"End" of MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

Article first published as TV Review: 'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' - 'Beginning of the End' on Blogcritics.

After a slow start doing mostly case-of-the-week stories, ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has really ramped up through the spring. Necessary, given the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The season finale, “Beginning of the End,”  is the climax of that arc, a battle between Phil Coulson’s (Clark Gregg) S.H.I.E.L.D. team and John Garrett’s (Bill Paxton) Hydra men. It’s got plenty of action, but also takes the time for some really satisfying character interactions, resolving hanging threads, and revealing yet another character thought dead is still alive. The costs are high, but as expected, the good guys win.

If you watch Marvel fare for the action, “Beginning of the End” has plenty of that. Coulson, Antoine (B.J. Britt), May (Ming-Na Wen), and Skye (Chloe Bennet) storm the compound, guns blazing. Ming gets to take out her frustration with the traitorous Ward (Brett Dalton) in hand-to-hand combat, which the more experienced agent wins. Deathlock (J. August Richards) shows his powers of destruction. Even Skye, traditionally not a fighter, pulls a gun and acts tough. These are special agents tasked with protecting the world and they show it.

But the dynamics are far more interesting. Ward himself, a part of the main team for most of the freshman year, has unresolved feelings for Skye, and both Skye and May take Ward’s turning very personally. The conversations they have, sometimes during the battle, allow the characters to put into words what they’ve been going through. The cast is forever shaken up, and even though the seeds have been planted for a possible Ward redemption (which I honestly hope they don’t pursue), he’s not one of them any more, and this hurts emotionally, viewers and characters alike.

Coulson is experiencing a similar thing with Garrett, his old buddy. Garrett has gone completely crazy, unlike Ward, which makes him easier to hate. However, there is still the lingering ghost between them of their camaraderie. This influences the scenes they have together, even after Coulson terrifically blasts him into ashes in a pure Joss Whedon twist. It’s these relationships, carefully built to show depth in only a few episodes, that makes the proceedings mean so much more.

The best dialogue in “Beginning of the End” is between Coulson and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), whom Coulson and movie-goers know is alive, but not most others in the world do not. Their banter in observing Garrett is great, but the explanation as to why Fury brings Coulson back to life (because he’s an Avenger) is even better. Marvel doesn’t just make superhero stuff, it breathes complexity into those people, and with terrific, memorable one-liners, these moments in which personality is exposed remain firmly ensconced forever in one’s head, which is what all TV strives for.

There’s an emotional sequence with Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) too, who begin the finale at the bottom of the ocean. Fitz sacrifices everything for Simmons. The duo have a wonderful bond, but no romance has been pursued between them. One wonders if that will change now that they’ve been through this, and Fitz has been willing to give himself up. He may be permanently damaged; something that could make for rich drama next year and more growth for him, but because Simmons is present for this, let’s hope some of the change rubs off on her.

Unlike most televison fare, “Beginning of the End” gets every detail right. Most shows hit certain notes, but miss others. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. frequently leaves viewers without complaint. The dynamics and relationships are well served, and the writing is snappy, but the direction deserves credit as well. Who didn’t get excited when Fury shows up at an unexpected moment to pull Fitz Simmons to safety? Or when Coulson finds the big gun? Or when Patton Oswalt returns in a different role (a clone, perhaps?) after being killed off a few weeks ago? There are so many little things that can be picked out and celebrated, which form a cohesive, unimpeachable whole. Quality-wise, it’s one of the strongest entries on network television, even if it is the popcorn genre.

This continues even in the trademark Marvel end tags. Garrett’s resurrection may be deliciously sabotaged, but Raina (Ruth Negga) escapes and most fans will never see coming whom she goes to. Toss in a shot of Coulson that proves he’s crazy like Garrett, maybe just keeping it reigned in a little better, casting the future of the new S.H.I.E.L.D., which he has been put in charge of, in doubt, and there’s plenty to anticipate over the summer, getting us excited for the sophomore presentation.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been renewed for a second season, which will air as two mini-seasons next fall and spring, with Marvel’s Agent Carter in the middle to avoid repeats and off-weeks, on ABC.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Keep "Turn"ing

Article first published as TV Review: 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' - 'Turn, Turn, Turn' on Blogcritics.

SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers for the film Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

I can’t thing of a single case of synergy working as well as what Marvel Studios has going on right now. Besides two films a year, it has an hour-long weekly series on ABC, and more coming to Netflix. Last fall, when Thor: The Dark World hit theaters, the connection to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was minimal. But this week, Captain America: The Winter Soldier fits right in between two episodes, and has a huge impact on the show by necessity, given that the movie, an intense political thriller co-starring Robert Redford, blows up the universe the studio has spent years carefully crafting.

Last week’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. focuses on the hunt for a mole, an arc that plays out over several weeks, then caps off with a quick scene featuring Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) being attacked in D.C. Captain America picks up that ball, basically uncovering a huge conspiracy that results in Hydra, which has been covertly operating within S.H.I.E.L.D. for decades, dismantling the good guys’ organization as it goes public. This week’s S.H.I.E.L.D. shows us what is happening with our cast while the events of the movie are going down, and their scramble to save their own lives as Hyrda attempts to kill off any significant S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who could stand in their way.

Is it fair to ask fans to see a film opening weekend just to keep up with a TV show? It’s true that the Hydra plot unfolds within the series, too, so perhaps the movie isn’t required, but the higher-level stuff about the story is presented on the big-screen, including the exposure and explanation, as well as the fate of Nick Fury, while the show is a smaller-scale story, so it is best consumed in order of air date and release date.

