Agents of SHIELD season three. [Spoilers]

[The Romulan Republic]

The new season is starting tonight, so I figured that it was time for a thread for it.

I'm looking forward to seeing what happened to Simmons, what Skye and post-amputation Coulson are up to, and what Ward is up to. I have mixed feelings about how they handled Ward (who was my favourite character) last season. I like that they showed what a bastard he is, but I felt they swung a bit too far in that direction, taking an unpredictable and complex character and making him more of a simple monster. Still, the whole Ward-as-HYDRA leader thing they seemed to be setting up promises to be interesting.

[Joun_Lord]

I'll admit I stopped watching after the first season both because the first season was boring half the time and because of the shit I heard about the most recent season. Ward turning Hydra didn't bother me too much though I think it sucked he was actually starting to get interesting. Skye becoming the central focus of the show bothered me because she is a woman......nah, not really but because she just bothered me. I don't know if I'd call her a Mary Sue but she certainly annoyed me. She was some super-hacker who was made a Shield agent and now apparently has superpowers. I dunno, its just hard to articulate why the character I disliked so.

Coulson was okay in small doses but kinda got boring after awhile. May was interesting but barely got alot of screen time. Ward started to turn interesting but become a Nazi. The Inhumans things never really grabbed my interest in the comics and don't seem that interesting here.

Plus the whole multiple Shields thing sounds kinda crappy especially when apparently the Avengers have started their own version of Shield that actually has Nick Fury.

I'm probably being to hard on this show but I just seriously could not get into it. It reminds me a bit of Stargate Universe (though not nearly as bad as that show) with unlikable characters and plots that either go nowhere, get dropped suddenly, or just boring plots.

I am looking forward to Agent Carter returning because that was a incredibly excellent show and the only reason I don't want the chick playing Agent Carter to be Fem-Doctor when they inevitably IRL rule 63 The Doctor is because I want more Agent Carter. Also some more Daredevil. That was a great show too.

I don't know why those two shows I enjoy but Agents of Shit I just don't like.

[The Romulan Republic]

Agents of SHIELD is a mixed bag, although I really like a lot of what they did with Skye and Ward, some missteps notwithstanding. Its funny, because those were probably the two worst main characters at the start. But I thought Ward became much more interesting post-HYDRA revelation. And Skye... well, I like that she has a certain strength of character. I like the idea that after Ward's betrayal she jettisoned any idea of a relationship with him. To compare to another Whedon series, it always bothers me on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (much as I love the show) how Buffy would keep going back to her dysfunctional, abusive relationships, first with Angel, then with Riley, and finally with Spike. Sadly, of course, a lot of people in real life do stay in abusive relationships. But I liked that Skye showed real strength of character by not doing that.

But I too am looking forward to more Agent Carter, even if I don't like it as much as you seem to.

Edit: Yeah, I know I basically said that Skye is a better strong female hero than Buffy. And while I wouldn't say that's universally true, in this respect, from what I've seen of AoS, it is.

[The Romulan Republic]

I'd like to write a full review of the episode, but honestly, there's a lot to cover. Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is that a lot of stuff happened. And most of it was good, even if I found some of it a bit unclear (maybe I just forgot or missed some relevant stuff from earlier in the show).

Some other thoughts:
Spoiler

No May or Ward yet (though apparently Hydra is laying low and Ward will appear in the next episode), which is a disappointment, but we did get a nice glimpse of Simmons' fate at the end.

Skye (now going by Daisy) was cool. It also looks like she's gained some muscle, and really come into her own as an agent and superhero. She might be my favourite character at this point.

I liked how they incorporated minority characters (including the North African guys Fitz met and the homosexual Inhuman guy) into the episode without making a big deal about how they were minorities or being heavy-handed but still making their identity relevant. And of course, the fear and persecution of Inhumans after various alien threats can serve as a parallel both for the treatment of homosexuals (which the episode made explicitly) and for the fear and hatred of Muslims during the War on Terror (and as a stand-in for the X-Men, who I understand Marvel doesn't have the rights to use). But without, I felt, being really heavy-handed/preachy about it.

Also, did Fitz, James Fitz just con ISIS?

Edits: Just my joke their about Fitz. He really gave off a bit of a nerdier Bond vibe to me during that sequence.

Also, added spoiler warning.

[Ahriman238]

Netflix, why you no have the day after?

Well, I rather agree with the point of Skye and Ward becoming the most interesting despite starting the dullest, Though I also really identified with Fitz's arc last season. Also, I have an irrational dislike of established characters suddenly changing their name. Why is this such a thing? Accepting Skye has more reason than most to make such a change.

