Agents of SHIELD. Season 1 Discussion Thread

[Yanks]

I was so looking forward to the "Joss" effect in this series.

Those fantastic relationships/characters I so loved in Firefly and Avengers just aren't there.

Well maybe between Coulson and May.

May being the only actor that seems to be worth a .....

Anyone else epically disappointed in this show? Feel the same way?

 

[bbjeg]

Did they say somewhere behind the scenes that Coulson is a LMD, a legit source, or is that fan speculation?

Either way, IMO Agents of Shield has been getting better and better with every episode.

And that Big Lebowski reference was hilarious, I was talking about that movie not too long ago too.

 

[Christopher]

Did they say somewhere behind the scenes that Coulson is a LMD, a legit source, or is that fan speculation?

Pure speculation. They wouldn't just give us the answer to the season's big mystery. Fans have just been assuming he's an LMD because it's the obvious guess -- which is exactly why I'm positive he's not an LMD. Not much of a mystery if the answer is the exact thing all the fans have been guessing from day one (and yes, I'm looking at you, Star Trek Into Darkness).

 

[Guy Gardener]

Here's the gaping hole in that theory... Until they do an episode about Life Model Decoys... 90 percent of the audience have never heard of Life Model Decoys.

 

[theenglish]

Did they say somewhere behind the scenes that Coulson is a LMD, a legit source, or is that fan speculation?

Pure speculation. They wouldn't just give us the answer to the season's big mystery. Fans have just been assuming he's an LMD because it's the obvious guess -- which is exactly why I'm positive he's not an LMD. Not much of a mystery if the answer is the exact thing all the fans have been guessing from day one (and yes, I'm looking at you, Star Trek Into Darkness).

The whole opening dialogue played with the idea that coulson is an artificial lifeform--a little rusty, a man my age, etc.

I wonder if this was written to toy with fan theories or if it is actual foreshadowing.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

The whole opening dialogue played with the idea that coulson is an artificial lifeform--a little rusty, a man my age, etc.

I wonder if this was written to toy with fan theories or if it is actual foreshadowing.

Yep. And iron level a little high. I still wonder the same.

 

[Agent Richard07]

And iron level a little high.

Too many steak dinners maybe?

 

[propita]

It played out to me that Fitz was somewhat oblivious to Simmons until the moment of his "right beside me" speech to her. It appeared to open his eyes a bit to the possibility.

While I agree with this, there was that odd extra couple of seconds at the very end--after Simmons has left. Fitzgerald doesn't look likes he's in love, nor does he look confused. He looks...kinda cold? Shut down? Just kinda off, not "I've just realized that I actually love the girl who's been beside me this entire time.". I think his earlier realization was that they had always been together, but not love--which is something the others are kinda assuming.

Re: Coulson. Everything points to "something happened." His lines about Tahiti, his repeatedly noted behavioral changes, the "he can never know," even the higher amount of iron in his blood. And his scene with the fireman was moving.

I think Fitz may not realize the car flies. Maybe not Ward, either. And he's thinking of James Bond, so I can see him going for the parachute.

I'm enjoying the show and even got my husband watching it a bit. Yay! I liked the easing into characterizations; we had generalization (muscle, hacker, brains, etc), but they're becoming more 3D.

 

[Mr Light]

Guy: <<Here's the gaping hole in that theory... Until they do an episode about Life Model Decoys... 90 percent of the audience have never heard of Life Model Decoys. >>

Iron Man jokingly tells Coulson he is a Life Model Decoy in The Avengers, which made 1.5 billion so was probably seen by a lot of people

 

[CorporalCaptain]

It played out to me that Fitz was somewhat oblivious to Simmons until the moment of his "right beside me" speech to her. It appeared to open his eyes a bit to the possibility.

While I agree with this, there was that odd extra couple of seconds at the very end--after Simmons has left. Fitzgerald doesn't look likes he's in love, nor does he look confused. He looks...kinda cold? Shut down? Just kinda off, not "I've just realized that I actually love the girl who's been beside me this entire time.". I think his earlier realization was that they had always been together, but not love--which is something the others are kinda assuming.

I'm glad someone else noticed this, too. The scene lingered for some hidden purpose, I felt. As usual (it's the same sound they always use, right?), the percussive sound at the end suggests something potentially ominous to me.

Other elements in the mix that occurred to me: Who will end up with whom? Will it be Fitz+Simmons and Skye+Grant? Or, will it be Grant+Simmons and Skye+Fitz? Or, will it be a triangle with Simmons, Skye, and Grant, with Fitz feeling left out and jealous? Or, something else?

