April 15 2014
Discuss tonight's new Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode.
It's titled "Providence" and was written by Brent Fletcher. It will air at 9 pm.
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Nebula1400 | April 15, 16:40 CET
Sunfire | April 15, 16:42 CET
I do feel for the folks who are STILL getting more than a dusting of snow.
[ edited by Nebula1400 on 2014-04-16 01:46 ]
Nebula1400 | April 15, 16:45 CET
Squishy | April 15, 16:54 CET
Sunfire | April 15, 16:57 CET
Nebula1400 | April 15, 16:59 CET
Sunfire
I put my plants outside Sunday. This morning; White stuff. :(
And we're off!
roddikinathome | April 15, 17:01 CET
crhobbs42 | April 15, 17:02 CET
roddikinathome | April 15, 17:03 CET
Nebula1400 | April 15, 17:03 CET
roddikinathome | April 15, 17:04 CET
roddikinathome | April 15, 17:05 CET
[ edited by roddikinathome on 2014-04-16 02:11 ]
roddikinathome | April 15, 17:07 CET
roddikinathome | April 15, 17:08 CET
DivaJanelle | April 15, 17:10 CET
Nebula1400 | April 15, 17:12 CET
Nebula1400 | April 15, 17:13 CET
roddikinathome | April 15, 17:14 CET
Sunfire | April 15, 17:14 CET
Squishy | April 15, 17:15 CET
roddikinathome | April 15, 17:17 CET
mischievouspixi | April 15, 17:21 CET
[Edited to fix bad phone spelling.]
[ edited by javelina on 2014-04-16 03:30 ]
javelina | April 15, 17:22 CET
javelina | April 15, 17:23 CET
Squishy | April 15, 17:23 CET
Squishy | April 15, 17:24 CET
roddikinathome | April 15, 17:24 CET
Squishy | April 15, 17:25 CET
Squishy | April 15, 17:26 CET
javelina
She is confuzzling me too.
roddikinathome | April 15, 17:27 CET
mischievouspixi | April 15, 17:27 CET
[ edited by Squishy on 2014-04-16 02:30 ]
Squishy | April 15, 17:29 CET
Sunfire | April 15, 17:29 CET
roddikinathome | April 15, 17:32 CET
Squishy | April 15, 17:35 CET
javelina | April 15, 17:35 CET
Nebula1400 | April 15, 17:36 CET
roddikinathome | April 15, 17:36 CET
Sunfire | April 15, 17:38 CET
Sunfire | April 15, 17:43 CET
mischievouspixi | April 15, 17:43 CET
roddikinathome | April 15, 17:43 CET
Nebula1400 | April 15, 17:44 CET
Sunfire | April 15, 17:45 CET
Squishy | April 15, 17:47 CET
javelina | April 15, 17:47 CET
Squishy | April 15, 17:48 CET
mischievouspixi | April 15, 17:48 CET
Sunfire | April 15, 17:49 CET
Ward needs to be de-gonadized.
Nebula1400 | April 15, 17:49 CET
Sunfire | April 15, 17:51 CET
Squishy
Well, there was the whole 'dead' thing!
roddikinathome | April 15, 17:52 CET
Sunfire | April 15, 17:53 CET
Nebula1400 | April 15, 17:53 CET
Nebula1400 | April 15, 17:55 CET
roddikinathome | April 15, 17:57 CET
mischievouspixi | April 15, 17:57 CET
javelina | April 15, 17:58 CET
Nebula1400 | April 15, 18:00 CET
[ edited by Squishy on 2014-04-16 03:04 ]
Squishy | April 15, 18:01 CET
fray-adjacent | April 15, 18:03 CET
Buffyfantic | April 15, 18:05 CET
Grack21 | April 15, 18:05 CET
javelina | April 15, 18:06 CET
Coulson is a guy with PTSD, and the TS is far from over.
Nebula1400 | April 15, 18:06 CET
Darkness | April 15, 18:29 CET
javelina | April 15, 18:32 CET
Nebula1400 | April 15, 18:33 CET
Darkness | April 15, 18:39 CET
Positives: I liked Coulson's meltdown, Patton was amusing and brought the weird, and Ward got even more interesting as it seems he's not just Hydra, but a full blown psychopath. Liked the admission that SHIELD was keeping the good stuff stashed away
Negatives: Worst.Fake.Mountain.Door.Ever. The scene with May and Phil was redundant from the week before, I felt I was watching a "previously seen on ..." clip. More C-List villains escaping and appearing, and the Graviwhatchacallit is not particularly compelling end of episode reveal.
