.Agents of SHIELD.

SPOILERS ALERT. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK (or your imaginations).

Hello again my good friends (my predictive text wanted to change that to “my good job” but somehow that just didn’t fit the situation: especially since I don’t have a job. am probably the last blogger on earth to have finally downloaded the WordPress app onto my phone…and I must say I definitely prefer it to my laptop version. For some reason despite the VERY LARGE ADVERTS on my blog dashboard I hadn’t even thought about using it on my phone until last week until my brain finally said, “Ah! An app! And app+phone=Wordpress on phone=less time spent hee ng and hawing about what to write and therefore actually get down some spur-of-the-moment ideas.”)

Today is one of those ideas.

Also quick but random, I COMPLETELY MISSED this blog’s one year anniversary on the 23rd of July. I know! How could I?! Oh well, happy belated birthday tinkeringwithfeathers, you’ve done me proud.

Aaaand….back to the post.

I am a bit…obsessive when it comes to TV shows. Okay, let me rephrase that — I barely ever get into a TV show unless it’s really good, but when it’s really good…I go nuts. Thus this (that was the weirdest thing I’ve ever typed) series was one of those series; the one when you can’t get your popcorn to your mouth fast enough because there’s jaw-dropping tension, the one you almost pee your pants with because of the humour, the one that leaves you heartbroken after a particularly touching episode. Yes ladies and gentlemen, this was one of THOSE programs.

Let me present — Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement, Logistics Division.

And yas. I did all that from memory.

Let me give you the low-down on this fascinating TV programme that I wouldn’t have considered first because I think it’s only in the US. On TV.

I think.

*Googles it*

Hmmm the pages look confusing. Maybe it IS in the UK..

Anyway I don’t have a TV so that’s not very helpful.

I’d like to start out with some basic things about this heck-of-a-good series:

1. If you are expecting every single nitty gritty part of this series to be action and adventure, YOU’RE WRONG. What I’ve always loved about Marvel is there ability to make a story real. You don’t just have characters who constantly explode buildings, tamper with high-tech equipment and manage heists. They go through pain, heartache, joy and happiness – that is essentially what makes a good story.
2. If you are expecting the characters to be shallow or low-lifes, YOU’RE WRONG. The adorableness of this series *I mean, the first series. Sniffs. You will understand more later* is the fact that these agents are so tight and close-knit that they’re pretty much a family. They may all have different backgrounds, some harder than others, but in the long run they all keep an eye out for wach other no matter what the cost.
3. If you somehow thought that because of what I just said it’s all emotion and flowers and rainbows, YOU ARE ALSO WRONG. It probably goes without saying but despite the well-formed characters it isn’t all happy go lucky and there are some tough moments. After all, in spite of how I KNEW it would turn out alright, this phenomenal series has me biting my fingernails right to the end, and always saying, ‘IS everything going to be alright?’

favourite characters.

We all have those moments, don’t we?

I mean, I do. Ahem. It’s just that time when you see a character for the first time and your brain is like, ‘OH MY DAYS THAT IS AMAZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING.’

What creates such perspective and relatability with these characters is how they are so distinctly HUMAN. They have layers, they don’t always just do one thing. Let me elaborate on that: say one of the characters is pretty darn neat with a gun, and he’s an amazing boxer too (one of em is actually like that!). There’s also another scene where he makes himself a salad sandwich. Now, I know that may not seem like much, but trust me folks, it is!! When a character has enough depth, they can be seen doing normal (perhaps, some would say ‘weaker’) things that every day people do. Don’t get me wrong, we’d all hate it if Ward made sandwiches teh entire programme through, because it’s not a chef masterclass – it’s an action and adventure film. But it shows how he likes to be healthy like other people (further shown by his buying a succulent plant for his house), and even though it’s in a small way you’re reminded he doesn’t spend ALL of his time punching and shooting and whatnot.

I know I’m beginning to sound technical, but it’s these little touches that remind us they are people too, not just badass agents.

