Agents of SHIELD. Season 1 Discussion Thread

[Venardhi]

I don't think the problem is so much that they're all especially good looking (they are, with the exception perhaps of Clark Gregg who is intentionally average looking), but that they're all running around with perfect hair and makeup. I can only assume it is an intentional stylistic choice to enhance that live-action comic book feel. It is occasionally distracting, but only just.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Fitz might want to kill me for calling him a Brit.

Why? It's not like you called him English.

Then there would be no doubt.

 

[Gaith]

Anyone else surprised the non-villain in "Eye Spy" didn't off herself? I mean, I'm in favor of being alive and all, but if everything I saw was being monitored and some sinister organization was ordering me to hurt people, I'd probably, uh, take corrective action, ifya'llknowwhatImean.

I was also a bit unclear as to why she was in danger once she got aboard the plane. Surely their holding room at a minimum (where Coulson questioned her) is/can be completely impervious to outside wireless signals? So they could have conducted the operation in there, with no time limit pressure.

Still, nitpicks are nitpicks.

 

[Christopher]

I was also a bit unclear as to why she was in danger once she got aboard the plane. Surely their holding room at a minimum (where Coulson questioned her) is/can be completely impervious to outside wireless signals? So they could have conducted the operation in there, with no time limit pressure.

But the technology in the bionic eye was years ahead of the state of the art. They couldn't assume that it didn't include some way to penetrate their shielding. After all, it was able to work down in the subway tunnels.

 

[Buck Bokai]

No new episode tomorrow, likely because of The World Series.

Day off in the Series, so don't blame baseball.

 

[DEWLine]

Good point about the subway tunnels in Stockholm. Until recently, wi-fi/cell phone signals were not getting into the subway tunnels in Toronto either. In that instance, they've had to start retrofitting infrastructure for that into the TTC system.

Wondering where the "Eyeball of Death" people got their tech again...

 

[Corran Horn]

These ratings drop-offs are what you get when you have a show that is considered to be 'a starring vehicle for Clark Gregg'. Of course, it doesn't even feature much about the Coulson character, really, besides the 'we know he died and something happened and even he doesn't know but we're stringing it along' take.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

No new episode tomorrow, likely because of The World Series.

Day off in the Series, so don't blame baseball.

According to ABC's website, they're re-airing the pilot. I'm curious as to why this is. Maybe most things are re-runs or preempted for baseball this week, so they wanted consistency. Alternatively, maybe this was planned before they knew what the baseball schedule was.

 

[FPAlpha]

Yes, Nerdette is supposed to be a fool. The real purpose of the scene of course is to emphasize that Skye was cheating on her SO, Squarejaw. (Yes, I know it's supposed to be Supervising Officer, but that's actually Coulson, so skip the pretend, pleace.) Since the SO relationship hasn't been consummated yet, Skye can be forgiven, after requisite humiliation and begging on her part. I've only seen some Firefly, Dollhouse and Dr. Horrible, so I've never seen the slightest reason to think Whedon is a feminist.

Oh you might try his complete works.

Buffy.. title character is a teenage girl gifted with more or less superpowers to fight evil (and all other females on the show have some awesome talent in one way or the other)

Firefly.. gifted girl gets abducted, experimented on and occasionally kicks tremendous ass (in the Firefly movie she is shown to clear an entire room full off insane psychopaths)

Dollhouse.. main female character kicks all kinds of ass

Whedon is known for his strong female cast.. you won't find much "damsel in distress" type characters in his shows unless they need to be rescued by another woman

However be very afraid if you start to root for a couple that's become a fan favorite and took forever to get together.. i shudder to think what would happen to either Kaylee or Simon in Firefly if the show would have gotten a normal run

I don't think the problem is so much that they're all especially good looking (they are, with the exception perhaps of Clark Gregg who is intentionally average looking), but that they're all running around with perfect hair and makeup. I can only assume it is an intentional stylistic choice to enhance that live-action comic book feel. It is occasionally distracting, but only just.

No... that's mainstream TV production targeted at a younger audience nowadays. It's the result of extensive marketing research and studio meddling which says you can't have young average looking people on the show because you might get people bored or become uninterested (never mind that Hiro from Heroes was anything but attractive but was a fan favorite because of the actor and the character he played, just one example).

Why they seem to think so is beyond me.. i just recently watched part of the pilot of "The Tomorrow People" and it was especially noticeable there.. nobody of the main people i saw for about 20 minutes of the episode would be called even mediocre looking.. all hunks and pretty girls, every last one of them. I turned off the episode.

It's also one of my main gripes initially of the show how ridiculously attractive some of them are, especially hacker girl who looked like she jumped off a catwalk to do some hacking in her van.

 

[Shazam!]

The cast is somewhat diverse, but it could be more diverse. Maybe they'll add a token black, Hispanic, or LGBT character in Season 2.

Or a blonde

 

[Agent Richard07]

I recently watched The Shield and I've never seen so many "real people" on a TV show before. It was pretty refreshing.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I don't think that most of the actors are too attractive for the roles they're playing...the only one that really stretches the suspension of disbelief is Skye. They really should have at least nerded her up for the pilot, then given her a SHIELD makeover.

