Agent Coulson returns!

[robemcdonald]

I enjoyed this overall, but there needs to be some improvements.
It feels like they didn't have a massive budget. As others have said some effects were shoddy, but I think the real problem was with sets. The aircraft was fine, but the other shield sets felt like someone had stuck up a shield poster in the production office (which is fine as we probably won't see them again anyway)
My biggest concern will be how the characters develop. Agent Coulsons seen it all before unflappable attitude provided a bit of comic relief in the films, but could get on my nerves after a while.
Finally I would like to see this move away from the Avengers and do its own thing. The day it's announced one of the avengers is going to do a cameo we'll know the show is at risk of cancellation.

[Halb]

It was good. I liked the Pole Position car.
A lot of amusing lines, just right I think. If it survives it may get a bigger budget, which will help. Stories need to be better though, it was a bit bleh with the 'hero' thing.

[marcosgt]

My 16 year old son enjoyed it, but it seemed like a kids programme to me.

I'll not bother again.

M

[darth_pies]

Just caught this on 4od. Big disappointment TBH.

Had been looking forward to this for a while and its a real shame that they seem to have taken a solid-gold treasure trove of material - the Marvel universe - and turned it into a glossy, cheap and formulaic action series.

PROS: Some nice 'Whedonesque' banter and 'in' jokes for fans, somewhere in the world are a shedload of interesting Marvel heroes and villains

CONS: Terrible 'acting' , tedious cliched characters, zero suspense/menace/peril, cheap and generic-looking sets, all looks too glossy and unthreatening, massively irritating pair of young 'Wesley Crusher-esque' scientists clearly inserted to give teenagers a reference point and a pointless and credibility-wrecking flying car

I'm not a fanboy but the movies did a great job of making superhero 'kids movies' into credible blockbusters that adults could enjoy, so its really surprising how badly judged this is. Perhaps a result of lots of market research telling the money men to pitch this at kids/teenagers and to use the strength of the brand to cash-in without hiring top talent?

We are supposed to be in a 'golden era' of amazingly high quality TV and this instantly looks like it could have aired (and been forgotten) in the 90's.
Future episodes could turn it around (isn't the pilot supposed to have had a shedload of money and thought invested in it though??) but for me this is a huge missed opportunity.

[Halb]

I think the golden era of US telly can only really refer to the premium channels.
If only HBO had made this.

[telecat]

Nobody catch the "Tahiti? He really doesn't Know?" aisde after Coulson's team is cleared for duty and the Doc watches him.

[RobGT81]

telecat said:

Nobody catch the "Tahiti? He really doesn't Know?" aisde after Coulson's team is cleared for duty and the Doc watches him.

Yup.. there is something more to Coulsons story that he stopped breathing for 8 seconds. Asgardian magic or summat? Is Tahiti actually Tahiti or Valhalla or some SHIELD facility?

Edited by RobGT81 on Monday 30th September 09:21

[Bullett]

I got that as well. Plot arc alongside the baddies I guess.

[anonymous-user]

This is a series based around superheroes and a flying aircraft carrier, and people are saying a flying Corvette is a credibility breaker? Seriously?

[Issi]

Enjoyed it, but thought the British 'boffins' were a bit of a cliche.

[KarlMac]

Coulson will be a clone. Thats my guess anyway.

The flying car was a bit tacky and unnecessary. I will watch in hope that the two scientists die at some point. Its like they were given a british accent to remind the audience they're supposed to be clever.

It was a bit childish, but then again its based on a comic, so what did I expect?

[darth_pies]

Greg66 said:

This is a series based around superheroes and a flying aircraft carrier, and people are saying a flying Corvette is a credibility breaker? Seriously?

Yep. Brought nothing to the party and it was a very cheap CGI effect. The setting involves fantasy elements but this is supposed to be about a more 'grounded' and vaguely realistic government spy agency dealing with superheroes and villains, no? And yes, they have a hover carrier but that was actually more believable than the car, which seemed shoe-horned in as a cheap twist at the end.

And if he has a hover car why do they fly around in a conventional cargo plane instead of some kind of 'hover field HQ'?

[mattmurdock]

darth_pies said:

Yep. Brought nothing to the party and it was a very cheap CGI effect. The setting involves fantasy elements but this is supposed to be about a more 'grounded' and vaguely realistic government spy agency dealing with superheroes and villains, no? And yes, they have a hover carrier but that was actually more believable than the car, which seemed shoe-horned in as a cheap twist at the end.

And if he has a hover car why do they fly around in a conventional cargo plane instead of some kind of 'hover field HQ'?

As pointed out above, the hover car is a nod both to the Stark Expo in Captain America and to the long tradition of SHIELD flying cars in the comics.

Anyone who thinks SHIELD is a 'grounded' and vaguely realistic government spy agency clearly isn't familiar with the comics, where they have life model decoys (my current theory as to the resurrection of Coulson), flying cars, energy weapons and a boss who is effectively immortal.

[darth_pies]

mattmurdock said:

darth_pies said:

Yep. Brought nothing to the party and it was a very cheap CGI effect. The setting involves fantasy elements but this is supposed to be about a more 'grounded' and vaguely realistic government spy agency dealing with superheroes and villains, no? And yes, they have a hover carrier but that was actually more believable than the car, which seemed shoe-horned in as a cheap twist at the end.

And if he has a hover car why do they fly around in a conventional cargo plane instead of some kind of 'hover field HQ'?

As pointed out above, the hover car is a nod both to the Stark Expo in Captain America and to the long tradition of SHIELD flying cars in the comics.

Anyone who thinks SHIELD is a 'grounded' and vaguely realistic government spy agency clearly isn't familiar with the comics, where they have life model decoys (my current theory as to the resurrection of Coulson), flying cars, energy weapons and a boss who is effectively immortal.

I take your point. Not massively familiar with the comics but read a few as a teenager. Regardless of the canon, the show has to stand on its own as 99% of viewers won't be familiar with the comics.
And IMHO it just seemed an unnecessary 'ta da!' type moment without much build-up, cheapening what was already a pretty shaky start to the series.
Hold up, seems that one of the comic writers agrees with me: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/agent...

[ali_kat]

Greg66 said:

This is a series based around superheroes and a flying aircraft carrier, and people are saying a flying Corvette is a credibility breaker? Seriously?

KarlMac said:

It was a bit childish, but then again its based on a comic, so what did I expect?

This is the Marvel universe, not ours - expect references to The Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man etc

[Halb]

A Marvel universe.

[ali_kat]

Halb said:

A Marvel universe.

You know what I mean

[Halb]

ali_kat said:

You know what I mean

H-yuk h-yuk h-yuk!

[Ved]

Saw this last night and I have to say it's pretty poor. The occasional reference to The Avengers or characters dropped in there just to remind you that it's loosely based on something very good isn't enough. It was utterly dire although her tits were nice.

Edited by Ved on Tuesday 1st October 14:13

[kingstondc5]

Good episode this time, the Brits arent as annoying and stick around for the end credits