S.H.I.E.L.D., Maveth - Dec 8

And so, AoS mid-S3 finale had come to a conclusion. Was it shuttering? Yes and no. Not unlike “Purpose...” (ep 3x02), AoS aimed to depict the agents as a well-oiled team, a machine, and now, since the finale of S2, it has done it. Lincoln is with Daisy, Mel is going to be with Phil, and the FitzSimmons are the FitzSimmons. For further drama, Andrew/Lash is out there, acting the villain not unlike how Ward had done it before, since the beginning of S3, Simmons is going to be mad at Fitz over Will, and, well, Brett is going to be now playing some sort of a space monster, now that Grant is dead (as a canon character). It is simple, straightforward, and predictable.

Boring, basically.

The greatest strength of AoS was the unpredictability of its’ characters, the breaking of the comic-book canon in S1. By making Grant a villain with a chance of redemption, they made it interesting. Then S2 happened, and the show’s script writers went all over places, fiddling with Grant’s redemption (until the last 3 eps of S2), trying temporarily to pair Skye/Daisy with Lance, trying to figure out where Raina fit in, etc.

Then the S2 finale occurred, Grant finally became purely a villain, the rest of the team – purely heroes, and S3 rolled in. Predictability rolled in. The characters got settled into their roles as people, not just as agents. Marvel™, backed by Disney™, is a powerhouse in terms of the finances, which allows them to play out their films (MCU), as well as AoS, on an epic scale, if by ‘epic’ you mean ‘expansive’, ‘extensive’, and ‘large’. The TV-medium does not allow the same mass media depictions as the movie screen does, so even “Maveth” did not have the same impact as any of the MCU movies would. The music delivered, the actors delivered, but the old, unpredictable S.H.I.E.L.D. of S1 died. What is left, what will appear for the rest of S3 and beyond is predictability; in fact, given the ‘grand musical number’ at the conclusion of “Maveth”, AoS could’ve ended right here, with a bang – the Earth is saved, the agents are (mostly) happy, etc.

...Oh wait, Grant Ward had been resurrected by the alien horror. Of course he was – Brett’s from the main cast, so he cannot disappear the same way that Trip did, for example. He has to remain on the show, even with a new role, driving forth the agents as the antagonist to their happiness and family values. Hooray!

...This had been done before, in ‘Primeval’, made by Impossible Pictures™. There, Helen Cutter, too had evolved from an ambiguous, and even helpful, character into a pure villain...that proved to be the main driving force of the show: she was killed at the end of S3 (Ward made it barely to the middle), but she still had to be brought back post-mortem by the end of S5 as she almost destroyed the world even from beyond the grave. Remind you of anyone?

As for the other Ward scion, Thomas...AoS was always about killing off the guest stars. So far we see no sign of him joining the main cast, so odds are is that he will die by the end of S3 if not sooner – Grant’s resurrected corpse is going to get him, most likely, or perhaps Lash/Andrew will. His showdown with May was very reminiscent of Grant’s showdown with Skye back in S1, and AoS showed that it isn’t above ‘recycling’ the old characters into new – Rosalind was reminiscent of S1 Raina, Lash was clearly based on her S2 second half, etc. Thomas is going to be the redeemed Ward, most likely, which is sad – couldn’t they have found a way to redeem Grant? Ah well, it was obvious that he was going to die since the end of S2, when Kara died. His heart died with her, after all.

So, from now on, it is going to be a completely different ball game. AoS has put behind the chaotic and ill-defined S2, the embarrassing episode 3x01 and has become solid, powerful, predictable. The critics say that S3 had revitalized the show...yet the ratings still are nowhere high enough to what they were in S1, and now there is a big break – until March – so odds are that the ratings will go down, as they did in S2. So for now we will wave farewell to AoS and wait for March with more reviews.

(Or not, if the show will prove to be too predictable at that time.)

S.H.I.E.L.D., Closure - Dec 1

And so, the mid-winter mid-season AoS finale has come upon us, and once more there are twists. More precisely, ATCU was taken out; both Price and Banks are gone. The fusion of the plotlines – Hydra, InHuman, alien – is coming to a head, with both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra boasting gifted people among them, while Coulson is going after Ward (and, unknowingly, Fitz) through another portal to planet/dimension X. It is only a matter of time until Thanos gets involved, as the final shots at the Age of Ultron had indicated.

Anything else? The writing team put their best effort into this, this is no hackfest as it was at the season finale of S2, this time everything makes sense, the plot is solid, as is the action...pardon me, the acting of the actors, it is also solid, without any gaps as it was in S2, especially in the beginning of that season, and even the setting, the scenery is very well done – but it had been so since the “Purpose...” episode and yet the ratings have continued to fall.

Now, we’ve talked about this; the problem is in repetition (the mid-season finale, for all of its good points, is very reminiscent of the finale of S1 – even John Garrett was mentioned), as well as in recycling – Price was based on S1 Raina, while Lash was more of a second-half S2 Raina; and then there are all of those ‘imitations’ – “Killjoys”, “Dark Matter”, “Blindspot”, perhaps even “Supergirl”, some of which are quite successful in their own right, especially “Blindspot”, with Kurt being a Ward-like character, and Jane/Taylor being a Skye-like character, and now their mid-winter finale introduced Oscar, a Lincoln-like character – someone on “Blindspot” is clearly an AoS fan, who wants it done right – never mind that those are all TV characters; anyone remember their 50^th episode featurette? Brett and Chloe did their best to point out that they were not Skye/Daisy and Grant, while trying to give ‘SkyeWard’ fans a bone – got to appease the viewers somehow, but we talked about this in a previous installment. This relationship is obviously finished, we got StaticQuake here now, but this is not the point.

Well, ok, the other fact is that the ship Philinda is back on – Price is dead, and so’s Andrew, but considering that Andrew, for one, had killed plenty of innocent people in his own right, as Lash, yeah, May is better off with Coulson anyways. The FitzSimmons? The show is clearly referencing back to S1, when Fitz and Simmons were underwater – sometimes Ward acts like a crazy, messed-up Cupid – but speaking of messed-up? There is the show’s site that is updated relatively irregularly; there are the comics, which have nothing to do with MCU; and then there the upcoming “Civil War” movie – AoS is trying to tie itself to it: the FitzSimmons got captured in an abandoned Stark facility.

