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How could I have forgotten to mention, in my Sleepy Hollow review, the hilarious bit about the Tea Party being a distraction so they could obtain the Key of Solomon? (I feel like there could be a political joke there connected to demon raising and the modern tea party, but the specifics are eluding me).
I think I liked Agents of SHIELD better this week than last week.
Even Ward didn't bother me too much, this week, though the friend I was watching with and I spent all of the Ward/Skye scenes mocking the requisite angsty backstory and really intrusive music. Still, although I thought the plot continued to be obvious and contrived, some of the dialogue wasn't too awful, and this week I mainly enjoyed the science twins rather than being utterly bored by them.
Melinda May continues to be my favorite character, and I liked the fact that (a) it's clear she'll draw boundaries when she needs to and (b)she can change her mind. I mean, yes, that's a fairly predictable character trajectory, but Ming Na's acting is good enough that she sold it for me.
I'm actually having more mixed feelings about Coulson. Not his "rustiness" (which is clearly a hint that he no longer has muscle memory because he doesn't have the same body, whether that's due to magic or being an LMD, just like all the anvilly references to Tahiti have been in previous episodes), but his naivete. I really can't believe that an operative of his experience wasn't even considering the idea that Graviton scientist dude might have colluded in his own kidnapping and not want to be rescued. And while I do like his Captain-America-esque "let's save everybody/make the right choices" overall attitude, because that's in keeping with Coulson as I understand the character, I found myself wanting his speech to Gravitron dude to be more than "do the right thing and save the innocents." I think, narratively, I was not supposed to be finding Gravitron dude more persuasive than Coulson, but I did.
At least Coulson was capable of making the "hard choice" at the end, but honestly? I think he needs to be a little bit more of "the man," as the chief SHIELD agent. He is, after all, the one who stole all of Jane Foster's research in the interests of national security. I realize that they're trying to set up Ward as the hardliner so he's being the foil to that, but since I have yet to find Ward persuasive as an authority figure, I think I'd honestly prefer if their positions were reversed (or if maybe May, who I find to be a credible authority figure, was being the SHIELD hardliner).
I am enjoying Skye's character development, though it was quite clear to me that her "betrayal" of SHIELD was just a tactic to get billionaire guy's trust. If Skye's going to commit an actual betrayal, it's going to happen when we're more invested in her and when the team actually trusts her, not this early in the game. (And I'm handwaving all the ridiculous Malta/international law stuff, as if SHIELD cares, as well as the "tightest security EVA," as if that is a problem for SHIELD--clearly that was all pretext to give Skye something to do).
I'm willing to forgive a lot for "SHIELD doesn't actually have a truth serum." That one line endeared me to Ward more than anything else about his character so far, because it doesn't even matter if he's telling the truth or not; it's just a fantastic mindfuck either way.
Also, people who are more versed in the Marvel comicsverse than me: is Graviton dude reminiscent of any actual Marvel villain? Since clearly he's still alive in there....
I think I liked Agents of SHIELD better this week than last week.
Even Ward didn't bother me too much, this week, though the friend I was watching with and I spent all of the Ward/Skye scenes mocking the requisite angsty backstory and really intrusive music. Still, although I thought the plot continued to be obvious and contrived, some of the dialogue wasn't too awful, and this week I mainly enjoyed the science twins rather than being utterly bored by them.
Melinda May continues to be my favorite character, and I liked the fact that (a) it's clear she'll draw boundaries when she needs to and (b)she can change her mind. I mean, yes, that's a fairly predictable character trajectory, but Ming Na's acting is good enough that she sold it for me.
I'm actually having more mixed feelings about Coulson. Not his "rustiness" (which is clearly a hint that he no longer has muscle memory because he doesn't have the same body, whether that's due to magic or being an LMD, just like all the anvilly references to Tahiti have been in previous episodes), but his naivete. I really can't believe that an operative of his experience wasn't even considering the idea that Graviton scientist dude might have colluded in his own kidnapping and not want to be rescued. And while I do like his Captain-America-esque "let's save everybody/make the right choices" overall attitude, because that's in keeping with Coulson as I understand the character, I found myself wanting his speech to Gravitron dude to be more than "do the right thing and save the innocents." I think, narratively, I was not supposed to be finding Gravitron dude more persuasive than Coulson, but I did.
At least Coulson was capable of making the "hard choice" at the end, but honestly? I think he needs to be a little bit more of "the man," as the chief SHIELD agent. He is, after all, the one who stole all of Jane Foster's research in the interests of national security. I realize that they're trying to set up Ward as the hardliner so he's being the foil to that, but since I have yet to find Ward persuasive as an authority figure, I think I'd honestly prefer if their positions were reversed (or if maybe May, who I find to be a credible authority figure, was being the SHIELD hardliner).
I am enjoying Skye's character development, though it was quite clear to me that her "betrayal" of SHIELD was just a tactic to get billionaire guy's trust. If Skye's going to commit an actual betrayal, it's going to happen when we're more invested in her and when the team actually trusts her, not this early in the game. (And I'm handwaving all the ridiculous Malta/international law stuff, as if SHIELD cares, as well as the "tightest security EVA," as if that is a problem for SHIELD--clearly that was all pretext to give Skye something to do).
I'm willing to forgive a lot for "SHIELD doesn't actually have a truth serum." That one line endeared me to Ward more than anything else about his character so far, because it doesn't even matter if he's telling the truth or not; it's just a fantastic mindfuck either way.
Also, people who are more versed in the Marvel comicsverse than me: is Graviton dude reminiscent of any actual Marvel villain? Since clearly he's still alive in there....