I'm with Christopher on the casting of Ming-Na Wen. Sure, she has sexually appealing qualities...but they chose to express those qualities through a more mature actress, which is refreshing in an increasingly youth-obsessed industry.

 

[Venardhi]

It's also one of my main gripes initially of the show how ridiculously attractive some of them are, especially hacker girl who looked like she jumped off a catwalk to do some hacking in her van.

It is the hair and makeup that strains belief, not how nicely shaped her face and various curvy assets are. Skye probably doesn't spend 2 hours a day doing her hair and makeup in a 24 Hr Fitness bathroom around the corner from her van before settling in for some hacking, but her face being naturally attractive doesn't take any time out of her day or require any particular upkeep.

 

[Gryffindorian]

Chloe Bennett is very pretty, and the cast members are all attractive in their own right. BUT I don't find beauty or physical appearance to be a distracting quality. Maybe I just don't care. I think Brett Dalton is hot, but even if he was played by another actor, my perception of his character, Agent Ward, would still be the same.

 

[JD]

Yes, Nerdette is supposed to be a fool. The real purpose of the scene of course is to emphasize that Skye was cheating on her SO, Squarejaw. (Yes, I know it's supposed to be Supervising Officer, but that's actually Coulson, so skip the pretend, pleace.) Since the SO relationship hasn't been consummated yet, Skye can be forgiven, after requisite humiliation and begging on her part. I've only seen some Firefly, Dollhouse and Dr. Horrible, so I've never seen the slightest reason to think Whedon is a feminist.

Oh you might try his complete works.

Buffy.. title character is a teenage girl gifted with more or less superpowers to fight evil (and all other females on the show have some awesome talent in one way or the other)

Firefly.. gifted girl gets abducted, experimented on and occasionally kicks tremendous ass (in the Firefly movie she is shown to clear an entire room full off insane psychopaths)

Dollhouse.. main female character kicks all kinds of ass

Whedon is known for his strong female cast.. you won't find much "damsel in distress" type characters in his shows unless they need to be rescued by another woman

However be very afraid if you start to root for a couple that's become a fan favorite and took forever to get together.. i shudder to think what would happen to either Kaylee or Simon in Firefly if the show would have gotten a normal run

I don't think the problem is so much that they're all especially good looking (they are, with the exception perhaps of Clark Gregg who is intentionally average looking), but that they're all running around with perfect hair and makeup. I can only assume it is an intentional stylistic choice to enhance that live-action comic book feel. It is occasionally distracting, but only just.

No... that's mainstream TV production targeted at a younger audience nowadays. It's the result of extensive marketing research and studio meddling which says you can't have young average looking people on the show because you might get people bored or become uninterested (never mind that Hiro from Heroes was anything but attractive but was a fan favorite because of the actor and the character he played, just one example).

Why they seem to think so is beyond me.. i just recently watched part of the pilot of "The Tomorrow People" and it was especially noticeable there.. nobody of the main people i saw for about 20 minutes of the episode would be called even mediocre looking.. all hunks and pretty girls, every last one of them. I turned off the episode.

It's also one of my main gripes initially of the show how ridiculously attractive some of them are, especially hacker girl who looked like she jumped off a catwalk to do some hacking in her van.

Whatever you do, don't watch The Vampire Diaries or The Originals.
I've never really had a problem with shows like this have an overly attractive cast, that's just the way they do things in Hollywood. I guess I just don't expect kinds of shows to necessarily represent reality.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I'm trying to remember a comedy where they recruited spies from a modelling school and not the other way around because Models are even more emotionally vacant than serial killers... Zoolander?

Young Barbara Feldon is still the most beautiful woman in the world, these girls don't hold a candle.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I was also a bit unclear as to why she was in danger once she got aboard the plane. Surely their holding room at a minimum (where Coulson questioned her) is/can be completely impervious to outside wireless signals? So they could have conducted the operation in there, with no time limit pressure.

Still, nitpicks are nitpicks.

I think they said something about a dead-man switch. If the signal was cut off, she would automatically die.

 

[Gaith]

^ Hm. Guess that makes sense.

I was also a bit surprised to hear Manning and Snowden name-dropped, what with IM3 using a fictional White House Administration and all. Too bad the Rising Tide never tapped the VP's communications!

 

[Lonemagpie]

I'm with Christopher on the casting of Ming-Na Wen. Sure, she has sexually appealing qualities...but they chose to express those qualities through a more mature actress, which is refreshing in an increasingly youth-obsessed industry.

That's what I like about it.

That said, I'd put it on about a par with BBC's Atlantis, as moving wallpaper- the characters just don't *grab*.

Anyway, its audience has halved over six episodes, so I'm assuming it's basically fucked and won't be back for a second season...

 

[Relayer1]

Anyway, its audience has halved over six episodes, so I'm assuming it's basically fucked and won't be back for a second season...

If they're going to make some major changes and turn it around they don't have very long. How much of season one has already been filmed ?

If there is any time for rewrites, the only regular cast members I'd keep are Ming-Na and Clark Gregg.