That probably is not good – ‘Laws’ did its best to tie itself into the greater MCU, and as a result the writers delivered a very hackneyed, clichéd episode that they tried to bury themselves in the following episodes very successfully, so hopefully they won’t try to do that in ‘Maveth’ (does this word even mean anything or is it just a name) or in post “Agent Carter” S2 episodes. (That is right, Carter is coming back in January, so yay!) That sort of cliché can kill a show, you know?

But the upcoming “Civil War” movie (in May 2016)? Yes, that is something else. So far MCU had delivered beautifully, and this trailer promises this to be just as good. So let us buckle our loins, hanker down and wait – for the next week for AoS mid-S3 finale, for January for ‘Carter’, and for May for “Civil War”. Until then – peace out! 

S.H.I.E.L.D., tale - Nov 17

And so, keeping in mind that next week AoS is taking time off, let us recount as to what they have done in this episode.

They brought the strands together. Until now, the episodes tended to treat InHumans and Hydra separately, but now, they are bringing them together. Will is...sort of Hydra, just working for NASA and possibly not knowing this. Fitz and Simmons have finally kissed and are finally getting back together, because in worst-case scenario? Will is another knock-off of Ward, meaning a wolf in sheep’s skin. Ward himself...he is starting to play a greater role in S3, actually learning what Hydra is, what it stands for and what it does. The episode’s script is integrating the Avengers’ second movie into the plotline, and it is giving a new, bigger dimension to the show itself as well. Remarkable and Hydra nowadays is something more than just a Nazi death cult, something possibly worthy to go toe-to-toe with S.H.I.E.L.D., and especially Ward, since the next episode (actually aired in December) is going to put the end to ‘Ward’s revenge’ storyline once and for all, because S.H.I.E.L.D. needs something new and exciting to keep itself afloat, ratings-wise.

It is already doing that, mind, with making Rosalind not evil (supposedly), and Andrew – alive. Of course, as it may have been written before, redemption in S.H.I.E.L.D. is something of a select piece, almost anyone but Ward gets his or her chance of it so frankly, if Coulson puts Ward out of his misery in the next episode? It might be the better choice. It might also be the only choice, since the next month, December, is wrapping up the first half of AoS S3, for January? This is where ‘Agent Carter’ takes over. Agent Carter is a good show, though not as exciting as AoS...was, for now it is getting more straightforward and less unpredictable, and Carter is apparently going to Hollywood. You cannot get bored in Hollywood!

Back to AoS...there is not much left to discuss. There is hope for Andrew and May, Rosalind and Coulson, and Lincoln’s setting down. There are signs that Ward may be Hellfire, (which is a pity, he was a cool villain so far all on his own), though maybe they are just another plot twist and Fitz and Simmons finally kissed. Hooray! Go FitzSimmons! Lincoln and Daisy...they did not get too much time on this ep, but at least Lincoln has bonded with May, which is good for both of them. So yes, this is it for AoS this time around – a very exciting and informative episode to be watched.

S.H.I.E.L.D., Chaos - Nov 10

And so, the 50^th episode of AoS went past. Now it is time for the 51^st – and it still delivered, a very tense, dramatic episode. The Lash plotline had come to a mid-term resolution, as we learn what has happened to Andrew – or rather how. This is a story of a good man succumbing to darkness within, of becoming a monster and unable to stop it, of dragging his loved ones into this- Oh wait. Ward did in the second half of S1, and Cal actually underwent something similar throughout S2 – and this brings down to ratings.

Take this episode, “Chaos Theory”, for example. Both the main and the supporting cast did their parts without a hitch; the plot in many ways was as solid as it was in the episode 3x02 (the episode 3x01 should be killed and buried, BTW), and the conclusion of the episode’s finale was equally heart wrenching... spoilers alert – in this episode May got her heart broken, in the next – it’ll be Coulson’s turn, as the InHuman and Hydra plotlines appear to collide and yet the ratings continue to plummet. Why?

Because repetition. It began already in S2, as Gonzales infiltration of Coulson’s part of S.H.I.E.L.D. was reminiscent of Hydra’s actions in S1, save that it was done on a liter scale; the emphasis here is on ‘lite’. Yes, Mack and Bobbi seem to have made their peace with Coulson, (though their friends on Gonzales’ side, including the man himself, had died because of Coulson’s ideas, BTW), but this still was a repetition of what Ward and Garrett and other Hydra agents had done back in S1 – so it was up to the InHuman plotline to carry the day...and they failed. S2 finale was a bloodbath – an unnecessary bloodbath, and it did not get better in S3. Ward’s plotline doesn’t get resolved (he may be a villain, but not a very formidable one, if the site information is correct), the show is struggling with balancing InHuman and Hydra plotlines in general, and Andrew is really a repetition of Ward & Cal from the previous seasons – this isn’t very original, frankly.

And his resolution...it is something else. AoS was dealing the whole redemption angle rather badly, ever since the end of S1. For a while the show’s writers made redemption sound like a big deal, right out there next to teamwork, but then...

No, it is not about Ward, though the way Coulson had handled him in mid-season 2 was not very smart or logical. This is about Jiaying too – Coulson did offer her a chance to solve things peacefully with Gonzales and co., and she threw it back into his face and in a very nasty way too, not to mention deadly. Yes, she was killed, but Lincoln came back, or rather – helped in the first place – of his own will, S.H.I.E.L.D. got nothing to do with it...

By S3 AoS seems to have abandoned the redemption plot altogether. The good guys are good, the bad guys are bad...and they die. Kebo in particular, though von Strucker seems to have gone into a coma instead. This is simple, this works, but it is somewhat disappointing, in a simplified way. AoS already has to deal with competition that was inspired by its initial success, from ‘Killjoys’ to “Dark Matter’, from ‘Supergirl’ to ‘Blindspot’, and those shows are quite successful and dramatic, especially ‘Blindspot’, but none of them have any excessive plot twists as AoS does. ‘Blindspot’, for example, has a very ‘noir’ feeling lately, but it is not dependant on plot twists as AoS is.

