Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents of SHIELD TV series for ABC - General Discussion - Part 6

[Whiskey Tango]

But I'm happy the team finally seems together and meshing well.

Just in time for them to kill someone off next ep.

 

[Xeno]

They aren't inconsequential (fun word!) though. Everything either has panned out to a satisfying answer or has lead to more of that story. IMO everything done has worked well thus far, I can't think of anything I dislike yet.

It was inconsequential because nothing in that episode hinged on it. The reveal was not part of the action, it was a side story. That wasted the dramatic potential of it. Something that has been built up as so important should have consequences immediately that will lead to even bigger repercussions down the road. The writers dropped the ball on the payoff, and that's important because events should be meaningful at every stage. Make it matter, make it change things, make it hurt — or don’t bother doing it.

 

[mkilban2]

Just in time for them to kill someone off next ep.

I don't think it will be someone important. Probably like a friend of an agent that helps with the mission. I also find it hard to believe they'd advertise a team member dying, I'd think that's something to keep a surprise.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

I don't think it will be someone important. Probably like a friend of an agent that helps with the mission. I also find it hard to believe they'd advertise a team member dying, I'd think that's something to keep a surprise.

"If you're a Gemini like me, you can expect the unexpected."

*is shot with arrow*

 

[Dr. Evil]

I don't think it will be someone important. Probably like a friend of an agent that helps with the mission. I also find it hard to believe they'd advertise a team member dying, I'd think that's something to keep a surprise.

Probably Stan Lee, only to find out that the Stan Lee on Agents of Shield is nothing more than a Life Model Decoy.

In all seriousness though I think it will be someone who works with them.

 

[mkilban2]

It was inconsequential because nothing in that episode hinged on it. The reveal was not part of the action, it was a side story. That wasted the dramatic potential of it. Something that has been built up as so important should have consequences immediately that will lead to even bigger repercussions down the road. The writers dropped the ball on the payoff, and that's important because events should be meaningful at every stage. Make it matter, make it change things, make it hurt — or don’t bother doing it.

Just because it was one of the two stories that episode doesn't mean it didn't matter or had no important consequences. I don't understand why people (sometimes you ) never let the stories play out, people really can't judge these episodes week by week they work together as a whole. Skye's reveal definitely worked here and was hardly even the side story, If the episode was ALL Skye's reveal then people would complain it was bad writing/whatever since it was based on Skye.

I actually think the show and honestly every show would benefit from being full season live stream. I have a problem with staying patient enough to wait week to week (or in some cases longer) to watch one episode. I think the Netflix Marvel shows are going to be a success because they're be available to go through with access to all episodes. I would be 100% behind season 2 being Netflix exclusive!

But Blah blah blah, those that arent okay with the show to this point are never going to come around to enjoying the show. Every week they're going in expecting something to be done wrong or pick apart aspects of the episodes instead of just watching them and accepting what they give.

 

[Dr. Evil]

The Bucky reference could be a clue of what's ahead when the show reaches the final episodes of the season.

 

[mkilban2]

"If you're a Gemini like me, you can expect the unexpected."

*is shot with arrow*

..I have no idea what that's from haha. My google results turned up a link to Kentucky Fried Movie?? Sorry to let you down WT.

Probably Stan Lee, only to find out that the Stan Lee on Agents of Shield is nothing more than a Life Model Decoy.

In all seriousness though I think it will be someone who works with them.

I thought maybe Stan Lee too, but I'm thinking it will be someone close to the team but not on the team itself.

 

[Dr. Evil]

The director of the next episode is Paul Edwards, who directed two episodes of Sleepy Hollow.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

..I have no idea what that's from haha. My google results turned up a link to Kentucky Fried Movie?? Sorry to let you down WT.

It's pretty obscure. But you found it so hey!

 

[kosh33]

in my opinion, the scene where Coulson tells May about Skye's reaction is perfect, since it addresses two things; firstly it gives the viewers the perspective of someone like May who has never trusted skye completely, and secondly it saves time,
the Coulson-skye conversation would not have happened in a few minutes, and Skye wouldn't have required some time to digest the facts and come to the realisation that shield has been always protecting...

if she has come to the realisation in a conversation lasting a few minutes, then people would complain that the whole scene did not have the depth.. instead what we had was a memorable and touching scene with Skye looking at the name of the agent on the board after realising how much of a hero the person was in saving her life..

