I'm writing this article to take some time to acknowledge what an accomplishment AGENTS OF S.H.E.I.L.D has been in just one season on television. Once again several spoilers are discussed, so if for whatever reason you aren't caught up with the entire Marvel Studios Universe thus far don't read any further. First I'd like to start off by saying I'm not here to debate wether AOS is a better or worse show than the impressive DC television series ARROW, just detailing the impressive job Marvel has done by connecting all of PHASE 2 up till this point.
With the recent worldwide release of Captain America: TWS we are well past the half way point of Phase Two, and TWS completely shook up the world marvel built by drastically turning the worlds greatest defense organization into a longstanding cloaked HYDRA hellbent on the earths suffering. Some of you may have only seen the pilot episode of AOS or barely watched the first few episodes after only to give up on the series entirely, and although that's understandable I assure you the 22 episodes for this season has proven to be the right amount of time to prove this groundbreaking concept. Marvel has put in the time to take the risk that this show was, and now following TWS and how it directly effected the AOS world I feel it's safe to call this "risk" a success. Wether linking the extremis serum from IRON MAN 3 with project centipede,
the events of THOR: TDW and rogue Asgardians, all the way to Captain America: TWS this series will forever be a true companion to the whole of Phase Two.
Now lets look at life out in the cosmos, from the Chitauri of THE AVENGERS all the way to the likely Kree kept on earth for project T.A.H.I.T.I linking this summers forthcoming GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.
We even got to see Nick Fury return for the big season finale in two and his second in command, agent Maria Hill a few weeks earlier. For the second time this season.
With Marvel Studios now responsible for as profitable a film franchise ever, to expand that universe even further with a high profile television series in a landmark in media. Knowing looking back in retrospect at HYDRA's infiltration of S.H.E.I.L.D and how it shaped the series makes re watching older episodes more meaningful because Marvel was playing the long game, all the while fully aware how dramatic and exciting AOS would end up becoming.
I'm an overall fan of comic books in general and happy that AOS will return for another season but hope that DC will be able to expand more on there cinematic universe by utilizing either ARROW or THE FLASH in the future. What Marvel has done shouldn't be a rarity, because as a fan being able to not only have multiple films each year but also a great connected TV show, makes nearly a full year of comic book bliss. On a closing note I want to state that as an American I think that 22 episodes is not as effective as say 6,8 or even 10 because when your limited in how many hours you have the plot tends to be more focused and impactful (see the first 2 seasons if the UK series MISFITS for a perfect example). If you took the second half of AOS and that was all anyone saw you'd certainly have more fans of this show. I feel overall though with the 22 episodes every episode built a stronger Marvel Studios Universe while (hopefully) paving the way for all comic book live action universes in the future.
What do you guys think of how ambitious the current Marvel Studios Universe is? Sound off in the comments below.
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