Agents of SHIELD Finale Review
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been controversial since its premier. The show got a slow start with its weekly villain format, originally I was only tuning in for my weekly dose of Coulson; but after the mid-season break it really picked up and came into its own with intriguing story arcs and strong character development. Now that the season one finale has aired, Agents has really shown its potential. The most rewarding thing about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is that it is an extension of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel has gone to great lengths to connect all of their cinematic properties; all the movies tie together with Agents offering a weekly dose of Marvel at home.
Fair warning, if you haven’t seen Captain America: The Winter Soldier, there are some spoilers so stop reading now!
After the big reveal that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been infiltrated by Hydra, the organization completely fell apart leaving Coulson and his agents on their own. Coulson has always played by his own rules, and after S.H.I.E.L.D. fell he went rogue. The finale rewarded fans for standing with Coulson, it had great call backs to previous episodes, an amazing reference back to The Avengers (I may or may not have screamed out loud), and some high profile guest stars.
The appearance of Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury is always a thrill, but his role in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season finale was more than that, it was substantial and instrumental to the story. His appearance gave the story the push it needed to legitimize the second season. Fury introduced a strong motivation that will drive Coulson’s team in the upcoming season.
Overall, the finale struck a good balance. Many key plot points raised over the season were resolved, but the same time there were new challenges presented and one of the show’s biggest mysteries was deepened. There were touching moments, and a lot of really cool action, and just the right amount of humour, mostly from Coulson’s sass. Each character had their moment to shine and do their thing, but the real heart of the episode and the real heart of the show remains Agent Phil Coulson.
