Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 Episode 10 "The Bridge" Discussion Thread

[Xeno]

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like it's almost lazy writing (in a way) to give Coulson and his group these high scale missions and not have anyone make a mention to the fact that SHIELD has certain individuals who are more qualified to tackle this job...aka Captain America, Black Widow, or even Hawkeye.

Now I get that these actors aren't available to cameo or show up, hence why they're not in the story, but the writers should have known that in advance and thus I wonder why they continuously create these global threats for the team when the SHIELD members that I just mentioned should be deployed for them.

I'm glad that they at least had one mention where Skye noted that Coulson should give Thor a call to help them with one of their previous cases, but when the super soldier serum is involved, it's somewhat common sense that the organization should call in their big and experienced guns for that.

I think that the writers are counting on the audience to be smart enough to understand that Captain America, Black Widow and Hawkeye have other missions they are on at any given moment and can't be involved in every dangerous task SHIELD comes across. SHIELD is a massive international organization with thousands of agents working around the world. It can't constantly take its top agents away from other, even more critical work just to go after a group of criminals who have been effectively handled by Coulson and his team before.

Mentioning that "Captain America is busy doing X," or "Agent Barton is in Dubai," in every episode would become repetitive quickly, and it is unnecessary. Anyone over the age of ten should be capable of filling in that blank for themselves.

 

[Herolee10]

I think that the writers are counting on the audience to be smart enough to understand that Captain America, Black Widow and Hawkeye have other missions they are on at any given moment and can't be involved in every dangerous task SHIELD comes across. SHIELD is a massive international organization with thousands of agents working around the world. It can't constantly take its top agents away from other, even more critical work just to go after a group of criminals who have been effectively handled by Coulson and his team before.

Mentioning that "Captain America is busy doing X," or "Agent Barton is in Dubai," in every episode would become repetitive quickly, and it is unnecessary. Anyone over the age of ten should be capable of filling in that blank for themselves.

Well those three having others missions is understandable; no doubt about that.

It's only when Coulson and his group come across an assignment that's labeled as a HIGH PRIORITY, one with global consequences that I get irked about when they bring in no one more suitable for the job.

I mean unless CA and others were doing even bigger missions where the whole world was at risk during the times where coulson and company were taking on missions with Global consequences as well, then I could understand.

 

[mkilban2]

I was actually excited to see what was in store with HQ being called for backup this episode until they had to be called off due to the circumstances. I wasn't expecting a big name or anything, but like having another 3 or 4 May/Ward level agents all fighting this threat was something I thought would have been cool to see.

 

[Adamu]

Hmm, the more I think about the show, the less sense it makes.

For instance: coulson's team + centipede guy vs. 3 centipede guys. The scene made little sense to me. Coulson and May are both 50-ish; what are they doing fighting 3 centipede dudes? Shouldn't they be on the sidelines directing tactical?

I know they have to be in the fight scene since they're 2 of the principal characters but their presence makes the entire affair seem implausible. Perhaps even borderline laughable.

I won't say that the show is an insult to viewer's intelligence, but I wouldn't be put off if someone made that claim.

 

[mkilban2]

They're highly trained agents fit for field duty. What's not to make sense of that?

 

[Adamu]

They're highly trained agents fit for field duty. What's not to make sense of that?

I know. I better stop with the criticism. I'll be accused of trolling and banned.

The scene didn't ring true to me. Sorry. May's character is poorly written IMO. And perhaps acted. Her dour, sedated appearance is becoming increasingly silly.

And as I said in a previous post, I have a tough time buying a 50 year old, short-ish, slight-ish lady as an elite field agent. I'm completely off board when it comes to her nickname: the cavalry. There's only so much suspension of disbelief possible, and the writers are just pushing the boundaries too far with may. At least for my taste.

 

[Xeno]

Well those three having others missions is understandable; no doubt about that.

It's only when Coulson and his group come across an assignment that's labeled as a HIGH PRIORITY, one with global consequences that I get irked about when they bring in no one more suitable for the job.

I mean unless CA and others were doing even bigger missions where the whole world was at risk during the times where coulson and company were taking on missions with Global consequences as well, then I could understand.

Here's the problem with quibbles like this: We know that Captain America, Nick Fury and SHIELD's top agents are handling problems of global significance. We know this because we've seen the freaking trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, along with five minutes of the movie attached to Thor: The Dark World. This show does not exist in an information vacuum and anyone pretending that it does is foolish. The "problem" you are talking about is only a problem if you want to pretend not to know that the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe exists.

 

[Herolee10]

Here's the problem with quibbles like this: We know that Captain America, Nick Fury and SHIELD's top agents are handling problems of global significance. We know this because we've seen the freaking trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, along with five minutes of the movie attached to Thor: The Dark World. This show does not exist in an information vacuum and anyone pretending that it does is foolish. The "problem" you are talking about is only a problem if you want to pretend not to know that the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe exists.

To be honest, and this may be an oversight on my part, but I didn't get the impression that CA was doing those types of missions from the trailer that i saw. I mean I thought it was well established that he does have his own missions that help protect people, but I didn't get the belief that he was always doing those types of missions.

And unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of seeing that 5 minute preview; did it give any better indication on that?

 

[Just_Human]

One of the cards Coulson was holding was "Agent Brown"

Does anyone know if there is a Mr Brown in the Marvel universe?

