Agents of SHIELD. Season 1 Discussion Thread

[Guy Gardener]

If S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't an international organization before aliens started invading, then it should be now.

Claremont turned S.H.I.E.L.D. into an arm of the UN in 1990 in Uncanny X-Men when the Supreme headquarters Law International Enforcement Division became the Strategic hazard intervention espionage Logistics directorate... Then half way through Garth Ennis' Punisher Nick Fury meets Frank in a bar and says "Fuck the UN, lets get #### done."

TV S.H.I.E.L.D. seems Americanicentric... It's headquarters and Schools seem to all be on American soil that even the Scotsmen have to board at, and I have not heard that many foreign accents at all other than the two principles, but if we are heading towards a World -Army in concept, then we are looking at assimilation of many working foreign organizations, that over night S.H.I.E.L.D. might just have to assimilate 10,000 Frenchmen as some spy organization from perhaps France folds under S.H.I.E.L.D's Umbrella as they inherit those resources and man power on all tiers of the Shield hierarchy.

It's more than possible that eventually someone is going to join S.H.I.E.L.D. who outranks Fury, or will only join if Fury is subordinate to him or her and politically Fury has to comply.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Well, given the logistics of "Operation Overkill". I would place The Hub somewhere in Eastern Europe.

The Sandbox is in Africa.

The Fridge was said to be a six hour northerly flight from Utah, which had me thinking Canada, but Coulson's remark about Blonsky's cryo-tube being in Barrow, Alaska, has me thinking that THAT might be the Fridge.

The Sci-Ops Academy was definitely in the USA.

The Slingshot, if in the USA and not Mexico, would probably be in the deserts of California, Arizona or Nevada (Area 51?)

The Triskelion, is obviously in Virginia.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Question for the railfans among us more knowledgeable than I at these things: can you recognize what sort of consist used to masquerade as Rotalia Italia Numero...?

(Guessing that the actual Italian participants in Eurail, Trenitalia, would've asked too much to allow their trademarks to be used here.)

The train looked american to me. The engine shown seemed to be of this type: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_F7 , which to my eyes looks very "american".

I remember reading in Trains Magazine a year or two back about a specialty company that rented out train consists to film companies. Wishing I could remember the name of the company...

I'm just catching up with the thread again, and this discussion caught my eye.

The location where this was filmed is a 10-mile long privately owned railroad called the Fillmore & Western Railway that runs between Fillmore and Santa Paula, CA (West of Magic Mountain), where they have several vintage locomotives used for various Hollywood productions, including the train crashing down the street in Inception. They also do murder mystery dinner theater, events, and historical trips.

http://www.seeing-stars.com/locations/SHIELD/TrainRideThroughItaly.shtml

 

[Luminus]

Colonel Stars and Stripes from Kickass?

OMG, I didn't even know that was Jim Carey until my wife told me. lol.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Anyway...guessing we add Italy to the list of nations participating in SHIELD for Cinema'Verse purposes?

Yeah, but not Malta, interestingly enough.

 

[DEWLine]

If S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't an international organization before aliens started invading, then it should be now.

Yep.

Claremont turned S.H.I.E.L.D. into an arm of the UN in 1990 in Uncanny X-Men when the Supreme headquarters Law International Enforcement Division became the Strategic hazard intervention espionage Logistics directorate... Then half way through Garth Ennis' Punisher Nick Fury meets Frank in a bar and says "Fuck the UN, lets get #### done."

Actually, it goes back to Frank Miller's first Daredevil run. Blame/praise him for that much, with specific reference to the UN during those issues when Black Widow showed up poisoned by the Hand.

It's more than possible that eventually someone is going to join S.H.I.E.L.D. who outranks Fury, or will only join if Fury is subordinate to him or her and politically Fury has to comply.

That would be the World Security Council as depicted in Avengers.

 

[Captain Craig]

So ABC says one of the big reveals we will get at seasons end is just who is the Clairvoyant. What if the Golden Age Black Widow aka Claire Voyant is our mystery person?

Now, true she is listed as a hero of her age but what if she's been corrupted or is being manipulated by Centipede, against her will even. She could either be a very senior citizen or a citizen out of time much like Captain America depending on how they choose to play it....if it's her.

 

[JD]

I finally watched T.R.A.C.K.S. during the week, and I really enjoyed it. I thought it was really cool the way they did the stuff on the train from the perspective of the different characters, slowly building things up as it went along. I also thought the Mike/Deathlok reveal was interesting. Really looking forward to seeing where exactly they are headed with things now.

 

[DEWLine]

The Golden Age Black Widow Theory's a fun idea, but doubtful at this point. Given that the SHIELD writing team has been playing fair with the "ItsAllConnected" theme up to now, to bring in a new character in as the leader of the Big Bad who's had no history with the series at all yet?

Not seeing that happening.

The character might be introduced down the line as part of another arc, but she'd be more likely as an adversary in a Doctor Strange-related project.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I think the weird thing is just making her a villain out of the blue. Generally, if someone is a fallen hero, there needs to be a set up building the change so the character has some sense of tragedy. This seems to just be a pun.

 

[The Old Mixer]

And the character's an obscuro even to a comics geek like me...the reference would mean zilch to the general audience.

 

[DEWLine]

Obscure, but being slowly revived.

Again: I can't see it happening via this TV show.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I don't have a problem with the show reviving such an obscure character or even changing that character from good guy to bad guy, I have a problem with reviving an obscure character and completely altering that character from good guy to bad guy without any setup. It would make more sense for Bill Paxton's character to be a bad guy because they'd at least set up the plot twist.

"This character you've never heard of is bad not good like you thought but didn't actually think because you never heard of her" would just leave people scratching their heads.

 

[Captain Craig]

With the recent talk of a not so far out of left field possibility about a Black Widow solo film I did a double take on Caire Voyant while looking "Black Widow Marvel" on Wikipedia. I only saw it by chance as I gave the track pad a bit much and it came up down the page.

I was only about 1/2 serious but felt like putting it out there for spitballing anyway....just in case.

 

[Vendikarr]

I think the weird thing is just making her a villain out of the blue. Generally, if someone is a fallen hero, there needs to be a set up building the change so the character has some sense of tragedy. This seems to just be a pun.

Someone who can see the future doesn't have to be a villain to do villainous things. She may see something that can only be beaten if the dominoes fall in a certain way, and she is shaping the future so that happens. It's the ultimate ends-justify-the-means play.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Someone who puts bombs in people's heads in order to control their actions is a villain.

 

[sojourner]

I'm the villain!?! I'M THE VILLAIN!?!

 

[Vendikarr]

Someone who puts bombs in people's heads in order to control their actions is a villain.

Is a hero that is responsible for villainous acts in service of a great good really a villain? Imagine the sacrifice of going against all you believe in to assure things are as they need to be, if you are capable of seeing the future, and you see a future worse than the acts you commit.

This person may never see themselves a villain, but as a great hero.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Someone who puts bombs in people's heads in order to control their actions is a villain.

Is a hero that is responsible for villainous acts in service of a great good really a villain?

It depends on how the narrative portrays the person. In this case, the narrative portrays the person as a villain. Are you not getting this or are you just playing devil's advocate?

 

[Vendikarr]

Someone who puts bombs in people's heads in order to control their actions is a villain.

Is a hero that is responsible for villainous acts in service of a great good really a villain?

It depends on how the narrative portrays the person. In this case, the narrative portrays the person as a villain. Are you not getting this or are you just playing devil's advocate?

I get it, but if they wished to use a hero as the antagonist, this is a way for this character to justify his or her actions.