S.H.I.E.L.D., Madame's Men - April 25

‘All the Madame’s Men’ was the 84^th, I believe, episode of AoS, and it marks a turning point, as the core characters are beginning to leave Madame Hydra’s/Aida’s world behind. This means, of course, a resolution of the entire ‘SkyeWard’ relationship, done in a manner to generate a lot of feels, and to leave SkyeWard fans happy…which is important for the AoS, for when Brett (Grant) returned to AoS, the show’s ratings went up. Looks like the ‘controversy’ gamble paid-off – sort of.

Of course, given the fact that we’re dealing with MCU there is still plenty of controversy, especially since in the comics, Captain America/Steve Rogers is (still) Hydra, and many people are angry about that because…reasons. With ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’, ‘Thor: Ragnarok’, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy II’ and even ‘Avengers: The Infinity War’ I and II in the wings, this sort of controversy can be an ambiguous sword – but we digress.

The point is that ‘SkyeWard’ was beautifully done, but it feels tacked on, a later addition, kind of like the mention of the departed Mr. Paxton, (John Garrett), was. As always, AoS has plenty of good ideas, new and old, but the way it is depicting them? It sucks. Unlike ‘APB’, whose main idea is meh, but the delivery is solid, or ‘Time After Time’- Oh, right, it was cancelled, never mind.

Or yes, do mind, thank you very much. First ‘Time’ got cancelled, while ‘APB’ made it to the season’s finale on one hand, and now ‘Powerless’ has also gotten cancelled, while ‘Making History’ seems still to be going. True, it has been reduced to 9 episodes from the original 13, but who knows? Maybe somebody somewhere was feeling superstitious? For otherwise, ‘History’ is much more lowbrow than ‘Powerless’ was, let alone ‘Time’, yet it hasn’t gotten cancelled – yet.

The above written awkward mini-rant is to point out that shows tend to be cancelled on an irrational basis and without rhyme or reason, and it sucks. To make it even worse, RM is in its final season, so yeah – after S9 wraps up, no more RM, period. The world of TV will be diminished…

Back to AoS? Yeah, ‘SkyeWard’ was put in to entice the fans/viewers, and it worked, (though S4 is still nowhere as badass as S1 & and S2 of AoS used to be), so I doubt that we will see Grant in S4 ever again, (though who knows? After S3, no one expected to see any of Dalton’s characters in AoS ever again either). Of course, this still leaves the issue of Trip hanging around – what kind of closure will he get, and there was still the matter of Bakshi: WTF did he come back?

…Bakshi was a Hydra member back in S2, who got killed by Simmons in the Arctic, and who had never been in contact with Radcliffe or Aida or Anton Ivanov/the Superior, not in canon or otherwise. So, how did he end up in the framework? Had Radcliffe and Aida Mk II, (this one) hacked S.H.I.E.L.D. files or something? In this case, they and their allies could have done much more damage than what we have seen in the LMD story arc. Instead, we seem to be dealing with a plot gap, (or a plot hole, whatever it is called), and also, before team Coulson, (including Ward), had stormed ‘Hydra Daily News’, cough, Bakshi had been briefly interacting with a somewhat Bobbi-like blonde, and Bobbi used to be undercover in Hydra… it would’ve been fun to see a framework Bobbi, yeah? However, that did not happen, alas…

(Speaking of Ivanov, WTF he is ‘The Superior’ now? Is his new ‘rank’ an adjective, a noun, a verb, etc.? In general, Marvel isn’t big on using ‘Superior’ as a noun, more as an adjective…and what, or who, Ivanov is superior to, or then? This is sort of like FH ‘Conqueror’ from the Knight faction – there wasn’t much active conquering going on in FH, which is part of its’ problem, but that is another story…)

So. Another good episode made by AoS S4, and ‘SkyeWard’ fans actually got the closure that they sought, so things are looking up. ‘Madame Hydra’ is moving into her endgame, as does AoS S4 in general. 

