Oh and there's going to be plenty of Easter Eggs, don't know why you all wanted all of them in the pilot. My favorite was the "Journey Into Mystery" one.
Also I think Skye's hot so hopefully they give her a couple of seasons before they kill her.
And the logo on the S.H.I.E.L.D. stuff that came across to me as, I'm an ordinary person, here pulls up a car with an important looking logo on it. They're probably some sort of Government Agency I should entertain their line of questioning if they ask did I happen to see an alien pass through here instead of laughing in their face.
Though on top of the plane seemed a waste of paint.
Sorry for the double post, did I mention I really liked it?!?
Wetrats got to it before I did: listen to the opening VoiceOver again. It leads to the idea of being more open in a post battle of NY world. Plus, I just did a google image search for FBI in action. Tons of jackets with giant FBI letters. Learned that from the first X-Files movie. Right now the whole 'aren't they supposed to be secret?' is falling into the nitpick category for me. It's the Marvel Universe, not ours. When you see SHIELD coming, run! Lol
Wetrats got to it before I did: listen to the opening VoiceOver again. It leads to the idea of being more open in a post battle of NY world. Plus, I just did a google image search for FBI in action. Tons of jackets with giant FBI letters. Learned that from the first X-Files movie. Right now the whole 'aren't they supposed to be secret?' is falling into the nitpick category for me. It's the Marvel Universe, not ours. When you see SHIELD coming, run! Lol
Jackets, hats, shirts, yes. Vehicles, bullhorns, briefcases, etc equipment are things I've never seen the FBI label with their name/logo.
The discussion made it a nitpick. I noted it as something I noticed & did a double take. It didn't make or break the show for me, just something that caught my attention.
I must be the only person who dislikes Coulson. He just comes off so smug, hopefully that'll change when he discovers "The Truth".
Apart from that I thought it was above average, with room for improvement.
The truth serum scene was ridiculous, it screamed "Look at me, I'm a maverick leader, I do crazy things". It should have been Ward jabbing himself and then defending the idea to Coulson.
While I did enjoy the pilot for the most part, I also came out of it really disliking Skye. And S.HI.E.L.D. needs more people of color in its organization! The entire team is white or Asian if you don't include J. Auguts Richards (not a regular) and Ron Glass (a cameo).
I'm hoping the typical Whedon fashion the rest of the show turns out 60% times better than the pilot. See Buffy, Angel, Dollhouse and even Firefly for that.
saw it last night through Hulu+, it was great for us comic fans to have a show with powers/abilities using Marvel continuity. I like how the pilot set up the various threads for the show. Pretty cool we have a show that can create some stories in a universe we know and yet still be surprised.
I seriously think Heroes for Hire characters won't show up in this format, Marvel/Disney will save that for a movie.
I feel like D+ characters will show up w/supporting content from the villain groups. So that it won't interfere with Movie stories.. Tv show and Movies just be on the fringe of each other to be safe..
I will watch it again. Some of us are being way too serious in how they watch entertainment, IMHO..
So the pilot episode of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." was an massive success in its debut episode. It reportedly drew an audience of 11.9 million viewers and garnered a 4.6 rating amongst adults 18-49 according to EW.com. Those statistics make it the highest-rated TV drama premiere in nearly four years.
What were your thoughts on the new show from Marvel/Disney and Josh Whedon?
I think the last time a sci fi type show premiered like that, it was also on ABC... V. All the talk of "I'll catch this on Netflix" or "This is a rental" or whatever. Is it not available on the ABC app or ABC On Demand or Hulu?
So the pilot episode of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." was an massive success in its debut episode. It reportedly drew an audience of 11.9 million viewers and garnered a 4.6 rating amongst adults 18-49 according to EW.com. Those statistics make it the highest-rated TV drama premiere in nearly four years.
What were your thoughts on the new show from Marvel/Disney and Josh Whedon?
I think the last time a sci fi type show premiered like that, it was also on ABC... V. All the talk of "I'll catch this on Netflix" or "This is a rental" or whatever. Is it not available on the ABC app or ABC On Demand or Hulu?
