Agents of Shield - Mid season premiere tonight

[johnnystorm]

Boy, Ward is really a nasty piece of work. Good episode again tonight. However, not a big Patton Oswalt fan and Eric Koenig is supposed to be German.

[stevenlore]

..best shows on TV ????

Well, to be fair, I only watch 3 shows. Nothing else interests me. (Community and Whose line...? are the other two).

[madmarva]

The exact same thing is going to happen to Gotham. No Batman, No Catwoman, no Joker, no chance. Does anyone really think Jim Gordon as a lead will bring in viewers? Batman will be nothing more than a Hardy Boy mystery character.

I agree that it could happen with Gotham, but it doesn't have to. If they make a compelling cop show set in pre-Batman Gotham, it could work as well or better than any cop show. The key is creating compelling characters and telling good stories about them. But it can't bank on the Batman connection delivering an audience that will stick with a mediocre or inferior show.

I was enthusiastic and excited about AOS, but after about 4 episodes it lost me. Gotham may turn out the same way. Arrow's decent; better than AOS to me, but I don't watch it weekly, either.

If all the comic book shows make it to series next year, it's going to be interesting to see what works and what doesn't. Something like Constantine or iZombie might catch on with a general audience better than Gotham or Flash.

I hope AOS gets another season, works out its kinks and becomes a great show.

[sprytel]

I'm sure I'm not the first to notice this, but did anyone else pick up on how the last episode was a total "homage" to Star Wars?

Coulson at the targeting computer, like he was shooting down TIE Fighters.
Trapped in the tractor beam to the enemy base.
Use secret compartment under the floor to escape.
The group splits up: one to shut off the tractor beam, the other to rescue the princess... er... scientist
They get into the detention level by pretending to be a prisoner transfer.

Actually, I'm a little surprised they didn't go into the trash chute at some point...

[Random Axe]

The exact same thing is going to happen to Gotham. No Batman, No Catwoman, no Joker, no chance. Does anyone really think Jim Gordon as a lead will bring in viewers? Batman will be nothing more than a Hardy Boy mystery character.

I really, really like AoS at this point but good God did it have a rough start. That, more than anything, is contributing to the ratings decline. The slow, awkward beginnings with an inexperienced team trying to feel their way around the world was too much to overcome for a society with the attention span of a guppy. Their initial refusal to incorporate "costumed" characters came back and cut themselves off at the knees. I truly hope they do get renewed and we get to see some resolutions to the storylines and not have to see them wrapped up in haste in the event they are not picked up for next year.

[hedrap]

Maybe the HYDRA turn is something that can be built on, but I think the issue is in the writer's room not with the show's basic concept. ABC might consider finding the show a more favorable time slot if it brings AOS back.

Marvel has a proven formula for delivering on the big screen, but that goodwill won't save a so so show. The quality competition is more fierce on TV than it is in the cineplex today. Maybe the show would do better on SyFy or NetFlix, but the writing has to improve for the show to thrive no matter where it runs.

For me, it all ties into the Cult of Whedon. Fans tend to overlook that his shows couldn't draw. Buffy, Angel, Firefly never broke the top 100, let alone top 50. But the cult always implies Buffy was equal to X-Files. AoS is his show. Him, his brother and sister-in-law created this so he owns it. It's the reason I've never given him total credit for Avengers success. Favreau laid out the Marvel visual template and tone, Feige had been working on the inter-connection for years. Whedon's strength is his ability to balance an ensemble, which he is certainly better at than Favreau. But AoS sort of proves that without the big FX and charismatic lead, the audience won't buy in. Like you said Marva, too many options.

[FETT1]

What a great episode! Full of surprises. AOS is one of the best shows on TV I don't see why all of the negativity. It is entertaining, I like the characters, got some good action...and I can't wait for the next episode.

..best shows on TV ????

[stevenlore]

What a great episode! Full of surprises. AOS is one of the best shows on TV I don't see why all of the negativity. It is entertaining, I like the characters, got some good action...and I can't wait for the next episode.

[madmarva]

AOS is kind of like doing a Daily Planet TV show with spot cameos by Clark Kent and no Superman. I'm not saying a good show can't be made about either concept, but if you're not going to have any Superman, you better write some really compelling stories about news coverage or the media. It can be done. Lou Grant and News Radio were fine shows.

It could be argued AOS has played its Marvel card enough, but the show's writing is mediocre at best. Nearly a decade into its run, NCIS is a better show on autopilot than AOS. And The Americans probably is the best spy show ever aired on TV. NCIS is in direct competition with AOS and the Americans is a spy show done right. If I'm going to spend an hour of my week watching spies, I'll take The Americans.

To me, that Fantastic Four/Incredibles clone with Chickless and Julie Benze from a few years back was a more entertaining show than AOS has been thus far.

Maybe the HYDRA turn is something that can be built on, but I think the issue is in the writer's room not with the show's basic concept. ABC might consider finding the show a more favorable time slot if it brings AOS back.

Marvel has a proven formula for delivering on the big screen, but that goodwill won't save a so so show. The quality competition is more fierce on TV than it is in the cineplex today. Maybe the show would do better on SyFy or NetFlix, but the writing has to improve for the show to thrive no matter where it runs.

[hedrap]

Once again, Agents defies L.O.G.I.C

http://television.cosmicbooknews.com/content/following-captain-america-2-new-ratings-low-marvels-agents-shield-turn

I expected at least a half point uptick. And now, they're at the panic point, it seems...

http://television.cosmicbooknews.com/content/marvels-agents-shield-season-2-question-calling-fans-contact-abc

I don't like to bag on Loeb because he, and Dini to some degree, were the guys who made Smallville, Lost and Heroes great. When Loeb left each show, they were much worse off.

But I had no idea Loeb was the one who axed Avengers:EMH. Save Ultimate Spidey, he's been a disaster for Marvel.

And I still don't understand why anyone involved thought Coulson could carry a show. He's just the latest in a line of fanboy overhype. I mean, he's a solid actor but he's a character actor, not a lead. If they had built the show around Paxton, or Michael Biehn, or hell pay Duchovny, then had Coulson reprise his movie stint as a shadowy figure like Smoking Man from the X-Files, it could have been X-Files meets 24.

At this point, Marvel would be better to let it go to Netflix or SyFy and reboot.

[Sideshow Spock]

He's a member of Hydra! No, she is! No she ain't, it's that guy! And she is too! Wait, no she ain't! Well what about that guy there? He is! And that guy, ain't no way he could be! He is? Whaaaat?

[johnnystorm]

What a ride... I didn't see the twist with either. Is Ward being controlled or Hydra all along? And how is Coulson going to fuel that plane without Shield?

[FETT1]

..believe something major was needed as the series numbers were falling off.....graspin at ratings...grassssspppin....

[Random Axe]

I read something from some poster on some website around the mid-season that they predicted Ward would eventually become Taskmaster. Never made any sense to me until tonight. That was some cold stuff there. I'd love to see him become a recurring villain for this series if it gets picked up for a second season.

[jwyblejr]

Man,that was some twists and turns there at the end.