We leave the show with Skye and Coulson leaving a house after checking on Mike and discussing Skye’s decision on whether to join SHIELD or not, whether she wants a “ride on the crazy plane” and to be a part of the “strangest show on Earth.”  A call comes in from Ward, who is celebrating with Fitzsimmons with some beer and chinese food, that they have an “0-8-4” (the title of next week’s episode).  Coulson tells Skye that she has 10 minutes to make her decision, but she says they’ll never make it to the airport in 10 minutes in Lola.  He smiles before flicking a switch as the car begins to lift off the ground Back to the Future-Delorean-style and they away towards their next mission. It’s a completely awesome, random and insane ending that fits perfectly with the tone of the show and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

I’m sorry for the length of this: it’s my first attempt at a full episode recap, and it is after all the first episode of the series.  I promise future ones will be a bit shorter, but let me finish with some final thoughts about the episode in general, as well as some specific questions and observations.  I loved this first episode of SHIELD.  It was fast-paced, fun, exciting, funny, mysterious and even thought-provoking.  It set a pretty high bar, but it’s one that I’m confident they’ll be able to meet and exceed throughout the rest of this first season.  I think they’ve set exactly the right tone for the series, which is something that Joss has occasionally struggled with on some of his other series.  The preview for upcoming episodes gives us a sense of bigger things to come, and I’m sure with less exposition and explanation required as things go on we’ll get a better sense of our characters, most of whom didn’t get a chance to stretch their wings much in this jam-packed episode.  But I’m all in on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and I can’t wait for more.

S.H.I.E.L.D. Thoughts

Seriously, how awesome was Clark Gregg in this episode?  He showed his range in this summer’s Much Ado About Nothing, but he really shines as Coulson.  He’s both an everyman and an omniscient leader.  I absolutely loved the way he dealt with Mike’s angry tirade at the end of the episode, listening with quiet attention and support.  It was well written, and a unique way to solve a problem when compared with most of what’s on TV, but Gregg’s performance is what sold it.  He got moments of being a badass, a strong leader, and a caring individual, and if there was any doubt about focusing a Marvel TV show on an initially minor character created for the films, I’m sure that doubt is long gone by now.

However, one mystery remains.  We still don’t know what happened to Coulson after being stabbed by Loki.  It’s obviously not the story he told Ward, about recovering in Tahiti.  Do we think he was resurrected using some force or power he would object to?  Is he a clone, or a Life Model Decoy?  I imagine that question will get answered sometime this season, but for now it’s one of the big mysteries of the show.

In addition to Gregg, the rest of the cast was very solid.  We haven’t gotten to see much but I liked the small tastes we got.  Brett Dalton and Chloe Bennett have a good chemistry as Ward and Skye, and their scene with the truth serum was hilarious.  It’s always great to see a stereotypical “manly man” deconstructed.  Fitz and Simmons are irresistibly cute together, and their banter and way of talking over each other and to each other is endearing.  I hope they get a chance to shine as much apart from each other than as a unit.  Melinda May is a bit of a mystery still, though I liked her line about discussing her attack with Coulson “at length”.  I think she and Coulson will be able to relate as the older members of the team.  It was also great to have Richards, Glass and Smulders as guest stars.

Every show these days needs a mysterious agency behind the conflict, and here we’ve been given the Rising Tide.  We don’t know much yet, but they resemble the hacker group Anonymous.  It’s interesting that most Joss Whedon shows are about the underdogs standing up to the establishment, but SHIELD is the establishment, and the mysterious organization are the underdogs.  In a recent interview, Joss talked a bit about this, saying that it would be something that they’ll be addressing as the series goes on, but for now it’s an interesting dynamic.

Lola could not be more awesome.  I was a bit disappointed that my Uncle spoiled the flying bit at the end, but it didn’t make it any less fantastic.  I’m sure the effects budget probably won’t allow for lots of shots of Lola flying around that don’t serve the plot, but I hope this isn’t the only surprise we get from the shiny red car.  Of course Coulson would have a James Bond car.

Don’t forget about the Centipede.  I don’t think that code word was just limited to the device attached to Mike’s arm (I hope we see more of Mike in the future).  I think in addition to the Rising Tide, the other organization we need to worry about is whoever was behind Centipede, and supplying people with Extremis and alien technology.  It’s possible that this group and the Rising Tide are one and the same, but I think it’s too soon to tell.

What do you think of this first episode?  Did you have a favorite line or moment?  Could Coulson be more of a badass?  What do you think really happened to him after his encounter with Loki?  Who is your favorite character?  What do you think “0-8-4” is a code for?  Is Lola the greatest thing ever?  Let me know in the comments, and thanks for reading!

(For a few more thoughts on this episode, check out my recap follow-up.)