The SHIELD Debrief: Season 1, Episode 2: “0-8-4”
“It means… we don’t know what that means.”
A quote referencing the mysterious origins of “0-8-4” missions but, unfortunately, also a bit of how I felt about the second serving of “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Sold by critics as a solid block of entertainment, the show does deliver with quippy lines and fast-paced action scenes, but something– particular– still seems lacking in the sophomore showing. To be fair to SHIELD, it was born into a world where Breaking Bad just died: we’re used to a bit more complexity in character, and in storytelling, that requires us to see people gunned down more regularly and argue a bit more violently. So at least SHIELD makes itself accessible and available by being good, clean entertainment, however I feel that’s harming its structure. It can be good, clean, and available, but it can’t allow itself to become too comfortable in that and sacrifice interesting storytelling in the process. Especially it can’t when we know that behind it is a team capable of transcending such typical fare.
Overall, “0-8-4” had slightly less humor gags and more action — a solid enough plan, except that the action felt very stunted and too purposefully placed exactly to make our heroes learn the lesson of the week. Everyone’s arguing in the beginning? How convenient, now we have a common enemy. It didn’t even let Coulson create that common enemy (he’s kind of experienced in being the motivation by now), but pulled an “old friend betrayal” out of a hat. The trouble of the episode itself, a Tesseract-referencing dooms-day-device had little to do with anything except to sit there and be powerful. It was then handled by the end of the episode just in time for a little hint at a Big Bad in the Rising Tide living on through Skye’s communication.
“We just can’t seem to understand each other.”
For an episode that was very — too — obviously about making the team work together, I still felt very little for the characters we’re being offered. The closest so far was Skype’s (yes, I still type that instead) way of whittling down Agent Ward’s robot exterior and her misguided attempts to use humor with a crowd not quite prepared for her. This felt like a solid play, and a good way to keep Skye as a grounded everyman — as the audience’s way in — rather than the overly snarky potential she had going in the pilot that offended me so much. However, it was too little for a team that didn’t quite deliver. Also, whose plan was to blow a hole in the side of an airplane miles up without being sure that Coulson had any idea what was about to happen and could secure himself. In a way, though, this plan showed what the show is lacking in: grey areas. The idea that “we hope Coulson can take care of himself” shows what we know to be SHIELD’s pragmatic attitude towards getting the job done, not necessarily the way the “good guys” might enjoy. That’s the idea premise behind manipulating the superheroes of the Avengers; they are the good guys, the heroes, and the ones who are allowed to think those misguided idealistic things, while SHIELD knows better. The world is not black and white, and neither is this operation. It’d be nice to see that reflected more in the team, instead of two scientists I can’t understand between lingo and accents and their general ability to blend into a single, babbling unit.
So is the idealism all coming from Coulson? Has the afterlife changed him? These are possibilities I would enjoy exploring, but would like to see hinted more in the show to prove that there’s a depth I’m watching to be revealed. Clark Gregg manages an honorable performance, but he won’t be able to carry the show forever — nor will its hilarious and well-timed cameos. Maybe. Okay, this one was pretty good.
We’ll talk good for a second, then: besides the cameo, Skye did improve, we did see a tiny bit more out of each person’s background despite the constant need for action, and I cannot not applaud Coulson’s ability to use the exact same tone of voice when agreeing with someone and arguing with someone while letting you know just how he feels. There is, as ever, potential with Agents of SHIELD, but it needs to start mining it if it wants to become something more than just “entertaining”.
And maybe it doesn’t?
Am I wrong? Sound off below or I will assume I am queen of the world.