I watched it On Demand. When I referenced Netflix, it was because I probably won't be watching anymore episodes of the season. If it returns for a season 2, and I get word some of the things that annoy me changed (or at least got less annoying), I would get the DVDs from Netflix to watch.
First impressions? Meh. But it's only the pilot, so I'll stick with it and see where it goes.
The characters: Coulson - is Coulson, nothing new we haven't seen before in his character, although I did like the foreshadowing from Hill regarding his revival. Ward - Some people didn't like him, but I sort of saw him as the straight man of the group (at least for the pilot). He's the audience's way into Shield, showing the pro solo agent like a fish out of water having to deal with this new team and the threats they face. May - Mysterious backstory, arsekicking female Whedon archetype who we all expect to be explained and fleshed out over time. Fitz & Simmons - Nothing to set this perky double act apart just yet. I honestly don't even remember which one was who, but I can only assume that Fitz was the Scottish one. They're like giddy school children out on a class trip. Annoying at first, but then I started to see them as techs who never get out much as the field agents do, so they're all a wee bit hyper about it.... although if they continue to be like hyper puppies as the series goes on, I will want them killed off. Which brings me onto... Skye - Please ditch this character immediately. I know! How about killing her off and thereby bringing the rest of the team closer together? ;) Hot or not (I actually don't think she's hot at all), she's super annoying and brings nothing to the show.
I loved the little easter eggs dropped throughout, so I hope they continue to keep doing that. Anyone else notice the little throwaway lines given by Fitz & Simmons regarding their comms, nicely explaining away the continuity error from The Avengers and their missing ear pieces? That one did make me laugh. I liked the name dropping about what was causing the powers, but for the love of Kirby krackle, just stick to the one! It didn't need to be a combination of practically every MCU power source since the movies began.
The flying car at the end was such lovable cheese, but it'll be interesting where the show goes after this pilot, as it seems to be pulling in multiple directions over what kind of mood it's aiming for.
You have to look into Netflix streaming. No hassle, quick and easy..why mess with DVDs anymore.
I prefer the DVD over the streaming, because (a) I haven't yet had a streaming experience that I was pleased with (too much stopping and buffering), and (b) I don't want to watch the show or film on my laptop -- I want to watch it on the TV. (I don't have one of those set-ups that allow me to transfer the streaming to the TV, and am not likely to be getting one anytime soon.) Besides, the physical DVD is a reminder to me that I have something to watch and return as soon as possible, whereas I would be more likely to forget with the streaming.
You have to look into Netflix streaming. No hassle, quick and easy..why mess with DVDs anymore.
I prefer the DVD over the streaming, because (a) I haven't yet had a streaming experience that I was pleased with (too much stopping and buffering), and (b) I don't want to watch the show or film on my laptop -- I want to watch it on the TV. (I don't have one of those set-ups that allow me to transfer the streaming to the TV, and am not likely to be getting one anytime soon.) Besides, the physical DVD is a reminder to me that I have something to watch and return as soon as possible, whereas I would be more likely to forget with the streaming.
The Blu-ray player I bought hooks up to our wireless network. Streaming Netflix is 1 of the benefits.
As for forgetting, you pay for the month with unlimited streams. No sending back. What I did like when we streamed (before they charged for both) was I could virtually watch whatever, whenever.
NOW, I'll get 2 DVDs; 1 either for my wife & I and 1 for either my wife or me. The problem is, I'll watch my DVD almost immediately. My wife, not so much. Movies for us both are normally kept for a month before I just watch it & send it back.
As for forgetting, you pay for the month with unlimited streams. No sending back.
It's not the sending back that I have a problem with -- it would be remembering that I have something to watch. That's why the physical DVD is preferable to me -- it's a reminder. "Oh, yeah! Netflix!"
I do both - streaming and DVD - with Netflix. Some of the things I really want to watch are DVD-only at the moment. I think the day will come when the service is streaming-only, and that'll be fine as well.