Things to Look Forward To: Amy. More Patton. Ward revealed.
Finally: Still thinking Simmons is HYDRA.
TallMichaelJ | April 15, 18:49 CET
I do love Patton though. And Ward the bad guy is growing on me. They need to really really embrace that evil and go nuts with it.
Squishy | April 15, 19:00 CET
Squishy | April 15, 19:04 CET
I think that I could have lived with less Coulson monologues but that's his way. I would of loved more time in The Fridge. It was an off white similar to the Initiative.
I was very happy to see Trippett join the team. He's a good guy. I'm not a fan of the idea of Simmons as Hydra. She could be but I think the FitzSimmonsSkye Scooby feel is too strong to lead to that kind of betrayal in addition to Ward in Season One. Unless, she's been playing Fitz all along even at Hogwarts.
I have two questions. Have we had a hint if Skye does have a super power? And what was the metal plate on Garrett?
Can't wait for next week!
hann23 | April 15, 19:09 CET
The reason she is so suspect, though, is because (1) she is the least suspect of all the suspects; (2) that not-being-able-to-lie thing is a lie; (3) if she is Hydra, I think she's a couple with Ward; (4) she insists on keeping Tripp with the group, even though they have no reason to trust him other than her word; (5) she knows more about the alien-blood stuff used on Skye and Coulson than she's letting on, and that the not-knowing part is deception.
Perhaps she's a Kree, and is keeping Skye's Kree-ness hidden. Why else would she cry for Skye when she barely knew her?
Nebula1400 | April 15, 19:22 CET
QingTing | April 15, 19:30 CET
MrArg | April 15, 19:33 CET
We know where Ward stands. I always thought going to a dark place with that character would be interesting, but admittedly never suspected it'd be a full blown betrayal with this level of manipulation. When it's all said and done, I wouldn't be surprised if he's Skye's first kill. He kind of has it coming.
I agree that the Coulson meltdown was overly melodramatic - and quite frankly, May trying to disarm him and that whole back and forth... it feels forced. Granted there are momentous events taking place, but the adults still need to be a little bit professional. Honestly, despite how it was painted, was going to the coordinates that showed up on a badge Fury gave to Coulson that crazy a play? I think not.
Fitz not at all happy with Trip and Jemma getting closer. Personally, I need a little more time before I welcome Trip aboard. Just not sure what he's about yet.
BringItOn5x5 | April 15, 19:37 CET
As for Ward being a psychopath, that's the assessment of anyone who goes into the line of work he's in.
Nebula1400 | April 15, 19:59 CET
MrArg | April 15, 20:59 CET
No wonder Coulson lost it. One day he's warm and in his shirt sleeves, the next he's knee deep in snow wearing a winter coat - oh, wait. This isn't all about me?
redeem147 | April 15, 21:04 CET
libradude | April 15, 21:06 CET
(1) Ward is evil
(2) Garrett may be a robot
(3) Patton Oswalt is a geek in all universes, and may also be an elf who lives in a tree - or mound of snow.
(4) Nobody on the team is aware that Ward is Hydra
(5) Skye is not so stupid as to not set up safeguards on the info from the computer system on the bus.
(6) Gravitonium is back.
(7) Something's up with the cellist
(8) Lots of supercriminals on the loose.
[ edited by Nebula1400 on 2014-04-16 19:49 ]
Nebula1400 | April 15, 21:57 CET
ShadowQuest | April 15, 22:27 CET
Ragondux | April 16, 00:45 CET
under rug swept | April 16, 03:27 CET
redeem147 | April 16, 03:46 CET
Knuckleball | April 16, 05:07 CET
alexreager | April 16, 05:16 CET
I think it's okay that none of us are sure about Agent Triplett right now. Considering all the Hydra funny business, the other agents would of course be a little weary of a new guy asking to get on the plane, so we should be weary along with them. Plus, even if he's for real, he's lost as much as anyone. His S.O. betrayed him. So he's probably pretty unsure about what he's all about himself.
