The whole first season fell short! Any other show with the ratings that the first season of AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. had would have been canceled. I don’t think the show had any real strengths aside that Joss Whedon’s name was attached to it. One can argue that the show was about to be canceled when Marvel dropped Captain America: The Winter Soldier giving the show some much-needed gravitas and direction.
I’m not the only one with this type of thinking. From the series premiere, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. produced mediocre ratings. In Season 1 the show felt like a privileged child that knows no matter what bad it does, or how much trouble it gets in, it won’t be in any trouble. Some fans of the show voiced their concerns on the net. Some wrote that there were few things to be excited about S.H.I.E.L.D. and the writers and producers were taking a lazy way out. Disney owns the network it’s airing on, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Disney’s new golden goose, and whenever the show gets in trouble they can tie it to the latest Marvel film that comes out that specific year to boost its ratings. Before we have even seen a trailer for The AVENGERS 2: Age of Ultron, it was announced that this new season of S.H.I.E.L.D. would as expected tie in with the film. All of the aforementioned brings us to the Season 2 premiere and, this time around, the majority of fans loved the “Shadow” episode. The ratings may not have improved at all since last season, but it’s only the first show.
With the new season ahead, this premiere is down a whopping 58% from when the series debuted in 2013. According to Deadline, S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 premiere had a 4.6 fast national and 4.7 live plus same day rating in adults 18-49 in 2013, but when Season 2 returned last night it had a 1.9 fast national, a number which likely will go up a tenth or two in the finals. I’m sure it won’t be facing the boot anytime soon, but Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. could be considered a major disappointment for Marvel Studios and the ABC network, especially after the buzz the series premiere had last year despite the fact that the series is heavily DVR’d. This is still a drop of 58% since its record-breaking debut. I guess those Captain America: The Winter Soldier tie in episodes came too late! It’s worth noting that these current numbers are on par with where last season ended. If the show maintains these numbers and doesn’t drop any further, it could stick around for a season 3.
“It’s the make or break moment.” Coulson’s words in the premiere speak not only to what is left of the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization but also to the show itself. This new season is where the writers of the show either earn their paychecks or we get a whole new team of writers lest this show gets cancelled halfway through its second season. Captain America: The Winter Soldier can help you only so much, now it’s time to stand on your own two feet.
Stand on its own two feet it did as Marvel’s AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 premiere did not disappoint. Season 2 Episode 1, Shadows, premiered to positive fan reaction. Their first show kicked off hard with a variety of fan favorite characters being introduced, re-introduced, and quickly taken away. The state of the fallen intelligence organization also revealed that they are on the run, cornered, and stealing whatever they need to survive and stay ahead of their enemies. With this new “do whatever it takes” attitude to get the job done, I believe we are in for one hell of a season. While I’m doubtful about the show, and what it needs to connect to the Marvel Cosmic Universe, I think that they are stepping in the right direction to connect the series more with the MCU outside of what we see in the Marvel films. The show is moving into the realm of super-powered beings that will put the lives of all the agents in danger. After all, isn’t that why they are here — to protect us, the civilians, from a threat greater than we can handle.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is a television series created for ABC by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic, Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division). The series is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, sharing continuity with the films in that franchise. The show revolves around the character of the Marvel film’s Agent Phil Coulson, with Clark Gregg reprising the role, as he puts together a small team of agents to handle strange new cases. Each case will test the team in cooperation and ingenuity as they try to work together figuring out newly emerging superhuman individuals in the world.
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