Having had more time to really digest it, I'm in. I don't see it lasting very long if they can't overcome some of the hurdles, but my love of comics and comic culture > Chloe Bennett (Skye)'s inability to act her way out of a paper bag. :)
Jim Steranko offers a pretty blistering opinion on the SHIELD pilot. A little insulting to the audience as well.
I'm going to say something that I don't think many of you will agree with but I'm going to save it till the end.
I really enjoy how Steranko says that there's no way that we should still have a decent passing knowledge of the Avengers movie (a movie that would be an obvious lead-in to this series) but he brought up Hitchcock, and the Bourne series, the latter of which I have no idea what the names are that go with Matt Damon and the one that goes with Jeremy Renner. Let alone be able to tell you more than 3 story lines from a Hitchcock show.
He kept dogging it like everything should have been played out in 44 minutes. And that this isn't a 22 (probably?) episode season.
Also enjoyed knocking the government agency from looking the same. They're an agency, there is an expected certain look if not a right down identical dress code.
Just going to throw this out there about the bringing in the C and D list characters. I'm calling my shot on Daredevil to be in the season finale. He's back and no word of a movie yet so why not feel him out.
Here we go.
I can not say how grateful I am to Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Jim Steranko, and countless others for bringing me the characters that I love today. But they didn't create the Nick Fury that's played by Sam Jackson. They didn't create the Soldier, or Iron Man* or The god of Thunder or the spies or even the Hulk that we see in the big screen.
Mark Millar created the ones that we're watching on television and the big screen.
After reading Steranko's comments my first thought was, "What did he expect?" It's network television. It has a built in audience of millions of old geeks who feel justified that something of quality that they care deeply about is on free TV. Throw in some lovely young fap worthy window dressing, and your done. It's a hit, and they didn't have to try very hard at all! Every so often, throw in a substantial easter egg, and I'll keep coming back.
How boring would the forums be if each thread had 1 or 2 posts with 20 people using the feedback icons without contributing anything to the discussion?
I prefer the DVD over the streaming, because (a) I haven't yet had a streaming experience that I was pleased with (too much stopping and buffering), and (b) I don't want to watch the show or film on my laptop -- I want to watch it on the TV. (I don't have one of those set-ups that allow me to transfer the streaming to the TV, and am not likely to be getting one anytime soon.) Besides, the physical DVD is a reminder to me that I have something to watch and return as soon as possible, whereas I would be more likely to forget with the streaming.
Let me recommend the $35 Chromecast dongle to you. It streams beautifully, full 1080HD and if you have a decent wifi router, it never seems to need to buffer, even with 3 iphones, an ipad, and a Wii playing Netflix in another room at my house. And we're not even using the fastest available internet where I live.
But, before this thread turns into a 'Netflix: streaming vs dvds' thread, let me comment on Mr. Steranko.
Jim Steranko offers a pretty blistering opinion on the SHIELD pilot. A little insulting to the audience as well.
I love Steranko's style, his work, and his contribution to the art form, but meeting him at the recent Comic Expo in Nashville was a let down and a complete turn-off. The guy was positively too much into himself, acted like he was doing all of the people there a favor, subtly put down many of the other artists at the Con, and waved off anyone trying to take a picture.The 'holier than thou' attitude he demonstrated almost convinced me that he's turned bitter for some reason, which is a shame because he has contributed so much to Marvel's history.
Reading the article though, where he says "Agent Coulson, with his Rudy Giuliani aplomb, is no Fury" That's the whole point. If you don't get it, if you don't like Coulson, this show is not for you. And what was his issue with "The Hooded Hero" being black? Or didn't like his story arc? The things I'd agree with him on are the cookie-cutter women are boring, and SHIELD should be tougher. Otherwise, this is TV, not a comic, and this pilot episode is the gathering of the team story. Looks like that column is planning on being a regular weekly review from Jim Steranko too. Oh well. Whatever his thoughts were on the latest Marvel movie or tv show are of little further interest to me.
