Luke Owen review episode 3 of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D…
‘Finally’. That was the word uttered by many with a huge sigh of relief as the closing credits rolled of Episode 3 of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Finally, an episode that was good.
Well, slightly above average anyway.
Episode 3 will no doubt be the moment in which the show’s supporters (who surprisingly exist) point out that the negativity around Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was just baseless bitching from the hardcore fanboy nerds. It’s an episode that moves along at a good pace, features a couple of genuinely funny lines and has an interesting ‘freak of the week’ vibe that carries the story to the credits. The episode still features all the elements that have held the last two episodes back, but here they seem less stupid and annoying.
Our Agent heroes are on the trail to Malta to rescue a Canadian scientist who has been kidnapped by a millionaire madman who has discovered a gravity controlling element known as gravitonium (found next to unobtatanium in the Periodic Table). The millionaire is a scientist himself and has former ties to S.H.I.E.L.D. which was how he was able to kidnap Franklin Hall in the first place and it’s now up to Hacktavist Skye to go undercover while Ward and Coulson sneak in through the back.
In the reviews of Episode 1, it was mentioned a lot that Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. could be a good show if it just found its footing. Episode 3 could be the episode where it all comes together. Painful characters like Fitz and Simmons seem toned down of their Britishness and even Skye is given something more to do than stand around look bland. Granted, Ward is still as boring as ever and it’s uncertain whether Melinda May has a character, but at least Coulson is less obtuse and annoying this time round. The main villain may have been competently stock, but Franklin Hall was a decent enough character who had an interesting story arc and conclusion.
The story itself is also very well told and has a few twists and turns that, while easily telegraphable, do keep you engaged until the very end. In the weeks leading up to its debut, Joss Whedon compared the show to The X-Files and Episode 3 of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. often feels like that. One of the weaker episode of The X-Files granted, but at least not one of the awful ones. However, there is an argument to be made that the gravitonium MacGuffin is pretty weak as it’s never really explained what its purpose is other than rotating a room around and shaking the mansion a bit. Had the element been given more of a purpose outside of “in the wrong hands it could be dangerous” the show would have been a lot better.
Still, it’s better than blocking up the hole on a plane with a rubber dinghy.
The show’s supporters will all rejoice in this pretty good episode and many of the doubters might possibly stand up and take notice once again. The show still has a long way to go as the interplay between Ward and Skye during their “training sessions” were beyond boring and features the sort of depth only found in shallow puddles. To end this review by not being a total Debbie Downer, Episode 3 of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been the best episode so far.
Even though that isn’t saying much.
Luke Owen is one of Flickering Myth’s co-editors and the host of the Flickering Myth Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @LukeWritesStuff.
Originally published October 12, 2013. Updated November 7, 2019.
