Advance Review: 'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Episode 201: "Shadows"

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns on Tuesday, September 23, on ABC. If you've been watching the show or have seen Captain America: The Winter Soldier, you know S.H.I.E.L.D. is not in the best place. With the second season now beginning, this is not exactly the same show we had last season.

This will be a brief, spoiler-free review of the second season's first episode, "Shadows." We'll have a more in-depth review tomorrow where more discussion can be unleashed.

In a surprising fashion, despite S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current predicament and the fact that the remaining agents are wanted by the U.S. government, we actually see some more agents in this episode (including Lucy Lawless). One of the complaints some had, myself included, was the isolated feeling of the show. We were seeing some potentially big power events happening yet S.H.I.E.L.D. was only sending in a small team with some not even being full or experienced agents. The darker feel of the season adds some more tension. HYDRA is still a problem and we're seeing the remaining S.H.I.E.L.D. agents try to pick up the pieces under their new command as well as stay one step ahead of the government.

Last season gave us some betrayal and injuries. As the show picks up a few months later, we see some follow up. The show's not candy-coated so we see that not everything falls into place in a nice neat fashion. Some of the questions raised last season, like Skye's childhood, still remain and, as you likely heard in the news, we have some more actual Marvel Comics characters popping in.

General Talbot is still targeting any remaining S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Crusher Creel shows up here, there's a flashback with Peggy Carter and the Howling Commandoes, and another big S.H.I.E.L.D. enemy shows up. Absorbing Man is down in a great fashion. There's one thing in particular he does that brought a smile to my face. There's still a tiny bit of the humor you'd expect but overall, it has a darker feel. There's a nice twist as well in the episode, two actually, that makes the season take off to a great start.

I've been enjoying the show but I felt this first episode is taking things up a level. Hopefully you're caught up on the first season. You can still watch the first season's final episode on ABC.go.com, at least until tomorrow. The first season is also available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Here's a clip from "Shadows."

Agents of Shield ftw!!!!!!!!!!

Is this a good jumping on point? because Season 1 did not interest me, but I want to give this show another chance.

hoping it doesn't suck like season 1

"That makes the season take off to a great start".

"I've been enjoying the show but I felt this first episode is taking things up a level".

Great to know that!

This has me even more excited, I'm glad they're going with the darker tone.

If you must skip episodes, I would honestly recommend going back and watching the show from the episode "TRACKS" on. You do that and you're in for some good TV.

@drellassassin: No, I'm just going to skip season one. If it failed to reel me in with the episodes I watched and I have to seek out specific good episodes, then it's just not worth that much time or effort. Just like Arrow, even though I didn't like season1, I'm going to give season 2 a chance. However something tells me this is going to be just like Arrow season 2, better, but not good enough.

@4thor: My daughter's really into the show. I'll just say one of the twists really bummed her out. Neither of us were expecting it.

Hopefully it's better than the suck fest that was season 1. And no, having the last few episodes improve in quality doesn't make up for it. 3 good episodes out of a 20 some episode season isn't good.

So this and Gotham this week.

Does any one have the date and time slots for all of the upcoming shows this is getting hard to keep track of.

@captainmarvel4ever:

I would not advise skipping at all. The second half of SHIELD season 1 gets very plot heavy. Season 2 will probably not be a good jumping on point at all.

@mk111: If it won't be a good jumping on point then that just means I won't enjoy it and I'll skip season two as well.

@captainmarvel4ever: It's not really 'specific' episodes so much as it is the last segment of the series after The Winter Soldier aired in theatres and Hydra were revealed. Not only are those episodes better than the rest of the series preceding it but it lays the ground for S2, so personally, I'd advise to watch those first.

Gotham is this week, what day?

@wardishy: Like I said, I'm going to watch season 2, if I like it and get into the show, there is a chance I will go back and watch all of season 1.

I wana see some more Deathlok and other Marvel characters and obviously the more crossovers the better.

@the_kidd: Gotham is tonight!! But I noticed Fox will be showing it a couple times this week in case you miss it tonight.

@g_man: tnx for the info.

I think this series is gonna be improved a lot.

...well this show really has no where to go but up because its pretty bad...just because its Marvel its the only real reason why it has stayed on the air.

Literally just binged watched the show over the past couple of days.

I think the first season should have been spread across fifteen episodes instead of twenty two, they knew the story was predicated on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s downfall, so it didn't gain momentum until episode 16, from there it was genuinely awesome.