Anyone t:

 

[Xeno]

To be honest, and this may be an oversight on my part, but I didn't get the impression that CA was doing those types of missions from the trailer that i saw. I mean I thought it was well established that he does have his own missions that help protect people, but I didn't get the belief that he was always doing those types of missions.

And unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of seeing that 5 minute preview; did it give any better indication on that?

In the full elevator scene in the preview the conversation between Steve Rogers and Brock Rumlow made it clear that they and a team of agents were handling multiple missions. Rumlow referred to something suspicious being found and asked if Steve wanted to take a team and investigate it. People who saw the Comic Con presentation said that Cap, the Black Widow and Rumlow were on a mission when Cap jumped out of the Quinjet in the trailer. Cap swam up to a ship at sea, boarded it and took out the armed soldiers on board. I would definitely call that a mission.

 

[Xeno]

isn't that Handcock?

You're right, it's Will Smith in Hancock.

 

[Herolee10]

In the full elevator scene in the preview the conversation between Steve Rogers and Brock Rumlow made it clear that they and a team of agents were handling multiple missions. Rumlow referred to something suspicious being found and asked if Steve wanted to take a team and investigate it. People who saw the Comic Con presentation said that Cap, the Black Widow and Rumlow were on a mission when Cap jumped out of the Quinjet in the trailer. Cap swam up to a ship at sea, boarded it and took out the armed soldiers on board. I would definitely call that a mission.

Thanks for the info. Seems like it indicates that Steve is also in charge of a lot of missions as well, unless I'm reading it wrong, which does change my perception on things.

I just thought that Steve just waits for any new mission that's automatically assign to him by Fury.

 

[afan]

Fantastic episode.........!
Must say with this episode they apparently have really ramped up Captain America's power level. Peterson can dead push(tracks locked) a very large bulldozer, what looks like the approximate length of a football field, and still not come close to Cap's performance???!!!!

 

[darthcoolness3]

that's because Mike's strength came from Centipede that was infused with Extremis, he just has a more stabilized version of it.

 

[ctsketch]

"did i beat captain america's time?"

wtf was that? captain america is strong, but he doesn't have super strength.. wtf agents of shield?

Punching through submarine glass while underwater is def super strength....casually overhead pressing a motorcycle with 4 people on it is super strength.

Opening a locked steel blast door with bare hands is super strength (TA)

 

[drod1985]

Great episode. I was really thinking May was going to spill the beans to Skye at one point. Looking forward to the return in January.

To the people speculating that AoS is pre-IM3 because of the newspaper Harley shows Tony, the explantation is simple. The prop department made a mistake and put 2013 on the newspaper instead of 2012. From the first episode of AoS we've been post IM3, hence SHEILD's awareness of Extremis. Remember, in IM3 Jarvis was accessing SHIELD databases whilst analyzing the explosion heat signatures and there was no mention of Extremis.

 

[afan]

Cap always had super-strength....along with speed, agilty, etc. in that the serum put him at levels that no normal human, regardless of training regimens could achieve. That being said, never thought pushing a 17 ton bulldozer with it's treads locked for a considerable distance was possible for him.

 

[chamber-music]

I like how FitzSimmons are straight geeking over him being on the team. And could Skye be smitten with old boy?

Simmons seemed to be the one drooling over Mike

Does anyone besides me think Killian may be the Clarvoyant? (Under the assumption that this is pre IM3) or any ideas on who it may be in general?

I would love it if it was The Leader.

 

[Brainiac 8]

"did i beat captain america's time?"

wtf was that? captain america is strong, but he doesn't have super strength.. wtf agents of shield?

Um...how about you read up on the character before griping at the show.

Captain American has always had super strength.

 

[Nathan]

I knew Captain America was strong, but I never got the impression that he was anywhere near Mike's strength level. At least not for most of his career. The Marvel chart has his strength listed at level 3. Which means he can lift up to 800lbs.

 

[Tymminator]

In the 616, there were a few times they boosted him, but overall, he was the "peak human" deal. However, Ultimate Cap is pretty much superhuman to that level, probably US Agent level strength.

 

[Tymminator]

Awesome episode.

 

[Nathan]

It was good, the only part that bothered me, was that 3 superhuman soldiers didn't manage to completely wreck May and Ward. There was too much martial arts jumping around and at times they seemed not nearly super enough. Lonely Cyrus Gold in Arrow seemed like a much bigger threat, than these 3 juiced up soldiers.

I wonder, why did they even run? May, Ward and Coulson were down. A badly wounded Mike managed to knock out 1 guy. The other 2 could have rushed and pummeled him, then murder the rest of the team.

 

[cleverusername8]

It was good, the only part that bothered me, was that 3 superhuman soldiers didn't manage to completely wreck May and Ward. There was too much martial arts jumping around and at times they seemed not nearly super enough. Lonely Cyrus Gold in Arrow seemed like a much bigger threat, than these 3 juiced up soldiers.

I wonder, why did they even run? May, Ward and Coulson were down. A badly wounded Mike managed to knock out 1 guy. The other 2 could have rushed and pummeled him, then murder the rest of the team.

Maybe fear of the eye-explosion thing that happened to the knocked out guy? I'd be pretty freaked about that as well.

 

[Nathan]

They ran because they were told to run. But why did they get the order in the first place? Again, 3 agents were down, Mike was already badly wounded, they could have taken him down, easily. Also, they were inconsistent. Against May and Ward, they were super martial artists, against Mike, they were almost amateurish.