTIVELY refusing to give up on Middle Earth instead of just dreamily saying she won’t, Elrond eventually realizes that his daughter is awesome and deserves some support, and has the sword reforged and gives it to her to take to Aragorn herself. This also givens Arwen and Elrond a logical, satisfying story arc instead of collection of random shots of them lounging in an Instagram filter.

Which brings us to the worst part of Jackson’s adaptation: the Paths of the Dead. AKA, Aragorn shows up with a ghost army and saves the day, making the sacrifice of everyone that died defending Gondor completely pointless because there are no stakes when an unbeatable ghost army gets involved. It’s why I hated The King’s Speech.

Arwen shows up with the sword in Rohan with some rangers. She says ‘hey, me and Phil Coulson gathered all the Ranger companies and the militias on the coast because remember you told us to do that in the first movie but there’s a Corsair fleet penning them in. Here’s your sword. Here’s the banner of the King. Let’s get these ghosts to get our army free.’ That’s more or less what happens in the book.

How cool of a moment could we have had in the movie if the black fleet had shown up at Gondor, and then flown the banner of the King? And then Aragorn and a shitload of Rangers and his hot wife and a dwarf and Orlando Bloom charge out of the boats, inspiring everyone to fight harder and get excited about The Return of the King? Because in the movie I’m not sure anyone knew he was back until they put a crown on his head.

Instead we followed up that fantastic charge of Rohan with a big ghost fart. It was like dumping a Jar Jar scene into the middle of Empire. “I love you.” “I know.” “MEESA LOVES AN APPLE! OHHHBIDAISIES, ANI!”

Less Oscar Moments, Please.

Peter Jackson has two settings: Frodo and Sam Are Crying and Frodo Is Dying While Sam Cries. He’s about as subtle as an episode of ‘The New Normal.’ Do Hobbits breathe with tears? These fuckers cry and hug for two entire movies. Sam’s ‘I can carry you!’ moment is supposed to be the beautiful, emotional heroic moment of the film, but at that point we just want these assholes to quit crying and get up the damn mountain.

Take out 94% of the shots of Frodo and Sam gacking up eye butter and you’ve got an extra hour for Rangers and Paths of the Dead and probably some Tom Bombadil because people seemed really pissed off he was cut.

There you have it. You now know that Lord of the Rings was crappy and now your life has completely changed from reading this article.

Is there hope for The Hobbit?

I’d like to stroll into the theatre without a care in the world, ready to enjoy Martin Freeman take his rightful place as one of the world’s biggest movie stars. But more than likely, I’ll be hoping the eagles save me 20 minutes into the movie.

At least people will finally get what the hell those eagles were all about.

 

Marvel’s ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Pilot Gets Another Agent!

by Shawn Madden

Brett Dalton (Army Wives) is the latest cast addition to Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot. Dalton will play “Agent Grant” in the ABC pilot, who is being described as “one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s highly-skilled rising stars – he’s deadly, precise, and cool under fire — but not so great with the people skills”.

The series will focus on the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Dalton will be joining Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Iain De Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge in the Joss Whedon helmed pilot for the series.

Source: TV Line

Agent Coulson Lives! Will Appear In ‘S.H.I.E.L.D’! Updated: Coulson To Headline!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Another huge day at NYCC, another HUGE announcement!

The Marvel Television Presents panel has just wrapped up, and in its conclusion dropped a huge bombshell. Jeph Loeb announced at the panel that fan-favourite Agent Coulson is in fact alive, and that Clark Gregg would be returning to the role for the SHIELD pilot.

Gregg of course has played Agent Coulson in many of the Phase One offerings, including Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, and The Avengers.

Writer/Director Joss Whedon also stated during the panel “There was never gonna be a SHIELD show without Agent Coulson,”

Gregg is also set to play Principal Coulson in the next season of Ultimate Spider-Man.

Excited? How upset were you when you thought he died? How will he even return!?