 

[cherokeesam]

From what I see it seems like most people's problems with the writing is because they're not showing everything right away. People seem to complain about the build ups of stories and say its bad writing because they just want the reveal. I like everything they've given us and never see or saw a problem in writing or plots. I like to let them play out in front of me while I watch.

Everything they haven't shown in one episode/story was always eventually shown down the line, I assume the same will come in this Skye thing and of course the Clarvoyant, as well as graviton and blizzard. Or is it bad writing that they showed those two and didn't complete their stories yet?

That's not what is meant by "show, don't tell." Yes, I understand that the show has secrets, and I'm not asking for them to reveal those except in due time. What I *am* talking about, and Steranko is talking about, is that TV/film is a visual medium. As such, it's the job of the filmmaker to *use* that medium, to show action, romance, drama, whatever. When all your characters are doing is sitting around *talking* about what happened instead of *showing* it to us, then you've completely missed the point of screenwriting. You're writing a novel instead of a screenplay.

 

[kosh33]

we don't need flashbacks to show every scene.. a massacre of agents is easy to picture, and putting an image out there could leave clues to the scene and the reveal about skye which they are teasing (probably for a season ending cliffhanger)

Arrow tends to use a lot of flashbacks since those are clearly the most interesting parts of the story, but there, its ridiculous that the flashbacks occur in a chronological order to coincide with the problems that he faces in each episode..

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Maybe it was purely a budgetary concern and they couldn't afford to stage a huge gun massacre for the sake of a mere flashback. It doesn't much matter if you're writing a novel, screenplay, or dirty limerick if all you have to work with is chiseling rock carvings into a cave wall.

I found myself content with the way it went down. Sometimes less is more.

 

[mkilban2]

That's not what is meant by "show, don't tell." Yes, I understand that the show has secrets, and I'm not asking for them to reveal those except in due time. What I *am* talking about, and Steranko is talking about, is that TV/film is a visual medium. As such, it's the job of the filmmaker to *use* that medium, to show action, romance, drama, whatever. When all your characters are doing is sitting around *talking* about what happened instead of *showing* it to us, then you've completely missed the point of screenwriting. You're writing a novel instead of a screenplay.

I'm sure they took into consideration Skye saying those things (and being weepy and that it would take a good amount of time) vs Coulson revealing it all to May to move forward the relationship of May and Skye. The second scenario has much more impact on the show and it's characters, while having the first scenario only shows Skye manning up. If anything they cut the bullcrap of us seeing Skye come to terms and instead let us know she's much stronger and headstrong than just being a weepy girl, as well as seeing May be told and have even more faith in her as a part of the team.

We couldn't have both scenario because it would be repetitive and I think they chose the one that had the most gravity for the entire group.

I dunno I just never have problems with the things I see others have problems with.

Edit: oh wait or is this Show don't Tell concern about the massacre? Because I don't doubt they're going to go back to that scenario in full effect later down the line.

 

[Xeno]

in my opinion, the scene where Coulson tells May about Skye's reaction is perfect, since it addresses two things; firstly it gives the viewers the perspective of someone like May who has never trusted skye completely, and secondly it saves time,
the Coulson-skye conversation would not have happened in a few minutes, and Skye wouldn't have required some time to digest the facts and come to the realisation that shield has been always protecting...

if she has come to the realisation in a conversation lasting a few minutes, then people would complain that the whole scene did not have the depth.. instead what we had was a memorable and touching scene with Skye looking at the name of the agent on the board after realising how much of a hero the person was in saving her life..

Maybe they shouldn't have crammed a side story into the episode if they didn't have time to play it out fully. And I agree with Steranko that Skye staring at that wall had no emotional resonance at all. Though it was funny when she first saw it and told Ward that she wished she was a part of it. They're all dead! I laughed out loud.

(There should have been a boatload -- or Helicarrier load -- more names on that wall, by the way. In The Avengers alone dozens of agents died at Project Pegasus and on the carrier. Maybe there are so many dead agents that they split up the names to avoid covering entire rooms with them.)

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Though it was funny when she first saw it and told Ward that she wished she was a part of it. They're all dead! I laughed out loud.

