Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Review - Episode 14: T.A.H.I.T.I.

[Master_of_Oldskool]

Are we all 100% that the guy in the tank was a non-human? Because he didn't look that huge to me, and my first thought when I saw the blue skin was that it was a stylized depiction of necrosis. I'unno, maybe there's some detail I missed that everyone else is picking up on, but I think the possibilities might be broader than the ones Bob presented.

Other than that, yeah, pretty weak episode, especially with the unnecessary revival of the "Coulson's unnecessary revival" story arc, but I've genuinely enjoyed most of the episodes so far and I'm not giving up on it yet.

 

[phlip]

I also wonder what ridiculousness T.A.H.I.T.I. is an acronym for.

Transmuting All His Intestines To Inoculations.

Terrifying Alcove Housing Inexplicable Torso, Instruments.

Turquoise Alien Has Inscrutable Tubes Inserted.

 

[Wereduck]

To the AoS naysayers; let's try to have some perspective okay? I'm one of the unfortunate souls who started this season cautiously optimistic about Almost Human and then watched in silent horror as it corkscrewed into a mountainside. Compared to that, AoS is like a trip back in time to the first season of the Battlestar Galactica reboot.

Also: +1 for "Turquoise Alien Has Inscrutable Tubes Inserted"

 

[shintakie10]

To the AoS naysayers; let's try to have some perspective okay? I'm one of the unfortunate souls who started this season cautiously optimistic about Almost Human and then watched in silent horror as it corkscrewed into a mountainside. Compared to that, AoS is like a trip back in time to the first season of the Battlestar Galactica reboot.

Also: +1 for "Turquoise Alien Has Inscrutable Tubes Inserted"

Yeah, but compared to the other comic hero tv show out there, AoS isn't very much far behind Almost Humans corkscrew into a mountainside. Though for AoS its been more like a very sad slow fall down a not at all steep hill.

Also, seriously. Almost Human could have been awesome. It is so not awesome though. What's up with that?

On topic! This episode was okay I guess. I'm still waitin for pretty much anythin to happen that has an actual effect on anythin in the future.

 

[Gyron]

Bob, for Lorelei's powers, maybe they only work on someone with a Y chromosome. So gay/bisexual men could be affected but lesbians would not. Which brings her powers into the Asgardian Science paradigm that this universe is building on.

 

[Jeroenr]

Okay, so I wasn't the only one who didn't know what the blue guy was? That's good. The way the show revealed him, I was afraid I was missing out on something very important because I'm not all that familiar with Marvel stuff. Glad to see that's not the case.

Did anyone else feel really sorry for those two guards? I mean, S.H.I.E.L.D has non-lethal weapons. They didn't need to kill them. And they seemed like they had a sense of humor (do you want right or left?). I thought maybe they were special guest stars or something. Like the lead writers playing a role.

They did act really casual when the door was breached, i have to say.
Even when the 2nd one lay dying he gave no sine of hostility towards them.

Also they were expecting company, easy line to overlook but potential important.

I am however not sure their actions helpt or impair the clairvoyant's agenda.
But you don't need to be a clairvoyant to forsee an ass grinding from Director Fury in the near future.

I do wonder who owns the base.
The location might suggest a fjord in norway, which could make it a repurposed hydra/nazi installation.
But as for the owner? S.W.O.R.D. does come to mind.
But no way to tell just yet.

 

[hermes]

I liked the episode. It was mostly on par with other episodes, and the resurrection of Coulson's death as something more interesting than what originally expected.
Kree seems like the best choice. They are all over the Marvel Universe, and they could be tied into the "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie, shortly after the season finale of the series. I don't expect Skye turning into a Ms Marvel, though... She is too big a character to be introduced in a TV show spinoff.

Bob, for Lorelei's powers, maybe they only work on someone with a Y chromosome. So gay/bisexual men could be affected but lesbians would not. Which brings her powers into the Asgardian Science paradigm that this universe is building on.

I always thought those powers amplified the attraction people had in them. So, bisexual and lesbians would be vulnerable to her, and men with extraordinary strong will could resist her.

 

[Yojoo]

I enjoyed the episode quite a bit, probing deep behind the red tape is something the team should do more often. Though, a real immersion-breaking bit for me is that every time Coulson can't get Fury on the phone, I keep thinking it's simply because Samuel L. Jackson doesn't appear on TV shows very often, not any motive of the character himself.

I totally botched my interpretation of T.A.H.I.T.I, by the way. Didn't get a good sense of scale, and I assumed the blue tint was the liquid and not the skin itself, so my initial reaction was actually that it was Coulson himself in the tube, making the agent we've been watching some sort of clone/cyborg/etc. after all.

Did anyone else feel really sorry for those two guards? I mean, S.H.I.E.L.D has non-lethal weapons. They didn't need to kill them. And they seemed like they had a sense of humor (do you want right or left?). I thought maybe they were special guest stars or something. Like the lead writers playing a role.

This bugged me as well. The team's use of lethal vs. non-lethal weapons is inconsistent. Didn't Ward use the night-night guns when they were extracting Skye last episode? I don't see why that operation called for a more delicate approach than breaching the Guest House, especially since the optimal plan at G.H. was to peacefully negotiate medical aid.

 

[PBMcNair]

Did anyone else feel really sorry for those two guards? I mean, S.H.I.E.L.D has non-lethal weapons. They didn't need to kill them. And they seemed like they had a sense of humor (do you want right or left?). I thought maybe they were special guest stars or something. Like the lead writers playing a role.

This bugged me as well. The team's use of lethal vs. non-lethal weapons is inconsistent. Didn't Ward use the night-night guns when they were extracting Skye last episode? I don't see why that operation called for a more delicate approach than breaching the Guest House, especially since the optimal plan at G.H. was to peacefully negotiate medical aid.

My guess would be that the night-night guns are limited in some way. I'm guessing the ammo is more expensive/rare, and they may not be as reliable as bullets. Way back in the episode with Scorch, Coulson emptied a whole magazine at Scorch, only to have them be blocked by a wall of fire. Maybe it would have stopped normal bullets, maybe not. Or it could be as simple as them not having any armour-piercing capabilities.

My personal favourite explanation is that seeing as the guns were designed by Fiztsimmons, they may be something only Coulson's team has access to. So Garret wouldn't know about them, and Ward and Coulson don't care about anyone's life but Skye's.

 

[azriel2422]

I can't tell if MovieBob is being overly critical or bashing the series this week or attempting to give commentary...either way I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. I think the worst part of this series is their schedule for breaks; not a lot of warning before or publicity for their return. I can't get a feel for whether they want it to succeed at this point, but they are letting it play out regardless (which I greatly appreciate). I have said it before but I do enjoy this show, yet I am fully aware of where it is lacking. It is not the most compelling, nor does it have the deepest storytelling, and often times it just seems like the characters and show are just a vessel for the much larger picture in the Marvel Universe (which..well, they are).

That said, I think that this WAS one of if not THE best of the episodes for exactly the reasons Bob stated the opposite. The introduction of characters, furthering of plot points, all while maintaining the current threads (Deathlok and Clairvoyant) all tie together for the potential really great comic book storyline. That's why I watch it. Introducing Garrett (Bill Paxton), Lorelei and the half-Kree/Atlantian/random super-healy-alien asks so many more questions than they answer and are examples of how this show is getting more interesting. Not to mention what will happen to the eventual superhuman-ish Skye, whom I have never minded as a character and hope goes on to big things.

Shows that were meant for limited seasons (Heroes, Lost) initially lost their way in successive seasons because they had a hit that wasn't necessarily meant for longevity, but there was too much money to be made to let it die on the shows terms. This show has an obvious direction; to tie into the movies, while still maintaining a limited level of autonomy.

Arrow is great lol, I love that show and it is definitely deeper and more dramatic than AoS. Neither of these shows are overly high-brow, or ham-fisted in their attempts to push political ideas or current issues. They are both really fun shows, and comics are not always meant to make a statement. I like them both, mainly because they are very, very different.

 

[Yojoo]

My guess would be that the night-night guns are limited in some way. I'm guessing the ammo is more expensive/rare, and they may not be as reliable as bullets. Way back in the episode with Scorch, Coulson emptied a whole magazine at Scorch, only to have them be blocked by a wall of fire. Maybe it would have stopped normal bullets, maybe not. Or it could be as simple as them not having any armour-piercing capabilities.

My personal favourite explanation is that seeing as the guns were designed by Fiztsimmons, they may be something only Coulson's team has access to. So Garret wouldn't know about them, and Ward and Coulson don't care about anyone's life but Skye's.

All possibly true, but I'd appreciate some explanation from the show itself. I mean, we didn't get any discussion whatsoever about the choice to use lethal force at the Guest House. Couldn't a member of the team say something like "Aren't we expecting to encounter medical personnel?" or "These guys saved your life, Phil. Are you use you want to end theirs?". They have to at least recognize that there will be serious repercussions for killing the guards at a compound that Shield is at least somewhat involved with. The decision to violently attempt to save Skye at all costs would make sense if the Nigh-Night guns didn't exist.

Arrow is great lol, I love that show and it is definitely deeper and more dramatic than AoS. Neither of these shows are overly high-brow, or ham-fisted in their attempts to push political ideas or current issues. They are both really fun shows, and comics are not always meant to make a statement. I like them both, mainly because they are very, very different.

I watch both Arrow and AoS, and I consider them to be almost opposites. AoS is full of likable characters and good dialogue, but often falls short on action payoff or interesting villains. Arrow's cast is much less interesting and most are one-dimensional characters, but the action is great and each episode's plot tends to be fresh and exciting.

 

[walsfeo]

They did act really casual when the door was breached, i have to say.
Even when the 2nd one lay dying he gave no sine of hostility towards them.

Maybe the guards were LMD's, or some other synthetic life form? They really did seem to take the destruction of the base, and their impending death pretty well. I guess they could also have been brainwashed.

 

[Triaed]

I think this show is suffering from two problems:

1- too many episodes. I think that shorter seasons allow for better story telling as they allow the creators to concentrate on what important points they want to convey. Look at the UK series or those on HBO or AMC. Of course, shorter seasons do not guarantee quality products.

2- Buffy-esque characters. This has the Whedon DNA all over it; if they had done proper casting with interesting actors (known or unknown, I don't care) instead of another scooby-gang we would have better character driven-plots as opposed to just a bunch of cardboard characters being blow around by the winds of plot. May and Coulson are awesome, but all the other children running around are just play dumb. If Bill Paxton played that muscle-head what's-his-face (Ward?) it would be a better show. And don't start me on Fitzsimmons

Good to see that Bob is off the fanboy bandwagon!

 

[thirdcrash]

I disagree with the people that believe Ms Marvel is too big of a character for Agents of Shield. She is a C to B list Comic book hero at best and barely movie material and a lot closer to TV material and if marvel and disney/abc were smart they would turn skye into ms marvel. It would inject life into an obviously dying show that I can barely get myself to remember to watch with the boring and uninspired story telling and clear lack of style. you know something is wrong with a show when three to four of the main characters could die and I wouldn't bat an eye. If they can pull off a giant CG plane every episode they can pull off a girl flying and shooting energy from her hands. Skye probably isn't Ms Marvel it is most likely an intended fake out by the writers and producers but that would definitely be a terrible mistake because then they could grow the marvel tv franchise to a shield tv show and an avengers tv show. remember there are a lot of avengers and a tv show would be a perfect place to introduce those characters that would never ever get a minute in a movie a place on a show. Ant Man anyone! no one wants to see Ant Man in a movie but I would watch a live action avengers/ shield show with him and other characters even if we only got references to the big hitters like thor, captain america and iron man.