S.H.I.E.L.D., No Regrets - April 18

…So, here is the catch – I really should be discussing this week’s episode of AoS, ‘No Regrets’, but… I do not truly care about it: AoS is back doing the mainstream; it got over the departure of Luke (Lincoln), and there is little to no SkyeWard, which is fine – ever since the S2 finale I’m suspecting that regardless of what makes their characters tick, Brett and Chloe themselves don’t get along… but that’s conspiracy theories, let’s not get into them too blatantly.

What next? I have been watching bits and pieces of a new documentary TV series, about the ‘untamed’ North America. In this week’s episode, they showed an alligator skull – of an alligator that was killed by a crocodile. Hence, let us raise an AFO-style question: which of the two is deadliest?

First, about the contestants. The alligator is the American alligator, not the Chinese one, Alligator mississippiensis. Second, the crocodile is the so-called ‘American crocodile’, or Crocodylus acutus. Unlike the alligator, is has a proportionally longer, thinner, V-shaped snout while the alligator’s snout is proportionally shorter and broader and is rather in the shape of an U.

This situation is complexed further by the presence of the so-called spectacled caiman, Caiman crocodilus, which is an introduced species in the U.S. Normally, it lived south of Mexico, in the American tropics, but not unlike other big reptiles – the monitor lizards, various constrictor snakes – it ended up in the state of Florida as well… but it isn’t as hardy as the crocodile and the alligator are. It also smaller – about 1 or 2 m long, while both the crocodile and the alligator can reach 4 to 5 m in length, twice as long as the caiman…or a human.

Next, about their hunting techniques. All of the crocodiles, alligator and caimans are ambush predators, attacking from, well, ambush. Or cover, if you prefer, overpowering their prey quickly, often through some massive body damage. Like most other carnivores, (birds, beasts, reptiles, etc.), they prefer to attack animals smaller than they are; all of those effective shots of (Nile) crocodiles attacking antelopes and zebras in Africa involve mature reptiles; younger crocodiles are nowhere as bold and probably stay far away from such spots, for otherwise the adult crocodiles may attack them instead of gazelles and co. The same goes for alligators and caimans, (which are closer relatives to each other than to the ‘true’ crocodiles); save that, in general, they are smaller and weaker than the ‘true’ crocodiles are (especially the Nile and the saltwater crocodiles).

So. Can an American crocodile ambush and kill an American alligator if it can ambush it successfully? Yes, with ‘ambush’ and ‘successfully’ being the key words here, plus the crocodile is older and bigger than the alligator is (or vice versa in a reversed situation). Otherwise the table can get turned – it’s easy to point out how crocodiles are more powerful and dangerous than their cousins are, (especially if the crocodiles in question are the Nile and the saltwater crocodiles, the monsters of the modern world), but the American crocodile isn’t really much bigger or stronger than the American alligator is, and in North America it is the alligator that got the territorial advantage: just like the caimans, the crocodiles live better in the tropics, (i.e. Central and South America). The alligator skull featured on the show may have been work of an American crocodile, but somehow it just looked too clean and too white to be natural…but that is conspiracy theory.

Speaking of conspiracy theories, this is probably the perfect entry to return to the topic of AoS, but there is nothing to say. Ward fans and Ward haters still are going to each other, and while the show writers tried to minimize the controversy by minimizing the interactions between Grant/Brett and Daisy/Chloe on screen, it does not really work. Plus, now people are getting huffy about Fitz’s fall into the darkness, and if he’ll get the chance of redemption, (and he’ll take it, no doubt), there will be some Grant fans who will cry ‘foul’ at this and rightfully so.

