Skye is an orphan and hacker who lives off the grid as she endeavours both to discover the truth of who she is and the truth she believes is being hidden by shadowy government organisations like the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division - better known to fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Nick Fury's SHIELD.
Skye is therefore rather surprised when senior SHIELD agent Phil Coulson recruits her as a member of the team he has assembled to investigate superhumans and other related phenomena; which incidentally run much deeper than even Coulson himself is aware.
Together with the other members of Coulson's team, Skye begins to work both to protect society from superpowered threats, and also to guard innocent superhumans from exploitation by unscrupulous organisations.
Of course, Skye once believed that those unscrupulous organisations included SHIELD itself. And while she and her team all seem to be motivated by a desire to help, it may be that for certain other elements of the organisation, those beliefs had good foundation ...
This TV series spin-off of the MCU was co-created by Avengers director Joss Whedon, and makes considerable use of that big screen connection. Guest appearances by multiple actors from the MCU movies, such as Samuel L Jackson, help to give the series a 'bigger' feel.
In some ways it must be said that the show needs that feeling of scope and connection, because its TV resources sometimes make it feel a bit small. In particular, the effects budget is definitely too lean for what it has to try and take on. The effects are frequently a weak element of the show, being at best mediocre and sometimes - such as with the backgrounds in the shots out of their plane's loading bay - distractingly poor.
On the plus side, the casting team have done a good job. All the main cast members do a good job in their roles. Their characters aren't all that nuanced, on the whole, but they are likeable and have enjoyable dynamics between them.
Writing-wise, the show does suffer from occasional annoying Whedonisms such as building up a dramatic moment only to 'ironically' undercut it and make it absurd, which feels like an awkward and slightly desperate effort to come across as hip and cool.
Overall though, if you are a fan of the MCU, you will probably enjoy this first season of Agents of SHIELD; it is pretty solid superhero TV.
On the plus side, the casting team have done a good job. All the main cast members do a good job in their roles. Their characters aren't all that nuanced, on the whole, but they are likeable and have enjoyable dynamics between them.
Writing-wise, the show does suffer from occasional annoying Whedonisms such as building up a dramatic moment only to 'ironically' undercut it and make it absurd, which feels like an awkward and slightly desperate effort to come across as hip and cool.
Overall though, if you are a fan of the MCU, you will probably enjoy this first season of Agents of SHIELD; it is pretty solid superhero TV.
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