Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

It’s been over a year now since we gave up television. It was largely for financial reasons but there was also the sad fact that no matter how much time we spent flipping channels, there was rarely anything particularly interesting on.

Last night, for the first time in a long time, we fired up the set for one of the local channels we still have and caught the premiere of AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. It wasn’t easy. First we had to find the long-neglected remote. I started looking early on but we still missed the first few minutes.

What we DID see, however, was good!

The show was exciting and well-written...at least as much as I could hear the dialogue with the show’s overbearing and over-amped musical soundtrack seeming almost designed to drown out key words and plot points. If not for the fact that I could make out every word of the equally loud ads, I would have thought it was my hearing.

Of course, everyone was excited to see likable Agent Phil Coulson back from his movie death...and a hint in the dialogue gave credence to my theory as to how that happened. Foreshadowing.

Basically Phil puts together a new sub-team (thus allowing for the notable absence of Nick Fury) that, like Torchwood, appears designed to investigate unusual phenomena. The agents involved are all unique and there are some particularly amusing scenes. Ron Glass has a cameo—probably a nod to Producer Joss Whedon’s FIREFLY. Would have loved to see him more often but apparently not.

Speaking of Whedonverse actors, the would-be superhero the team searches for is wonderfully played with more depth than necessary by J. August Richards, “Gunn” on Whedon’s ANGEL series.

This first episode managed to squeeze in all the introductions as well as the plot without anything seeming rushed. There were perhaps TOO many Marvel references and some of them were pretty heavy-handed, but we ended with a moment that will make any long-time Marvelite smile.

The opening actually lists Lee and Kirby as creators and Steranko and others rightly get a nod in the later credits as well. Classy touch.

It may not be enough to make me turn on the TV for a whole season but I did put the remote somewhere where I could find it next week. AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. was fun and entertaining and has lots of potential. Keep your eyes on Agent Coulson and crew.