I think Marvel will not only get away with this, but do it again in the future, assuming Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. keeps running. While it’s an inconvenient to see the movie in a limited window, most of the fans of the franchise will do so anyway. Besides, it is exciting ton be caught up in a multi-platform tale, allowing the universe to become much more epic than is possible in keeping things separated.  The show gets me excited for the movie, which in turn gets me excited for another episode of the show. So it only makes sense to keep the relationship going, and the weekend’s box office returns back up that viewpoint. I just hope it will translate into bigger ratings on TV, as the series has not quite lived up to expectations.

In the latest episode, “Turn, Turn, Turn,” The Bus is hijacked by Victoria Hand (Saffron Burrows) at The Hub. Victoria believes Coulson (Clark Gregg), and possibly his team, are Hydra. Coulson is immediately convinced that Victoria is Hydra, and confused by shifting allegiances. It doesn’t help that Coulson’s best friend in the gang, May (Ming-Na Wen), is exposed as reporting to Fury behind Coulson’s back, further clouding Coulson’s view of the situation. With the dynamics of S.H.I.E.L.D. shattering around him, Coulson rescues his pal, John Garrett (Bill Paxton), and decides to take a stand on Victoria’s home playing field.

The entire hour may be more melodramatic than the movie, but the writers effectively manage to keep us guessing as to who the villains are. For much of the installment, Victoria does look to be evil, especially given the red streak in her hair. But it’s a shocker when Garrett comes out as Hydra, and even more so when one of the central cast, Grand Ward (Brett Dalton), joins him.

Some may have seen this coming because, after all, Ward used to work for Garrett. Others may wonder if Ward is playing the long game, getting in with Garrett just to stop him, though Ward’s murder of Victoria Hand in the final moments of “Turn, Turn, Turn” would make that hard to swallow. Whatever ends up happening, it’s clear Ward has done things the rest of the characters will not approve of, and could very well be permanently separate from the rest from here on out.

There aren’t many television shows that would take their golden boy and make him a villain, in the first season, no less. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is absolutely correct in doing this because the stakes set in the film demand sweeping changes in the show’s make up, too. While it would be safe to keep the group at the heart of the series intact, turning one is even more bold than killing him off, certainly telling viewers they cannot trust anyone or anything again. Given that Joss Whedon, the brilliant bastard who gave us Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Serenity, and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, is behind this only makes it seem more likely that Ward’s defection is for real, as Joss is good at plucking the heartstrings and getting his fans to grieve.

“Turn, Turn, Turn” is pretty good on its own. It’s not The Winter Solider quality, but it may be the best episode of the series thus far because of the major changes that occur and the level of mystery that invades the proceedings, keeping us guessing on the edges of our seats right up until the ending credits and its chilling Hydra logo replacing the familiar one. I’m very much hoping that the future entries are just as unpredictable, and that Joss was just playing the broadcast-network game with safer stories previously, having been burned by risky storytelling on multiple occasions before. If it should maintain this level, a little lower budget, and thus not quite as impressive as the movies, but still very good, it should have a bright future, at least in terms of earning the audience’s love.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has five episodes left this year, and has not yet been given a renewal or cancellation notice. Tune in if you’re the least bit interested in what Marvel can do with a second, expanded, very different season, made necessary by the excellent “Turn, Turn, Turn.” It airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

The Sunset Limited Far From It

     The only thing limited about HBO's television movie The Sunset Limited is the setting. OK, I guess the costumes are, too. The entire hour and a half takes place in a sparse, single room of a small apartment in New York City. Two characters, listed merely in the credits as White and Black, discuss god and existence, as well as Black's stint in prison and White's empty life. It's one continuous conversation, with no act breaks or time jumps.

     But how fascinating! Apparently, just before the story begins, Black has rescued White from a suicide attempt. Black is keeping White talking in his apartment, presumably so that White doesn't try again. As such, there is a subtext under laying everything that is going on. But that isn't nearly as neat as the actual words being said. Black talks a lot more than White, but they get into stuff such as books, including the Bible  , and the afterlife, that are just plain gripping. I haven't seen a show that is so intense with such little action since In Treatment.

     Samuel L. Jackson plays Black, and Tommy Lee Jones plays White. Besides the writer, they can take much credit for the success of the piece. Both show their chops, conveying a lot with just a little. They also makes the characters seem real and effortless. Not once during the show did anything they do take me out of the moment. I had to stop and remind myself that these were just two characters in the hands of veteran actors. They were both so authentic, really bringing to life the two distinct points of view.

     A major component of the movie, taken from a play, is religion. Black is a devout Christian, converted during his time in prison serving a murder sentence. He lives a simple life devoted to Jesus. White is an intellectual aethist, shaped that way by his pursuit of academia (he is a college professor). But both are smart, and open to hearing the other, even though neither will be convinced of the other's opinions. Nor do either one descend into stereotype. They hold personally chosen values, not ones spouted by a religious leader that they embraced. Jackson and Jones make you believe what their characters believe, and neither viewpoint comes out looking better than the other.

     I expect awards will be heaped upon The Sunset Limited, and deservedly so. I will be surprised if it isn't recognized. Just for the sheer drama of the debate, it deserves it. Check out The Sunset Limited during one of its many repeats on HBO in the cominc weeks.

Article first published as TV Review: The Sunset Limited Far From It on Blogcritics.


For frequent mini-reviews and occasional TV news, follow Jerome on Twitter.