And speaking of repetition, drama and relationships – Will, Jemma’s new cough friend cough back from ‘4722 hours’ is some sort of an evil doer? Gasp, shocking. Seriously, how this is (or will be once Will is back on Earth himself) different (if you look past the secondary details) of what Skye went with Grant or Melinda with Andrew? Not really. This is more of the same, and the same is not always good. AoS’ ratings continue to go down, and this is very sad, for it is a very good show – but all good things must come to an end...let us just hope that AoS will not end any time soon.

So: the Lash situation is resumed, and now it seems that it will be Ward’s turn next. Hopefully, the scriptwriters will do something more original to him rather than turn him into Hellfire. 

S.H.I.E.L.D., 50 ep - Nov 3

And so, S.H.I.E.L.D. celebrated its 50^th episode. Let us start with that.

S.H.I.E.L.D. is a great show, with many well-developed and thought-provoking plot twists. Tonight’s twist, which revealed that Dr. Garner is actually one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s new enemies, proves this is true. It also shows agent Morse recovering from Ward’s shot, Hunter living with the consequences of his recklessness, and Ward, well, Ward actually has been offered redemption. Since for him the word has some very unpleasant connotations...no. Just now, Malick has probably judged him correctly, but who knows? The show’s writers have not finished with him yet, because his big showdown with Morse and May hadn’t occurred in this episode – instead, the younger von Strucker seems to be gone, and so’s Kebo. The show’s scriptwriters have done it to perfection! That anniversary video on YouTube has depicted it very neatly. (Ward may be a villain, but Brett and Chloe still go around; it's cute, in a weird way, and there's the talk of redemption...yeah).

Sadly, the other aspects of AoS universe lag behind the visual/auditory ones – i.e. the show itself. The comic is...actually not related to the show; rather, it is a series of adventures, mostly of Coulson himself (Daisy/Quake actually appears to have a series of her own) that deals with saving the world. So far it is only him and May, Fitz and Simmons – and that is it. Ward, Raina, Whitehall, Garrett – they are all gone, at least for the moment and probably are not making a proper appearance; Hell, the regular Hydra villains are not making much of an appearance, and the latest comic installments seem to lack a common story arc (the first 6 issues had that at least). Plus, unlike some other comic series, (“Arrow” for example), the S.H.I.E.L.D. comic is not really a part of AoS universe, it is just inspired by the series...and only loosely so. Ouch.

And as for at least one of the show’s sites (marvel190 dot com), it suffers from irregular updates...and just plain sloppiness; one of the last season’s clips is described as having Ward and May...going after Ward. Somehow the site got Lance and Grant, aka Nick and Brett confused, and considering that the two of them are two very different-looking people, which are just sad.

But in any case, S.H.I.E.L.D. has delivered a very beautiful episode number 50, which was very pleasant to watch, to put it lightly. Hopefully, the following episodes will keep this up, and the ignominy of ‘Laws’ (episode 3x01) will be put behind us.

Something different - Pathfinder 3

And so I decided to add the souldrinker class to another monster from the Inner Sea Monster Codex - the cyclops oracle. I think it works, no?

Cyclops oracle 8/souldrinker 8 CR 15

NE Large humanoid (giant)

Init -1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +16

AC 21, touch 8, flat-footed 21; (+6 armor, -1 Dex, +7 natural, -1 size)

Hp 198 (10d8+8d8+8d6+136)

Fort +15, Ref +7, Will +17

Immune ingested and inhaled poison, no longer needs to eat or drink

Defensive Abilities ferocity

Speed 25 ft.

Melee +1 quarterstaff +17/+12/+7 melee (1d8+7), bite +11 (1d8+2 plus grab)

Ranged heavy crossbow +11 (2d8/19-20)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Spell-Like Abilities

At will – bestow curse (DC 21)

SA energy drain (DC 21, 2/day), summon cacodaemon, summon ceustodemon

Oracle Spells Known (CL 8^th; concentration +11)

6^th (3/day) – animate object, mass inflict moderate wounds (DC 19), symbol of fear (DC 18)

5^th (5/day) – commune, dispel chaos, plane shift, slay living (DC 18), unhallow (DC 18)

4^th (5/day) – arcane sight, divination, dismissal (DC 17), inflict critical wounds (DC 17), summon monster IV

3^rd (6/day) – bestow curse (DC 16), detect thoughts (DC 16), inflict serious wounds (DC 16), protection from energy, speak with dead (DC 16)

2^nd (7/day) – aid, cure moderate wounds, inflict moderate wounds (DC 15), silence (DC 15), true strike

1^st (7/day) – command (DC 14), comprehend languages, detect poison, divine favor, obscuring mist, shield of faith

0 (at will) – bleed (DC 13), create water, detect magic, guidance, know direction, purify food and drink, stabilize, virtue

Mystery ancestor

Str 19, Dex 8, Con 17, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 16

Base Atk +17; CMB +22; CMD 27

Feats Alertness, Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Extra Revelation, Fleet, Improved Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Lunge, Power Attack, Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus (Knowledge [history]), Toughness

Skills Bluff +7, Diplomacy +17, Heal +7, Knowledge (arcana) +20, Knowledge (geography) +9, Knowledge (history) +21, Knowledge (local) +11, Knowledge (nature) +10, Knowledge (nobility) +10, Knowledge (the planes) +11, Knowledge (religion) +11, Linguistics +9, Perception +16, Perform (oratory) +5, Profession (soothsayer) +13, Sense Motive +26, Spellcraft +15, Survival +7; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception

Languages Aklo, Celestial, Common, Cyclops, Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Orc, Terran

SQ cacodemon familiar, daemonic patron, damned, flash of insght, oracle’s curse (hunger), revelations (assume fate [3/day], brutal trance [8 rounds], doomsaying [3/day], wisdom of ancestors [commune, 1/day]), soul pool

Combat Gear: potions of cure moderate wounds (2), potions of invisibility (2), potion of protection from chaos, scrolls of dispel magic (2), scroll of locate object, scrolls of remove curse (2), scrolls of tongues (2), wand of cure light wounds (15 charges), wand of inflict serious wounds (8 charges), wand of lesser restoration (9 charges), holy water (2)

Other Gear: +2 hide armor, +1 quarterstaff, heavy crossbow with 20 bolts, headband of alluring charisma +2, antitoxin (2)

Something different - Pathfinder 2

And so, I created another Pathfinder character - a shaman dryad (the shaman class is introduced in ACG). What do you think?

Dryad shaman 7 CR 9

XP 800

CG Medium fey

Init +4; Senses low-light vision; Perception +11

AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+4 Dex, +3 natural)

hp 50 (7d8+6d6+13)

Fort +7, Ref +11, Will +12

DR 5/cold iron

Weaknesses tree dependent

Speed 30 ft.

Melee dagger +7 (1d4)

Ranged masterwork longbow +8 (1d8)

SA hexes (crystal sight, fetish), touch of acid (1d6+3, 7/day), wandering hex

Spells (CL 6^th)

4^th—wall of stone

3^rd—magic circle against evil, meld into stone

2^nd—remove paralysis,resist energy, stone call

1^st—hex ward, magic stone, stone shield, thorn javelin

0—arcane mark, bleed, create water, dancing lights

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th)

Constant—speak with plants

At will—entangle (DC 15), tree shape, wood shape (1 lb. only)

3/day—charm person (DC 15), deep slumber (DC 17), tree stride

1/day—suggestion (DC 17)

Str 10, Dex 19, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 18

Base Atk +8; CMB +8; CMD 17

Feats Craft Wondrous Item (B), Dodge, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Stealthy, Weapon Finesse

Skills Climb +9, Craft (sculpture) +18, Diplomacy +10, Escape Artist +15, Handle Animal +17, Knowledge (nature) +18, Perception +11, Profession (shaman) +10, Spellcraft +9, Stealth +15, Survival +8; Racial Modifiers +6 Craft (wood)

Languages Common, Elven, Sylvan; speak with plants

SQ spirit animal, spirit magic, spirit (stone), tree meld, wild empathy, woodcraft

Environment temperate forests

Organization solitary, pair, or grove (3–8)

Treasure standard (dagger, masterwork longbow with 20 arrows, other treasure)

Tree Meld (Su) A dryad can meld with any tree, similar to how the spell meld into stone functions. She can remain melded with a tree as long as she wishes.

Tree Dependent (Su) A dryad is mystically bonded to a single, enormous tree and must never stray more than 300 yards from it. Most dryad trees are oak trees, but other trees function as well (often having subtle influences on a specific dryad's personality and appearance). A dryad who moves 300 yards beyond her bonded tree immediately becomes sickened. Every hour thereafter, she must make a DC 15 Fortitude save to resist becoming nauseated for an hour. A dryad that is out of range of her bonded tree for 24 hours takes 1d6 points of Constitution damage, and another 1d6 points of Constitution damage every day that follows—eventually, this separation kills the dryad. A dryad can forge a new bond with a new tree by performing a 24-hour ritual and making a successful DC 20 Will save.

Wild Empathy (Su) This works like the druid's wild empathy class feature, except the dryad has a +6 racial bonus on the check. Dryads with druid levels add this racial modifier to their wild empathy checks.

Woodcraft (Ex) A dryad has a +6 racial bonus to Craft checks involving wood, and is always treated as if she had masterwork artisan's woodworking tools when making such checks.

Something different - Pathfinder

For a change of pace, this entry features a derro alchemist from Pathfinder, bulked up with the souldrinker prestige class (also Pathfinder). The alchemist comes from the Inner Sea Monster Codex, btw. The souldrinker class is described in the Book of the damned volume 3. What do you think? Did I make it work?

Derro alchemist (vivisectionist) 11/souldrinker 4 CR 15

NE Small humanoid (derro)

Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11

AC 25, touch 16, flat-footed 21 (+6 armor, +1 deflection, +3 Dex, +1 dodge, +3 natural, +1 size)

Hp 164 (3d8+11d8+4d6+121)

Fort +11, Ref +12, Will +10

Immune poison, disease (including supernatural and magical diseases); SR 23

Weaknesses vulnerable to sunlight

Speed 30 ft.

Melee aklys +13/+8 (1d6+2) or claw +13/+8 (1d4+3)

Ranged: masterwork repeating light crossbow +15/+10 (1d6/19-20) or aklys +14 (1d6+2)

Special Attacks energy drain (DC 16), sneak attack +7d6, summon cadodaemon

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3^rd; concentration +5)

At will—darkness, ghost sound (DC 12)

1/day—daze (DC 12), sound burst (DC 14)

Alchemist Extracts Prepared (CL 11^th)

4^th—discern lies (DC 18), stoneskin, universal formula

3^rd—draconic reservoir, fly, gaseous form, haste, remove blindness/deafness

2^nd—blur, cure moderate wounds, detect thoughts (DC 16), eagle’s splendour, vomit swarm

1^st—cure light wounds, disguise self, enlarge person (DC 15), expeditious retreat, shield, true strike

Str 15, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 18, Wis 7, Cha 14

Base Atk +12; CMB +13; CMD 28

Feats: Alertness, Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Deceitful, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Throw Anything, Toughness

Skills: Bluff +20, Craft (alchemy) +17, Diplomacy +3, Disable Device +15, Heal +2, Knowledge (arcana) +19, Knowledge (planes) +18, Perception +11, Sense Motive +12, Sleight of Hand +15, Spellcraft +21, Sense Motive +0, Stealth +16, Use Magic Device +11

Languages: Abyssal, Aklo, Common, Dwarven, Goblin, Undercommon

SQ: alchemy (alchemy crafting +11, identify potions), cacodemon familiar, cruel anatomist, daemonic patron, damned, mutagen (+4/-2, +2 natural, 110 minutes), discoveries (infusion, monstrous graft [arm], monstrous graft [leg x2], sleeper agent), madness, poison use, soul pool, swift alchemy, swift poisoning, torturer’s eye, torturous transformation

Combat Gear: potions of cure moderate wounds (3), potions of haste (2), blue whinnis (4 doses), medium spider venom (10 doses)

