myril

Agent Hill will be back on the show http://tvline.com/2014/04/09/marvels-agents-of-shield-cobie-smulders-returns-agent-maria-hill/

Think so as well, episode 1x17 is during the events of Winter Soldier. Right after the Situation with Nash, Garrett set of after, as he said, Deathlock and May told Coulson, that Fury was waiting for him at the Triskelion. So pretty sure the bus was on the way to the Triskelion, Coulson on the way to meet Fury at the end of episode 1x16. Then Command, Victoria Hand took over and rerouted them to, guess the Hub, because that's where I think Hand is. So guess that is about the time or shortly after the attack on Fury happened and was presumed dead (sometimes in the night was the attack at Steve's apartment, early morning the presumed death of Fury). Agents rushing to the situation room, what Simmons mentioned to Fitz, speaks for that as well, the attack on Fury quite sure would have caused some activity in the ranks. Which leaves a few hours to Captain America presumed to be a traitor, or at least someone withholding important information, and the order to hunt him. That day he and Black Widow discover Zola, and think the next day they kidnap Sitwell, encounter the Winter Soldier, and find out, Fury is alive. Not so sure if it is the same day when Captain comes back, gives his idealistic speech and the attack on the Triskelion happens, but possible, or it's the following day. Not sure though if anyone gave the timeline that much thought. Leaning more and more to Hand not being HYDRA. Unless she wasn't told, it's HYDRA and tricked to think, they have changed or she is working with a group inside SHIELD seeing to it, that SHIELD would be more about order and keeping to procedure and keeping the gifted under control instead of giving them all freedom. Hand is sure not a big fan of Fury, but have doubts she's working against SHIELD. So she might think, she is acting for the right side and doing the right thing but then discovers, maybe she is not. Would set her up nicely for next season (guess there will be one) as someone maybe helping to try to rebuild SHIELD as what it in her opinion should have been from the start (or to build a new organisation being that), making her an alley but one wanting different things. Garrett - I don't know. He is an overly charming cool type with plenty of hubris and talking way too much, I don't trust him, but I never like people talking that much (particular not when they're bragging all the time about their adventures and skills). That he was Ward's S.O. makes it interesting to let him working with HYDRA, questioning Ward's loyalties. For the rest of the season AoS probably will be about the immediate chaos, aftermath of the events of Winter Soldier. Having to deal with not knowing who worked for who, who will do now what, being for a while much on their own. And next season can show us the beginning of some new SHIELD. If HYDRA had brought Coulson back and experimented on him, Zola / The Clairvoyant should know. Unless that was something someone else inside HYDRA would have kept secret from him (these secretive spy folks like not just to compartmentalize but work behind each others back). It probably was a HYDRA facility, but one they might have more or less forgotten about. It's more likely, that Fury brought back Coulson, But how did Fury know about it and more important what it might be good for? And how did he then manage to keep it under wraps without HYDRA getting the least bit suspicious if they had infiltrated SHIELD as much as claimed.

In episode 1x16, when Garrett talks to Skye, he says: "Guess it all comes full circle. Ward's your S.O., I was his. Turn, turn, turn. But this S.O. thing goes both ways.You had a big impact on him." (in the interrogation room, when he's cozying up to her)

Very much agree (and noticed my first long time boyfriend would have committed a felony according to Californian law, odd to think of). Now the show itself brought the subject of statuary rape up before with Liam, and it would sit not well with me, if this time they let it go as if just some misdemeanor happened. Ex girlfriend of father has a drunken one-nighter with underage son, no harm done - that can't be it. I don't necessarily want or need them to arrest Dani and get her sentenced but I think it should made be crystal clear, what she did was wrong. Think, if it ever comes up, Mike or Stef or both learning about it, they could be in a difficult situation. As police officers they quite likely know the law in this, as parents they might hesitate to let Brandon go through more, guessing that he himself might be ashamed but not feel like he weren't able to say no. There is enough drama in the family going on.