Jason_M_Bryant | April 16, 05:35 CET
So what does everyone think? Is Ward definitely team Hydra or is he doing what Angel did in the Buffy episode "Enemies," pretending to be evil to gain intell. Or is it more likely that Ward is with Hydra and Triplett is going to be his replacement on Coulson's team. Joss is known for killing off or changing up the teams in the first season (Jesse, Doyle, the original Sierra, that guy that was the mechanic before Kaylee). Is Ward the new Boyd?
[ edited by hpgwbtvs on 2014-04-16 15:14 ]
hpgwbtvs | April 16, 06:08 CET
The biggest problem I'm having with the show right now is that the actor who plays Agent Triplett is ruining every scene he's in. He is just TERRIBLE. Every line comes across like he's the supporting role of a grade school play. His acting makes the guy who plays Ward look like Jack Nicholson.
I hope Ward kills him ... like, soon.
[ edited by Penthos on 2014-04-16 15:10 ]
Penthos | April 16, 06:09 CET
As far as comparisons to Boyd... this is how Boyd should have been. It's surprising, but believable. I even liked Ward - but they did a nice job of explaining how his previous actions aligned with his true motives and how he manipulated people. I could never reconcile true Boyd with how he behaved over the course of the show - especially his inaction dealing with other arms of Rossum, given his true position and interest in Echo.
BringItOn5x5 | April 16, 06:40 CET
Like some others above, I had trouble with Coulson's over-the-top breakdown. It's not that the character didn't deserve to have one, it's just that I thought it was a rare time when Clark Gregg's acting did not ring true.
But, for a re-set type of episode, I thought it was good on whole.
palehorse | April 16, 06:58 CET
erendis | April 16, 07:28 CET
Speaking of the staff, nice call back to that and the other items that were on the show. OF COURSE Fury didn't get rid of all that technology, that's classic Fury (to paraphrase Archer).
I think something is up with Simmons too, but I don't think she's Hydra. It looks like they are setting up a Simmons/Triplett relationship. Simmons clearly respects him for his speech and actions at the Hub, and you could read her "Things can never be the way they were before" either as a comment on SHIELD or on their relationship.
chrisobrien | April 16, 07:38 CET
I wonder if they decided to make Ward be bad as a result of the negative audience reaction to him as a good guy. Or did they have this planned from the beginning?
Also, wouldn't Ward have confessed his badness to Laurelei (sp?) when he was under her spell?
I like the idea of Ward being gay. That would really highlight the magnitude of his deception and show just how good a liar he really is. In any event, I hope they keep evil Ward around a while and don't kill him off this season. Right now, he's probably the most interesting character on the show.
I don't really see the complaint with Triplett's acting. Seems fine to me. More generally, I think a lot of the issues people have with the actors may have more to do with writing and directing issues.
[ edited by Squishy on 2014-04-16 16:39 ]
Squishy | April 16, 07:38 CET
After all that's happened to him, after all he's lost, and after all the betrayals, he's just led the only people he trusts and cares about to the middle of nowhere on what appears to be a wild goose chase that will likely end in their frozen doom. In that moment, he realizes not only can he not trust anyone else, but that he can't even trust himself anymore. With nothing left, all his remaining hope for survival and continuing to fight on and stop Hydra has been destroyed. - Cue meltdown.
...I think that deserves a freak out, even from the most stoic of authority figures.
@squishy - I understand the writing could be an issue. But the other actors don't seem to have a hard time selling the lines, even Hand was very convincing in her last episode... However, I would actually be relieved if I was the only one who thought Triplett's acting is bad. It bodes better for the show.
[ edited by Penthos on 2014-04-16 17:08 ]
Penthos | April 16, 08:00 CET
[ edited by BringItOn5x5 on 2014-04-16 17:15 ]
BringItOn5x5 | April 16, 08:14 CET
That said - I think Triplett is just fine - I hope he makes Season Two (I hope there IS a Season Two)
Finally - my Simmons theory on being Hydra (the lying comment, the drive to get to HQ to uncover the Skye secret sauce, she could have easily stood up to Hand knowing she wasn't Hydra, etc.) ... is waning. The talk between Ward and Garrett made it clear (for now) that Skye is indeed the object of his psychopathic affection. Nonetheless with a handful of episodes left I'm hoping for a couple more big "What the hell just happened!!" moments
TallMichaelJ | April 16, 08:17 CET
As for Simmons, I don't see what you guys are seeing. Like, any of it. She just seems to have a mild crush on Agent Trip.