I'd be more interested in Terence Young's (RIP) musings on Daniel Craig as James Bond.
"According to producer Jeph Loeb, the show's creators presented an arc for about 100 episodes that got everyone at Marvel incredibly excited about where this show was going. More specifically, though, they planned out the first 13 episodes of the season in a lot of detail, with a more rough sketch of the "back nine" if they get a full season pickup. And they have a sense of what the second season could be about."
For @JamieD on Marvel Two-In-One #26 & #27 Deathlock is sent to assassinate the President, but is stopped by the Thing and Nick Fury. After his capture he becomes catatonic and is taken to England for treatment by the Thing where he is cured by Louis Knort, and Nick Fury takes him into custody. Later (in Marvel Two-In-One #53) Deathlok is rebuilt by Roxxon as a robot, and sent to sabotage Project: Pegasus. The robot battles the Thing and Quasar, and self-destructs.
The real Deathlok, now working for the Brand Corporation, battles Captain America and a time-traveling Luther Manning clone. Alongside Captain America, Godwulf, and the Redeemers, he battles Hellinger. (thank-you Wikipedia)
I like Joss. This MAY have edged slightly more into the realm of the Whedonesque than i would have liked. All told I liked the show and I'm totally on board for the season but IF i were to nitpick...
Agent Ward was a straight David Boreanaz body double. Fitz and Simmons (while fun and i think designed to become funner with repeat viewings) are pretty stock Joss expository dialogue machines. Skye walks into a top secret government agency right off the street and immediately becomes a team member?
on the other hand...
I agree with whoever Whooped at the Ron Glass moment, I did the same. I also hope he will be a regular or semi-regular. I was happy to see Maria Hill. I had dodged most spoilers so i didn't see that coming. I liked The Melinda May character even if she is a stock Whedon "Strong female character". she was still a badass. The Mike Peterson Character had a pretty excellent Arc for just a one hour episode (well done)
the Gripping hand...
of course big name cameos would be awesome, however unlikely. you never have a full grasp on Whedon characters in a single episode so i may have to eat my words about what constitutes a "Stock Whedon" anything. the only "Disneyfication" i noticed was Fitz naming his robots after the 7 dwarves.
i liked it. maybe part of it's because i really enjoy the Marvel cinematic universe and the potential of this show to be the glue to subsequent movies, much like Coulson was with the first wave of movies, IMO.
that said, yeah, it didn't blow me away. it kinda felt like Fringe-lite and all. there were moments though where i laughed out loud, or thought something was cool or appreciated the easter eggs. (The Journey into Mystery on was my favorite, if a bit too on-the-nose...)
as for the characters? i don't have a favorite of the new agents just yet, but i like FitzSimmons. maybe a bit goofy and sometimes their accents are too thick, but, hey! i'm SURE S.H.I.E.L.D. has a lot of science geeks in their employ, maybe even as many as they have soldier-types or field agents.
i have high hopes that the good will of people towards the Marvel cinematic universe AND Joss Whedon's magic with an ensemble cast will make the show have a good run.
Is that a dislike or is that a disagree with my opinion? Why? Keep the conversation going!
I can't be the only one tired of people hiding behind the feedback icons. Most of us on the forum don't bite if we get a difference of opinion. It contributes to the conversation. Don't be afraid.
M
I have read this observation of Matt's on a few different threads and as a lover of debate and heated back and forth I too would rather less anonymous replies. That being said, it's a design feature of the forum site, it's allowed so calling out people to come out and debate seems unnecessary. I've noticed that with all the hero worship of the Geeks that as soon as somebody starts to criticize a Geeks' opinion and/or observation the response is heated against that dissenting opinion. I am not a heavy forum user as a result of, at times, tiresome brow beating at the hands of moderators and sycophants. Perhaps I am guilty of it at times but in general it does not pay to disagree with the majority opinion.