It's subjective, you're right. Unfortunately it reminded me more of some silent movie comical moments, so felt more like laughing than getting the creeps. Didn't help me to stay in the moment of the story. Was wondering about that too. Pesky details. Were she and her parents among those who under Cora's dome or somehow else were left in the Enchanted Forest the first time, or had they just come back? When did her brother die? Her parents and her didn't look that much to me like people who would have survived the ogres, and it still puzzles me anyway, if there were others besides the survivors in the Safe Haven and Robin and his Merry Men (who were used to survive in the woods) who stayed back in the Enchanted Forest during the first curse. But weren't all in the Safe Haven killed by Cora? If they were among the returning, then Rapunzel could have been in the tower maybe only 2-3 months. So her long hair was what, part of her fears? Or some amazing quick growth? I am okay with more people being left back the first time, Regina not been interested in providing for so many people, but it makes me all scratch my head.

This glitter makeup must be a lighting nightmare, green and gold, doesn't matter. But guess that Zelena is glittery like Rumple is on purpose. Didn't find it too contemporary, just unoriginal. When I heard, they wanted to go a bit "The Grudge" I had somewhat different expectations: an undying anger/fury attacking people using their own fears. So I was like, what, there is not even any grudge involved (okay, maybe Zelena's, but was not that much of a thing here)? It was not even scary (but I'd just watch that day a short film that really gave me the creeps with some figure in the dark, it's called "lights out" by David F. Sandberg, so maybe was desensitized). I liked that they wanted to give some insight into the emotions of one of the main characters for a change, and less plot!plot!action!, but the story of Rapunzel fell short, there is so much more to it than some young woman with long hair trapped in a tower. I know, they can't give every Fairy Tale character big attention,but this was a tad too random.

They could have changed their mind about time travel, which though would be a pity. Time travel is messy, can be even if you make a whole show about it (Quantum Leap, Time Tunnel, anyone watching Continuum at the moment?). And here it would include not just going back, but definitely a change in the past, otherwise why should there be Emma in Enchanted Forest like different outfit if time travel is the thing? This show just did a reboot with the old Dark Curse being "undone" and jumping a year ahead in present time. So now we have flashbacks to the lost year in the Enchanted Forest, present time events in Storybrooke, and as it looks there will be as well some past time flashbacks to the Enchanted Forest. Think there are already people struggling to keep up with timeline and realm-jumping (even some fans), want to confuse things even more? If you make people wonder too much about what is going on, you lose them as audience. Although you could try and confuse them so much, that they don't care anymore and think it's an exciting big mystery to solve (nope, I was not a fan of Lost).