Other Gear: +2 chain shirt, aklys, masterwork repeating light crossbow with 20 bolts, amulet of natural armor +1, goggles of minute seeing, headband of vast intelligence +2, ring of protection +1, antitoxin (3), formula book (contains all prepared extracts, plus additional four 1^st-level, four 2^nd-level, three 3^rd-level, and two 4^th-level extracts of the GM’s choice), healer’s kit, surgeon’s tools, veterinarian’s kit, granite and diamond dust (750 gp), powdered platinum (300 gp)

S.H.I.E.L.D., 4722 - Oct 27

And so, yet another fine S.H.I.E.L.D. episode came to an end, featuring the show at its best - coherent. The previous 4 episodes had been done in ‘Angel & Faith’ format rather than the BtVS one; the action continuously alternated between the InHuman and Hydra plotline, with the main action being directed more towards the InHumans. It is hard to tell who was Angel and who was Faith, though the odds are towards Phil and May, but it is not the point. The fact that ‘4722’ hours have made Jemma into Winifred Burke is more like that, with her NASA companion being, perhaps, her Illyria...or not. Analogues tend to be weird, especially if taken too far, but Will, perhaps, is more than what he appears, especially if you look at the episode’s finale – perhaps he is some sort of a night bringer, hm?

 Back to AoS proper, ‘4722’ has made a break in the abovementioned ‘A&F’ format, plus it had introduced, perhaps, a whole new plotline for Fitz & Simmons, as they still cannot be a couple. Seriously, Ward turned out to be evil, and Lincoln is absent, so poor Skye, and Phil and Mel just cannot seem to be pull their shit together, thanks to Ms. Price (it’ll be fun to see if she isn’t evil – then maybe the plot line of ‘AoS’ can get even more interesting), so this just leaves Fitz & Simmons – and they are having problems of their own. Fitz seems to be competing with someone, perhaps Thanos, or even Galactus, for Jemma’s heart, and of course, being the stalwart knight that he is, he’ll let her go, or at least – let her help ‘Will’ get back to Earth from her misguided love to her – or perhaps not so misguided (it seems that everyone gets a second chance with S.H.I.E.L.D., even Ward did, sort of, and if Coulson hadn’t been such a moron, then who knows?)...

In the greater scheme of all things AoS, ‘4722’ is closer related to InHumans than to Hydra – and not just because of the obvious, but because Randolph, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s resident Asgardian (seriously, he really should have more than just one episode), seems to have some know-how back in 3x02, and it wasn’t particularly good one. He also had shared it with Coulson, but not with the audience, so we do not know what exactly that he knows, but given the fact that Jemma’s new friend just may be either an extra-powerful InHuman or a pureblooded alien of some sort (like Loki or Thor, just not an Asgardian) then yes, the new FitzSimmons plotline is closer to the InHuman plotline rather than to the Hydra one.

Incidentally, so far Ward’s Hydra is noticeably lackluster, if compared to Whitehall’s, for example. So far Ward’s leadership hasn’t been very impressive, so if everything goes smoothly, the next episode should spell the end of Hydra...but things don’t often go according to anyone’s plan in the world of AoS, and as long as the scriptwriters don’t go over the top with this (as they had at the end of S2, putting in an unnecessary hackfest/bloodbath there too), it’ll work. Plus...plus if this episode can be considered alien/InHuman ‘heavy’, then the next episode should probably be Hydra ‘heavy’, just to keep things balance. S.H.I.E.L.D. the show loves to keep things balanced, thus we will have to wait and see.

So: a major update on Simmons, a not so major, but still important, update on her relationship with Fitz...and that’s it, really. Today’s episode was very good and very important, but in a restricted, more narrow kind of way. Will this trend continue with S.H.I.E.L.D. episodes? We will just have to wait and see. 

S.H.I.E.L.D., Devils - Oct 20

...One of the more important issues in AoS, now, is pacing and proportions. In S1 it was simple – first the team had to discover who the Clairvoyant is, and then they had to stop him and the rest of Hydra...well, his cell of Hydra, because we never really learned just how high up John Garrett was in the Hydra hierarchy.

In S2, the situation was somewhat different: the first part of the season was dominated largely by Hydra, the second half – by the InHumans. It also marked a change in the roles’ proportions: in S1 Ward was an equal part of the cast; from S2 onwards, his role began to diminish, or rather – his screen time did. His importance was something else, especially in the S2 finale, and its out-of-proportion hack/gore-fest.

In S3 this sort of situation continued: as Ward did receive proportionally less screen time than Hunter or May did, for example, let alone Mack, Coulson or Daisy. That is not to say that his importance became any smaller: through his sheer presence and taunting words alone he brought Hunter down to his level, and now Andrew Garner has paid the price (presumably). May will have an even bigger axe to grind with Ward nowadays, but she and Hunter have to resolve her issues too, and given how the Cavalry carries her grudges...well, Grant is going to die, eventually, probably by the season’s end, but Hunter is going to grovel, he has to – otherwise it’ll be even worse for him.

Back to the proportions and pacing? The Hydra and the InHumans plotlines are being pointedly kept apart, almost as if they were two different episodes or something along those lines – and perhaps they are. In S2, Hydra and InHumans took turns, so to speak – in the first half S.H.I.E.L.D. had to tackle Hydra, in the second – the InHumans. Now, in S3 the series apparently had S.H.I.E.L.D. tackle Hydra and InHumans at the same time, with rather mixed results. No, it is not about Andrew Garner being dead because Hunter was obsessed with the need for revenge; it is about the screen time. Try as they like, the series’ writers and co. just do not seem to mix the Hydra and the InHuman plot lines in the equal proportions; maybe they have to or they don’t have to (let’s not forget – the actors themselves are people with opinions and ideas, who may or may not get along with each other and other people, this probably plays a role in S.H.I.E.L.D. episode scripts), but this is what they do. The result – an unbalanced episode, such as the ep. 3x02 for example. If Grant Ward is to be an opponent to S.H.I.E.L.D. he just has to be more impressive, because otherwise, he just will not cut it. (On the other hand, there are rumors of yet another new character coming forth – one that is even more formidable than Ward is which frankly sucks, especially for Coulson.)