Granted she was under pressure, but Simmons said some fairly unkind things to Fitz. Was that kiss one of adoration, of gratitude, or of affection? Was she really excited by being rescued by Grant more than she'd let on to Fitz? And, which is currently the main question in my mind on this issue, will Fitz become a villain, especially if he gets jilted?

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Guy: <<Here's the gaping hole in that theory... Until they do an episode about Life Model Decoys... 90 percent of the audience have never heard of Life Model Decoys. >>

Iron Man jokingly tells Coulson he is a Life Model Decoy in The Avengers, which made 1.5 billion so was probably seen by a lot of people

Even I didn't get it was a thing, though. And, while it was amusing, I instantly forgot that he said Life Model Decoy until it was mentioned here. To me (and I'd hazard to guess the general audience), I remembered it as "Tony Stark pretends to be a robot" and that's it.

 

[Agent Richard07]

I'd rather see Skye and Grant end up with different people if they end up with anyone.

Fitzsimmons will always be Fitzsimmons.

 

[Christopher]

Fitzsimmons will always be Fitzsimmons.

I don't know. They were bickering more than usual this week, and next week sees Fitz going off on a mission with Ward. I'm thinking maybe their experience in the field might be broadening their horizons a bit, making them consider other possibilities and maybe drift away from each other. They're still friends, but maybe they won't want to be joined at the hip all the time. I can see them maybe getting tired of being treated as one entity with a compound name.

 

[Thestral]

Guy: <<Here's the gaping hole in that theory... Until they do an episode about Life Model Decoys... 90 percent of the audience have never heard of Life Model Decoys. >>

Iron Man jokingly tells Coulson he is a Life Model Decoy in The Avengers, which made 1.5 billion so was probably seen by a lot of people

Even I didn't get it was a thing, though. And, while it was amusing, I instantly forgot that he said Life Model Decoy until it was mentioned here. To me (and I'd hazard to guess the general audience), I remembered it as "Tony Stark pretends to be a robot" and that's it.

Yep. That was nothing more than a throwaway line and a nod to longtime comics fans. And considering the last couple pages I'm back on the LMD theory... guess I'm just wishy-washy.

 

[Gryffindorian]

I did notice the odd couple of seconds but didn't get what it signified. Was there some hidden meaning?

 

[Agent Richard07]

Fitzsimmons will always be Fitzsimmons.

I don't know. They were bickering more than usual this week, and next week sees Fitz going off on a mission with Ward. I'm thinking maybe their experience in the field might be broadening their horizons a bit, making them consider other possibilities and maybe drift away from each other. They're still friends, but maybe they won't want to be joined at the hip all the time. I can see them maybe getting tired of being treated as one entity with a compound name.

I can see the show having them explore other options from time to time, but I have no doubt that they'll always go back to each other and their odd little more-than-professional-not-quite-romantic union. If anything does change, I think it'll go the romantic route.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I did notice the odd couple of seconds but didn't get what it signified. Was there some hidden meaning?

Yep, that's the question.

 

[propita]

I did notice the odd couple of seconds but didn't get what it signified. Was there some hidden meaning?

Yep, that's the question.

Had I not already deleted it, I'd watch it again. Fitz sits there and hugs his pillow, which is usually an action for self-comfort or for the pillow to act as an physical and/or emotional barrier between the person and the world. Yet he doesn't seem visibly upset enough for it to be either. He was more emotional while Simmons was there, kinda flirting with him--though she may have merely been expressing her appreciation and concerned with Fitz's self-deprecations.

I think it's something to do with characterization, but I'm willing to just let it play out. Discussion and speculation, though, is fun.


Do LMDs Have blood to pass physicals? If Coulson's a robot, would he need to be conditioned about Tahiti, or was that "just" programming, like a password or something. And, btw, he is NOT "old." He's hot, in his way--but then I usually find intelligent men to be attractive.

 

[JD]

I thought this was one of, if not the, best episodes of the series so far. We got a lot of nice stuff for Fitzsimmons, and more stuff dealing with what happened to Coulson. At this point, I'm starting to lean more towards him being the original Coulson who was brought back to life somehow. I'm not totally ruling out the possibility of him being an LMD, but it's not my top choice at the moment.
EDIT: I just looked up LMDs on Wikipedia, and it says they are outwardly indistinguishable from the original, but any invasive procedures or am EMP pulse will expose them. It also says that they're controlled by the person that they're mimicing. I don't if that would totally eliminate it as a possibility, since the TV show can change things in any way they want, but it does make it seem a little less likely to me.

 

[Turtletrekker]

In a nice little bit of attention to detail, Saffron Burrows' Victoria Hand will have Hand's trademark red streaks in her hair.