By Tony Ortega

So when the first announced the series, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., I will admit I wasn’t thrilled. Then when I heard that Joss Whedon was connected to it and that Agent Coulson would be back, it piqued my interest. I am a huge fan of anything Whedon-verse as well as of the Marvel Universe Cinematic Adaptations. Therefore, I gave it a shot. First things first, this writer has a humungous crush on Brett Dalton aka Agent Ward so any scenes with him are worth watching (HAIL Hydra). However, there are a few things that Joss and company could consider to make the show better.

 

1 – Make the show more multidimensional. In my opinion, Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is very two-dimensional. Episodes usually deal with the story at hand (no pun intended Victoria) and the subplots of Coulson’s resurrection and Skye’s origins. However, that’s about it most times. Yes, they delved into Ward’s background and how he got recruited into Hydra but that was towards the end of the first season. A good example of a multidimensional show would be Castle. Each episode, they tackle whatever murder they come across in NYC. Then, there is the undercurrent of the Beckett/Castle love interest (I am only on Season 4 so no spoilers please) as well as the mystery of Beckett’s mother’s murder. Added to this are the personal lives of the supporting characters: Martha, Alexis, Ryan, Esposito and Lannie. So Mr. Whedon, let’s try this: each episode focused on the story at hand. Secondly, give us some scraps about Coulson and Skye. Lastly, give us some minor story lines like Fitz having a gay crush on Ward and/or Trip (please make this happen), Simmons dealing with self-esteem issues because of not having her own identity (Fitzsimmons), or May having ovarian cancer or something that would make her more likeable (no, I am not hating on her because she had coitus with Ward). During his Buffy/Angel period, Whedon was able to do multidimensional story lines very effectively. Let’s give Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. more layers and dimensions per episode and less convoluted politics.

 

2 – Tap into the rich history of S.H.I.E.L.D.. As any good comic book aficionado could tell you, S.H.I.E.L.D. has decades of history to reach into. How about some reference to the Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commando days? Or the very 007 feel of Jim Steranko’s tenure on Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Yes, we have seen appearances by Nick Fury, Victoria Hand, Maria Hill and Jasper Sitwell as well as the last minute addition of Trip and his alleged connection to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s past is a start but almost a little to late for my taste. It was almost like when they brought in Heather Locklear into Melrose Place to save the show. Let’s have some story lines involving Life Model Decoys gaining sentience or give Coulson et al. some nifty gadgets like Nick Fury had during the Steranko era. Everyone loves gadgets.

 

3 – Make me care more about the characters. Yes, Coulson’s resurrection is intriguing and just who the hell is Skye (don’t get me started on how they made Ward a Hydra agent). However, we know virtually nothing about Fitzsimmons’ or May’s past, their likes and dislikes, or why they are even in S.H.I.E.L.D. to begin with. Does Fitz collect comic book? Does Simmons like hairy dudes? Does May do anything besides frown, kick ass and have lack of emotional reciprocity with men? Give me more on the supporting characters Whedon.

 

I miss the days when Whedon made his characters so likeable, even the villains or his story lines so intriguing. Of course, I can’t put all the blame on him, however, he is a bit of a genius when it comes to character development and story lines that have you at the edge of your seat. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has the potential of being a great show. Let’s make it one before it gets cancelled in its sophomore year like Whedon’s shows in the past 10 years.

 

Interested in seeing a sneak peek of Season 2? Check out this trailer: