Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Premiere (Spoilers)

5 things you need to know about the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series premiere:

1.       Agent Phil Coulson is most likely a Life Model Decoy. (It’s okay, don’t dwell.) LMDs are S.H.I.E.L.D. designed androids that have appeared in various Marvel comic books. There are many LMDs of S.H.I.E.L.D. leader Nick Fury himself. During a scene where Agent Coulson recounts his peaceful, yet unfulfilling time away from the field, