Agents of Shield was one of the most anticipated fall shows this season. Created in part by lord-of-geekdom Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly ,The Avengers), this Avengers spin-off focuses on the secret agents working to keep this world safe. Phil Coulson plays a balding James Bond who leads the scientist, weapons expert, computer hacker and special ops agent to recruit emerging superheroes.
The premise and plot of this show is overall too simplistic and the characters were cliché. There are the geeks, the tough guy who doesn’t want to be there, the mysterious woman, and the spunky newbie. Despite the characters being flat, I was intrigued by their backgrounds, and they do have some chemistry as a team. This is only the pilot, however, and I’d have to see more to form a better opinion on the characters.
The writing is witty and sarcastic, with the characters having their fair share of touching moments. Though I feel as if they are trying too hard to connect to their fanbase, it wasn’t a bad pilot. I was expecting more because this is a Joss Whedon show and the Marvel universe is theirs to experiment with, but the pilot did a good job of setting up the show.
While you don’t necessarily have to watch The Avengers to understand this show, it’s recommended. It makes many references to both the super soldier serum and cosplaying outside of Stark Towers. I look forward to see how they weave this show into the Marvel universe for future episodes.
