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Episode two of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is “Heavy is the Head” and features a lot of changes.
Coulson has changed, and not just because he's the director.
Skye has changed into a skilled field agent.
Fitz's injury has caused changes, and he is facing more changes. But what direction will that lead him?
There's new agents working with the team.
And…NO MORE LEVELS???
NEWS
Not a lot of news. And that's okay by us.
Although there was something that was NOT okay by Daniel.
And Ben still hasn't watched Chronicle.
MAIN DISCUSSION
We discuss the episode, of course…
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It didn’t get better. It didn’t get better, and so I have to say something. They are seriously ruining Agents of SHIELD for me. The first two episodes of the new season so far have just been…depressing. Everything is dark. Even the COLORS are dark. Everybody’s relationships are screwed up. Everything is awful. Everything is shattered. It leaves me feeling angry and like, honestly, I don’t even want to watch it any more. Which is new, considering last season I pretty much had adrenaline rushes all day every Tuesday waiting for it to come on.
I get that they’re in a rough place, and they’re all dealing with the aftermath of all the betrayal and loss, and SHIELD is tiny and outgunned, all of that. I just think they could handle it in a more interesting way than everybody just being in the dumps all the time. The one bright spot of the show so far has been Simmons encouraging Fitz, and she’s not really there.
I think what I enjoyed about AOS was the richness of the relationships between the characters, the FUN of the show and its adventures (which I think has been a hallmark of Marvel movies, for the most part – even when it’s serious, it’s fun), and the mysteries. Now, I honestly don’t even care about the mysteries. I don’t like the new characters, I don’t like that Fitz is a nut, I don’t like that Simmons is gone (where the heck is she? I know we’re supposed to find out next week and it BETTER be good), Skye is brooding and negative, Coulson is brooding and negative. May is nothing but dutiful. Hunter is eminently dislikeable and Mac is a nothing, so far. And Izzy is already dead. Wow. I pretty much have nothing holding me to watching any more, unless they start redeeming SOMETHING pretty quickly. I have enough loyalty to give them about three more episodes. If they have the same tenor as the first two…I might be out. Eep!
I heard all the excited buzz before the beginning of the season that, “Oh wow, AOS is at a new time, it’s going to be more dark and gritty this time around.” Dark and gritty? I seriously hope this isn’t the dark and gritty everyone’s excited about. If I want dark and gritty, I’ll go watch The Dark Knight. Or Breaking Bad or something awful. I want MARVEL – you know, wisecracking Iron Man Marvel? I want Agents of SHIELD. Not Agents of Depression. 😛 The world is depressing enough without wallowing in it.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Thank you…for being passionate about our show!
Ok, after some more thought, I think I have pinpointed the things that are really bugging me. (As opposed to just having a generalized sense of “yuck.”) It seems like every story arc that had a satisfying payoff at the end of last season has just been reversed or aborted, without transition, in the first two episodes of Season 2. And that’s frustrating for me, as it feels like bait and switch. For example…
Season One: Coulson is a company man. Everything is compartmentalized. Oh wait, then he has this transformation and reaches this place of openness with his team and bucking the compartmentalization. Season Two: Oh, wait, nope, he’s compartmentalizing again. No transition, just, suddenly we’re right back where we started.
Season One: Skye is searching for a family. She finds one in SHIELD! Whoohoo! She is building this incredible father-daughter relationship with Coulson that has SO much promise. Season Two: Everyone is disconnected. Again, without transition; just suddenly, BAM! – it’s gone. Coulson is a workaholic. Skye is hard as nails. Ugggghhhhh, it feels like we’ve lost so much ground.
Fitz and Simmons, Season One: This incredible friendship and partnership. Wait, is it something more? Oh! For Fitz it is! What will happen? The tension!! At the end of the season, he finally tells her the truth! And then now he’s injured! What will happen?? What will the fallout be? Uhhhh…nothing. Because she’s gone. (I know, I know, I have to be patient. But this was one of the storylines for which I was waiting all summer to see the resolution!)
Gak. So, that’s my beef. I feel like they’ve pulled back on everything that was a payoff last season, and I’m seeing that as a recurring theme with the show. Every storyline you think is going to have a satisfying conclusion – oh, no, wait, fooled you! It still sucks. Or that person’s a traitor. Or this one has lost his mind and that one flew the coop. That gets frustrating for me. I need some emotional payoff, as well as just answers to questions.
Meg, that is very well articulated!