But! The people at AoS knew this, they realized and understood this, when they brought Grant back, via framework or whatever, and instead of bringing back…no, not Lincoln, this would have probably had its’ own issues, but a completely neutral third party, or even Robbie Reyes, (seriously, this could have been interesting), in such a role. But no, instead they got Grant back, and, while I enjoyed watching the framework episodes, it is noticeable that Grant’s conversion from bad to good here was kind of jarring; it’s likely that he was supposed to be a framework villain as well, but Brett, (and his agent?), said, “no, just no”, and because Mitchell’s, (and Reyes’?) departure gave AoS a disadvantage they had to comply. So now they are trying to downplay Grant, period, (he mostly interacts with Simmons lately), because they do not really want him as a hero, but cannot do him as a villain either. It is unlikely that Grant will be around for more than another couple of episodes, and certainly not for the season’s finale, so in the end his presence will do the show more harm than good. However, this is not Brett Dalton’s fault either, so that is that…

Moreover, that is for this week’s episode of AoS, ‘No Regrets’. Stay tuned for the next week!

S.H.I.E.L.D., Identity - April 11

The adventures of Jemma, Daisy, and the others in the framework-Hydra-land continue!

The good sides/aspects/etc. of this scenario? As I wrote about the previous episode – solid acting work, very impressive plot, and a very emotionally intense one. The bad? It is trickier…

Not so long ago I was privy to another ‘Hydra – Nazi or not’ argument involving the AoS, of course. One side stated succulently that Hydra was ‘Fascist’, not ‘Nazi’, which is important, (and for them it probably was). The other stated just as precisely that it did not care, but - which is important for us - it did not care about AoS either. Maybe Hydra was not Nazi, but AoS presented it as Nazi, but AoS itself is not exactly a great prize or the most accurate show either, you see?

Let me clarify. Before the latest mid-season hiatus, I assumed that Grant’s return would cause a controversy between his fans and anti-fans – I was wrong. There is no controversy, because even fewer people care about the entire AoS than before. For, the fans in general have figured out by now who is pro-Ward, who is anti-Ward, and peacefully coexist with each other, mostly by mutual avoidance. This is true for the more regulated sites, like the ones who deal with AoS fanfiction (and fanfiction in general). Conflicts still occur on less regulated sites, like the Tumblr, but this isn’t my point – my point is that even less people want to defend AoS and its’ values than they did before. In S3 Hydra was not actually truly Nazi – it was utilized by Hive, who was an alien monster, but certainly not a German one. AoS is trying to turn back the clock…only it does not; in ‘Identity’, for example, Radcliffe had clearly and purposefully mentioned the same Hive. What gives?

No, this is not just a rhetorical question – AoS clearly has no idea where it is going anymore. If anyone is interested in conspiracy theories, I can spin a long yarn about how AoS initially had a straightforward plotline, as ‘Blindspot’ does, or ‘Time’ did, but it went wrong somewhere between S1 and S2, so now they are in a mess – but it is unnecessary and redundant, these days. The way to resolve this is to start anew…which, again, AoS did with the Ghost Rider mini-arc…and then promptly abandoned for the framework Hydra-world. Fine. The only question unanswered with why Grant Ward and not Robbie Reyes in a different role/ID? Alternatively, did Luna want to be just the Ghost Rider, period?

…Either way, neither of these questions can be truly answered by watching AoS. So far, bringing Dalton/Ward back has paid off as more viewers are, well, viewing the show. Will this be enough to bring Ward back as a regular character in the future seasons? (And preferably not as a villain – this was done, remember?) We will just have to wait and see…

real life - April 8

Okay, firstly I seem to have gotten my old job back, (which is better than my current job is), so hurray. Sort of, I guess.

Second, ‘Time After Time’ is cancelled for good. It did not bring high enough ratings for Fox, apparently. Personally, I do not think that it is any worse than ‘Powerless’ is, but what do I know? AoS’ S4 ratings are not that high either but it is still going strong, so the answer is nothing, apparently. Pity, because ‘Time’ was a good show, in my opinion.

