Fictional canons usually have more satisfying cliffhangers.

[schneefink]

Pens lost in round 2 game 7 to the Rangers. FUCK. I'm not thinking about it, nope. Woke up at 4am (on my own), checked the score, had to distract myself for an hour with fic before I felt well enough to sleep again. Stupid playoffs.

So, how about the Agents of SHIELD season finale?

I loved the "Garret is alive - just kidding" fake (although even allowing him anywhere near that machine is an extreme security breach.) I liked Fury showing up and his conversations with Coulson were great. I liked Skye. I liked the evil incentive program as a plot device. I like that Deathlok could finally break free.

I liked what they did with Ward: he's lost without Garrett's - not even guidance, but orders. He is what Garrett made him and doesn't know what else to be. I'm looking forward to seeing what becomes of him. I think becoming his own person would be easier for him with a middle step of someone to guide him there, but I'm not sure who could do that: the only one I could see is maaaybe Fitz, and he's not well. Or maybe Trip.
But I hated Coulson and May threatening him with torture. (In front of witnesses, too, like it's completely okay.) Way to be the good guys.

What I want next season for Fitzsimmons: I want Fitz to get well. I want Jemma to tell him that she's not interested in him romantically. I want him to accept that and I want them to remain best friends, with a few awkward moments in the beginning but then less and then none, and I want both of them to be okay when they start dating other people.

I don't like that Fury told Coulson to rebuild SHIELD. Okay in the series we've seen much more than in the movies scenarios where SHIELD is a useful organization, but it also undermines the "any organisation with so much power (and esp. these kind of methods) will be corrupted" message from Winter Soldier. I like the idea that Fury is still playing Coulson and that that's not his real plan, though then I'm wary of his methods, especially if, what I strongly suspect, he hasn't told May this time. If they do actually rebuild SHIELD I'll be very disappointed that it's not Director Hill instead.

I'm still not sure what I think of the "Skye's mysterious origins" storyline, now with bonus blood-covered hands, we'll see how that plays out.

Really, SHIELD has yet another secret base that only Fury knows about, with infrastructure and guardians and everything, that is so secret that no hints of material or construction costs or workers show up anywhere in the massive amount of data Natasha released in Winter Soldier? It's becoming hard to buy.

Comments

[astridv]

But I hated Coulson and May threatening him with torture. (In front of witnesses, too, like it's completely okay.) Way to be the good guys.

Yeah, that was not their shining hour, was it. That scene irritated me tremendously, moreso since it went completely uncommented by the narrative. And dude, threatening an abuse victim with torture is awesome, that should do wonders for his rehabilitation. Not to mention that Ward is trained to resist torture and it won't get them any info, so it's nothing but a needlessly petty and cruel threat. It also didn't seem quite in character for Phil "compassion is not a weakness" Coulson... foreshadowing of coming changes in personality due to alien drug? But yeah, this scene left a sour taste after an otherwise satisfying finale.

Agreed about Fitzsimmons. Mostly I'm hoping that Fitz will be okay, but if they could keep their friendship, I would be happy.

[schneefink]

I don't want Fitzsimmons to become a couple, but I'm not sure I can articulate why. It happens that people develop romantic feelings for their long-term friends (see: Fitz), but at least as often it doesn't happen. And because they're working so closely together, are relatively isolated in their position, and just came out of a near-death experience, it feels a bit like the situation is pressuring Jemma to say yes, if that makes sense?
I might even prefer their friendship deteriorating than them becoming a couple. Huh.

Didn't they have a close-to-truth-drug in an early episode? So torturing him to get information makes even less sense. But a good set-up to "becoming Director of SHIELD changes you (in a not very good way)", not that I think that was their intention.

[astridv]

The truth serum from the pilot turned out to be fake, they just pretended to get Skye's trust. But Shield probably has a number of them in their labs. (I think you can train agents to resist those, too?)

Anyway, torturing makes sense never, that's proven, and grrr I hated that line because it made me dislike May and Coulson, two characters I love.

[astridv]

Really, SHIELD has yet another secret base that only Fury knows about, with infrastructure and guardians and everything, that is so secret that no hints of material or construction costs or workers show up anywhere in the massive amount of data Natasha released in Winter Soldier? It's becoming hard to buy.

Haha, I always have to suspend my disbelief really hard when it comes to these kind of huge secret bases. The worst case is the Initiative base right below Sunnydale. That complex is giganormous and man-made... who built it, and why doesn't anyone remember that giant construction going on right in town?

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

Your AoS thoughts are my AoS thoughts. How cute was awesome and how awesome was Mike?

[schneefink.livejournal.com]

Mike was very awesome. Unfortunately the way they sent him off means they have an excuse to have him show up only very rarely next season, I hope that won't happen.

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

I hope we get a lot more of him, but I'm not holding my breath.