I especially like this being displayed through Coulson and Skye’s relationship – they really seem to have a proper father-daughter relationship (so I probably wasn’t the only one creeped out by the fact that their actors are dating in real life).

But I digress.

On to the post!

VERY BRIEF AND QUICK AND HASTY DISCLAIMER:

If you or anyone you know absolutely LOVES how everything went down in season 2, I am positively certain that we can never be friends. I’m sorry. I know it hurts – you. Not me. That ship has most definitely sailed, peeps. Their time to redeem the series is OVER. I AM DONE. Season 1 RULES.

skye.

Skye is such an intriguing and amazing character, she was my favourite from the very first, immediately inspiring my affection for her by her little Hawaiian dancer doll. Skye has had a rough upbringing, never knowing who her parents were but eventually finding out over the course of a series and a bit (BECAUSE THEY DO LOVE THEIR SUSPENSE, DON’T THEY?!) that she was rescued FROM her parents by an Agents of SHIELD officer who is now dead, and that her parents were monsters. Feeling completely lost, she is a computer coder and hacker who joins Coulson’s team and from the very first is the friend of all the SHIELD agents in his group. She learns how to fight, is a crackshot at guns (after a bit of practice ;)), and generally keeps everyone’s spirits up in incredibly tough situations.

I love how her character is developed over the series, but I am the first to admit I was really, incurably devastated by what happens to her in series numero dos.

They took a perfectly good character and put on her such stress and hurt and anger because of what the others had done, it’s no FRICKIN’ WONDER that she ended up thinking they were her enemies!! I am so conflicted by her confliction. I mean, nothing’s ever perfect, BUT STILL… Why did they have to break up the team? I honestly loved all of them, each in their own individuality.

That would be my own regret about AoS – there’s no shielding (DID YOU SEE WHAT I JUST DID THERE) you from the heartache all the characters face once you get to know them.

coulson.

Next up is leader of the team, probably a close second to my favouritism toward Skye – Phil Coulson. He is cunning, calm and collected, but at the same time is honestly the sweetest guy who just wants everyone to fulfil their destinies and always be there for each other. I love how in the first series he is not only a leader but he gets hands-on with the team; he’s never judgmental, he always wants to protect the common people and has a heart for those suffering from the after-effects of war and superpower misuse.

He’s resourceful, chatty, and did I mention downright hilarious?

He also is the one who does his best to keep the team together, even when things begin to fall apart after Ward’s betrayal.

Speaking of which…

ward.

I just want to clarify before we begin – I do know when to leave the boat. The shipping boat; whatever. I know when to stop liking someone because they are just too evil.

And yes. I did like Ward – but that was a long time ago.

I don’t want to completely spoil the entire series for you but let me just say this – Ward is the teams downfall. He kills their friends, tries to manipulate and use (then tries to kill) all the members of Coulson’s team. He’s so deceitful and cruel, it’s unreal. And what is most scary about this is that he started off being so SWEET. Yes he was the muscle of the team but he was also like their big brother..it just upset me so much that he turned out to be for Hydra, a group of terrorists founded in the days of Nazism (fiction, of course).

And add in that his mentor is actually going insane…yeah, you can tell he wasn’t going to be any better.

This is getting a bit dreary though – let me tell you what I DID like about Ward, before all that happened. Ward was a sweet, rather emotionally detached guy who was assigned by Coulson to join the team because of his skill in arms and hand to hand combat. Little did they know…well, you know. Anyway, he became Skye’s SO and was training her up until his betrayal, and if I ever shipped anyone in AoS it was definitely them.

Sniff.

fitzsimmons.

They are the cutest. Can I just say. Fitz and Simmons are absolutely amazing characters as the teams lab workers, a biologist and computer scientist. Both have very unique abilities and both secretly like each other, but what makes them so adorable is how they always stick together and understand each other. Fitz especially is so sweet because he’s always got Simmons’ back and they both just….work. Y’know?

They’re like my two little kiddos.

What are your thoughts on Agents of SHIELD? Comment below!