Coulson lives, but how? Our verdict on Agents' eleventh and twelfth missions...To say that Marvel's Agents of SHIELD got off to a rocky start in its first run of episodes last year would be to say that Rebecca Black's Friday was slightly disliked. After a stellar début episode from Joss Whedon, Season One spiralled downhill week-by-week, to the extent that its US viewership had essentially halved by the time of its mid-season finale The Bridge.
With this in mind, the show's return carries with it an air of trepidation, a 'Last Chance Saloon'-esque status which its writers must shake if they hope for it to succeed.. The question, then, is just whether SHIELD can reach the heights of its Marvel Cinematic Universe big-screen counterparts after its Christmas hiatus. Without further ado, let's search for the truth in parallel with Agent Coulson's own quest for enlightenment- two months ahead of their UK broadcast, here's our double review of Episodes 11 and 12...
- THE MAGICAL PLACE REVIEW- Revelations ahoy! Well, sort of. SHIELD's mid-season première mercifully placed a primary narrative focus on our discovery of the true nature of Coulson's resurrection, and the secret itself provided the first (much needed) devastatingly gritty rendition of a present-day undercover organisation's manipulation of scientific advances to suit its own terrifying ends. Solid, more consistent portrayals from each of the core team ensemble's actors pay great dividends eleven episodes in, while Kevin Hooks' contribution from the director's chair rivals Joss Whedon's work for sheer cinematographic prowess. Above all, though, Clark Gregg's performance here is incredible, Paul Zbyszewski and Brent Fletcher's screenplay finally affording the character layers of personal depth beyond his trademark charisma and witty rapport. If The Magical Place has set a precedent for upcoming instalments of this budding detective drama, then the future seems reassuringly bright! 5/5
- SEEDS REVIEW- In returning to an arc-lite format, the series could easily have reverted to a mediocre weekly output, but Seeds has turned out to be nothing less than another belated subversion of the status quo. Character drama is once again the name of the game, albeit with the lens shifting towards Chloe Bennet's Skye, Ian De Caestecker's Leo and Elizabeth Henstridge's Simmons as half of the team explore mysterious attacks taking place at SHIELD University (in essence) while the other members delve into Skye's elusive heritage. The former central premise of the episode appears to be ripped straight from Smallville, yet the rather familiar narrative still holds enough mileage on a dramatic level, and the Mexico City interludes keep things fresh all the while. If nothing else, that this latest instalment provides closure on the tedious plot arc of Bennet's character and her past is an immensely satisfying development, especially if it's meant as an indication of the production team's intent to diversify the show's ongoing plot threads and its overall tone. Episode 12 isn't the most original outing of the bunch, certainly, and yet it's still miles ahead of the majority of the show's first nine episodes. As such, Seeds continues to offer promise aplenty- SHIELD could soon very well transform its troubled early days into a distant memory which fans can joke about in years to come. 4/5
Marvel's Agents of SHIELD returns to Channel 4 in March.
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