*Some spoilers included*
Another solid season from “Agents of SHIELD,” but there’s always something seemingly holding it back from greatness. Part of the problem is the pacing. The show hurries through some interesting storylines while dragging out others that don’t really payoff. There’s also too many moments where the show tries to inject humor and fails.
The fight scenes are well-choreographed, but very rarely do super-powered characters get to use their powers. Luckily, later in the season, we do get some great fight sequences that combine hand-to-hand and superpowers. The show also has the problem that the special effects are still not very convincing and tend to look unfinished.
All the main cast get some nice moments, and has some emotional beats. Jemma’s Maveth storyline is probably the most well-done arc. It was disappointing to see Hunter and Bobbi written off the show, especially since their new show got rejected. There are plenty of new characters introduced. Not many of them survive the season, and it’s usually right around the time they get interesting. Having the Secret Warriors finally introduced was cool, but the characters were underused.
Besides Maveth, the first half of the season is just okay. It’s the second half where everything picks up. Between The Secret Warriors, Hive and the return of the Absorbing Man, there’s plenty to geek out about. A nice, emotional finale, with the death of a character that I never really cared for wraps up most of the loose ends. Except, of course, the tease of “6 months later.”
***1/2 out of *****