I just finished episode 5x20 and I felt I needed to write this down and reiterate something I say almost every season when I watch Agents of SHIELD. I hate SHIELD. They're a terrible organization that take away fundamental human right. I don't understand how everyone can see everything wrong when it happens to the X-Men but when SHIELD does it suddenly no one cares what's right and wrong. It's only what's legal that matters.
The Storylines are Super Compelling That aside it's a testament to the writing of this series that it's one of my favorite shows five seasons in. For a show that has been subjected to the whims of the movie franchise it's spun off from. It's only gotten better every times something bad happens to the MCU. When Captain America revealed Hydra was hiding in SHIELD the whole time. It killed the entire premise of the show. Which was amazing. The show which was stuttering shifted gears into good. Season 5 spent most of it's time in an altered timeline with a reduced cast and it was one of the best arcs in the series. In 5x20 we finally see the impending Infinity War showing it's effect on the series. One of their human antagonists is becoming a threat (that I feel I would recognize if I read the comics). It's compelling it's mostly well written. The characters are interesting and dynamic.
And yet... I still HATE SHIELD. I hate Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie the most. he out of everyone represents everything wrong with SHIELD. He's also weirdly religious. I don't mind that he's religious but he's weirdly religious. At random times in the series he'll debate Christian ethics like he's debating with atheists. (i.e. "How dare you kill that man. Don't you know the good book says to never kill? I don't care that he's a giant blue mutant with knife like dredlocks and he was trying to kill everyone in the city. We're supposed to be better than that.) I hate how SHIELD controls people "for their own good" even though they haven't demonstrated any need to be controlled. Then because SHIELD is interfering with them things happen and suddenly everyone is dangerous and thus SHIELD has been "proven" right.
There's a LOT of fights about things that don't matter in SHIELD but that's just TV for the most part. I hate it and I wish SHIELD didn't do it. For an organization that is so quick to forgive SERIOUS betrayal they certainly hold grudges over minor matters. It's just so inconsistent that it feels engineered to make sure the main characters are never on the same page and always in the midst of strife which is just so bloody unfair.
Time Travel Gave Me New Reasons to Hate SHIELD SHIELD enters time travel in Season 5 and I'll avoid spoilers but I hate everything about it after they return to the main timeline. In short they go to the future. Things have happened. They return home and now they're trying to change things so that future doesn't happen. In the course of that they have used THREE different understandings of time travel. Each of which is basically incompatible with the others to the point where nothing makes sense. Either the future is set and they can't change it (Then why are you trying, but sure that does mean those of you who saw yourselves in the future are immortal) or the future ISN'T set and you can change it (then WHY WOULD YOU BE INVINCIBLE you were invincible in the original timeline not this skewed one where you traveled to the future) or time is a series of loops which actually makes sense. It allows them to use the future knowledge like they're trying. it allows them to break the loop but again if you're going though cycles like Happy Death Day or The Matrix then each loop could break at any moment and no you are not invincible. I bang on this point because in the time travel arc it become a MAJOR point that based on what they saw some characters will not die so they work to change the future with the understanding that they will not die. Which doesn't make sense.
I have many many issues with Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. and it's in spite of them that I highly recommend it. I don't expect most people will take issue with a government body telling people what to do and where to go. They can buy in without seeing the analogies to real world marginalized people. The cast isn't overly beautiful like Quantico but awesomely diverse in both demographic and character. Watching the movies impact these minor characters in the Marvel universe is fun and it's a testament to the show that it's not the only fun thing.
Review by wolfkinBlockedParent2018-05-12T15:19:49Z
I just finished episode 5x20 and I felt I needed to write this down and reiterate something I say almost every season when I watch Agents of SHIELD. I hate SHIELD. They're a terrible organization that take away fundamental human right. I don't understand how everyone can see everything wrong when it happens to the X-Men but when SHIELD does it suddenly no one cares what's right and wrong. It's only what's legal that matters.
The Storylines are Super Compelling
That aside it's a testament to the writing of this series that it's one of my favorite shows five seasons in. For a show that has been subjected to the whims of the movie franchise it's spun off from. It's only gotten better every times something bad happens to the MCU. When Captain America revealed Hydra was hiding in SHIELD the whole time. It killed the entire premise of the show. Which was amazing. The show which was stuttering shifted gears into good. Season 5 spent most of it's time in an altered timeline with a reduced cast and it was one of the best arcs in the series. In 5x20 we finally see the impending Infinity War showing it's effect on the series. One of their human antagonists is becoming a threat (that I feel I would recognize if I read the comics). It's compelling it's mostly well written. The characters are interesting and dynamic.
And yet... I still HATE SHIELD. I hate Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie the most. he out of everyone represents everything wrong with SHIELD. He's also weirdly religious. I don't mind that he's religious but he's weirdly religious. At random times in the series he'll debate Christian ethics like he's debating with atheists. (i.e. "How dare you kill that man. Don't you know the good book says to never kill? I don't care that he's a giant blue mutant with knife like dredlocks and he was trying to kill everyone in the city. We're supposed to be better than that.) I hate how SHIELD controls people "for their own good" even though they haven't demonstrated any need to be controlled. Then because SHIELD is interfering with them things happen and suddenly everyone is dangerous and thus SHIELD has been "proven" right.
There's a LOT of fights about things that don't matter in SHIELD but that's just TV for the most part. I hate it and I wish SHIELD didn't do it. For an organization that is so quick to forgive SERIOUS betrayal they certainly hold grudges over minor matters. It's just so inconsistent that it feels engineered to make sure the main characters are never on the same page and always in the midst of strife which is just so bloody unfair.
Time Travel Gave Me New Reasons to Hate SHIELD
SHIELD enters time travel in Season 5 and I'll avoid spoilers but I hate everything about it after they return to the main timeline. In short they go to the future. Things have happened. They return home and now they're trying to change things so that future doesn't happen. In the course of that they have used THREE different understandings of time travel. Each of which is basically incompatible with the others to the point where nothing makes sense. Either the future is set and they can't change it (Then why are you trying, but sure that does mean those of you who saw yourselves in the future are immortal) or the future ISN'T set and you can change it (then WHY WOULD YOU BE INVINCIBLE you were invincible in the original timeline not this skewed one where you traveled to the future) or time is a series of loops which actually makes sense. It allows them to use the future knowledge like they're trying. it allows them to break the loop but again if you're going though cycles like Happy Death Day or The Matrix then each loop could break at any moment and no you are not invincible. I bang on this point because in the time travel arc it become a MAJOR point that based on what they saw some characters will not die so they work to change the future with the understanding that they will not die. Which doesn't make sense.
I have many many issues with Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. and it's in spite of them that I highly recommend it. I don't expect most people will take issue with a government body telling people what to do and where to go. They can buy in without seeing the analogies to real world marginalized people. The cast isn't overly beautiful like Quantico but awesomely diverse in both demographic and character. Watching the movies impact these minor characters in the Marvel universe is fun and it's a testament to the show that it's not the only fun thing.