Also, speaking of villains, though not of proportions and pacing, Lash is even more formidable than how he has first appeared in ‘Laws’; (in fact, I think that the entire series team is doing its best to bury the embarrassing, cliché-ridden episode as much as they can): he is a shape-shifter as well, making him twice as tricky to capture. (Maybe it is a she, cough, but would not Lash have breasts too if this was the case?)

This brings us to Daisy, or rather – to Alisha. Once a minion of Jiaying, she has acquired some sort of a role in Coulson’s crew – fancy that. Maybe Daisy’s team of powered people just got its first new member – and a competent one, too.

So: Ward is largely a villain/plot device to move the series forwards; Hunter is on the outs with the rest of the crew; Coulson appears to have acquired a new friend, BTW; and Daisy continues to bond with Mack – and maybe she will bond with Alisha, too. Oh, and Simmons has to go back from wherever she came, too – but that is the topic for the next week’s episode. Until then – see you.

S.H.I.E.L.D., Wanted - Oct 13

“A Wanted (InHu)man is an interesting and well-written episode. In many ways, it is a very impressive and solid S.H.I.E.L.D. episode. The actors are delivering fully what they mean to deliver; the script is solid and well rounded; the setting is very realistic, and the drama of the episode itself keeps the audience intrigued, tense and guessing what happened next until the end – when Jemma declares that she must go back...in short it is everything that “Laws of Nature” was not.

For example...the beginning of this episode begins in the middle of action, in media res, with Lincoln doing his own thing, his past development in “Laws...” having been not so much discarded, as ignored. The episode 3x01 is mentioned, and there are tie-ins to it, but mostly – it is ignored. Perhaps, even S.H.I.E.L.D. scriptwriters/producers/etc were embarrassed of the heavy-handed clichés and the rushed plot that occurred back there.

Episode 3x03 has no such clichés, and indeed Lincoln/Daisy situation is treated much more interestingly here; so early in the S3, there is no happy conclusion for Daisy and Lincoln yet; there were some proclamations of love, but still nothing certain. If Daisy and Lincoln are to work it out, they will really have to work it out...or not, because at the moment this does not appear to be very likely...

On the other hand, Coulson and Ms. Rosalyn? They seem to be hitting it off. Coulson – or rather the show’s scriptwriters – have realised that they must not make ATCU a remake of the ‘real S.H.I.E.L.D.’ from S2, and are trying to make something new here; the fact that Ms. Rosalyn appears to be something of a female Coulson – or at least a woman that Coulson can relate to.

And yet...such details are secondary. The truth is, “...Wanted...” was carried not just by the actors and their acting, but also by the plot itself. The cast is very good, of course, but so are the people behind the scene, so to speak. On this Tuesday, they too have delivered something right and proper, and the audiences got to enjoy another solid and satisfying episode of ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’. (And the infamy of “Laws...” finally got its karmic comeuppance.) 

S.H.I.E.L.D., Purpose - Oct 6

What makes a show worthwhile watching, maybe even inspiring?

The actors and the acting, for one thing. S.H.I.E.L.D. still got it covered. The touching reunion between Fitz and Simmons, the way the entire team pulled together to make that possible – it was superb, complete with some definitely Gothic settings (and professor Randolph, from Asgard, to break the tension on occasion) and an interesting prequel (of the 19^th century).

Other interactions between the characters were worthwhile too. Hunter finally got May out of her funk, while May seems to be on the out with her ex-husband – again. Maybe there is hope for Philinda still. (FitzSimmons are back together, and Daisy is with Lincoln now). Garner, however, is not very impressed with Coulson, so perhaps there are seeds for a potential conflict ahead, and maybe the team will go through some further reworking – necessary this time (cough conflict between Lincoln and Daisy cough).

The other conflict, of course, is between the ‘new and improved team’ and Ward. He has already recruited von Strucker’s own son for his cause, and is clearly on a roll, intent on rebuilding Hydra from the ashes. Hunter, who talked May into joining his cause, will stop him, of course, but-

But acting aside, the overall plot of S.H.I.E.L.D. has turned predictable. “Purpose in the Machine” is not as rushed or clichéd as “Laws of Nature” had been, but all the same... Ward, on some level, had given the show an element of unpredictability: will he deliver? Won’t he? Now that unpredictability is gone from his character, and it is obvious that he will rebuild Hydra before S.H.I.E.L.D. can stop him, because otherwise there will not be any Hydra and it is a staple of any Marvel™ universe, so yeah. This means a relatively straightforward plotline, with Ward keeping one-step ahead of Hunter and May until he is no longer needed by Hydra, and then-

And then it is anyone’s call, really. His character is based on Angelus, just a bit, so odds are that he will die, though it will be a team effort, because that is how S.H.I.E.L.D. works, or supposed to. (The scripts of S2, speaking of supposed, have gone through some remaking in the process, and it was painfully obvious, even in the beginning, but the scripts of S3 seem to have got it together after all.) The entire BtVS S2 situation, where Angel/us got sent to Hell has already been done by Jemma, and now the team has brought her back, and now Fitz gets to be the fixer out of the two – Jemma does have some karma to work out...but that is pointless. S.H.I.E.L.D. the show does not care about the karma: it is a straightforward live action adaptation of Marvel™ comics, possibly complicated by the interactions of actors and staff behind the scenes that we will never know about. The good are good, the bad are bad, and eventually they are dead. Ward probably has to die, if von Strucker the younger is to inherit Hydra; considering that the beginnings of S2 showed him to be suicidal already, this might be what the character intends to be. (The characters, because Marvel™ and co. do their best to differentiate characters from actors, yeah.)

Anything else? “Purpose in the Machine” was less heavy-handed in integrating the show with MCU, which is a good thing, again. This might change in the next episode, but that does not matter: S.H.I.E.L.D. S3 has found its stride, and it is a fast-paced one: already Randolph has introduced (to Coulson) the greater concept of the InHumans, so perhaps the Secret Warriors of the comics aren’t too far off – with a new twist. This is very exciting, so who knows what the future episodes will bring?

