Why Do You Watch S.H.E.I.L.D.

[StarBrand]

I read quite a bit in these forums about how supposedly bad the show has gotten, always has been etc, etc, or people don't like certain characters no matter what they do, etc, etc. I feel like asking the question "why are you still watching?"

But this is for the people that like, and have liked S.H.E.I.L.D., and will gladly keep watching. What is it that you like about the show, the characters, that makes you keep watching?

The show was starting the 3rd season when I decided to binge-watch the first two seasons on Netflix. I wasn't really sure about what to expect from it. But I just liked it from the beginning-and I would agree now that the first half or so of the 1st season might have been a lilttle slow, but the show had to take some time to get to know these people, before the shit hit the fans-and hit the fan it did, from "Turn, Turn, Turn" onward-and the show hasn't really looked back since.

Unlike seemingly a lot of people, I liked the character of Daisy "Skye" Johnson.  The put out dozens of hints in the first season that Skye was a wee bit more than she appeared to be. And in season two, they made her just that, revealing she was an inhuman with latent powers. I think that's the best thing ever done for the character. Daisy went from being scared to death and having no control over her power, to becoming more confident about who she is in season 3. Then in season 5, when everyone is thinking that she is the one that eventually destroys the earth, and she loses her abilities for a spell, and seemed to revert to that girl that hated having powers in the first place-at least until Fitz reversed that against her will.

Coulsen-just liked him from the beginning. The "everyman" type with a weird sense of humour.  I liked his intial arc about discovering exactly what happened to him after he "died". I liked the relationship between himself and May.  Some may think their eventuall hooking up came out of nowhere. It had been hinted at for a long time how May felt about him-she always seemed to stick around not for SHIELD, but for him.

FitzSimmons-two peas of the same pod, who have literally gone through hell for each other.

Ward-I agree revealing him to be a bad guy was the best thing done for his character-he made for a formidable enemy, although I think his character stuck around a little too long..

I like the ways the writers have shaken things up almost every season. Usually they manage to zig when I expect them to zag, and pull more than a few surprises out of their hats. Like many, I feel that season 4 was a creative high point, but I also thought season 5 was pretty good too. If the finale had been the last episode of the series, they left things on a fairly satisfying note.  And now that there's a season 6 coming, I have absolutely NO idea where the writers will take us-but that's part of the fun..

Edited June 1, 2018 by StarBrand

[Gothish520]

My husband and I did the same thing, binged the first two seasons right before the start of season three.

I always liked Coulson in the Marvel movies, and one of my sisters kept saying how good the show was, so we finally decided to give it a go. It definitely took a few episodes to hit its stride, but there was enough there from the get-go to keep me watching.

I found "Skye" both annoying and intriguing in the beginning. I thought Ward was ridiculously good-looking but kind of a douche. But man, did Chloe Bennet and Brett Dalton have chemistry! Yowsa. I was crushed when Ward was revealed to be Hydra, I even remember texting my sister and saying WTF?! I almost quit the show right then, but she told me to get over it and keep watching, LOL. And I'm glad I did.

Fitz and Simmons were great from the get-go, I love how they developed their relationship. 

Loved Tripp and was crushed when he was killed.

I love how the women on the show are complete badasses. Mack and Yoyo were great additions. I miss Hunter and Bobbie. If Coulson is really gone, I'm going to miss him a lot.

I love this show because I find all of the characters interesting, and I think the writing is still there - it may not be as good as during its peak, but it still holds my interest. I completely agree with you that the show zigs when I think it's going to zag - it still surprises me. 

Ready for season 6!

[Jacks-Son]

Great question. I'll have to some hard thinking and write everything down on paper before I commit my comments to the ether. AOS is one of those shows that is an acquired taste. Its no secret that a lot of us here were not initially enamored with the show. Some of us here thought that ABC should have spent more money advertising another Marvel series, "Agent Carter" and less on the over-hyped AoS. It didn't help that it had such box-office stars from the MCU like Clark Gregg and Cobie Smulders and even Ming-Na Wen  and had writers like the Whedon brothers involved. It wasn't until the series left the episodic format and became more serialized did the series take off for me, then of course the writers finally figured out what to do with Chloe Bennet and  changed her from a beautiful nerd with LOL quips to a badass AoS. I was a Marvel fan ever since I was a kid and  even collected "Nick Fury, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." comic books (which when I read them started out as ("Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos") however I wasn't familiar with the Daisy Johnson character, so when her arc started out, I was fascinated. Of course I hated her devotion to Ward and was pissed THAT ABC decided to keep Brett Dalton around (even though he's a good actor) through his evolution to Hydra and then Hive. Look at that, stream of  consciousness has allowed me to write more than I had originally planned. Suffice it to say, the series has had some up and down arcs that kind of sucked <framework, cough, cough>, but S5 was fun and different. S2&3 were my favs, and u can't go wrong with Ghost Rider and Mockingbird. I'll admit, I still try to watch Chloe Bennet's music video every once and a while ;-p

[Gothish520]

10 minutes ago, Jacks-Son said:

I'll admit, I still try to watch Chloe Bennet's music video every once and a while ;-p

Lol, that damn song is catchy! 

