TV REVIEW: MARVEL’S AGENTS OF SHIELD – Season 1 – “Beginning of the End”

By PETER BROWN / Contributing Editor

Posted: May 15th, 2014 / 10:24 AM

Cast: Clark Gregg, Ming-Na wen, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennet, Elizabeth Henstridge, Iain De Caestecker, Bill Paxton
Writer: Maurissa Tancharoen, Jed Whedon
Director: David Straiton
Network: Airs on ABC Tuesdays @ 8 p.m.
Original Telecast: May 13, 2014

Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Trip (B. J. Britt) get ready to storm CyberTek in AGENTS OF SHIELD | © 2014 ABC/Kelsey McNeal

I stated previously that MARVEL’S AGENTS OF SHIELD should have been a 13-episode series beginning in the Winter in order to be tied into CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER that really set the series off in a good direction. It would have launched the series off with a direction and not having to tread water for half a season until the big plotline materialized.

But as tumultuous of a season AOS had – the first 12 episodes were dreadful – they ended it in the right way giving us the payoff that everyone wanted and was action packed enough and cleverly written in order to question as to why we didn’t see any of this previously. As much as I hate to admit it, AOS finally gave the fans what they wanted in the end, it is just too bad it took so long to get there (and the ratings are the thing that was impacted the most).

“Beginning of the End” was the final showdown with John Garrett (Bill Paxton), Ward (Brett Dalton) and Deathlok against the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents that have taken the most bumps as a result. Why this episode did include a guest stint from Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), he more or less could have been left out given what he did in the episode.

The real shining stars here were Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Paxton. The showdown between the two was really good. Paxton was unleashed and became a full blown nutcase and you could tell he was relishing the role. Gregg’s Coulson gave just as good with nicely timed quips and comebacks that were more fitting the “Pilot” episode and had been so lost during the course of the season. It is almost a shame that Garrett wasn’t allowed to continue into the next season as his full blown crazy antics would have been fun to watch.

The parts with Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) were good enough to get the job done with the pair bonding even more so after being left sunk at the bottom of the ocean by Ward in the previous episode. Fitz’s heroic efforts were a nice turn from the weak character he had become at times during the course of the season. Hopefully they will continue to develop his character in a positive way in Season 2 although the way they made it sound he may not be back at all in Season 2, which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. This also goes for Trip (B.J. Britt) who got a little lost toward the second half of the season finale.

In the end, this is the MARVEL’S AGENTS OF SHIELD we have wanted from the beginning. Action packed episodes that are actually funny with the team battling super powered bad guys with world domination on the table. Obviously this can’t be all the show is but if Season 2 is going to be slightly like this, bring it on.

Obviously we are left with a few questions:

What exactly is Skye (Chloe Bennet)? And who is her blood dripping father?
What was the code Garrett was transcribing and then later done by Coulson? Is Coulson going to fly off the rails in the same way Garrett did?
Coulson now is in control of rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D. but given how big it was, where does he start? Hopefully with Cobie Smulders in tow.

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TV REVIEW: MARVEL’S AGENTS OF SHIELD – Season 1 – “Beginning of the End” – Season Finale

A really good season finale that proves this show could be what we originally wanted from it

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Article: TV REVIEW: MARVEL’S AGENTS OF SHIELD – Season 1 – “Beginning of the End”

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