So: great teamwork from the characters, great acting from the actors, and a proper integration into the MCU (not heavy handed as in the previous episode). I.e. this is a very good episode to watch.

S.H.I.E.L.D., Laws of Nature - Sep 29

And so, AoS is back. Opening S3 is “Laws of Nature”, a nice filler/introductory episode. It introduced Joey/Jose, a new character with the power to melt metal (and maybe other solids), as well as Lash, a giant feral InHuman of an arsehole, who goes around killing people. Whedon, whose demons back on BtVS had been known for their grotesque appearances, must be so proud of him – talk about a throwback, and it is primal!..

And then there is Ms. Rosalind, an international woman of mystery, who is running ACTU, a new incarnation of ‘real S.H.I.E.L.D.’. It aims to control the new InHumans, (who are set to appear all over the world), but actually may not be the evil organisation that Lash made it appear to be to the viewers. That said, given Coulson’s keen acumen and whatnot, it is only a matter of time until S.H.I.E.L.D. and ACTU are being full-out enemies, or at least – rivals.

Think back to S2. Ward is not in this episode, so we shall not be talking about him this time. Think about the ‘real S.H.I.E.L.D.’. Odds are, they were not exactly evil, and they did make peace with Coulson at the end of S2 – just for Jiaying’s InHumans to decimate them, because they followed Coulson’s plan, and died for because.

The same goes for senator Ward. Yes, it was his brother who killed him, but the man got the opportunity only because of Coulson’s decisions. (May’s as well, maybe, but she is not in this episode either, so we shall not talk about her much too.) Coulson found the senator useful? Then he should have dedicated at leastsome agents to protect him against Grant – but he did not. The result? Ward killed his family, but he had nothing to lose, while Coulson probably lost any political goodwill he had built by hanging over Scarlotti to Talbot and the US authorities – and now he is paying the price. Great decision choices there, ‘DC’.

Speaking of decision choices, there is Lincoln, who, apparently, is not with S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore. WTF with that? Obviously, the SkyeWard relationship is done. Obviously, there needs to be more than just ‘Skye/Daisy married Lincoln and had his babies’. But at the end of S2 Lincoln helped Skye and Co. defeat Jiaying’s forces, so whatever it was that caused his about-face really should be shown in detail. For the moment, though, Lincoln refused to come with Mack and Skye/Daisy, but has run away, seeking out his own way in the world. He will probably be back, helping the agency or being helped by them in few episodes – he is a part of the regular cast now, after all.

With Jemma, it’ll probably be much longer – she’s stuck on some alien planet, having learned some survival skills that probably equal Ward’s, waiting, but proactively, for the others to come and rescue her...and by ‘proactively’ I mean running for her life from...whatever it is that we weren’t shown – yet. We did get to see the alien moon, which is cool, so maybe we will get some Guardians of the Galaxy crossover action yet. Of course, if Fitz will lose Simmons to Rocket Racoon, this will just be wrong! His final scene in this episode, when he is screaming at the monolith because he had lost Jemma (at least for a while) is heart rendering.

On the other hand, Lance and Bobbi are back together for good. They have to be, of course, since the talk of a spinoff featuring them, and primarily them, has been in the works had been around since they appeared on S2, and now it is picking up steam, but anyways. Bobbi still has not recovered from Ward’s shooting her in the knee; Hunter is going after Hydra and Ward (so who is going to be helping Daisy/Skye with the InHumans? Only Mack? Considering that he does not like aliens and had been infected with some sort of an alien virus back in Puerto Rico...this will turn out to be a problem, one bets). That is fine, Hydra is a part of Marvel universe, but the question is – will Hunter be able to handle it? In the end – yes, he must because of the spinoff, but on the other hand? Ward might be evil now fully, but if he had been able to rebuild Hydra after AoS S2 and ‘Age of Ultron’, then he had to learn new skills, including organizational ones. How will Hunter be able to handle them, I wonder?

And so, this is it for ‘Laws of Nature’. It just introduced the new characters and plotlines, (conflicts, etc), and not even them, since neither Ward nor May have appeared in this episode. It should be noted, that on the latest ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ promotional posters, Ward is flanking Coulson alongside Skye. Why? Is he going to be redeemed? This is unlikely; even for his fans on the show, but no one probably saw Lincoln splitting off from S.H.I.E.L.D. and breaking up with Skye after S2 either.

...Anyways, ‘Law of Nature’ was very exciting to watch, but nothing in-depth. This is worrisome too – ever since S2 ended; TV had featured new shows that were clearly influenced by ‘Agents’, including ‘Killjoys’ and ‘Blindspot’. The latter, in particular, stars Jaimie Alexander, who had appeared as lady Sif on S.H.I.E.L.D., so odds are that lady Sif will not be returning to this show any time soon: being Jane Doe on ‘Blindspot’ pays better. That is not the issue; the issue is that those shows tend to stimulate excitement and nothing more; easily watchable and easily forgettable. Hopefully, ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ will not follow their example...

So this is it for this installment – a nice introductory episode, nothing more. Hopefully, the next ones will be have more depth.

May 27 - What's up

What is new?

1) “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” S2 is over. By now all of the couples have split up: Skye has become a full agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. while Grant is firmly Hydra once more; Melinda appears to have gone back to her ex, leaving Coulson behind; and Simmons was eaten by an alien rock, while Fitz wasn’t – so it is anyone’s guess in figuring out how it will go in S3. But for now, “Agents” are over. (If you not count an occasional fanfic, that is).

2) The latest season of “River Monsters”. Make no mistake – I like this show and I like JW. Compared to the other shows on both “Animal Planet” and “Discovery Channel”, RM is certainly hardcore – dealing with nature, exotic and foreign countries, and even showing some forensic science, especially in the earlier seasons. But even now, when compared to other shows on AP, which don’t have animals in them per se (i.e. “Tanked”) or show them in a very specific light (i.e. “Too Cute”), RM is still amazing! ...sadly, it still has to end.