edit: I just want to mention, I did a complete rewatch of all episodes after Turn, Turn, Turn aired. Not only did everything flow much better, it all made a lot more sense. I swear, these long breaks between episodes are killing the show. It reminds me of LOST in a way that there's so much stuff to keep track off, that the show only truly shines in its best light while binge watching the entire season in one go. It's a lot of set up, pay off, set up pay off. I think being tied to closely to the Marvel movies is both a blessing and a curse. The good part is that they can incorporate the big events into their storylines and the bad part is that they kinda have to do this. The first season couldn't ignore The Winter Soldier, for example. Unless it was set years before or during Phase 1. That's the problem when playing in someone else's sandbox as opposed to building your own.
[ edited by D-e-f- on 2014-04-16 17:31 ]
D-e-f- | April 16, 08:23 CET
Alex_Jamieson | April 16, 08:49 CET
Speaking of Ward losing control, did anyone else notice the nice moment this episode where Ward was looking thoughtfully at the berserker staff? I kind of want to go back and rewatch that berserker episode (and maybe the Lorelei episode and the well episode) knowing what I know now about Ward's true allegiances.
Squishy | April 16, 08:57 CET
IrrationaliTV | April 16, 09:22 CET
hann23
That's WHY I'm calling a Whedonesque (so sue me! :^]) knife twist. If this rolls out, Ward AND Simmons strut off arm in arm, having destroyed (they think) what's left of the team... Juicy twist, no?
\Spitballing
roddikinathome | April 16, 09:24 CET
I think that I'd rather see a core group of members moving forward as the folks who shield the earth and I want Fitz and Simmons to be a part of that.
hann23 | April 16, 12:43 CET
QingTing | April 16, 13:00 CET
are you ready for your first lesson in resisting torture?
>> So Coulson has a trigger. Or a chip.
If he gets a soul too,
he can officially change his first name from Agent to Spike.
RobynH | April 16, 13:23 CET
Saying that, The Fridge look like something out of Thunderbirds. It looked really cheap on the beach.
Simon | April 16, 13:25 CET
And seeing evil Ward after seeing 'good Ward' for almost 17 epsiodes is so scary that I suspect Brett Dalton of looking at David Boreanaz' Angelus performances for inspiration.
If anyone was wondering about Garrett's reference to a guy with lion paws, that was comic book villain the Griffin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffin_%28Marvel_Comics%29
Valentijn | April 16, 13:34 CET
One special thing that's finally happened is that the team is clashing with each other. Not like normal. They're being tortured by Hydra now, and it's mounting them against each other.
I thought the episode was so much fun that I was sad when it was over. YAY for post-credit scene! But I'm still waiting to hear Joss' "Grr Argh" during the Mutant Enemy graphic.
Out. For. A. Walk. Bitch. | April 16, 14:06 CET
As for this week...it was breathing room, which was needed after last week. It got people where they needed to be and with the right motivations. It's all about setting things up for sweeps, I suppose.
RoguePirateBunny | April 16, 14:56 CET
D-e-f- | April 16, 15:26 CET
Loving having Raina back - I get the feeling she'll be playing along with Garrett and Ward, but also having an agenda of her own.
Evil Ward is so evil! I think it's clear he's HYDRA through and through, and I'm feeling really bad for Skye and the emotional manipulation that's coming her way.
Simmons is so freaking cute in her fuzzie beanie and Fitz is adorable in his petty jealousy - or y'know, justifiable fear of a relatively unknown agent being in close proximity.
Patton Oswalt was GREAT! More please.
katsadako | April 16, 15:46 CET
barzai | April 16, 17:10 CET
One criticism, the secret base was really underwhelming. I know they don't have the budget of the movies, but they need some more impressive locations. It was a little silly when Agent Oswalt got so excited showing them the cafeteria.
Jason_M_Bryant | April 16, 17:35 CET
Nebula1400 | April 16, 17:49 CET
I wonder whether budget or time constraints are the primary driver there. Given the need to crank these out on time the SFX folks may not have the time to tweak or fine tune the way they might prefer? IF/When there's a renewal, I wonder if it's feasible to provide that team with more lead time, at least on some common cutaway stuff, props etc. to give them extra sheen ... even before scripts are written etc.
TallMichaelJ | April 16, 17:57 CET
I thought Agent Koenig's showing them the cafeteria was amusing, partly because it looked like the standard cafeteria at lots of workplaces, and partly because there was this one geeky guy holed up by himself in this huge place (or his mother's basement?) with his comic books and video games, etc.
ETA: I really don't care if the sets or effects are not comparable to those of the movies. When you consider AoS compared to other shows on TV, whatever they have does what it needs to do.
[ edited by Nebula1400 on 2014-04-17 03:29 ]
Nebula1400 | April 16, 18:05 CET
The May/Coulson drama gets me so excited, I love when the characters are at each other's throats because it makes the moments when they are like family feel more earned.
I just really really enjoyed watching this episode which while some episodes earlier this season I felt were well done or showed the show had potential, this is the first time this season that I feel emotions about all the characters. This is finally a 'Whedon' show for me.
eddy | April 16, 18:12 CET
Tonya J | April 16, 18:18 CET
But really, wouldn't he have told Lorelei? I think it would have been relevant-- like, yeah I can infiltrate for you cause oh by the way, I'm already an infiltrator! Oh well.
It would be pretty rough to see Fitz betrayed by Simmons, which to me lends credence to the theory even though I don't really see it in what we've seen in the show so far, personally. That would be going for the pain in a way that the Ward betrayal could only dream of IMO.
aphasia | April 16, 18:47 CET
[ edited by Nebula1400 on 2014-04-17 05:54 ]
Nebula1400 | April 16, 20:53 CET
BlueEyedBrigadier | April 16, 21:10 CET
QingTing | April 16, 21:25 CET
I remember back when the series began (you know, all those
yearsmonths ago), when people complained the show wasn't serial enough, there wasn't enough of a threat, and Ward was too bland and incompetent. What a difference. And earned, too.gossi | April 17, 00:30 CET
It might not have been lightning in a bottle like Firefly or deeply fascinating from a philosophical standpoint on a conceptual basis alone like Dollhouse but AoS was slowly but surely shaped into something very recommendable.
D-e-f- | April 17, 03:18 CET
gossi | April 17, 03:39 CET
Nebula1400 | April 17, 05:31 CET
Penthos | April 17, 06:12 CET
Squishy | April 17, 07:55 CET
The whole May/Coulson interaction over the past couple episodes hasn't been steeped in rationality.
[ edited by BringItOn5x5 on 2014-04-17 17:37 ]
BringItOn5x5 | April 17, 08:35 CET
I think it's been established that Simmons is a flirt. She flirts with Ward, she flirts with Mike, she flirts with Triplett. Since it doesn't seem intended to get a rise out of anybody, I don't think this means she's actually HYDRA, just ... flirty. I suppose anybody *could* be HYDRA, but at some point, it's like, well, if there are two or three HYDRA agents on the bus, and only four or three agents who think there is such a thing as pure SHIELD, why not get rid of them in a tragic accident and take the bus, and/or whichever ones have irreplaceable skills to a facility and put them to work doing whatever HYDRA wants done? Seems like a huge expenditure of HYDRA personnel to keep *more* than one on the bus with so much else going on.
For anyone who would like to see Patton Oswald getting to be badass, may I recommend Season 4 of "Justified." He starts out as a nerd, but winds up impressing even the mighty Raylan Givens.
Shapenew | April 17, 08:44 CET
In the pilot, during the final act when Sky and Coulson walk back to Lola, Coulson says "We didn't cut off the head of the Centipede [...]" which I find suspiciously direct in referencing the HYDRA motto "if a head is cut off, two more will take its place." Couple that with their super soldier agenda and you get a fun little roadmap full of pointers towards the HYDRA thing.
D-e-f- | April 17, 09:35 CET
Jocelyn | April 19, 08:46 CET
Tonya J | April 19, 12:53 CET
Evil Ward is great, but it made me laugh when he turned out to be the bad guy because in the beginning of the show so many people were complaining that he was boring. It's as if the writers heard that and decided to spice him up.
Also, I loved Patton Oswalt bragging on that dumpy-looking facility. Hilarious.
jcs | April 19, 21:10 CET