By Jess Wind (Cascade Alum) – Email
Print Edition: October 8, 2014
Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) is back for another round with Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD. DC may have been producing superhero television on a semi-consistent basis over the last decades, but SHIELD is the only show that exists in the Marvel universe.
The show follows agent Phil Coulson (last seen in The Avengers shooting Loki before succumbing to severe stab wounds) and his band of elite agents as they protect the world from unknown forces made public by the events in The Avengers.
If you sat down to watch SHIELD without watching the films, you would have found a show about special agents, advanced weaponry, and supernatural threats. The first season brought us predictable scripts and, at times, amateur acting — but we also got the campy charm so characteristic of this universe.
As the second season gets underway, SHIELD picks up the pieces from its destroyed organization. Our ideas of good and evil are put into question as Coulson’s team must navigate their new identities as wanted vigilantes while battling the real bad guys, all recently set loose by HYDRA.
Much of the first couple of episodes are spent developing a scene for how each character is coping in their new reality — and some are coping better than others.
Fitz is struggling with a head injury that affects his research, and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) appears to be out of the picture, though still present in Fitz’s imagination. Is her absence a clumsy patchwork to cover for Henstridge not returning to the show? As Fitz continues to interact with Simmons, it’s clear this isn’t the case and that we will see her again (apparently as soon as October 7). TV Guide released a clip indicating she has been working in a HYDRA lab — hopefully as undercover for Coulson, because I don’t think I could handle another Grant Ward scenario.
Speaking of Ward, is Marvel going to attempt to redeem his character? His disheveled appearance and suicide attempt suggest that he may not be a complete lost cause — that he may be suffering traitor’s remorse. And what of Skye? Her backstory is far from developed, and the first few episodes suggest that it will take centre-stage as a line of conflict this season. Ward apparently has things to say on the subject, so at least we haven’t said goodbye to that sexual and emotional tension.
With a more stressed-out (and potentially unstable) Coulson at the helm of SHIELD, season two promises some darker themes and tougher decisions from the man who idolizes Captain America. That doesn’t mean he can’t still crack a few one-liners that remind us why we love him.
Last season saw the release of three Marvel films throughout its run and, for the most part, was hemmed in by the events happening elsewhere in the universe. This season will have more room to grow independently, but is still building toward The Avengers: Age of Ultron, due out in May 2015.
The new season of Agents of SHIELD is already carving out its own territory in the Marvel universe. With the promise of more undercover agents, more 084, and the resurrection of SHIELD, it’s bound to be a dynamic and engaging season.
