The freshmen season of Agents of SHIELD came to an end Tuesday with “Beginning of the End” and my immediate reaction was that they have finally immersed itself into Marvel Universe. It was an intense and very satisfying season finale. SHIELD may have stumbled out of the gate after its premiere last Fall. But ever since the game changing episodes prior to the film Winter Soldier and those that followed, they have been on fire. They have rewarded its loyal fan base that has stuck with them and now we can look forward to season two later this Fall. This review will contain spoilers.
Not sure how much Joss Whedon had a hand in the finale but there were many Whedon-esque moments throughout with witty dialogue off the cuff character exits i.e. Agent Garrett (Bill Paxton). Regardless if he was or he wasn’t, SHIELD tied up a lot loose ends all the while setting up its future. A future that has traitor Ward in custody (he’ll be back) after a well executed fight with May. The team minus Fitz (for now), back together under the leadership of the newly appointed Director of SHIELD, Agent Coulson. That appointment comes from none other than Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) himself. Fury’s appearance was much more than a cameo. Much like Cobie Smulders’ Maria Hill appearance of a couple of weeks ago, Fury’s role furthered the story arc that spans the multiple films and now extends itself to the small screen.
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| The gang is all here! |
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| The return of Nick Fury. |
It was also nice to see Deathlok (J. August Richards) come into the SHIELD fold after taking out Garret at Cybertek. What his future holds on the show remains to be seen but it’s good to see that another potential hero ready to fight Hydra. As for Fitz, his character’s future on the show is up in the air after he made the ultimate sacrifice in order to save the love of his life, Simmons. And did I mention the return of sorts of Agent Koenig who when we last saw him, was murdered by Ward. Is this the start of the Life Model Decoy? Again, only time will tell.
Like any season finale, past questions get answered and new ones arrive. Here are some questions to ponder, Raina and her future, the introduction of Skye’s “daddy”. Who or what he is remains to be seen. And then there’s Coulson and his “A Beautiful Mind” moment at the end. What do those symbols mean and how do they relate to the future of the series as well as the movies themselves.
What’s great about the shows renewal, is that the upcoming season will take place between Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Age of Ultron. We have aliens and Hydra to contend with and SHIELD dead smack in the middle. It should be a lot of fun.
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
