Until Fox makes due on their promise to bring the X-Men to the small screen, Marvel Studios is determined to bring the drama that would normally be associated with our favorite comic book mutants to prime time in what has become a backdoor Inhumans pilot that has now apparently gotten a series pick up. That’s right agents, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is back to remind us that the Marvel Cinematic Universe will forever be a thing– and they’re doing so without slowing any momentum they gathered from their breakneck second season.
Season 3 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. throws us straight into the action from the start of the episode. Time has passed since the S.H.I.E.L.D. / “Real S.H.I.E..L.D.” / Inhumans battle that ended Season 2 and now Daisy “don’t call her Skye” Johnson, Mac, and Hunter are a well-oiled Inhuman extracting machine. Hopefully this time-jump to-start-the-season device becomes a mainstay with AoS, as it affords the show to cut right into the story, skipping any possible dragging-out-the-plot type scenes. You know, those ones where we’d have to see Skye become Daisy slowly while the team rebuilds to finally accept her, their new mission, and who they are now; the kind of slow build they tried with the first half of season one.
Now there’s a new airbus, Coulson has multiple options for synthetic arms, Inhumans have started popping up everywhere, and Fitz is on a desperate hunt for Jemma. Everyone has already started their new adventure, and they’re all in position to tell a strong Inhumans story throughout the whole season.
The story structure of the episode itself brings AoS back to its procedural roots, but in a very welcome way. Unlike those early episodes of Season One, the underlying science fiction and the heavier emphasis on the changing socio-political climate of the MCU are now in the show’s blood and not elements that they have to dance around. S.H.I.E.L.D. now has a reason to be S.H.I.E.L.D in every episode.
Every character has something to do now and no story felt like filler. Even Coulson has met his match in a worthy adversary played by series newcomer Constance Zimmer, bringing in her coldly efficient ruthlessness from this summer’s Unreal. Their Spy vs Spy-esque showdown on the subway is one of the better espionage driven sequences this show’s had. It also helps that the involvement of MCU’s POTUS (William Sadler) successfully raises the global stakes and sets the stage for what could be a far more interesting governmental antagonist to SHIELD than “Real SHIELD” ever was.
Of course, none of that is the main event. No, we came here to see some Inhuman on Inhuman action, and boy do we get it in spades. Okay, maybe just a single spade, but if the rumble in the hospital is any indication, we’re in for a season chock-full of super powered showdowns. Unfortunately the show’s character and makeup and effects budget is pushed a little beyond it’s limits with its new Inhuman villain Lash. Part sexy-orc, part Sonic the Hedgehog, the introduction of this new Inhuman supervillain fell a little flat – unlike his ridiculously big hair. It’s awesome to see Daisy and Lincoln using their powers without restraint, and in clever ways, but when they actually get into it with Lash it kind of goes the way of Harry Potter in that they’re really just raising their arms at each other.
The most important takeaway from this first episode is that AoS isn’t afraid to “go there” anymore–even if it pushes budgets or social boundaries. This episode just shows us that they’re not going to be cagey with their themes, hold our hands, or make juvenile contrivances for dramatic effect. Welcome back S.H.I.E.L.D.
It’ll be good to have you around before the war starts…
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. airs on ABC every Tuesday at 8/7c.