Agents of Shield - Mid season premiere tonight

[Random Axe]

Another solid episode tonight that introduced a new supervillain to the show...Blizzard. The production values are obviously increased and the effects are much better. They appear to actually be leaning towards a more serious tone. They also had mention of AIM, Hydra and Bucky Barnes. I know a lot of people hate on this show, and I can't blame them, but I like it quite a bit, and I see it getting better now that is has some legs under it.

[hedrap]

It didn't hit me until these recent episodes, but IIRC, a lot of this modern-tech was in a Deathlok script from several years ago.

I've always despised the modern Deathlok stuff. Give me "Snake Plissken In The Future" any day.

[thunderbolt]

Sounds like Paxton becomes Deathlok at some point...

I figured that the other guy was being set up for Deathlok. He's already got that centipede thing and burnt and missing a leg. Not to mention a computer in his head.

[samurainoir]

Game over man! Why don't you put her in charge?

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=50234

[hedrap]

Sounds like Paxton becomes Deathlok at some point...

[thunderbolt]

Bill Paxton is joining the show as Agent Garrett. That should add a bit of fun.

[Sideshow Spock]

I didn't notice any appreciable increase in "quality". And I thought the way they addressed what happened to Coulson was a mess. Par for the course with this series, yet another disappointment.

[Aricosaur]

I liked it. The Skye pretending to be a tough agent was funny. I think the reason no one at Shield traced the money is 'cause Hand didn't want to find Coulson. The whole brain thing made me involuntarily cringe.

I hadn't made the Deathlok connection but that would be perfect. However, Mike becoming Deathlok or Centipede becoming AIM (or one project within AIM) or whatever imagined connections to the Marvel Universe isn't essential for me liking the show. Centipede is compelling enough a villain for me to enjoy the show as is (but I still think they're AIM).

[johnnystorm]

The whole Skye is a supreme hacker bit has worn thin on me, as has her abrasive personality. Actually, everyone on this show is pretty abrasive, with the exception of the rather one dimensional science nerds.
Why SHIELD with all it's resources couldn't track the money bit is ridiculous, pretty much every cop show has a guy who can do the same.
I'm hoping though this episode leads to some Marvel characters being added. The suggested Deathlok would be cool, and it would be neat if the " clairvoyant" turns out to be Mentallo. Bugs me that we have this "Centipede" instead of Zodiac or Hydra.
The Nick Fury cameo was nice, no reason they can't insert stock footage of the Avengers characters here & there as well.
I liked the creepy bit with Coulsons brain, and the quip he made about them " just messing with my mind". I was expecting the reveal to be his brain was put into an LMD, guess that's still possible. I'd like to see Ron Glass appear more often, like able actor we don't see much of.

[FETT1]

ok ..watched the episode ...1st in a while...why does it take a single reporter / hacker girl able to rescue Colton...where are the AVENGERS ????Think those dudes could of found him a heartbeat!?!...guess I'm outta da LOoP ....OH WELL...still not a big fan of the show!

[Random Axe]

Okay, this is without doubt the best episode so far. They upped the writing, directing and acting. It's liek there's another produciton team working on this. It's a lot less Disney and a lot more James Bond kinda stuff. Everything was tightly woven and brilliantly shot. It still didn't give up the promised answers to COulson, but I really didn't think it woul dbe that easy anyway. What they did show was pretty brutal and definitely sets up the SHIELD is kinda evil thing they already are establishing for Winter Soldier. SOme observations:

1. The clairvoyant is mosy likely MODOK. I can't think of any other character that fits. I read somewhere that it's Morgan LeFaey, a classic Spier-Woman character and that Skye is actually Jessica Drew. Lots of possibilities here.

2. Mike is going to become Deathlok. He's missing limbs and is badly burned and is already some kind of supersoldier. What else can they do with him?

3. The doctor, in the original episode, seemed surprised that Coulson didn't know what happened. Now, in this episode, he makes it seem like it's the biggest secret on Earth. Not sure here, maybe bad writing/continuity?

4. The doctor said he was "becoming" something and what they did prevented it. Interesting. Was Coulson originally a Skrull or other type of shape shifting alien? This also opens lots of possibilities.

I really liked this one tonight and it potentially sets up a great second half.