If SHIELD had everything digitalized and easy to put as a packet on the web then it very much deserved to be liquidated. I doubt that. Found this we put the files on the web and the secrets are out in the open plot rather hilarious anyway. Hope they had some kind of Wikileaks portal set up to give people easy access, otherwise the data will be mostly wasted in the big cloud, happy feeding ground for other intelligence organisations and some private companies. Coulson handed Fitz and Simmons a huge volume of paper as the file about what was done to him. Now that might have been just to show, it's a big file, but think it pretty much only existed on paper, and not even in that file was the truth. Somehow made me think of the Stasi documents, which were shredded and they still work to put them back together, and there are still a number of informands eventually unkown. Okay, Stasi was 20 years ago, but I am pretty sure intelligence agencies know a bit about keeping the really important stuff pretty much offline. Neverthless, HYDRA, Zola / the Clairvoyant (it sounded to me like Zola was the Clairvoyant, particular after the computer speaking scene) kinda won and SHIELD sucks. And Captain America is a sweet idealistic guy but hilariously naive if it comes to politics and long term tactics. The typical klischee of a good soldier. The hero to clean up with a flick of his strong arm, believing, everything will be now better. Sure. Not. The scene with Black Widow facing a committee was quite interesting, showing nicely the arrogance of superheros. Hey, you can't put us away, because you still need us, and now that we've crippled your stupid organisation you will even more, hehe. Superhero idiots. And the worst: Black Widow should know better than that, she and Fury and Hill at least should. I see some weaknesses in the story of the movie and its execution, but will be interesting how they handle that not just on the show but all of the MCU. Right, it looks like SHIELD is gone, but I am not sure if it is, what really is happening. There is the Fridge for example, and somehow someone better make sure that this is kept running, otherwise they will soon have a huge problem with dangerous people and things roaming more or less free or be free to use by whoever comes first. So not a good idea (although for drama it looks like honey pot, so many new stories to tell). There a plenty of facilities and SHIELD property around, someone has to adminster that at least as long until it's taken over in some way or another. SHIELD was not just some tiny organisation with maybe a few hundred employees, looked to me they were huge, that means thousands of employees all over the world. You don't liquidate that with the push of a button. I know, the movie implied very much that they have to go and find a new job, Hill applying at Stark Industries (was she doing a lie detector test? Looked like it) and Sharon Carter with the CIA. Liquidating all of SHIELD because some secrets are out? What a waste of public money. But does anyone really think that no one will try to rebuild SHIELD or build a new organisation, something alike? I am not even convinced it's all gone for the moment. There might be some turmoil following, some times of uncertainty, reorganisation. But there is all this crazy technology, there are strange things in this world, there are threats from other worlds (now twice encountered big time in the movies and rather publicly), and don't think letting just military and some other 3-letter agencies deal with it will be any good idea either. Maybe Stark now takes lead (although I am no fan of private taking over, I am a fan of rules, clear limits and elections if it comes to that, separation of powers, bit bureaucratic maybe, but still the best thing we have). And Fury might have some plan B anyway. Team Coulson? Hard to imagine they can keep the bus even if they somehow manage to stay together as team despite reorganisation or having to go to another agency or whatever. On the other hand it's not like anyone ever seems to worry how the superheroes and superagents manage to have enough for a living and a lot more to get all the gadgets and travel around. But there always is somewhere Stark to back up, right. Or government. Budget cuts? Never heard of (or think maybe in Stargate they did). If you're some superperson you just don't have to worry about such tiny details of everyday life ;) It could be fun if they would have to improvise a bit for a while without all hightech at hand. But guessing they will keep the bus, they still will need to travel fast and around the world at times. Maybe they're grounded for a few episodes, but latest for another season they will have to be very mobile again. It might be somewhat like in Nikita. HYDRA infiltrated SHIELD is gone, but someone has to handle things, so take over. HYDRA isn't gone, or a new head ready to emerge already, as least everyone sitting through the end credits of the movie knows that (how disrespectful to cast and crew to run out of the theater the moment the big action is done, and some theaters start even cleaning up too early, the next crowd at the door ready to take seat; Philistines). So think, Team Coulson will stay around, become part of a SHIELD reboot in some way, going on to clean up the mess the superheroes like to leave behind.

So far agree, that Coulson popped in the movie because of contrast. Compared to the superheros around and particular the eccentric personality of Stark Coulson seemed colorless, a boring bureaucrat, an agent of an organisation trying to keep things under control and away from the normal public maybe, the type of heeding procedures and bending to rules and paperwork. But to me even in the movies Coulson didn't struck me as the all normal agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. , more as one who compared to most agents was somewhat eccentric on his own, a dreamer and romantic in private (dates a cellist, is existed about vintage trading cards), a guy to get things done, not easy to impress by anything or anyone, wtih plenty of experience in the field, open not to be all slave to the books and rules, but to sometimes bend rules. Not the average agent, but still a human being, no superpowers but super training. And as I understood it, the show was meant to be about the more or less normal agents, the normally faceless people in suits, doing the work behind the scenes, while the superheros take the spotlight. Compared to us boring little citizens these agents are though more exciting, have no superpowers but higher than average intelligence and a super and special training. They are the ones dealing every day with strange things and strange people, with more or less superheros and supervillans and wannabe supers, the first to respond and the last to leave, while the superheros drops by whenever it pleases them or for the mega big supers, so to speak. The problem of the show is maybe, that they lost that a bit by now, and think adding more supersomething (because people so love their superheroes) and special effects no matter how bad and senseless will do the trick, while the problem is character development and plot logic. The basis of the show is okay, not so much though the writing and execution. Not quite sure where Sky fit's into that image of the everyday agent work, but I am not sure if the writers have figured that out for themselves. I like the character even, just not sure, how she fits in, and more important, annoyed by the other characters singing a constant song of praise now. Unless that is caused maybe by some superpower of her, as it is said she's a 084. Undecided about the show after last episode (3-16) and having seen the movie. See potential, it could get interesting, but I am not so sure if these writers can make it interesting. Will see the next episodes.