Let me elaborate. On MLP: FIM there is Pinkie Pie, who loves to throw parties, but does not know when to stop (that is her weakness, so to speak) them. RM is like that. Certainly, JW loves the benefits, the prestige, et cetera that it brings him, but enough is enough. He has exhausted the topic, for the seasons of RM are becoming shorter and shorter, with more spectacle and less science, which is not good – not to mention that in the reputed RM S8 JW plans to focus on sea fish instead, thus defeating the actual concept of his show instead. JW, it was a great show while it lasted, but it still must end – if not with a bang, then with a whimper, but still end...

3) And as for MLP: FIM itself, so far it is rather interesting, even as it is determined to return the villains from the previous MLP cartoon incarnation – Tirek, Smooze... Now, of course, there are the Arimaspians, who appear to be based at least in part on Grogan, another villain from the past – but that is not THE interesting part.

THE interesting part is that the entire Arimaspian/Gryphon conflict was taken straight from the classical Greeks, who had both of their monsters in their mythos. The gryphons are, of course, the gryphons, while their enemies were a mythical race of one-eyed people – just think Cyclopes, but human-sized. The Arimaspians constantly tried to steal the gold from the Gryphons..., which brings us back to MLP: FIM. Interesting, no?

...Anyways, this is for this time – “Agents” are “Agents”; RM is getting too successful for its own good; and MLP: FIM is actually using real-life mythology for its episodes. Until next time!

S.H.I.E.L.D., S.O.S. - May 12

An ancient English saying says: “Best is the enemy of good”. Last night’s S2 finale of “Agents” had certainly proven it right.

Where to begin? The two-part “S.O.S.” had been truly epic, containing several plot lines. 1) Jiaying, having proved to be some sort of a life-sucking monster (BtVS grins and says hi from its new-old home in the comic-world) as well as a bio-terrorist, who wants to destroy the world – or at least, S.H.I.E.L.D. by using crystals containing the Terrigen mist. 2) Cal is sent over to Coulson in order to destroy him personal. Silly Jiaying – you cannot kill Coulson, Coulson can win over anyone (well, almost anyone. Grant Ward does not count). 3) Grant and Kara Lynn kidnap Bobbi because Bobbi had handed Kara Lynn over to Hydra between S1 and S2, and now the dastardly duo want Bobbi to apologize to”} Kara Lynn – but things do not go according to plan.

 So far so good, and on screen “S.O.S.” proved to be truly epic, as actors and their characters delivered dynamic action sequences and tense dramatic dialogue. It was a very great pleasure to watch it, but it was so overwhelming, that it was too much. Breaks in the action – comedic or otherwise – would have made this double-parter of a finale even better. Instead the tension just rose and rose until people could not take it any more – and lost interest, or lost the thread of a narrative, or the show suffered in other ways...

Take, for example, the death toll. At the end of S1, only one person had died – Garrett, and yet “Agents” still gained enough popularity to be renewed for the second season, and to sprout “Agent Carter” on top of it. Here, conversely, we have Raina, Jiyaing, Gordon & Kara Lynn (spoiler alert?). Plus, Cal had been treated by T.A.H.I.T.I. and no longer remembers anything of his old life (just how did this procedure interact with his altered biochemistry, one wonders?) and Bobbi will apparently be leaving S.H.I.E.L.D. for good (reminiscent of some of the Avengers on ‘Ultron’?). Of course, considering that there are rumors of her and Hunter doing their own spinoff, I would not discard her just yet either. Or the ship HuntingBird itself.

...Yes, the relationships of all of the agents (or “Agents”) have largely fallen apart at the moment. Grant had lost Kara Lynn and has joined with Hydra (or rather decided to take it over, as Garrett did in S1), forgetting all about Skye for the moment; Hunter and Morse have their own issues to work out; Melinda has left Phil for her ex-husband; and an 0-8-4 ate Simmons, just when Fitz was about to ask her out (but left her alone with the alien thing for a moment). That, of course, is a monster of cliffhanger in regards to the future S3 of “Agents”, but still raises some questions even now, for example - does Simmons have alien DNA just as Skye does, and that is why the new 0-8-4 had reacted towards her so?.. But these questions can wait, for any answers will be short-circuited by the show’s scriptwriters and the show’s general unpredictability.

About that. Unlike “Carter”, “S.H.I.E.L.D.’s” strongest point was its unpredictability and ability to frustrate, shock or awe its audience and fandom. That is good. But the S2 finale stretched this ability to the limit; the audience has realized that no matter what happens, they will be wrong-footed, and they are feeling overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted by this; they need a break. Hence, of course, the break in the action between the finished S2 and the upcoming S3 (whenever that will happen), but still...

Most of the characters who died did not have to die! S.H.I.E.L.D. was supposed to be about justice, instead the evil Inhumans got lynched, and Kara Lynn...didn’t deserve to die; unlike Grant, she remained a wholly sympathetic character, whose death had been unnecessary and accidental; with her around, Grant might return to the side of goodness much sooner, if at all.

...Yes, this is “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”, not “Skye and Grant show”, but still, Grant is beginning to become a ‘designed evil character’ or something along these lines. Cal got redemption (via memory working but still) – why not Grant? Skye fought with May – and got forgiven post haste – why not Grant? Let us not forget – at the beginning of S2 he actually cooperated with S.H.I.E.L.D., but got handed over to his brother for all that...a decision that backfired upon S.H.I.E.L.D. and got Bobbi tortured among other things. Seriously, if Grant is such a monster, then kill him already! Don’t let him go on for more seasons than it is necessary! Even Angel was Angelus for just one season of BtVS (more or less.)

The same can be said about the other deceased – or otherwise departed – characters. Now the Inhumans of Afterlife are leaderless; Skye and Lincoln can take charge of them and the other Inhumans. Hooray?! Probably not, and not quite necessary. Sure, as the alien angle continues to develop further in “Agents” the part-alien Inhumans will continue to grow in importance (unlike Hydra?), so Skye’s connection to them will grow in importance too, yet this mass destruction of ‘secondary’ characters is overkill. Until “S.O.S.”, “Agents” had killed off relatively few people, and never at once, so this? “S.O.S.” is a game changer for sure, and towards something more and more grandiose. Will this be a good thing for the show or not? We will learn this only in the future.