From the snippets released as a stinger- Skye has come a long way from the girl in the pilot who was scared of the black helicopters. Now she's swiping mutants Inhumans off of the street. Like a boss.

Did Coulson have a prosthetic hand?

[The Romulan Republic]

Yup. It was actually slightly important to the plot- he Spoiler

detaches it to break out of handcuffs at one point.

He also notes that he's used or used up three of them thus far.

Edit: It also sets up a rather sad line when he's Spoiler

talking to Fitz. Coulson remarks that because May hasn't returned he's also lost his right hand.

[Alkaloid]

Soooooo, new season is starting.

Decent opening episode. Didn't go as effects heavy as they have for the last few openers either which was nice. Showed us the rocket pods and the new bus, little bit of the inhuman [powers and apart from the it was all character and dialogue, which is a good sign.

[Crazedwraith]

OSF has a thread already

Though tbf no one ever seems sure where Marvel cinematic stuff goes.

[Ted C]

Netflix, why you no have the day after?

HuluPlus has it.

[Solauren]

I love the parellel they are doing to Spoiler

the Terrigen Bomb arc from the comics.

I mean, Spoiler

it's even LASH hunting down the Inhumanes

[Adam Reynolds]

Though tbf no one ever seems sure where Marvel cinematic stuff goes.

I don't think anyone in Marvel even knows. Iron Man is clearly science fiction while Thor is clearly fantasy. What occurs when you put them together?

Agents of Shield is even more odd given that it is a procedural that largely involves law enforcement type roles.

[The Romulan Republic]

Eh, a lot of the Asgardian stuff is technological as I recall. They may dress their society up to look like anachronistic pseudo-medieval fantasy stuff, but how much of it really is?

Marvel films in general are a science fiction/spy thriller hybrid with a dash of fantasy thrown in. AoS in particular.

[dragon]

I'm actually curious about all the tech that fell in New York. I'm sure a lot of people picked up some of those staff weapons especially gang members. Also think about how much construction companies made rebuilding. Even though I wonder how they got the one space whale that was draped over a building off.

Edit there's already a thread didn't see it. Maybe a mod should merge them and let us know which forum shield should go in.

[The Romulan Republic]

Marvel Entertainment Youtube channel posted an interview with Brett Dalton discussing Ward's plans for this season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x-i0uXHF3M

Dalton has a much more favourable attitude toward Ward than I do, it seems, though maybe its natural to empathize with the character you're playing, to a point. Still, interesting.

[Alkaloid]

One of the Marvel shorts covered it. Most of that stuff was recovered by SHIELD and became inactive after the portal was closed. There were a few pieces that made their way into the general population which SHIELD tracked down, there's pretty much no active alien tech loose in the wild.

And yeah, merging seems sensible if there's already a thread.

[The Romulan Republic]

I felt that tonight's episode wasn't quite on the level of the first one. A lot of the humour didn't really appeal to me, and some of the episode seemed a tad cliche. It felt, at times, like I recall the early episodes of season one being, actually.

Oh, and Coulson? Spoiler

Threatening to turn a basically friendly alien over to the government for disection? Really? I mean, maybe it was a bluff, and I get the whole desperate times desperate measures thing, but you're supposed to be a good guy.

Though I liked that Coulson decisions were actually questioned in the episode.

Regardless, it was certainly good to see Ward and May again (and I don't blame May in the least for not wanting to go back to SHIELD). And the Asgardian professor returning. And May's father.

I was a bit surprised to see the rich asshole kid acting so tough, but then they revealed who his father was. Nice twist to have Ward recruit Strucker Jr.

Speaking of Ward, I have a bad feeling that Hunter and/or May is going to bite it soon. They're going after Ward, and Hunter seems outright obsessed, regarding it almost as a suicide mission. But since Ward seems to be being set up as a major villain, I don't think they're likely to succeed in taking him out any time soon. And while we know May can take Ward, I honestly suspect that Ward is a better fighter than Hunter.

Speaking of which, I liked Ward's advice to Strucker Jr.- basically that if you're going to kill someone, you shouldn't threaten them, just kill them. That's the ruthless pragmatism of an effective villain.

Also...

Simmons is home. Nice. I'm surprised they didn't draw that plot out longer, and I'd like to see more of wherever Simmons was, but that scene with her and Fitz and the end was kind of cute.

[Solauren]

Simmons is back.