[tessaray]

I read io9 every day, so often feel like I know a show when I haven't seen it. That's kind of what happened to me with SHIELD.  I knew about it and eventually I tuned in.  The first episode I remember watching live had the team hiding out in some motel that I see in tons of movies and tv shows.  I watched, was mildly interested and went back and caught up.

IIRC,  I think Bobbi and Jemma at Hydra was when it became "can't miss" for me - though the show's insistence on keeping Brett Dalton killed a lot of the enthusiasm I had for the show. 

[blueray]

I started watching it on Netflix as I love the movies. I wanted to make my own opinion as I also heard mix reviews of it. Anyhow, I watched the first two seasons on Netflix and loved it. I actually didn't mind earlier season 1, but it really picked up after the events of winter soldier.  I watched season 3 onward live. As I said on another thread, the characters are the reason I keep watching. I never got the hate Daisy/ Skye, she isn't my favorite but still a good character. Her relationship with Coulson is well written. I do however, feel like this season kind of destroyed some of the character's reputation and hope that next season will fix it.  Especially Fiz, who always has been my favorite character. The show is far from perfect such as keeping Ward on way to long, hopefully he is finally gone for good. And I hope they bring Hunter and Bobbi back next season. I think while the show has it ups and downs, it still an entertaining show to watch.

[PentaHookUp]

Son of Coul is the reason I came aboard.  Son of Coul is the reason I stay.  

Also, I’m a huge fan of the rest of the cast…particularly Fitz-Simmons; but excluding Skye/Daisy/Quake/Whatever—just never could warm up to the character(s); almost left the show when it started focusing so much on her.

In addition to a great cast, this show has had some stellar guest stars—with my favorite being Bill Paxton’s turn as John Garrett.   I especially like that so many guest stars have recurring storylines and are not all just one-episode-wonders. 

Biggest Challenge: Putting up with Deke (the character is annoying in any timeline).

Biggest Regret: Lost of Ward (both the switch and the death).

[swanpride]

Honestly, I had a bumpy start with AoS. I just wasn't that interested in the first place and the first episodes failed to draw me in. But then I got curious how The Winter Soldier impacted the show. And after that, it had me hooked.

What I love about it is that AoS is the place where tropes go to die. They never do the cliche stuff I HATE in most superhero shows (like the love triangle). They also allow the characters to develop. Especially Fitzsimmons. It is always odd to see them how to used to be. And the show is utterly unpredictable. I love the way it sets up a twist in a way that you should see it coming, but you next to never do. The only thing predictable about it is that it will break your heart, again and again and again.

I love all the characters. I had a bumpy start with Daisy, but that was mostly because I originally didn't quite get why Coulson wanted to keep an eye on her. I thought "she can't be that awesome of an hacker"...I only realized later when I rewatched the show that he was interested because shield had no information whatsoever on her, which shouldn't have been possible (but was, because shield itself hid her).

[quazimodo]

I came for Coulson and the Whedons. I stayed because I fell in love with the wonderfully diverse cast and the characters.  Yes sometimes it’s hit and miss and how it’s fits into (or doesn’t) the MCU is all over the place but it’s still one of best comic book shows on tv imo. 

The storylines, action scenes and fight choreography have only gotten better over the seasons. AOS has good characters that have evolved but stayed true to the core of who they are and storylines that are engaging and entertaining. They aren’t afraid to mix things up. That’s why I watch and why it’s got me until the end of the line.  I’m going to miss it when it’s gone. 

Edited August 25, 2019 by quazimodo

[Enigma X]

I started Shield because I will watch anything  with Marvel characters. I stayed with Shield, even through the worst of times,because I am a sap for ensemble casts, especially those where  the characters form their own family unit.

[swanpride]

btw, is it possible to correct the title? The "E" and the "I" are switched...

[PentaHookUp]

On 8/25/2019 at 1:37 PM, swanpride said:

btw, is it possible to correct the title? The "E" and the "I" are switched...

..."I" before "E" except...

☺️

[werden]

It expands the MCU. High-tech things. That's why I'm looking. New series coming soon?

Edited September 8, 2019 by werden
)

[Raja]

8 hours ago, werden said:

It expands the MCU. High-tech things. That's why I'm looking. New series coming soon?