Not personalize it too much more this next part is directed squarely at Matt. As a Geek it is presumed you have some voice and/or influence over Forum features. Lobby to have the anonymous buttons removed if you are tired of it. You have mentioned it a few times and I just don't agree with complaining about the rules in the middle of the game.
back to the OP thread. I love Whedon but the tank is running on "E" for over saturation of his trademark style. The bit with the truth serum, the back and forth however funny is getting to sound so staged. In high stakes situations like some scenes in Serenity and Buffyit felt right. Scenes from the Avengers on the Heli-Carrier worked well; Caps' "I get that reference!" but Agents tried for 44 minutes worth and that will get old after 22 episodes. I'm hoping for the best but like my Whedon in small doses. Agents could lapse into faux Whedon quicker than we'd like.
Off Topic: I tweeted to Matt that the like/etc features were once flipped on before and it was deemed 'unfair' (for lack of a better word on my part) by a few since they were used under the initial notion that they were anonymous. So my suggestion: delete all the likes/etc, if possible. Do a reset of them to zero. Then turn them on but make them visible. That way everyone starts at ground zero knowing that they are now open and viewable. I think we would see a change in how they are used.
On Topic: My non-comic reading friend, who saw Avengers, started to watch Thursdays rebroadcast with me. He got through the opening LA/Paris action stuff and quickly became disinterested once the show hit full on 'pilot episode exposition meet the cast talk talk talk' for a good chunk. I don't think he lasted even 15 minutes. I don't mean this as a claim that that's how all non-comic people will view it, because frankly I hate the whole 'well my -insert friend/partner/youth- had this reaction so clearly all of that demographic must feel the same way' boneheaded conclusion. Just giving one observation as I watched the show a second time. Even I skipped parts and I enjoyed my initial viewing.
Comments
Also I think Skye's hot so hopefully they give her a couple of seasons before they kill her.
And the logo on the S.H.I.E.L.D. stuff that came across to me as, I'm an ordinary person, here pulls up a car with an important looking logo on it. They're probably some sort of Government Agency I should entertain their line of questioning if they ask did I happen to see an alien pass through here instead of laughing in their face.
Though on top of the plane seemed a waste of paint.
Sorry for the double post, did I mention I really liked it?!?
Her dad's name is Bennet Wang, a Chinese American bond salesman in Chicago:
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/bennet-wang/8/67/774
She had to switch her last name to her dad's first name to make it in "racist" Hollywood.
The discussion made it a nitpick. I noted it as something I noticed & did a double take. It didn't make or break the show for me, just something that caught my attention.
M
We giggle at the mention of Anthony Wiener too but that doesn't have anything to do with race.
Apart from that I thought it was above average, with room for improvement.
The truth serum scene was ridiculous, it screamed "Look at me, I'm a maverick leader, I do crazy things". It should have been Ward jabbing himself and then defending the idea to Coulson.
Jim Steranko offers a pretty blistering opinion on the SHIELD pilot. A little insulting to the audience as well.
I'm hoping the typical Whedon fashion the rest of the show turns out 60% times better than the pilot. See Buffy, Angel, Dollhouse and even Firefly for that.
If this thing ever becomes a chore to watch, I'm done.
I seriously think Heroes for Hire characters won't show up in this format, Marvel/Disney will save that for a movie.
I feel like D+ characters will show up w/supporting content from the villain groups. So that it won't interfere with Movie stories.. Tv show and Movies just be on the fringe of each other to be safe..
I will watch it again. Some of us are being way too serious in how they watch entertainment, IMHO..
All the talk of "I'll catch this on Netflix" or "This is a rental" or whatever. Is it not available on the ABC app or ABC On Demand or Hulu?
M
M
The characters:
Coulson - is Coulson, nothing new we haven't seen before in his character, although I did like the foreshadowing from Hill regarding his revival.
Ward - Some people didn't like him, but I sort of saw him as the straight man of the group (at least for the pilot). He's the audience's way into Shield, showing the pro solo agent like a fish out of water having to deal with this new team and the threats they face.
May - Mysterious backstory, arsekicking female Whedon archetype who we all expect to be explained and fleshed out over time.
