OK, I’m back for another episode. And already the “Curse of SHIELD Reviews” is beginning to set upon me.
Lets talk about it.
1. Well, That Was.
That episode wasn’t particularly bad, I guess. Not compared to the first two — those were a lot worse. But, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I found myself bored during the episode (or, at least not so engrossed that I couldn’t almost make weird photoshops of Ryan Stegman while watching). It was just very filler; you could see several plot points being juggled and given value, but the writing didn’t support those. Who is the secret Big Bad? What happened to Coulson? What is the writing on the wall? I don’t know, but I hope that the episode that actually deals with all of these issues has better writing than this.
Even the stinger was just kind of “eh” this week. Where is all the super-ness of last week? I’m watching SHIELD because I want to see something different than I could see on any other procedural, not just “run-of-the-mill cop show with Bond-ian gadgets.”
Though, I guess the bit with the guard was amusing. And there was that line early in the episode about how Skye couldn’t tell the safety from the release with appropriate pay-off later in the episode.
This show has potential, and I said it last time but once it gets some semblance of focus then it’ll be great.
2. Oh No, Our Social Networking Is Going To Get Us!
It’s sort of inevitable, but in the year 2013 things like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are all going to used as boogeymen in serialized entertainment. It’s kind of perfect for it, right? Social media is weird, and our levels of comfort with it is also weird; I know that, at least for myself, I grow increasingly more uncomfortable with how much of “me” is out there on the internet through that kind of stuff. If they’re trying to get me paranoid, they’re heading in the right direction.
But, it’s also just kind of an overused trope at this point. It didn’t take too long to get worn out, but it’s always an eye-roll moment when it shows up in something. It just feels like your grandma trying to be hip and tweeting you from @SilveRFox88 “hey honey, did u hear about this watergate scandl? lol”
There’s even a line about a world where some omnipotent and potentially nefarious force could see your every move along the lines of, “It would suck to live like this.” RIGHT, GUYS? LIKE, THAT’D BE WEIRD.
It’s like the SHIELD show is trying to be very compelling argument as to how we shouldn’t be so comfortable with the NSA collecting all of our information, huh?
3. Not Too Much Else To Say, Then
Look, I’m happy to do SHIELD write-ups, but they need to give me more to go on than this. This? This is just average TV. If I wanted to see something of this predictable nature and otherwise bland caliber starring people I like with quirky dialogue, I’ll put on Psych or Castle. And don’t get me wrong: I like Psych AND Castle, but come on, the shows only survive on the strength of the cast, not the writing. This doesn’t even have that!
Agents of SHIELD should be a trailblazer for comic book or superhero storytelling on the small screen, but it’s yet to do so. I didn’t cover it, but the season two premiere of Arrow was more exciting than all four episodes of SHIELD so far combined. Just give me something to work with here.
I’m not quitting like our last reviewer, but I can’t think of how to use the remaining two spots in this post.
Ugh. I guess I’ll fake it? No one will notice.
4. Pascale Armand Was Pretty Good
I wouldn’t mind Akela Amador returning as a regular.
I mean, she (character and actress) were both really underutilized in the episode, but I guess it would be interesting continuity if she came back.
5. The Goldbergs is a Decent Follow-Up to SHIELD
It’s just as engaging, makes you say “heh” just as much and is half as long.
Just saying.
