It seems fitting that the first season of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. airs during the evening of ABC’s upfront presentation. It reminds us what a ride this whole journey has been. From the rumors, to Bob Iger announcing the show has been greenlit, to the reveal that Coulson lives, to the pilot casting, to the series pickup, every step towards the series hitting the airwaves was exciting. After I saw the pilot, I remembering wondering what The Rising Tide was, I remember wonder what happened to Coulson, and I remember finding Ward bland.
Then the weekly ride started and it was fun. Later, Captain America: The Winter Soldier happened and the ride became appointment television. Suddenly everything made sense. They were playing the long-game and the slow-burn turned out to work.
In many ways the episode following Captain America: The Winter Soldier served as a season finale. Once HYRDA was revealed and S.H.I.E.L.D. was no more the game was changed. How could are ragtag team be agents of nothing? The questions raised in a post-Winter Soldier world completely derailed where we thought the show was headed. The show didn’t change because of the movie. The movie was always part of the plan, we were just in the dark. But after that turn in the show, I was curious how the true season finale would give a satisfying ending but still have us talking all summer.
As it turned out, they struck a refreshing balance. Often times genre shows forgo conclusions in lieu of cliffhangers during the season finales. With S.H.I.EL.D. the producers answered the questions that needed to be answered while wrapping up the Clairvoyant plot (as far as we can tell). In addition, we have some idea of what it means to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent moving forward. Coulson also gets to get the burden of T.A.H.I.T.I .off his chest (if not off his subconscious mind). And Garrett gets his come-upins… twice. It was nice to have an ending, even if it leads into things to come.
There are teases of where the show is headed, but I wouldn’t call the season finale a cliffhanger in the Who Shot J.R. sense. In many ways the season was like a long Marvel movie. It is wrapped up, but there are threads that will continue. Of course, stay all the way through the credits…
There are many questions still left to be answered. They can be divided into two groups. There are questions about the show such as; what will the status of Fitz and Ward be in Season 2? “Who/What are Skye’s parents? What is up with DIRECTOR Coulson?” Then there are questions about the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general. Will Guardians of the Galaxy be connected to the series at all? What impact will the series have on Avengers: Age of Ultron? What impact will Director Coulson have to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole?
I realized that I have grown accustomed to regular doses of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We won’t get another installment until the August 1 release of Guardians of the Galaxy. As an aside, that is why I am excited about the Agent Carter pickup. I am looking forward to having Marvel television on a more regular basis. Tuesdays won’t be the same next week when Extreme Weight Loss takes over the timeslot.
Marvel’s first season of live-action television was not perfect, but lets take a moment to acknowledge what they accomplished. For the first time a TV series was integrated with a film franchise. Due to the surprises of the film, they were prevented from giving any hints as to where the show was headed. The biggest criticism fan’s had with the show, that the show was not connected to the Marvel Universe was actually a symptom of the show’s deep integration. But beyond all of the franchise challenges and fun, they did something also impressive. They created a good TV show. Creating a good show is a challenge even when creators don’t have the restrictions that Marvel had. Congrats to the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. team for making a good show. But the connective stuff is still pretty cool. I am looking forward to Season 2. I hope I can score a lanyard. Maybe I should ask Director Coulson.
P.S. Fury says Coulson is one of the few people he trusts. Clark Gregg’s Trust Me which he wrote, stars in, and directed is now available in iTunes. Coincidence? Remember… #ItsAllConnected