Some shows get off this week as the holiday comes and networks think that means people are at their TV less. The good folks at ABC know that when it comes to family time, however, most people would rather just sit in front of the TV and not talk to each other rather than interact. That’s why we’re here with this week’s review of SHIELD, entitled “Repairs.”
Does the hot streak continue? Is it broken? Let’s talk about it.
1. G-g-g-ghosts??
So, this week’s episode deals with a spooky ghost infiltrating the team’s flying deathtrap (because, really, that’s what it was in this episode) in what I assume is a late Halloween episode. Or something along those lines, anyway.
What it really turned out to be, though, is more leftover from Thor: the Dark World, which is interesting. Oh, and a metaphor. It was a BIG metaphor, if you didn’t catch that — and it’s not like they were really very subtle about it. Like, at all.
On the one hand, I guess this episode sort of confirmed the existence of Muspelheim, right? It’s not that we didn’t know it existed, we saw a brief glimpse of it in Thor 2, but we didn’t actually get any concrete time in that world as we have in the other world’s connected by the World Tree. Now we have a guy phasing in between universes and claiming he went to Hell, and I can’t think of anywhere else he might’ve gone except maybe literally Hel (with one H).
On the other hand, this is the show continuing the thread of exploring the shared universe. Last week it was nice to see fallout from the film, even if the tie-in connections were flimsy at best, and this week continues the trend. I really like the idea of a shared universe where the most minor of it all takes the time to flesh out different corners of it, but this also brings us to the show’s continued greatest flaw:
2. The Biggest Missed Opportunity
Exploring the shared universe is great. Not contributing to it is incredibly stupid.
Look — we all agree on this, right? I say it every week, you agree with every week. The show is getting better, but it’s basically the kid that comes to the study group and just takes notes or brings pizza; he doesn’t actually contribute anything. And, yeah, it’s nice to have someone there to help you do your diorama or presentation or whatever, but it would be better if he actually helped in a real fashion.
I mean, really — Staticorp? What, was Roxxon not available for the rest of the episode?
It’s literally as simple as that; just a simple namedrop to establish what’s going on. And while I’ll relent that the main power being dealt with, with the ghost and all, that was original to the show and can’t be picked up from the Marvel U– …oh, wait, yes it totally can. Maybe not exactly like that, but heck, there are plenty of psychics and angles to explore with that, rather than create a throwaway character.
I watch this show not particularly as a fan of it (which I admittedly am!) but rather as a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, because that’s what the show represents itself as a part of. To not be getting anything from it feels a little disingenuous at this point, or at least short-sighted. The episode did have nice moments, don’t get me wrong, but this is still my biggest complaint.
3. The Prank War
One thing I did like, though, was the Prank War. I’d never really noticed it before — not to this degree, anyway — but it actually seems like the characters are never having any fun. Like they enjoy what they do enough, but don’t particularly enjoy doing it. It’s not something I would lob as a great complaint because obviously there are great shows where the lead characters don’t like what they do all the time, but these people have the greatest job in the world — you’d think they’d be a little more fun.
After all, they went to SHIELD Hogwarts and had hologram training!
This episode showed that, and it showed it in a unique way. The fact that the Prank War led throughout the entire episode as a background element confusing some of the leads about the dire situation around them was really smart, and made some of the character moments feel all the more genuine. You’re really starting to get a feel for the characters now, and how everyone reacts to the Prank War resulted in some truly nice moments of interaction that showed the softer side of pretty much everyone.
Continued below4. All About Melinda May
This is by far one of the things that I have looked forward to the most on this show. Not for nothing, but Melinda May was perhaps the most underutilized character on the series, relegated to the quiet badass archetype who just kicks ass and flys the ship. But this episode… man, what a way to reveal her backstory, right? Felt very apropos to the character in how she doesn’t want to talk about it, so the way the writers maneuvered that reveal between Fitz/Simmons to Ward to Coulson by way of Skye was literally the best way to do that.
That said, I would’ve loved to see more of this. Heck, I would love to see more of her in general. The “giving up the ghost” metaphor that ran through the episode was a bit ham-fisted, but I do like the eventual pay-off in a very cliche way — which it absolutely was in every way, don’t get me wrong. I liked it, but I’ve seen more original moments in Katherine Heigel movies.
But… you know. Nothing wrong with a few cliches every now and then, if done well.
5. See You In Two Weeks!
Next week SHIELD is taking a break, and so am I. However, when it returns it looks like some of the threads will be picked up as Charles Gunn returns and we get our first in-show superhero story, which I’m very excited about.
Last week I picked at the show a little bit and compared it to Heroes, which was all about showing and never telling. With SHIELD‘s budget (or assumed budget), I’m hoping they take this opportunity as a go big or go home moment, to make the pilot a bit more justified to those who didn’t care for it and perhaps even to solidify this show’s place in the shared universe of it all.
I’m not sure. But I’m looking forward to it!
And I’m wicked glad they didn’t do another “Coulson is sad about not knowing what happened to him” stinger, because holy crap those were getting tedious, right?