Sometimes reading between the lines is very hard.

 

[Xeno]

Sometimes reading between the lines is very hard.

Sometimes taking things at face value is hilarious.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Sometimes taking things at face value is hilarious.

Doesn't matter if it's accurate as long as it's convenient, right?

 

[kosh33]

Maybe they shouldn't have crammed a side story into the episode if they didn't have time to play it out fully. And I agree with Steranko that Skye staring at that wall had no emotional resonance at all. Though it was funny when she first saw it and told Ward that she wished she was a part of it. They're all dead! I laughed out loud.

(There should have been a boatload -- or Helicarrier load -- more names on that wall, by the way. In The Avengers alone dozens of agents died at Project Pegasus and on the carrier. Maybe there are so many dead agents that they split up the names to avoid covering entire rooms with them.)

so, we should have one entire dedicated to skye brooding and contemplating what coulson said? fine,... then what would the other characters do at the same time? they could walk around the bus, since they have nothing else to do

 

[Xeno]

Doesn't matter if it's accurate as long as it's convenient, right?

"All this history (nods to the wall)... I just wish I was part of it." It was accurate.

so, we should have one entire dedicated to skye brooding and contemplating what coulson said? fine,... then what would the other characters do at the same time? they could walk around the bus, since they have nothing else to do

That's not what I meant. If there had been an episode about the search for information that centered on that alone there would have been time to play the reaction out. Of course that would have also meant having to build a compelling story around the reveal, creating some believable danger for the team to face or even introducing the assassins who were killing off the agents protecting the 0-8-4. That would apparently be too much to ask, however.


The writers have about 42 minutes of story time in each episode. Splitting the focus the way that they usually do limits how fully they can explore things. At times I get the feeling that they do that because they're creatively bankrupt in some areas, so futzing around and wasting time on unimportant stuff gets them off the hook.

 

[kosh33]

we could have an episode dedicated to searching skye's history but then the whole team wouldnt be involved since only coulson and may are privy to the information..

they needed a side-issue to keep the others occupied, and in return we got a marvel villain as well (atleast the origin)

 

[TheHeatKitchen]

Probably Stan Lee, only to find out that the Stan Lee on Agents of Shield is nothing more than a Life Model Decoy.

In all seriousness though I think it will be someone who works with them.

Maybe that's the reality.... That's Marvel's plan... They want to see what we all think of how they keep Coulson alive because that's what they plan to do with the real Stan Lee so he never dies... Whoa.

 

[hopeless]

Anyone thought that Skye's actual power is unconscious probability manipulation?

So she won't be the one shot next week for starters!

So can anyone verify for me about what was said regarding Skye's past did that village get wiped out by the first SHIELD team with the backup turning up and assuming someone else was responsible or was there actual evidence such as bodies of those they were fighting that wasn't from that village to confirm they were fighting someone else?

One problem with a verbal explanation that they only tell part of the truth and often only as far as the narrator is willing to reveal, so if that rogue agent didn't want to reveal the first team was responsible making up a story of an unknown enemy force makes more sense than explaining why they've been on the run for 23 years!

Anyway I hope they eventually reveal whats really going on, well I hope they stop using Lost for ideas on how to drive their audience away!

 

[Vartha]

Anyone thought that Skye's actual power is unconscious probability manipulation?

So she won't be the one shot next week for starters!

So can anyone verify for me about what was said regarding Skye's past did that village get wiped out by the first SHIELD team with the backup turning up and assuming someone else was responsible or was there actual evidence such as bodies of those they were fighting that wasn't from that village to confirm they were fighting someone else?

One problem with a verbal explanation that they only tell part of the truth and often only as far as the narrator is willing to reveal, so if that rogue agent didn't want to reveal the first team was responsible making up a story of an unknown enemy force makes more sense than explaining why they've been on the run for 23 years!

Anyway I hope they eventually reveal whats really going on, well I hope they stop using Lost for ideas on how to drive their audience away!

I'd have to watch to get exact quotes but Agent Avery and her partner went into the Village to get Skye from her mother, DURING that retrieval, they were attacked and Avery was killed protecting Skye when her partner (who's still alive) found her.
He said EVERYONE INVOLVED in saving her was killed off one by one before they started hiding her and wiping her past clear from records