Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 1 (2013)
Average Rating: 8/10
Reviews Counted: 41
Fresh: 36 | Rotten: 5
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is sure to please comic book fans, but the strong ensemble and brisk pacing help to make this better-than-average superhero show accessible to non-fanboys as well.
Average Rating: 7.8/10
Critic Reviews: 15
Fresh: 12 | Rotten: 3
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is sure to please comic book fans, but the strong ensemble and brisk pacing help to make this better-than-average superhero show accessible to non-fanboys as well.
Season Info
An action-adventure series based on the Marvel Comics secret-intelligence organization headed by Agent Phil Coulson.
Network: ABC
Premiere Date: Sep 24, 2013
Cast
-
Clark Gregg
Phil Coulson -
Ming-Na Wen
Melinda May -
Brett Dalton
Grant Ward -
Elizabeth Henstridge
Jemma Simmons -
Iain De Caestecker
Leo Fitz -
Iain De Caestaecker
Leo Fitz -
Chloe Bennet
Skye -
Ian Hart
Dr. Franklin Hall -
Leonor Varela
Camilla Reyes -
J. August Richards
Mike -
Carlos Leal
Archaeologist -
Shannon Lucio
Debbie -
David Conrad
Ian Quinn -
Ron Glass
Dr. Streiten -
Austin Nichols
Miles Lydon -
Anthony Dilio
Cusi -
Josh Cowdery
Agent Tyler -
Bodie Newcomb
Agent Mack -
Celestin Cornielle
Vilca -
Bob Stephenson
Gary -
-
Cobie Smulders
Maria Hill -
Scott Subiono
Todd Chesterfield -
Vachik Mangassarian
Qasim Zaghlul -
-
Assaf Cohen
Translator -
-
Brandon Molale
Quinn's Main Guard -
-
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Episodes
Pilot
Agent Phil Coulson is back in action and in order to track an unknown enemy, he has assembled a select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. -- (C) ABC
0-8-4
Coulson runs into Comandante Camilla Reyes when he and the agents travel to Peru to investigate a mysterious object. -- (C) ABC
The Asset
Agent Coulson and the S.H.I.E.L.D. team spring into action after a brilliant scientist is kidnapped.
Eye Spy
The agents track down a mysterious woman who has pulled off a variety of risky capers, but the investigation reveals a secret that could have a negative effect on Coulson.
Girl in the Flower Dress
Agent Coulson and the team head to Asia to rescue a young man with an extraordinary power, and a mysterious girl in a flower dress may be able to help them on their journey. Meanwhile, a secret jeopardizes Skye's relationship with the other agents.
Critic Reviews for Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 1
The most-buzzed-about TV show of fall exceeds the hype.
It's a fun hour and calling it "good but not great" has more to do with expectations in the wake of the Marvel movies than anything else.
[It] launches with a plucky, adventuresome and remarkably non-pretentious pilot, but if you haven't been reading Marvel Comics lately, then the show can feel somewhat exclusionary and, frankly, a little too cornball and cutesy about its own geekiness.
Beyond the breezy dialogue, MAoS is terrific-looking and has action scenes that are above par for primetime. Not enough to wow you, but a fun date.
S.H.I.E.L.D. displays a level of skill few other pilots can match, from the way it looks to the speed with which it moves.
What separates the premiere of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. from 80% of the new dramas this year? It's purely entertaining as Hell.
The show embraces its relative smallness, building much of the action around knowing banter and the occasional close-quarters fistfight.
While the cast is fine, some of the banter they exchange occasionally feels a little precious and clunky.
Whedon's past shows have managed to pull off the episodic vs. continuing story balance pretty well, so there's hope that SHIELD will be able to do the same after putting down its roots.
Agents of SHIELD looks ready--at least judging from the pilot--to hew a solid middle path between The Avengers and Buffy. With great power comes.... high expectations.
What's that on your TV? Not a bird or a plane, but a canny cash grab.
S.H.I.E.L.D. quickly hits the right notes to firmly show how it exists on the ground level of the Marvel universe.
Has witty banter, and a rapid fire pacing, exploring the more hush hush aspects of the Marvel Universe that's less flash and more business oriented.
Joss Whedon, who directed The Avengers, and his team make a point of giving all kinds of viewers a reason to enjoy the show.
In Week 1, the series doesn't demonstrate the imagination or verve it needs to break its comic-book narrative out of the bonds of budget and weekly format.
The series is a thrilling ride that won't disappoint.
It will live or die, however, on whether we want to keep watching its characters. Right up front, the answer is we do.
The pilot does a deft job of managing expectations for a world we're used to seeing splashed on a larger screen.
An awesome ensemble of characters, some great action, and strong ties to the Marvel Cinematic Universe that will make fanboys everywhere smile.
In patented Whedon fashion, S.H.I.E.L.D. slyly subverts portentous comic book clichés with refreshing blasts of self-effacing wit amid all the stylized mayhem.
Cool your jetpacks, people. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is good, but not quite great-at least not in its first hour. That doesn't mean it's not an entertaining ride with incredible potential.
A blast -- for fans.
While there are aliens, paranormal events and superheroes, it's ultimately all about emotion, camaraderie and the challenge of being human.
It's... okay - quippy in that pleasingly distinctive Joss Whedon way, with a few intriguing ideas about life in a superhero world, but with a cheap look and mostly bland supporting characters.
It's certainly not like The Avengers. But it at least has the potential to be exciting, even thought-provoking-maybe in ways it didn't totally anticipate.
The series offers some things to please both casual viewers and fanboys, as well as some things that could disappoint both groups, especially if they expect sophistication with their comic-book-based action.
I laughed out loud several times - sometimes because the show was funny, and sometimes just because I was delighted by what I was seeing.
There's good stuff in S.H.I.E.L.D.; there are also things that feel curiously muted and cautious.
The show's pricey-looking pilot caters to both comic book geeks and mainstream viewers with its witty writing and special effects.
The show displays enough wit and charm (as well as social commentary about the failure of the American Dream), to make me want to keep watching it.
On the surface it comes across a little cliche, and maybe it is. But that doesn't make it work any less.
Fans of good TV assemble because we've finally seen the pilot for Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and it's freakin' awesome!
Like the best comic books, it shouldn't take itself so seriously.
Ultimately, the whole package ends up being indisputably fun.
On the whole, I'm very happy with this episode. Now comes the hard part, as the creative team has to live up to this standard for the remaining 21 episodes of the season.
Without a doubt, S.H.I.E.L.D. achieves what it's set out to do: create a universe that boasts super-personalities-not heroes-while still bringing audiences back the next week with some compelling storytelling.
If it can eventually strike the right balance between comic-book mythology, strong characters and sleek action, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will have been well-worth the wait.
Luckily for everyone, Avengers director (and all-around nerdcore godhead) Joss Whedon is around to make the action figures move like real people.
The show's got some things to figure out, but I think it could be worth it - hopefully ABC will agree.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fully respects the genre and takes its action-adventure obligations seriously, but it also demonstrates, early and often, that it has a great sense of humour.
With the addition of Graviton, it looks as though S.H.I.E.L.D. is following in Buffy's Big Bad-loving footsteps.
Discussion Forum
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