Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 3
"We try to protect people like you from the world, or from yourself. Unless we have to defend the world against you."
release year: 2015-16
genre: TV superhero action/adventure
viewing setting: home DVD 10/28/18 - 11/8/18
synopsis: The team deals, in various small- and large-scale ways, with the threat of HYDRA as it tries to bring a powerful inhuman back to Earth.
impressions: A lot happens in this season: new characters, plotlines involving alien worlds, the public's reaction to Inhumans. There was a really good bottle episode dealing with Jemma's time on the alien planet. One gripe: while S.H.I.E.L.D. are the good guys because they don't always kill, there were multiple times when they let some known bad guy live. I mean people who had not only tried to kill them, but HAD killed others already. And then, because these bad guys were allowed to live, they came back later to kill more good guys, and everyone was all sad. This is the same issue that I harped on with Batman: The Dark Knight. Drives me crazy.
acting: Clark Gregg is the guy in charge, and often makes what seem to be morally or logistically questionable decisions. Ming-Na Wen continues to effectively portray one of the strongest female characters ever. Brett Dalton is the traitor who continues to be a thorn in the side of his former teammates, no matter what they do to him. Chloe Bennett's Daisy really comes into her own here, as she takes on leadership responsibilities and also deals with some major issues. The two geniuses (Elizabeth Henstridge and Iain De Caestecker) have some good moments this season, both with the rescue of one from an alien world and with their long-overdue romance finally beginning. Henry Simmons is a tall, hulking agent who helps lead the team when necessary. Luke Mitchell is an inhuman who's trying to figure out his place in the team (or not.) Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood are a pair of experienced non-powered agents who are also a couple. Natalia Cordova-Buckley and Juan Pablo Raba are new Inhumans who help the team. Adrian Pasdar is a general who's tasked to work with the team, but is critical of everything. Constance Zimmer is the head of a government agency who both comes into conflict with S.H.I.E.L.D. and works with it. Blair Underwood is May's ex-husband who helps the team but also has a dangerous problem. Powers Boothe is the old head of the human HYDRA organization, who's obsessed with bringing back its ancient leader. Mark Dacascos is a superpowered evil right-hand man. Axel Whitehead is a cocky Australian Inhuman who eventually joins up with the bad guys. And there are many more...this is truly an ensemble cast.
final word: Amazing and highly entertaining espionage-heavy complement to the recent Marvel movies.
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