Next summer, barring ABC's fall schedule tanking and they need a fast replacement

[swanpride]

There is a rumor regarding an Agents of SWORD series, but considering the source, I believe it when I see it. Most likely just fan wishes running wild. But it WOULD be pretty cool to have a show in which Daisy and Co go on a planet hopping mission.

[Llywela]

3 minutes ago, swanpride said:

But it WOULD be pretty cool to have a show in which Daisy and Co go on a planet hopping mission.

Isn't that basically what the first half of last season was?

(I would watch the hell out of an entire show like that!)

[scrb]

OK so I'm not a big MCU or superhero guy, though I read a lot of the Marvel comics.  Not so much the DC comics.

I've watched a lot of the MCU movies, also the DC ones too.  I didn't go out of my way to see them though, I watched several of them on flights.

In general they're well-made, acted.  Probably fulfillment of dreams of every kid who read the comics or watched shows, to see these characters put on the big screen with special effects.  However, I think it may not be the best thing that they're among the most popular movies which are being made.  Why do adults, even those who were heavily into comic books, need to  believe in superheroes?

So I wasn't the most likely person to watch this show.  Reason I did, there were some photogenic cast members and you figured maybe some crossover of movies and great special effects regularly on TV.

The series as a whole carved out it's own place within the MCU, it seems.  There were references to events occurring in the movie and there were some crossover appearances of the movie characters,, beside the obvious one in Coulson.  I get that the show runners didn't always get as much cooperation from the people making the MCU movies.

I'm not disappointed about that at all.  In fact the show might have been stronger if it didn't have anything to do with MCU.  Call it something other than SHIELD, just make it about other characters.  Because it seems like by tying it to the MCU, they progressively raised the stakes in the show.

They started out like junior cadets, investigating strange artifacts or phenomenon.  Seemed like they were sent on missions that Tony Stark and Thor or any of the Avengers would be too important to bother with.  I actually enjoyed the first couple of seasons, when it seemed like they were kind of interplanetary detectives, going all over the world and triaging relatively low-level threats.

But as the MCU movies raised the stakes, going from alien invasions to the death of the universe, it seemed like Agents of Shield tried to tag along, creating highly consequential situations, where the planet is threatened repeatedly.  This is when you wondered, if they're dealing with alien invasions, where are the Avengers?  Why send the B Team or the JV team out to the state championships?

Because as long as they're in the MCU universe, that's what they would be, not the team of superstars which make up the Avengers.

So the plots became progressively outlandish over the seasons, where the agents had to deal with being transported hundreds of light years away or being trapped in time, then learning to time travel.

Having plots grow in complexity and gravity isn't necessarily a bad thing.  For instance, that is the series arc of Breaking Bad, where Walter White gets into more and more extremely existential situations but keeps escaping.  But in Agents of Shield, the characters are repeatedly put in predicaments which would end the life they'd know.  Instead they'd be stranded on distant planets or in different timelines, separated from their loved ones.  They kept getting out of those predicaments, including this last season, where they were traveling through time and to distant planets, switching timelines.

So it's not surprising that all the characters collectively win again, defeat the alien killer robots and return to earth with satisfying careers and personal lives.  It just seems a little too pat and predictable.

I'm not saying it's bad because everyone gets a happy ending.  Or that it would have been better if one or more major character didn't make it out alive, like Walter White, maybe sacrificing himself to save the others.

But it makes you a bit distrustful over the trajectory of the series, with the massively increasing stakes, with them saving the planet repeatedly, even though once again, you'd think saving the planet would be someone else's responsibility in this universe.

 

 

 

 

[Raja]

The problem with calling it something other than S.H.I.E.L.D.  is that whoever has been the show's guardian angel at Disney, who I bet is an "all connected" disciple isn't there to protect the show then once the first year budgets verse cost is looked at before the Hydra reveal  the heads of ABC would have  let it go. Linking to the Avengers  was the selling point.

But if a totally independent scout/spy/combat weird stuff team that was unaligned with any big franchise  then you have maybe 3 short seasons on a streaming service desperate  for exclusive content to attract new subscriptions, assuming anyone tried it out in the first place. Just veterans  Clark Gregg, not Phil Coulson, and Ming-Na Wen  with their young upcoming cast alone wouldn't do it in my opinion

[VCRTracking]

It's everything I like about a Joss Whedon show without the things I don't.

 

[scrb]

2 hours ago, Raja said:

The problem with calling it something other than S.H.I.E.L.D.  is that whoever has been the show's guardian angel at Disney, who I bet is an "all connected" disciple isn't there to protect the show then once the first year budgets verse cost is looked at before the Hydra reveal  the heads of ABC would have  let it go. Linking to the Avengers  was the selling point.