Update: As MTV Geek and others are now learning, it appears as though Gregg’s Agent Coulson is actually set to headline the S.H.I.E.L.D series!

Source: Marvel

Geekscape Comics: Agent Coulson To Have Important Role In ‘Marvel NOW! Point One’

by Shawn Madden

Agent Phil Coulson recently made his comic debut in the Battle Scars mini-series alongside Marcus Johnson/Nick Fury Jr. (aka Sam Jackson edition Nick Fury), and now it appears that Agent Coulson will be one of the central characters featured in this October’s Marvel NOW! Point One. Phil will appear in a story from the creative team of Nick Spencer (Ultimate Comics X-Men) and Luke Ross (Captain America), the details of which are currently unknown. We all want more Phil right? Or is it just me?

So, Want To See What Agent Coulson Would Look Like If He Returned As The Vision?

by Shawn Madden

After his demise in Marvel’s The Avengers tons of speculation began floating around if we would see the return of fan-favorite Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) in the future. One of the most popular rumors was that maybe he could return as another fan-favorite character The Vision. Well, one fan over at TheRPF forums has sculpted out his “vision” for us to check out. And by my bad pun I definitely mean he made a sculpt of Clark Gregg as The Vision. There will be no more bad puns in this article I promise you.

So, what do you guys think? Would you like Clark Gregg to return as The Vision or would you prefer Agent Coulson to stay on the R.I.P. list?

Hot Toys Gives A Sneak Peak At Agent Coulson And Chitauri Footsoldier Figures!

by Shawn Madden

Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong are both coming up, and collectibles company Hot Toys gives us a sneak peak at what we can expect to find on display during the show. Prepare to empty out your kids college fund. Again.

The annual Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong event will kick off this Friday! Fans may have expected to preview a series of upcoming collectibles there!

We will be showcasing the firstly unveiled Mark VII & Hulk from The Avengers, The Bat and Catwoman from The Dark Knight Rises……

A great surprise to fans – the prototype of Agent Phil Coulson and Chitauri Footsoldier from The Avengers will be unveiled there!

What’s more, we will also showcase our first collectible figure of the 1/4th scale series at the Ani-Com! Batman fans can have a look at our first-of-its-kind 1/4th scale Batman Collectible Figure from The Dark Knight Rises!


Source: The HDR

‘Marvel One-Shot: Item 47’ Review!

by Shawn Madden

A few of us Geekscapists had the chance to see an advance screening of Marvel’s latest one-shot ‘Item 47’. ‘Item 47’ will be released as a bonus feature on the home release for ‘The Avengers’.

We got a special introduction by a certain Robert Downey Jr. himself. Well, not himself but a video of him sitting on the toilet congratulating fans that had completed a scavenger hunt gaining them access to the screening while he dropped “a water moccasin”. The short revolves around Bennie and Claire (Jesse Bradford and Lizzy Caplan), a down on their luck couple who come across a Chitauri weapon left behind in the rubble of the aftermath of “the battle of New York”. It also features Agent Sitwell, previously seen in ‘Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant’, ‘Thor’ and ‘The Avengers’.

If you’re a fan of Marvel’s previous One-Shots you will definitely enjoy this one. The previous One-Shots averaged around five minutes while this one came in around twelve minutes. The one-shot was directed by Marvel co-president Louis D’Esposito, who was in attendance with the cast as well as the writer behind it. Kevin Feige was also in attendance a few feet from us but not answering any questions. You could definitely tell that everyone had a great time making it and the fans really enjoyed it. I can definitely say us over here at Geekscape in attendance really enjoyed it and can’t wait for you all to see it.

This screening just shows how much Marvel cares about their fans and realizes that they are the ones that make these movies possible. I really hope they continue with these One-shots and even expand upon them making an even larger Marvel universe for us all to enjoy.

‘The Avengers’ will be available to assemble in  your home on September 25th.