Now we get some nice Post Traumatic Stress issues with her. Clearly, she's had a rough time. You don't go to sleep holding a weapon and wake up still holding it unless you've needed to wake up armed in the past.

[biostem]

Simmons is back.

Now we get some nice Post Traumatic Stress issues with her. Clearly, she's had a rough time. You don't go to sleep holding a weapon and wake up still holding it unless you've needed to wake up armed in the past.

I'm curious if time passed at the same rate for her - if it did, then I'd like to know what she ate/drank, why she smeared the mud on the cut on her head in the previous episode, and what she was running from.

I'm also curious, given that they apparently had some idea that the stone was a portal in the 1800s, why they wouldn't turn on the machine, throw a bunch of supplies through, turn it off before the machine broke down, turn it on again, send through a team, turn it off, then turn it on again after a set period of time and recover the team.

While in the pit, the portal didn't reach out and try to grab people, like it did while shield had it, so there really wasn't that danger...

[Iroscato]

Enjoyed the last episode. Simmons being rescued activated some feels for me, considering I'd've been happy with her fate 2 years ago. The whole rescue sequence was really well done, and Iain de Caestecker once again proved to be an excellent actor.
Tbh I was kind of hoping it wasn't Simmons that was brought back, but SOMETHING ELSE. I guess PTSD Simmons will have to do for fallout
And yeah, Coulson is starting to skirt a little close to the dark side for me. It would be a shame if they turned a fan-favourite character like him into the next grimdark anti-hero, and I can't see the infinitely likable Clark Gregg pulling it off too well.
Also, I wonder if Strucker's son will become the next Baron Von Strucker, seeing as Strucker Senior's role in the MCU amounted to a post-credits cameo and acting as Ultron's target practise.

[The Romulan Republic]

For grimdark anti-heroes, honestly, Fitz has been going in that direction (though maybe he'll cool down a bit now that Simmons is home) and May had an element of that (albeit fairly mild for the most part) from the start. No need to take Coulson down that road as well. Though I can see the strain of leading through all these crises and losing his arm, as well as the old trauma of his resurrection, getting too him.

Skye/Daisy at this point seems perhaps the most level-headed and idealistic of the main characters. She's really matured, and the new episode seemed to be suggesting, perhaps, that she could take Coulson's place as a leader. I wouldn't have thought much of that when the show started, but now... I can kind of see it.

And having Daisy leading SHIELD/the Inhumans vs. Ward leading HYDRA could be interesting given their history.

Honestly, I think she's my favourite character at this point (it was May near the start of the show, and Ward from about late season one to late season two).

Simmons being rescued was at least a nice twist, in that they seemed to be setting up a tear-jerker failure and it was a surprise when they actually pulled it off.

As to Strucker Jr., yeah. I don't know much about Strucker Sr., but its my understanding that he's a fairly major villain in the comics, so perhaps this is their way of making up for killing him so quickly in Age of Ultron.

[Ted C]

I was rather surprised to find Simmons recovered so quickly. I was expecting it to take half the season, at least, with more scenes of her having to improvise and survive in the alien otherworld. Maybe we'll get all that in flashbacks?

[Dalton]

I was rather surprised to find Simmons recovered so quickly. I was expecting it to take half the season, at least, with more scenes of her having to improvise and survive in the alien otherworld. Maybe we'll get all that in flashbacks?

We already got a glimpse of that when she gasped awake holding a shiv. She went through some SHIT. There should have been far more physical changes, though - thinness, emaciated, possible dehydration, etc.

[The Romulan Republic]

I hope we see more of wherever she was sent. They show us mysterious glimpses of an alien world, strand a main character their, and then barely follow up on it?

[FaxModem1]

I hope we see more of wherever she was sent. They show us mysterious glimpses of an alien world, strand a main character their, and then barely follow up on it?

It could be that the primary focus is going to be on how it changed Simmons as a person, as the series seems to be focusing on changing every character from who they were at the start of season 1 into a darker and grittier character who has been through a trial of some sort. This could be Simmons.

However, it could be also be a case of an Aborted Arc, as there seems to be a shift in how the show is going from season 2 to season 3. What's the status of the 'Real SHIELD' currently and their carrier, as well as the one Nick Fury used in Avengers 2?

[The Romulan Republic]

I'd say the sort of trial you're talking about happened to Simmons earlier, along with Fitz- having Ward dump them out of the plane and nearly drowning. It certainly seems to have made Simmons darker, given that she tried to backstab and assassinate Ward last season, and I really have a hard time seeing early season one Simmons trying something like that.