I like that it's a limited run season. It is presumable that, like with TNT, USA, & FX, the episodes will all have weight and not a couple of fillers. Also, seeing the origins of SHIELD is interesting to me; specifically if you can follow where HYDRA was slowly becoming intertwined into the organization.
Plus, I am a sucker for strong female leading characters. Since I really started to get into Buffy, I have always liked the idea of women being on equal (or superior in some instances) ground.
M
I am with you on the excitement about filling in the blanks re: the origins of SHIELD, and I think Peggy will fit in nicely in the line of Buffy, Sydney, Veronica, etc.
But I cannot agree on the shorter seasons. I hate the British version (now co-opted by cable, it seems) of thinking less is more. Not to me. I want more episodes, not fewer. 22 is the magic number these days, so if I get any less than that, color me disappointed.
Besides lacking filler episodes, I like it because its less of a time commitment & enables more short season series.
M
Seems like that does work out for you, then. But for me, I am looking for a time commitment. If I wanted something shorter, I'd watch a movie. And I've heard the term "filler" episode for years, but I have no idea what people mean when they say it. I mean, the traditional clip show has pretty much gone the way of the dodo, so if I am getting new, original content, I am happy with that. I mean, it's all just filling time, yeah?
There were so many episodes in Smallville that were filler episodes, it could've been a 6 season series instead of 10.
They are the episodes that advance the season arch very minimally.
M
I didn't watch it past season one, but I have a hard time believing there were 60 clip shows out of 220 episodes!
ETA: I now read what you said about not advancing the season arc. That's a relatively new phenomenon, though, isn't it? The shows of my youth never had a season-long arc; they just had episodes. So I take each episode of the series on its own merits. Was it entertaining? Thought provoking? Interesting? Then it satisfied me. The only episodes I would consider filler would be the aforementioned clip shows. Now some episodes are better than others, but season premieres/finales might be awful and a random standalone might be A-OK. Heck, my favorite all-time episode of LOST is Tricia Tanaka is Dead, which does little to advance the uberplot; same goes for my all time favorite Buffy, The Zeppo.
The shows of my youth were similar; no arcs. Its only been since Buffy that the season arc is something I've looked for. I recall the first 1/2 of Angel was virtually arc-less & the episodes were good, but once there was a larger story became very interested.
I think the filler episodes replaced the clip show episodes.
I believe the modern story arc began with Hill Street Blues, although Dallas had already introduced soap opera-style ongoing storylines, then Babylon 5 pushed on to the season-long arc.
Wow. That was like an entirely different show. Good representation of Absorbing Man. Several more characters. A more diverse group of cast members. A plot that felt like it mattered. Keep this up and they will have righted the ship quite nicely.
Is Carter & Commandos going to make regular appearances? Fuck. I guess that's what YouTube is for.
M
I don't think so, Matt. But I could be wrong.
I don't believe so either. It was mainly a tease for her own series. Although, I was impressed they got the same actors from the movie to make an appearance along side her. Dum Dum Dugan! Have they been cast in the Agent Carter series? If so, I missed that wonderful news.
This feels like a different show. A better show. Time will tell...
And I really hope we get there. The ratings for this show scare the crap out of me.
Not great but still 2nd in the demo behind NCIS, which is a juggernaut, and after the adjustment it was even with the finale last year. It built on its lead-in too. ABC doesn't have anything else that plays the young male demo as well as this. And it led into a show that was widely expected to completely flop because it is in the most unsuccessful timeslot in ABC history and it didn't. On top of that its produced by a corporate sibling which makes it more lucrative with licenses. There are about 100 reasons why this show is one of the safest on TV right now.
Is Carter & Commandos going to make regular appearances? Fuck. I guess that's what YouTube is for.
M
I don't think so, Matt. But I could be wrong.
I don't believe so either. It was mainly a tease for her own series. Although, I was impressed they got the same actors from the movie to make an appearance along side her. Dum Dum Dugan! Have they been cast in the Agent Carter series? If so, I missed that wonderful news.
@DoctorDoom, I agree. It did seem like a better show.
The stuff with Fitz & Simmons was interesting - finally! The characters acted like they had something they were actually fighting for. Lucy Lawless was great. Love the part where her hand was being destroyed by the object. Looks like the Absorbing Man is going to be in a few episodes and actually feel like a credible threat - Love it. Great backstory with the long lived Hyrda agent from WW2.
I don't know if it's better writing, direction or both, but was very good. I hope they can sustain it. I'm never sold on a show based on a season premier as I always assume they spend extra time and money all summer trying to make a big splash, but I am hopeful. I see a few good episodes in a row to be sure it doesn't fall back in to the same morass that it was in last year.
Saw the solicit in previews for a new Shield comic featuring the TV cast. I wasn't interested for a course reasons. A) I generally like to keep my comic and movie or tv universes desperate and B) I'm not a huge fan of licensed properties anyway. Then I see the thing is written by my boy Mark Waid. Dammit. Now, I'm interested *shakes fist at sky*
I may have to watch it again but I just couldn't get into it. Lucy Lawless and her team just came out of the blue for me. I may have to save a few episodes and binge them. I did enjoy seeing the Absorbing Man. And it worked because they seemed to have gotten more money as @WetRats mentioned. I'll watch this week's and the next two back to back. Enjoyed seeing Carter and the Commandos. I look forward to that show.
Comments
I think the filler episodes replaced the clip show episodes.
M
...and the opening sequence set up the new Agent Carter show nicely.
When does Dum Dum get his own show!?!
http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/09/24/agents-shield-blue-alien-season2-premiere/
M
Yeppitty-yep-yep-yep.
Looks like they got a bit of a budget upgrade, too.
M
And I really hope we get there. The ratings for this show scare the crap out of me.
The stuff with Fitz & Simmons was interesting - finally!
The characters acted like they had something they were actually fighting for.
Lucy Lawless was great. Love the part where her hand was being destroyed by the object.
Looks like the Absorbing Man is going to be in a few episodes and actually feel like a credible threat - Love it.
Great backstory with the long lived Hyrda agent from WW2.
I don't know if it's better writing, direction or both, but was very good. I hope they can sustain it. I'm never sold on a show based on a season premier as I always assume they spend extra time and money all summer trying to make a big splash, but I am hopeful. I see a few good episodes in a row to be sure it doesn't fall back in to the same morass that it was in last year.
I think...
M
It immediately established the passage of time.