Agents sneak back on screen as fourth season premieres
Courtesy of marvel.com
by JACKY SHUM
With a variety of cliff-hangers, action and suspense, the hit TV show “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is picked up for a fourth season, promising viewers new developments.
Based on Marvel Comics, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” features the activities and events of agents coming into conflict with various threats in order to protect the greater good. However, what sets the series apart from others is the shared timeline with the Marvel Cinematic Universe set after the events of “The Avengers.”
It follows Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg, “Iron Man” and “Thor”) as he assembles his own team of skilled agents in order to investigate dangerous cases while concurrently searching for the answers to explain his apparent resurrection from the dead.
Jumping into the series, Coulson leads his newly-formed team of Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker, “The Fades”), Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen, “Mulan”), Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge, “Shelter”), Grant Ward (Brett Dalton, “Killing Lincoln”), and new recruit Skye (Chloe Bennet, “Nashville”) as they take on dangerous missions and combat deadly terrorist organizations, such as H.I.V.E and HYDRA.
In the new season, the series takes on a darker tone in the form of vengeance. Judging from “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Comic-con 2016 panel, it will feature darker plot turns for the agents, as well as a larger cast of characters.
The most noticeable cast member was Ghost Rider (Gabriel Luna, “True Detective”). Unlike previous takes on the Ghost Rider, the spirit of vengeance inhabits Robbie Reyes, a high school student that works at an auto body shop, who gets gunned down. Rather than riding a motorcycle (such as in “Ghost Rider” first played by Nicholas Cage), in this new version he drives a black muscle-car also inhabited by the evil spirit.
Despite being mostly fictional, the fighting choreography and computer generated imagery makes the series seem lifelike and dynamic. The camera angles used are especially memorable giving viewers the perspective of different agents during the suspenseful scenes with unique lighting. In addition, it also surprises viewers with various twists and turns in the plot line. Still progressing as a series, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” advances with the its trademark blend of humor, drama and heart.
“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” season four premieres Sept. 20 at 10 p.m. on ABC.