Agents of SHIELD season 2

[shapinglight]

Hmm, not sure what's going on here. I'm actually quite enjoying the second season of Agents of SHIELD so far.

Spoilers behind cut.



That said, no matter how good it gets, it'll still be brought down by the utter crapness of the first season - and even so can't seem to resist bland, easy characterisations when it could do something more interesting.

In this instance, I'm talking about Hunter, who could have been a complex character involved in a double - or even a triple - cross, but instead has blandly fallen into line with Coulson and co.

I do like Raina, though, and Kyle McLachlan turning up is usually a good sign.

We'll see.

Comments

[liliaeth]

I think that the problem with s1 was how restricted they were in that they were unable to properly hint at things coming up with Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

As long as they had that hanging over the show, the characters couldn't really evolve, because they were in a holding stasis. The writers knew that none of what they did would have all that much of an impact afterwards. Especially in regards to Ward who was pretty much a boring bland piece of cardboard, because the writers knew that the majority of his character development couldn't be shown until he was revealed as a Hydra agent.

Now they could have done better with that, hint at things, but I guess that Marvel was hanging over them to keep from spoiling things too much.

[shapinglight]

Probably. I do think they could have done a lot better than they did, though. And I do get fed up with plot twists, like the Ward thing, that haven't been properly foreshadowed.

Joss's brother is way, way worse than Joss himself in this regard. Most of the second series of Dollhouse is one plot twist after another, until you think to yourself, "Oh, for heavens' sake!" and just lose faith in the entire thing.

Possibly, Ward being so cardboard worked in their favour. It was easier to believe he'd been working for Hydra all along because he was just so blank and boring before.

Must say, I do like him a lot better now he's mad and bad in a holding cell.

[liliaeth]

Oh I agree with you entirely. There's a lot they could have done to foreshadow things,even without ruining the plot twist. But God, his character was more boring than Angel was in s1 of Buffy, and he doesn't have the talent to keep a cardboard character likeable, the way Hoechlin managed on the first two seasons of Teen Wolf. (seriously, worst written char on the show, and he somehow still managed to make Derek believable)

Ward is just so much more interesting as a villain, and I think it's in part because the actor is having more fun with the character.

I even like Fitz better, now that he's no longer the cute funny geek stereotype.

I just don't understand why they made the mercenary guy a regular already instead of Trip, since if they aren't planning to make the new guy be a double agent, then why not just go with the loveable adorkable guy they put on the team already.

[shapinglight]

I just don't understand why they made the mercenary guy a regular already instead of Trip, since if they aren't planning to make the new guy be a double agent, then why not just go with the loveable adorkable guy they put on the team already.

Is Trip not a regular, then? I hope they don't kill him.

[liliaeth]

Not as far as I know.
The new guy (who's name I can't remember) was announced as a regular, but nothing was said about Trip, which really makes me worried since he's one of my faves on the show.

[shapinglight]

The new guy is called Hunter, and of course I like him because he's a Brit and being allowed to be a good(ish) guy while using his own accent.

The character is a cliche, though - ex-SAS, now a mercenary, murky past including a psycho ex-wife (who is bound to turn up at some point). Will just have to hope the actor can rise above the cliches, because I'm pretty sure the writing won't.

[liliaeth]

Sounds a bit like he's replacing the character that Ward seemed to be, before we found out he was Hydra. You know good at his job, murky past, good with weapons.

[shapinglight]

To some extent, except that he's not so strait-laced.

I don't automatically want to punch him whenever I see him anyway, which is how I felt with Ward in season 1.

[liliaeth]

and he's not as stereotypically brooding silent guy, like the usual trope.

[shapinglight]

No, he's more Deadpool-lite. The merc with a mouth.

Except that Deadpool is of course completely amoral, and Hunter has already shown that he isn't (though in a rather cliched way).

[dalmeny]

Noooo! Keep Trip.

I watched the ep, thinking there are two competent black guys and two kickass women. Surely that's not allowed? Then Lawless dies, so, no, can't have two kickass women, and now it may be that they've introduced engineering guy because they might not keep Trip?

Visions of a better universe snatched away from me again.

[shapinglight]

and now it may be that they've introduced engineering guy because they might not keep Trip?

I haven't heard any rumours to that effect, so maybe he's going to stick around.

If not, the audience will be left once again wondering, when, oh when, are these TV people going to get a clue?

[dalmeny]

In the first half of season one, I couldn't work out if we were supposed to like Ward or not. I found him quite repulsive while the characters did not. Then we found out he was Hydra and I felt vindicated. I am choosing to think of it as subtle foreshadowing now.

[shapinglight]

I think we were probably supposed to like him. I hated him - seriously, seriously hated him, out of all proportion to how much I liked the show (which was not much in season 1).

So now I feel all vindicated.

[yourlibrarian]

I only just saw the 2nd episode but at the moment am not that thrilled mostly because Fitz and Simmons are my favorite characters and I'm not sure if Fitz's conditions is primarily a plot device to keep them apart. (I don't actually ship them, but I do like their friendship). I guess maybe we'll get more on that next week.

[shapinglight]

I suspect they want to shake things up between them a little this season.

Or just in general.