Joss Whedon, director of the incredibly successful film “The Avengers” has returned to television to head Marvel’s new show “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” which first aired on Sept. 24 and has since had fairly positive reviews from both critics and fans.
ABC’s new show is set in the same cinematic universe as “The Avengers,” and all the other movies Marvel has produced since “Iron Man” back in 2008. Several months after the alien invasion of Manhattan at the climax of “The Avengers,” the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, better known as S.H.I.E.L.D, has been working to protect humanity as a whole from any strange and unnatural threats the expansive Marvel universe has to offer.
The pilot episode reintroduces viewers to Agent Phil Coulson (portrayed by Clark Gregg), mysteriously resurrected after his death in the previous film, as he puts together a special team to carry out the agency’s secret operations.
The first mission of this team is to investigate a suspected superhuman named Mike Peterson in Los Angeles. However their efforts to track him down are hindered by “Skye” (played by Chloe Bennet), a member of an underground activist group called the “Rising Tide,” which is distrustful of big-government agencies–like S.H.I.E.L.D.–and is dedicated to making important information they would try to cover up known to the whole world.
After being abducted by Coulson’s team, Skye eventually decides to cooperate with S.H.I.E.L.D. and assists them in discovering that Peterson is an experiment involved with yet another unknown organization’s plot, and is in danger of dying if the technology giving him his powers is not removed. By the end of the episode, Coulson’s team manages to rescue Peterson, the strange organization that had been experimenting on him disappears, and Skye is welcomed onto the team for her assistance, though it is made clear she still supports the Rising Tide in secret.
The show makes quite a few references to the movie and other aspects of the Marvel universe that diehard fans will surely appreciate, but is also entertaining enough for newcomers. The show has been called a sort of “NCIS” with superheroes by different critics. Everyone on the cast does their job well, creating both dramatic and humorous moments, from time to time.
The pilot shows enough action and intrigue to pull one in, but it’s clear this isn’t the blockbuster “The Avengers” was. There are a lot of moments most people will find rather dry, and sometimes too convoluted to follow. Of course this is nothing new for a show created by Joss Whedon. He often throws his viewers into the middle of the show’s universe and hopes that they will become immersed. Even though they usually start off slow, they get it in gear and become much more enticing as time goes on.
“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” clearly has potential. The Rising Tide, this enigmatic organization, and the questioning of big-government organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D. are all very interesting plot points. Just like in his previous shows like “Firefly,” Whedon has set up each of the characters on Coulson’s team to have their own unique and enthralling backstory to be revealed over time, especially the revived Coulson himself.
The events of “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” will tie events in future Marvel movies such as “Captain America: The Winter Solider” which comes out April 4 2014. So fans still might want to watch the show.
Fans can catch “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC.