MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Ep. 3: The Asset (T.V. Review)

SHIELD Level 7

As season one progresses, Marvel Studios’ first foray into live-action T.V. is beginning to show its strengths and weaknesses, both of which are on display in last night’s episode.  The plot rotates around a kidnapped S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist whose contribution to the Periodic Table of Elements is a theoretical particle that controls gravity fields and is thus named (ready for this?) Gravitonium.  Seriously.

Not since Feminum – the metal alloy of which Linda Carter’s Wonder Woman bracelets were forged from — has a television adaptation of a comic book come up with a more on-the-nose name.  What happens when these screenwriters talk shop at Comic-Con?  Do they try to one-up each other in terms of talking down to the audience?  Perhaps it’s like this:

 

S.H.I.E.L.D. WRITER:  “I named a gravity-controlling element Gravitonium.  You know, because it controls gravity.  I first thought of Gravinite, but that wasn’t obvious enough.” 

WONDER WOMAN WRITER:  “Not bad, kid, but not as obvious as me.  I named a metal Feminum, on account of Wonder Woman being both feminine and a feminist.”

GEORGE LUCAS:  “I got you both beat.  All Greedo cares about is money, therefore he’s greedy.  Hence the name Greedo.  And in case you don’t get that, I also made him green like money.”

The other writers gaze in awe at Lucas.

WONDER WOMAN WRITER:  “I’m green with envy.”

S.H.I.E.L.D. WRITER:  “Ditto.”

 

End sarcasm.  Begin review.

The asset of this episode’s title is Dr. Franklin Hall who is abducted by his former research partner, Ian Quinn.  Quinn spent 20 years searching for a rare element on par with the God particle that only Hall believes to exist (the aforementioned/aforeridiculed Gravitonium).  He’s finally found it and needs Hall’s expertise to catalyze a gravity generator that he (Quinn) plans to use to control the Earth’s gravity, though he claims it’s to protect people.  Skye, on her first solo mission, attempts to penetrate Quinn’s Malta mansion so that her S.H.I.E.L.D. teammates can rescue Hall.

MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. - "The Asset" - When the brilliant scientist Dr. Franklin Hall is kidnapped, Agent Coulson and his S.H.I.E.L.D. agents must race against the clock to locate him. Skye is their only way in -- pushing the team to their limits when the entire plan turns upside-down, on "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 (8:00-9:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Justin Lubin)CHLOE BENNET

The true Asset.

The show’s weaknesses mentioned earlier come into play here.  The series runs the risk of alienating viewers with its mix of serious-minded veteran agents and fresh-faced new recruits.  The ratio may be even (3 of each) but at times feels uneven due to newbies overshadowing vets with their snarky, wisecracking, fumbling personas.  In short — too much Whedonism.  A more realistic, tolerable ratio would be 4 veterans and 2 newbies.

One newbie, Skye, has her loyalty tested when offered a job by Quinn who’s impressed by her “hacktivist” ways, as well as her comely features.  The asset may be Dr. Hall, but one could argue that it’s really Skye’s cleavage as displayed in a low-cut pink dress that she infiltrates a high society party with.  Hubba hubba.

Speaking of clothes, what’s with Coulson’s ever-present suit and tie ensemble?  He and Agent Ward storm Quinn’s beach in a life raft (one used in actual water unlike last episode’s airborne raft).  Ward emerges in secret mission-appropriate attire — boots, black wetsuit, holster.  Coulson, on the other hand, is dressed for a night on the town.  He doesn’t even hide it under a wetsuit a la Schwarzenegger in True Lies.  Don’t get me wrong, Coulson is great, but he can’t rock a Suit & Tie like Justin Timberlake.

For those of you not in the know (i.e. the non-geeks), Franklin Hall is the alter ego of Graviton, a

Dr. Franklin Hall A.K.A…

major villain in Marvel comics who controls gravity and, as teased in this episode’s final scene, will soon do the same on T.V.  Given the budget constraints of television, it’s surprising that such a powerful character would be used in the series.  Graviton seems more suited for a big screen Avengers sequel filled with big budget special effects, but who knows — if he proves popular, then he may graduate to a Marvel movie.  For now, however, I’ll answer the question most assuredly on your minds — unlike Gravitonium, Graviton is a cool name.  So says the non-non-geek.

One of the strengths of the series cited at the top of this critique is actor Clark Gregg in the lead role.  Despite not being able to compete with J.T. in the G.Q. department (who can?), Gregg continues to embody Coulson with casual command.  Upon hearing Dr. Hall’s refusal to be rescued, Gregg earns the episode’s one L.O.L. moment with:

“I’ll be honest.  Our strategy did not take into consideration you saying that.”

A Whedonistic line for sure, but as delivered in Gregg’s low-key (not Loki) manner, it feels more natural than the younger actors’ attempts with similar, unnaturally witty dialog.

...GRAVITON!

…GRAVITON!

This episode climaxes with the gravity generator going haywire, which causes all sorts of topsy-turvy trouble.  Objects fly around the lab while characters find themselves walking on walls.  Upsetting the laws of gravity can produce incredible results, including explaining away why the upside-down actors’ neckties and coat tails aren’t also upside-down.  But I digress.

No, I don’t.

This is a great, visually-arresting climax that unfortunately is not fully executed.  Coulson confronts Dr. Hall while they stand on the ceiling in what appears to be a rotating set like ones used in Inception.  Fantastic!  Unique!!  But then the camera turns 180 degrees so that it is upside-down rather than the actors, despite the characters being upside-down in the story.  Ya follow?

The same gimmick was employed in Star Trek: First Contact when the Next Gen crew, in space suits, battle the Borg on the outside of the Enterprise — on the bottom of the outside of the Enterprise.  Fantastic!  Unique!!  Until the camera pulls a 180 cop-out.  In both Trek and S.H.I.E.L.D., any danger from being inverted is immediately nullified, as is the uniqueness of the scene.  We’re back to the mundane because the showrunners didn’t listen to their own dialog.  When Ward teaches a half-hearted Skye how to box, he does so with one powerful word:

“Commit.”

Hopefully next time the showrunners will do likewise.

 

NEXT EPISODE: Eye Spy

 

 

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2 Responses to “MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Ep. 3: The Asset (T.V. Review)”

  1. […] subplot featuring Ian Quinn and the accidental creation of a supervillain.  In episode #3, The Asset, Quinn employs meek S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist Dr. Franklin Hall to create a gravity generator for […]

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