Fitz & Simmons - Nothing to set this perky double act apart just yet. I honestly don't even remember which one was who, but I can only assume that Fitz was the Scottish one. They're like giddy school children out on a class trip. Annoying at first, but then I started to see them as techs who never get out much as the field agents do, so they're all a wee bit hyper about it.... although if they continue to be like hyper puppies as the series goes on, I will want them killed off. Which brings me onto...
Skye - Please ditch this character immediately. I know! How about killing her off and thereby bringing the rest of the team closer together? ;) Hot or not (I actually don't think she's hot at all), she's super annoying and brings nothing to the show.
I loved the little easter eggs dropped throughout, so I hope they continue to keep doing that.
Anyone else notice the little throwaway lines given by Fitz & Simmons regarding their comms, nicely explaining away the continuity error from The Avengers and their missing ear pieces? That one did make me laugh.
I liked the name dropping about what was causing the powers, but for the love of Kirby krackle, just stick to the one! It didn't need to be a combination of practically every MCU power source since the movies began.
The flying car at the end was such lovable cheese, but it'll be interesting where the show goes after this pilot, as it seems to be pulling in multiple directions over what kind of mood it's aiming for.
As for forgetting, you pay for the month with unlimited streams. No sending back. What I did like when we streamed (before they charged for both) was I could virtually watch whatever, whenever.
NOW, I'll get 2 DVDs; 1 either for my wife & I and 1 for either my wife or me. The problem is, I'll watch my DVD almost immediately. My wife, not so much. Movies for us both are normally kept for a month before I just watch it & send it back.
M
Having had more time to really digest it, I'm in. I don't see it lasting very long if they can't overcome some of the hurdles, but my love of comics and comic culture > Chloe Bennett (Skye)'s inability to act her way out of a paper bag. :)
I really enjoy how Steranko says that there's no way that we should still have a decent passing knowledge of the Avengers movie (a movie that would be an obvious lead-in to this series) but he brought up Hitchcock, and the Bourne series, the latter of which I have no idea what the names are that go with Matt Damon and the one that goes with Jeremy Renner. Let alone be able to tell you more than 3 story lines from a Hitchcock show.
He kept dogging it like everything should have been played out in 44 minutes. And that this isn't a 22 (probably?) episode season.
Also enjoyed knocking the government agency from looking the same. They're an agency, there is an expected certain look if not a right down identical dress code.
Just going to throw this out there about the bringing in the C and D list characters. I'm calling my shot on Daredevil to be in the season finale. He's back and no word of a movie yet so why not feel him out.
Here we go.
I can not say how grateful I am to Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Jim Steranko, and countless others for bringing me the characters that I love today. But they didn't create the Nick Fury that's played by Sam Jackson. They didn't create the Soldier, or Iron Man* or The god of Thunder or the spies or even the Hulk that we see in the big screen.
Mark Millar created the ones that we're watching on television and the big screen.
*Robert Downey Jr created Iron Man
But, before this thread turns into a 'Netflix: streaming vs dvds' thread, let me comment on Mr. Steranko.
I love Steranko's style, his work, and his contribution to the art form, but meeting him at the recent Comic Expo in Nashville was a let down and a complete turn-off. The guy was positively too much into himself, acted like he was doing all of the people there a favor, subtly put down many of the other artists at the Con, and waved off anyone trying to take a picture.The 'holier than thou' attitude he demonstrated almost convinced me that he's turned bitter for some reason, which is a shame because he has contributed so much to Marvel's history.
Reading the article though, where he says "Agent Coulson, with his Rudy Giuliani aplomb, is no Fury" That's the whole point. If you don't get it, if you don't like Coulson, this show is not for you. And what was his issue with "The Hooded Hero" being black? Or didn't like his story arc? The things I'd agree with him on are the cookie-cutter women are boring, and SHIELD should be tougher. Otherwise, this is TV, not a comic, and this pilot episode is the gathering of the team story. Looks like that column is planning on being a regular weekly review from Jim Steranko too. Oh well. Whatever his thoughts were on the latest Marvel movie or tv show are of little further interest to me.