But if a totally independent scout/spy/combat weird stuff team that was unaligned with any big franchise  then you have maybe 3 short seasons on a streaming service desperate  for exclusive content to attract new subscriptions, assuming anyone tried it out in the first place. Just veterans  Clark Gregg, not Phil Coulson, and Ming-Na Wen  with their young upcoming cast alone wouldn't do it in my opinion

You may be right, it might not have lasted as long without the MCU tie in.

But that would mean that it was a gimmick all along unless they were prepared to do more crossovers or explicitly link plots.

Again, they saved the planet more than once not the Avengers, which is why the MCU tie in is dubious.

[Raja]

6 minutes ago, scrb said:

You may be right, it might not have lasted as long without the MCU tie in.

But that would mean that it was a gimmick all along unless they were prepared to do more crossovers or explicitly link plots.

Again, they saved the planet more than once not the Avengers, which is why the MCU tie in is dubious.

I think they were prepared to do crossovers and links all along. After Age of Ultron the shifting boardroom dynamics at Disney left AoS and the all the TV shows in the dust. The Bobbi and Hunter spinoff was gone. The phone company commercial actress who was getting Squirrel Girl was gone. Damage Control went to Spider-Man and is not seen elsewhere....Netflix didn't even get the cameos that AoS got those first 2 years

[Jediknight]

Why did I watch SHIELD?  There are 3 huge reasons.

The first was the character development.  Fitz went from meek scientist to becoming a leader, look at season 2 when he stood against the entire team to defend Daisy.  May went from agent with reputation for crushing people and the cold exterior to match, to being Team Mom, and being damn proud of that role.  Daisy went from hacker who didn't really fit in, to finally having the family she never had.  Like Daisy said "I already have a sister to save, her name is Jemma Simmons."  Hell, at the beginning Daisy could get annoying, but they turned it around with her character.  Even one season characters like Jaco go it, Jaco went from following Sarge to hating Sarge's tactics and the fact Sarge left Snow behind, he became the baker that he truly was, and went out as a friend of SHIELD.

Secondly, they weren't afraid to give us the happy moments without any pain.  You always fear that the happy moment will be crushed.  SHIELD gave you the happy moments.  We got Cal getting a happy ending, May and Coulson's kiss, Fitz and Simmons getting married, and the finale.

The biggest reason was the chemistry of the cast.  Everybody worked well together, it didn't matter the pairing.  It didn't matter if it was Daisy and Fitz, Mack and Simmons, May and Daisy, or anyone else, you believed they were a family.

Edited August 20, 2020 by Jediknight

[Minneapple]

The characters and the relationships on this show were top-notch. I loved how they all knew each other, trusted and truly believed in each other and were a family for all intents and purposes. Mac telling Yo-Yo that she's a good agent regardless of her powers. Daisy saying she has a sister, Jemma Simmons. May and Yo-Yo trying to get into Yo-Yo's mind together and both being all "this is the worst thing ever." And they were all likeable, and genuinely liked each other. Despite all the insanity they were always going through, they always reacted in a very understandable, human manner. And that goes back to what I always say about television and movies -- if you have good, likeable characters, that goes a long way to making a good show or movie.

[VCRTracking]

I also just realized it's a lot like Little House on the Prairie except Michael Landon had better hair than Clark Gregg and Chloe Bennet had better hair than Melissa Gilbert!

[tessaray]

I initially checked out AoS mostly because the Whedon name was attached and I'm a pushover for any ensemble show with nifty gadgets and smart, pretty people in black leather saving the world.  I stayed for Coulson and Daisy's father/daughter relationship and the FitzSimmons saga, among other things. 

Unlike the DC universe, I've never read any Marvel comics or had any deep attachment to any of the Marvel movies. But I'm glad that I watched AoS since it lead to Agent Carter, which is one of my favorite of all time shows.  

I just realized that I only have one must-see network show left and it's hanging by a thread. (Legends of Tomorrow - where I'm out when Sara Lance is.)  

[Raja]

I am doing a slow rewatch and listening to a podcast along the way. Before the Turn, Turn, Turn

 from the fanbase are complaints about no Hydra or why wasn't Graviton in his costume. Despite the second episode cameo from Samuel L. Jackson there was never enough for them.

I only remembered Jasper Stilwell from the Iron Man comics and Coulson's team being basically SG-1 on the bus hooked me then and now recognizing all the breadcrumbs dropped it still works for me.

Sure you can throw out an hour from the 136 hours here and there and for me most of the last half of season 6 but for me the hit to miss percentage is higher than the original Star Trek or Babylon 5.

[swanpride]

Honestly, it is the highest hit percentage of any show I know, it even beat out White Collar (and that one was more a case of the week affair, despite having a somewhat overarching plot). Thus said, Cloak and Dagger is just as tightly written, just more low key overall.