WARNING: YOU ARE ABOUT TO ACCESS SPOILERS!!
All I gotta say is—WTF?! Phil Coulson’s death in the “Avengers” was faked! Yes, Nick Fury covered up his death to spur the Avengers on in the movie. Now Phil is back to being a field agent in search of new members to handle things while Iron Man and company are off doing their thing. Agent Coulson picks up new report about a man who displayed superpowers when he rescued a woman from a burning building. This investigation leads him to Skye, a computer whiz who hacked into S.H.I.E.L.D.’s most secure files. Seeing potential, he offers Skye a chance to join S.H.I.E.L.D. as a consultant as he is impressed that someone was able to gain access to the most secure files of a secret agency with a lap top. Coulson played such an important role in the Avengers and the subsequent movies leading up to it as he gathered together powerful beings to be heroes. He tries again with another super-powered being named Michael Peterson, man who down on his luck and looking for a chance to do something great. Like any father, he wants to be an inspiration to his son but the situation hits a lot of bumps in the road. First, he injures his former employer when he is told that he cannot get his job back. Second, he basically kidnaps Skye and makes her take him to the train station so he and his son Ace can leave. Down on his luck, he got desperate and did things that he normally would not have done otherwise. Luckily, Phil Coulson is able to convince Michael that he can be a hero if he tries. He used that same tactic on Tony Stark aka Iron Man when he turns down joining the Avengers.
Skye is a character who will be easily enjoyed with her warm, edgy, wittiness and knack for butting heads with Dalton. She not a push over computer geek as far as first impressions go. She not only hacked into S.H.I.E.L.D. but she had no problem exposing their secrets if need be. Her skills are what got her a pass into becoming an agent though she has yet to accept Phil Coulson’s offer. I have a feeling that she will be able to prove her value and be able to handle herself when the situation calls for it. However, it will not be a joyful ride. Agent Grant Ward is pretty gruff for an agent in his early thirties. He immediately butts heads with Skye whom he believed to be a part of the Rising Tide, a secret organization S.H.I.E.L.D. has been investigating for some time. Grant seems to not get along well with his co-workers which will likely be an issue now that Skye has been recruited. This will put the morality of the team to the test more so than their assignments.
If you watched Smallville for during its ten-year run and the current Arrow series on the CW, you know that other DC characters were introduced in those shows. There is little doubt that references to other Marvel characters will not be made in the series. Right off the bat, “Agents” tackles a facility that has replicated the super-soldier serum, which gave Michael superhuman strength and durability, and apparently combined it with Extremis, thought to have been eradicated in Iron Man 3. And just like in the aforementioned movie, the first experiment goes awry. The same nearly happens to Michael but he is neutralized. Since it was introduced in Iron Man 3, it would be interesting to see just how well the series will give us insight on Extremis. Also interesting would be the other possible, and very likely, references to the Avengers and other Marvel characters. Tony Stark already got a mention so there’s one. Since “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” follows the events that happened in “Avengers”, the series looks to fill in the gap until the next movie. With these points, “Agents” looks to have plenty ways to keep the viewers interested and the fans happy without being cheap. Now the question is who will reprise their role for the sequel.
The Men (and Women) in Black (L to R): Chloe Bennet as Skye, Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, Brett Dalton as Agent Grant Ward
