It’s wild how all over the map the fan reactions are to this show.
(edit: I rewatched all the episodes after writing this rambling attack. and I think I was very unfair. the show is doing a good job of delivering things that … few people are requesting. It seems to play better when binge watching.)
I’ve really been enjoying the it. But having just finished Breaking Bad, and switching over to The Walking Dead and American Horror Story, and looking forward to Hannibal’s return – i have to admit AoS is incredibly cheap and silly. in comparison. to those best-of-show dogs. eh. which is unfair. i get that.
My favorite moment in the most recent episode, “The Girl in The Flower Dress,” was when the evil scientist mutters “oh (god), you gave him a name?”
Maybe it’s because I’ve watched the walking dead episodes a few times each so far this season, but the notion that you shouldn’t name the animals because you don’t want to get too connected to them – made me laugh out loud. These scientist ladies are SO EVIL!
… but maybe I was reading too much into that line?
Still, it made it funnier when Coulson used the same line later. because callbacks are easy funny. (though when he says it, Coulson is basically saying “oh shit, now HE thinks he’s one of these super heroes. !#^@”).
* I loved the various plot twists. Especially how Ward opens up a little and goes out on a limb to vouch for Skye – RIGHT before she fucks up everything and exposes how untrustworthy she is. drama!
* This episode reminded me a lot of that early Dollhouse episode (6) “Man on the street” where they stopped fucking around got into the meat of the show. Which in this case appears to be: subduing those people who get power before they’re ready to handle it.
Plus they revealed more of the big bad – currently only known as “centipede” its some sort of evil science organization hellbent on making unstable people into false heroes.
It was nice to see another average joe getting lost in a power trip. which was kinda forced on him by technology that is moving too fast. (which was also, arguably, the hacker guy’s problem). It might not have been a problem for the guy, if he’d just taken longer to earn it. The way emerging technology pushes things on us seems like another theme of the show.
* I was really peeved at the way the sexy hacker guy, Miles, hacked the buildings cooling system by making gestures at a floating hologram. I laughed out loud when the cartoon representation of the building displayed arrows showing how the fire would vent.
* My wife pointed out that the fire vented into the sky in a figure 8 pattern, which was echoed in the next shot by the green lights of a figure 8 skyscraper in the background. I can’t tell if this was somehow ‘cool’ or … kind of a bizarre nonsensical fx flourish. or incompetent editing.
* Was also peeved that they took the time to say Scorch’s blood platelets were fire proof. If they just took his blood platelets, it implies they took out his blood, filtered it, and put it back? why not just say his blood is fire proof? Why not have his dilemma at the end simply be : he’s almost completely drained of blood?!?! this would read much more clearly. instead they introduced this blood platelet nuance that makes no scientific sense.
All of their scifi (and hacking) so far has been in this weird half retarded place. Wish they’d either back off or go much deeper.
* Wish Fitz would go overboard on “dumbing it down” and insist on explaining things to Ward in caveman speak. Make Fitz kind of jerk. give him something. (it’ll probably be hard to do this and NOT turn him into Topher from Dollhouse? I mean, he’s already pretty naive and disconnected from the real world. hmmf.)
* I keep saying “Scotch” instead of “Scorch”. … and i think it would probably be a cooler super hero name.
* I’m surprised people hate Ward. He seems like a nice charming gloomy gus to me. A mix of the guy from Burn Notice and David Boreanaz. He’s the muscle. give him a break if he’s a little thick.
* Also, I’m stunned to find that some people think Coulson was never cool, and that the show is making a mistake in noting all the ways he is cool. He is cool incarnate! WTF PEOPLE!?!?!
That’s why it was funny that he revealed a dorky card collection in the Avengers. He wears expensive suits and never loses his cool in all his appearances until then. Even when he lay dying, he calmly kept his cool and made a snarky observation about his gun. I think we’ll see him continuing to express his ridiculously high cool factor as the show goes on. sorry. bring on the sexy james bond past!
* This episode also featured maybe the worst action moment on the show so far. When Coulson stiffly hobbled out and emptied his tranq gun into the fire like an idiot. I thought was bizarrely aweful. Just his whole awkward stance and the editing and the slowed down fx. bleh.
And even if you forgive the fx as “something really hard that I probably couldn’t do” – it’s still bad writing. The first shot failed, so he immediately unloaded his whole weapon? So he has to ask for another gun? making him the worst field agent ever? It was so bad it almost made Coulson seem…. uncool. OMG!
I want to pretend this might be yet another sign that he isn’t the same badass that he was in earlier movies/shorts. but. hmm. HMM.
* final thought: it struck me as weird that Coulson came down so hard on Skye for keeping her secrets. they’re all fucking spies! Shouldn’t he be patting her on the back, just a little, for demonstrating such competence at their spy game? Instead of demanding she tell him all her secrets RIGHT NOW? hmmf.
I just hope it turns out she made that shit up on the spot. I sooo wanted to be seeing the wheels turning as she was put on the spot. … but … I kinda doubt it. the show is kinda silly and on the nose. so far. but. mayyyybe?
* Final final thought: skye needs help plucking her eyebrows.
Bushy Eyebrows. Now that’s a superhero name.
-subduing those people who get power before they’re ready to handle it… Doesn’t this sound like Heroes?
i can’t remember Heroes clearly enough to know the answer? When I think of Heroes,i alwasy think of the stripper mom who would black out and tear men into pieces. that was my favorite part of (the first part of the first season of) Heroes.
but. for realz, did Heroes have folks running around trying to take out citizens because they were developing powers without first becoming heroes? … should we all rewatch that show?
I’m dimly recalling the man with thick glasses… and that he was considered dangerous at first (until sylar emerged as the main villain). but can’t remember his mission. … To wikipedia!