Don't think that the review implied anything in the movie coming from the show, but if you keep what happened on the show in mind and watch the movie, you might have a few thoughts or even aha-moments. Or if you (re-) watch the show from the beginning after you've seen the movie, one might see in some things more layers than before. Of course nothing came from the show to the movie, but they worked in what the movie events reveal eventually early on. Or one can start to wonder and ask some different questions than we have so far. Although I suspected something early on, it was just, let's say, kinda there. Different from the reviewer I think it's not just about the most recent episodes, it goes back to the beginning. What happened so far was explained and making some sense without the events from the movie, but if you look at the events of the movie they may make a bit of different sense. And maybe I make no sense at all right now to people having not watched the movie yet. LOL But yes, there are direct and indirect tie-ins to the movie already in the episode of April 1st. I can confirm that much at this point. Am curious what they will make of it in the show now. I guess one doesn't have to watch the movie before next episode, but I had the chance to, and guess it is slightly more fun this way.

It was not an Emma episode, but Jennifer Morrison very much owned it.

Something for hot-blooded women. Hotpants and tights in cold winter times. Whatever is silly enough.

Never quite understood the criticism of Morrison's acting in the first season, because I saw a good acting from the pilot on. Just because a character is shown as kinda unemotional and wooden, very guarded, doesn't mean that the acting is wooden nor that it is any easy to act such a character. I find it interesting that on the show "The Fosters" Maia Mitchell, who is playing Callie, a foster kid age 16 whose situation might come close to what Emma experienced, is getting some similar criticism of being unemotional, wooden, not showing enough emotional range or if overdoing it, and having no chemistry with others. Coincidence? Or maybe it has to do something with the characters. Besides: Emma has shown plenty of emotions and some range of emotions in all seasons, but Morrison superbly underplayed it. It is sometimes subtle, sometimes in the voice, easy to overlook or not heard. And occasionally some emotions got quite forcefully through. Somewhat the Straight Man (or woman in this case, but as term in comedy better known as man), you're right Dani-Elli. While Mr. Gold and Regina were tuned a bit down in Storybrooke, of course in the Enchanted Forest Evil Queen and Rumple could go full theatrical expression, big gesture and mimic, which made the contrast to Emma even bigger. To me though Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla and Robert Carlyle were the ones playing the characters with the most layers (yes, Emma as well) and doing great jobs with it. Okay, I am biased, I began to fall in love with Emma the moment she stepped out of the elevator and was pretty much hooked by the time she entered her apartment and set up a cupcake with candle for her birthday wish. That's why it was so right to have an adult Emma in that scene, Morrison herself, and not a younger version of herself. It was important to show the adult Emma in a different way, how she maybe could have become if. I thought for a moment there was a bit of young Snow present (Morrison imitating Bailee Madison imitating Ginnifer Goodwin so to speak)

That is the thing, Twitter is commenting, not discussing, and perhaps a lot of people are satisfied with that. Or confuse commenting with discussing. To me Twitter is a great tool to share information fast, breaking news, interesting things, funny stuff, good for brainstorming and yes for commenting, and particular of the snarky offhanded kind. I just created an additional account just for the latter (more general snark, not so much TV, yet). I share and enjoy a lot of what others share. If it comes to discussion though, well, one can discover there is something eventually worth to discuss or there is something you want to discuss with someone, but then it's time to find a better place to discuss, something like a forum, or maybe a blog or email or whatever allows to write out thought, write more than 140 signs. Sadly sometimes it looks like a lot of people on the internet (and not just there) are more interested in shouting out their opinions than in actually discussing something. That's what I loved about TWoP (and thankfully without all the more and more annoying gif nuisance there, which pops up in so many other places) and a few other show forums, there is discussion.That is what I hope to find here too. And about snarky recaps are thought to be out of fashion : I still love to read a recap some days later, revisit the episode and watch it through the eyes of another person in a way - if it's not reduced to some boring factual retelling but something with individual charm. But I am an internet dinosaur, old fashioned and perhaps cursed to look for some internet dino nursing home corner on the web soon. A big hello and welcome to everybody. Glad to see you all here :)

Going to miss the forums and the recaps. It's pop culture and internet history! At least they should make an archive of it available online. Not just the user and TV fan but the social scientist in me with some interest in anthropology and cultural study cringes.

Reporting for duty... Fun of course