I'd be more interested in Terence Young's (RIP) musings on Daniel Craig as James Bond.
"According to producer Jeph Loeb, the show's creators presented an arc for about 100 episodes that got everyone at Marvel incredibly excited about where this show was going. More specifically, though, they planned out the first 13 episodes of the season in a lot of detail, with a more rough sketch of the "back nine" if they get a full season pickup. And they have a sense of what the second season could be about."
For more on where SHIELD is going, take a look at this article: http://io9.com/the-biggest-unanswered-questions-about-marvels-agents-1252913600
Sure, the flying car at the end of the show was cheese, but it was a SHIELD FLYING CAR! On Network TV! awesome.
Please please please let Coulson be revealed as a LMD on the season finale.
The real Deathlok, now working for the Brand Corporation, battles Captain America and a time-traveling Luther Manning clone. Alongside Captain America, Godwulf, and the Redeemers, he battles Hellinger. (thank-you Wikipedia)
Agent Ward was a straight David Boreanaz body double.
Fitz and Simmons (while fun and i think designed to become funner with repeat viewings) are pretty stock Joss expository dialogue machines.
Skye walks into a top secret government agency right off the street and immediately becomes a team member?
on the other hand...
I agree with whoever Whooped at the Ron Glass moment, I did the same. I also hope he will be a regular or semi-regular.
I was happy to see Maria Hill. I had dodged most spoilers so i didn't see that coming.
I liked The Melinda May character even if she is a stock Whedon "Strong female character". she was still a badass.
The Mike Peterson Character had a pretty excellent Arc for just a one hour episode (well done)
the Gripping hand...
of course big name cameos would be awesome, however unlikely.
you never have a full grasp on Whedon characters in a single episode so i may have to eat my words about what constitutes a "Stock Whedon" anything.
the only "Disneyfication" i noticed was Fitz naming his robots after the 7 dwarves.
that said, yeah, it didn't blow me away. it kinda felt like Fringe-lite and all. there were moments though where i laughed out loud, or thought something was cool or appreciated the easter eggs. (The Journey into Mystery on was my favorite, if a bit too on-the-nose...)
as for the characters? i don't have a favorite of the new agents just yet, but i like FitzSimmons. maybe a bit goofy and sometimes their accents are too thick, but, hey! i'm SURE S.H.I.E.L.D. has a lot of science geeks in their employ, maybe even as many as they have soldier-types or field agents.
i have high hopes that the good will of people towards the Marvel cinematic universe AND Joss Whedon's magic with an ensemble cast will make the show have a good run.
Not personalize it too much more this next part is directed squarely at Matt. As a Geek it is presumed you have some voice and/or influence over Forum features. Lobby to have the anonymous buttons removed if you are tired of it. You have mentioned it a few times and I just don't agree with complaining about the rules in the middle of the game.
back to the OP thread. I love Whedon but the tank is running on "E" for over saturation of his trademark style. The bit with the truth serum, the back and forth however funny is getting to sound so staged. In high stakes situations like some scenes in Serenity and Buffyit felt right. Scenes from the Avengers on the Heli-Carrier worked well; Caps' "I get that reference!" but Agents tried for 44 minutes worth and that will get old after 22 episodes. I'm hoping for the best but like my Whedon in small doses. Agents could lapse into faux Whedon quicker than we'd like.
On Topic: My non-comic reading friend, who saw Avengers, started to watch Thursdays rebroadcast with me. He got through the opening LA/Paris action stuff and quickly became disinterested once the show hit full on 'pilot episode exposition meet the cast talk talk talk' for a good chunk. I don't think he lasted even 15 minutes. I don't mean this as a claim that that's how all non-comic people will view it, because frankly I hate the whole 'well my -insert friend/partner/youth- had this reaction so clearly all of that demographic must feel the same way' boneheaded conclusion. Just giving one observation as I watched the show a second time. Even I skipped parts and I enjoyed my initial viewing.