Finally, there are some rumors of a Giganotosaurus appearing in the ‘Jurassic World 2’ film. I doubt that, for there is already a carnosaur in the renewed franchise – the Indominus Rex. Oh sure, in game terms it is ‘completely unnatural’ and ‘artificial’, and is composed of DNA of all kinds of creatures, but externally? It is a carnosaur. I.e., a large carnivorous dinosaur that is proportionally more gracile than a T. Rex, with longer forearms, (that also have three claws, rather than two), slimmer head and longer neck, and a less powerful bite. In general, the Cretaceous carnosaurs – Carcharodontosaurus, Giganotosaurus, etc. – were bigger than the T. Rex (and its’ Asian cousin, Tarbosaurus bataar) was, but T. Rex was still proportionally stronger, because physical size is not everything, but this is a discussion akin to the one as to who would win in a fight – tiger or lion – just more theoretical…

Well, that is that for this entry. Cheers and see you later!

S.H.I.E.L.D., What If - April 4

And so, S.H.I.E.L.D. has returned from its’ hiatus. And?

Well, Daisy and Jemma, primarily, are in a terrible new world where Hydra won. Let us give kudos to the team AoS – they actually tried to address the issue as to why Radcliffe & Aida decided to utilize Hydra as a part of their utopia – and it floats. Sort of. The explanation, that is.

In truth, of course, this is a partial reboot: the second and third seasons of AoS created something of a morass where the once-promising show got stuck, so now AoS is trying to do something different…over and over again. The Ghost Rider mini-arc was one of them, and ‘Agents of Hydra’ is another. AoS could have gone and saved itself a long time ago…but it did not.

True, maybe its’ people don’t consider that it needs to be saved to begin with – they put their fate into the hands of the various critics and co., they got the contract with MCU and Disney, and while the contract lasts they’re as good as gold, but once the contract runs out, what then?

Well, maybe the entire team AoS just breaks up and everybody goes their separate way. J. Whedon, for example, has already left all of MCU behind and went over to DCEU, where he will be directing a Batgirl movie instead. There is no indication that S4 is going to be the end for AoS completely, but similarly you cannot dismiss this possibility either.

The episode itself? Solid acting, very good and poignant plot, AoS delivers this sort of thing as it always does, and so it happened now. Sadly, it does not seem to have gone better or worse than the ‘Hot Potato Soup’ episode, so there is that. By now, the fans have formed their opinion of the show and it is not likely to change. If the scriptwriters are planning to redeem Ward, it will work for some people – and piss-off others. The same will happen if they do not. If it is just a question of money – it is easier to work with Dalton than with Luna or anyone else new, then this is what will happen, most likely, and the fans can go hang.

I mean, take a look at Marvel’s ‘Iron Fist’ or the 2017 ‘Ghost in the Shell’ movie. In both cases, the fans made a lot of noise about whitewashing. Guess what, no one cared, and ‘Ghost’ didn’t do so good, while ‘Iron Fist’…well, ‘Iron Fist’ is a Netflix TV show, if you want to see for real, you either get a pirate copy, (which brings an entirely new set of problems), or pay Netflix to see it, (as well as the rest of ‘The Defenders’ TV series so far), so ‘Iron Fist’, and the rest of ‘The Defenders’ are set for now.

With AoS’ it is somewhat different – there is no whitewashing issue, hurray, but the problem is not unlike that of the 2017 ‘Ghost’: bad depiction of good ideas. The true problem of ‘Ghost’ is that is simplified the plot a lot, and badly: the original, 1995 version of the film became so popular because of the plot, of all the moral Timbits and quirks that it addressed; the 2017 version just ignored them in a typical ‘Western’ fashion. AoS did something similar – it just rode roughshod all over the plot holes and similar issues from the finale of S1, and not unlike ‘Ghost’ it ended up in a bad place…but while ‘Ghost’ can take this, it’s a one-shot of a movie, there aren’t going to be any sequels, AoS cannot – it a TV series that is a continuous, ongoing process so if it gets enough bad hits over time, it is over.

And why not? ‘Agent Carter’ ended after just two seasons, so AoS is never too secure…contract or no contract. Mind you, it had been metaphorically buried on a regular basis as well, so let us not be too sceptical or dismissive of AoS either.

Therefore, that is it for ‘What If’, actually – a standard, solid and good fare of an episode. However, is it, and the future episodes, be enough to keep AoS going just because? We will just have to wait and see.