Joss Whedon returns to the small screen for new epic adventures with Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Following the success of Marvel’s The Avengers, Whedon was tasked with bringing the large scale Marvel Cinematic Universe home to the small screen. With a new corner of the sandbox to play in, Whedon decided to utilize S.H.I.E.L.D.’s full potential as a spy agency, but also made the shocking announcement that Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), who died in The Avengers, would actually be leading the new team on weekly adventures! After months of waiting and rampant speculation, viewers will finally be treated to the first installment of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which debuts 8/7c Tuesday, September 24th on ABC.

So let’s tackle the elephant in the room: How is Coulson back? Well, like any question in a Whedon series, the answer is complicated. While we are actually given an answer by Coulson himself, that answer is immediately discredited to the audience thanks to other players involved. During our interviews at Comic-Con, the creative team told us that Coulson’s resurrection will be a key element to the first season, and we would be getting bits and pieces as the show progresses.

Does the series have the same feel as its theatrical counter-parts? Most definitely! We get a quick establishment of the new status quo (as told from another familiar face from the movie universe), and the series takes off and runs from there. The first episode really is Coulson gathering his new team, explaining what their new role will be in this “new world.” I heavily enjoyed how the pilot ties into both The Avengers and Iron Man 3, setting the stage for more elements to cross over.

Joss is known for creating very human stories within fantastical landscapes. Even though these characters now inhabit a world with monsters, Gods, and super-soldiers, the human element is not lost. It is extremely interesting to see how people from different walks of life respond to the Battle of New York. Coulson’s team is tasked with locating a new hero who has emerged, and as usual, things aren’t always as they seem. J. August Richards (Angel) plays the mysterious hero in question, and while most of the Internet thought that he would end up being Luke Cage or Rage from the comics, that is yet to be seen.

Who are the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? There are definitely some familiar faces in play with the new show, as well as some brand new characters to round out the cast. The series stars Clark Gregg (Iron Man, Marvel’s The Avengers), Ming-Na Wen (Stargate Universe), Brett Dalton (Army Wives), Chloe Bennet (Nashville), Iain De Caestecker (The Fades) and Elizabeth Henstridge (Delicacy). The pilot also features not only a guest appearance by Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders – How I Met Your Mother, Marvel’s The Avengers) but also a surprise cameo from a former member of the Firefly cast (sorry, I am not going to spoil this one).

I also wanted to mention how amazing it was that the show didn’t feel spoiled in advance. While a select few Comic-Con attendees were given a chance to see the entire pilot last July, the majority of us have had to wait to see the next Whedon series. People had seen this episode months ago, and I really haven’t seen much posted online. There are tons of killer moments in the pilot that could have been ruined, and I am glad that I got to experience them with my own eyes instead of having it spoiled.

Overall:

This is going to be THE show of the Fall 2013 season. There are a lot of elements that Whedon fans will quickly recognize as far as style and humor, but we are also treated to action and intrigue on the level of an ALIAS style spy show. This show has so much potential, and could be just the first step in bringing more Marvel concepts to the small screen. You will not be disappointed with this pilot. Even if you haven’t watched all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, you will still easily be able to follow the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on weekly adventures. For you die hard Marvel fans, do yourself a favor and go back and re-watch The Avengers before you watch this pilot. It will be worth your time.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 5 Coulson LIVES moments out of 5.

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