Looking forwards to this overall, I hope we get some more cameos, it's a shame most A-listers aren't as cool about these things Sam Jackson.

@the_kidd: Monday 8PM on Fox

Oh yeah, Season Two, my socks are comin' right off.

It's the little things in Season One that make it worthwhile, like Bucky Barnes' name mentioned out loud in front of the SSR/SHIELD fallen agent memorial wall. It's a fun, rewarding universe to be in, if you look and listen. Can't wait for tomorrow night!

Same here, I'm looking forward to Agents returning, and hopefully some more of Deathlok now that he's free-range!

Hopefully they upgraded his costume from the cheap *** outfit he had in season 1.

Looking forward to this season. I'll admit that I didn't care for the first season originally, even dropped it after the mid-season finale, but I later went back and I believe that wants Hydra comes into play the show got a lot more interesting.

Season 1 got a lot better towards the end though.

Agreed! I think the show is finally comfortable with itself, hitting it's stride. The MCU has expanded & established itself enough that they can do more, & I think as the MCU expands, the more they'll be able to achieve. Also glad to hear about the Peggy Carter & the Howlers appearance- loves me so Hayley Atwell!

This is it

This is it

Wow is stuff actually going to happen in this season?

Eh... I thought it was honestly a guilty pleasure :)

- TAS

Agreed, Deathlok needs more love

I hope we get to see Deathlok in one or two of the Netflix series, that could be cool, a team up with Luke Cage would be great. Plus Black Widow, it would make sense for her to show up in Daredevil. Bruce Banner's a guy I'd like to see a bit more of too, Ruffalo's awesome.

Who knows what lame Z lists threats the bland A-Team of Shield will face this year before eventually being cancelled in time for Avengers 2.

Defiantly A Guardian of Galaxy villain in time for its DVD release?

I doubt Banner would show up because the Netflix side of Marvel is going to be focused almost entirely on street levelers and I'm not sure I see Deathlok as street leveler. Yes to Black Widow though. I really wana Thomas Jane as Punisher again. He's been Campaigning to play him again for a long time.

Deathlok's probably just a higher tier street leveller by MCU standards, but Cage and Iron Fist should be more powerful than him. I was thinking of seeing Banner in AoS, not the Netflix shows. It's just whether or not Ruffalo, because he's not that big like Johansson, Renner etc

I'd like Norman Reedus play the Punisher personally, but if they brought Jane back I'd be more than happy. I also hope that for season 2 of the Netflix shows, they unite Cage, Jones & Iron Fist into Heroes for Hire, leaving two new spots open for the Punisher and Moon Knight, [alluded to in TWS] or maybe Blade. My favourite of the two would be Blade, but he'd be very difficult to incorporate into the MCU, they'd have to scale back the prevalence of Vampire and make them a tiny percentage of the population - Which could actually be cool. I think it's likely we'll see Coulson show up in most things.

Isn't Norman kinda tied up in the Walking Dead still? I mean maybe if they kill him off or something but I doubt that would ever happen because he's so popular on the show. Jane is definitely the only guy I wana see play him. He genuinely loves the character and has been trying to get Marvel to play ball ever since they got the rights back. I'd love to see Blade and I don't think it would be difficult at all for one reason in particular... Dr. Strange!!! He opens the door for not only Blade but also Ghost Rider!!! I would love to see Ghost Rider done right after the horrible attempts at him before lol I love the MCU and I can't freaking wait for Daredevil and I think Daredevil is gona be WAY better than Arrow

I don't mean due to the mysticism, I mean practically, if Vampires have been running around, what have S.H.I.E.L.D. been doing about it?They would have to be a very small, controlled community, rather than mindless teenage vampires having raves and killing people all over the place like in the Blade films. It's complicated but doable.

It would depend on timing schedules for Norman, the second series of Netflix shows is probably about three years away anyway, so Daryl could well be dad by then. I'm not too bothered either way, I liked Stevenson as the Punisher too, plus he's already in the MCU as Volstagg, considering how different he looks in the role, I wouldn't be that surprised if they used him. Arrow will be tough to beat, it's my favourite cb show, so I'll have to wait and see.

I really hope Roasario isn't Elektra to be honest.

Boy, Lucy Lawless is looking a long way from Xena these days.

Nice

I'm just waiting for Daredevil TV series.