Agents of SHIELD season three was a bit unbalanced, kinda messy, but still a lot of fun. We got two really great new characters (Yo-Yo and handsome Joey), we got an awesome bottle episode (Gemma and that handsome guy tinted blue on another planet or something), a way more interesting villain, and there was not one appearance from Daisy’s Dad, Agent Cooper from Twin Peaks Acting Like A Cartoon Villain.
More spoilers to come, so, ya know, if you haven't finished season three yet…
Chloe Bennet was recently asked why The Avengers didn’t show up while this season’s Big Bad, Hive, was wreaking havoc all over the god damned place. Her response was<fire emoji>:
I don’t know. People who make movies for Marvel, why don’t you acknowledge what happens on our show? Why don’t you guys go ask them that? Cause they don’t seem to care!
And she’s right. The MCU doesn’t seem to care about Agents of SHIELD. In fact, the MCU seems pretty much done with SHIELD—the organization and the show. Steve and Tony are kissing over Bucky while having no clue SHIELD, the organization, even still exists. If you were to ask MCU’s Scarlet Witch who Agent Coulson is, she might say, “I am very sorry—but who?”
None of them even know Coulson is alive—a point they’ve made very clear every time The Closest Thing To An MCU Main Character, Sif, appeared on the show. I’m sure they’d blow the budget trying to score anyone above Sif’s paygrade—but then why not have SHIELD be a known organization again? Why not have these characters make cameos in the movies? Why the hell didn’t they make an appearance at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron when Fury came to the rescue with a bunch of rando SHIELD agents in tow?
So, while I love this show and the MCU, there are things that need to happen in season four…
1) MCU Inclusive: Can’t have any of The Avengers on the show? Fine. Have an episode where Coulson, May, and co all go to NYC to investigate some Inhuman activity—and have them run into Jessica Jones (and maybe Daredevil too, but only if we also get special favorite JJ). Have it be a mid-season side arc. Have them going around NYC and maybe a different MCU Netflix character in each episode? I don’t care how they do it—but it’d validate the show to even just have some of the Netflix stars guest. And, for fuck’s sake, get some of the SHIELD agents to guest star in the movies. It’d make sense. Even the Netflix shows are starting to feel very separate from the movies. I will eat one of my god damned Iron Man action figures if we don’t get some MCU crossover sometime soon.
2) Let SHIELD be out in the open: JUST. FUCKING. DO. IT. It’d make a lot of sense—they were out in the open before and Nick Fury is still out there somewhere (although I feel like we won’t see him again until Infinity War) as is Maria Hill (speaking of—where the hell was she during Civil War). They’re even vaguely working with the government again. So, they’re literally working with the government, one of Thor’s whacky pals has seen them all, and they saved the world this season...I think Steve, Tony, and everyone should know about them.
3) More Joey and Yo-Yo: Being someone who grew up around a family that spoke Spanish all the time, I can say how FUCKING awesome it is to see two latinx superheroes on one of my current favorite TV shows and watching them speak Spanish to each other. And, added bonus, Joey is our first openly LGBTQ character on this show. In fact, when I watched his first episode, I missed the line where he mentions being gay and didn’t realize it until the internet told me.
4) No more Hydra: I mean, this is more of a general statement for the entire MCU, but I’m all full on stories involving Hydra. Move on. Let’s have more super powered villains like Hive. But, also…
5) Let Grant Ward stay dead: I just…I’m also all full on Grant Ward. While I would’ve preferred he’d gotten beaten to death by Agent May, I’ll take exploding in space—just, please, don’t bring him back. Keep him dead this time.
6) More Secret Warriors: If anyone deserved a spin-off (or a spin-off pitch/pilot), it’s The Secret Warriors. That episode where they all came together and saved the day was one of the best episodes of the season. This team was teased as being the Big Thing this season and…it was not. Gives us more characters for this team and give this team their own episodes. And speaking of spin-offs…
7) Bring back Lance and Bobbi: Their ill-conceived spin-off was passed over TWICE. As to why Marvel thought another show about non-superpowered heroes was a good idea…who the fuck knows. But, Bobbi and May fighting together were some of the best action scenes this show had to offer. And, I mean, how hot is Lance? I’d totally wanna watch Bobbi peg Lance—but, who wouldn’t, AMIRITE!?
8) Cut the Coulson-thinks-Daisy-is-his-daughter crap: I love them both but—he’s not her dad. Let’s keep moving here...
9) Daisy’s wig needs an upgrade: Please don’t keep her in that Party City wig we saw her in during the final moments of the finale. Take her shopping at Hot Topic, get her some manic panic, and really sell the goth/punk look cause I’m kinda into it (but, like, of course I am).
10) More Agent Melinda May: We spent so much time with her ex-husband who she clearly still loved, and then him becoming Lash—and then Lash and May never got any sort of epic battle. All we got was Lash going to save Daisy and dying…and then a quick shot of May crying over her dead ex. We need more on that. May has to feel some kind of feelings about it—yet, all we got was a quick shot of her crying.
11) The Director: Make it someone good. We know it’s not Mack or Coulson or Daisy—so the only other current cast member that’d make sense as The Director is Agent May. May knows her shit, takes no shit, and she can kick your fucking ass. I’d even be okay if this was how they brought back Bobbi—maybe make her the new Director (but not Lance—he can come back just cause he’s with her though). Or, crazy twist, have SHIELD have gone public and made Nick Fury the once and future Director of SHIELD. Or, like, even Maria Hill would be a fine choice (albeit a little bit of a snoozer).
12) More interesting villains: This is another thing that applies to most of the MCU (Loki and Killgrave aside). But if Agents of SHIELD has one more older white dude as a villain...think more Jiaying/Hive and less Gideon Malick/Whitehall.
13) MAKE EVERYTHING ACTUALLY CONNECT: We have Inhumans running around everywhere. We have SHIELD being very active (once again) in fighting evil. We got Hive taking over Hydra and almost destroying the world (or whatever). And meanwhile, the only way Captain America: Civil War connected to Agents of SHIELD was through a newspaper clipping and Coulson saying, “Sokovia Accords” a few times. And not once has a plotline on Agents of SHIELD been mention in an MCU movie—not even when Coulson helped Nick Fury get the helicarrier he used to save the day in Avengers: Age of Ultron—Fury couldn’t even peep the name “Coulson.” Make the stuff connect, or I’ll eat TWO of my Iron Man action figures (I have a lot to spare).
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Twitter: @ianxcarlos
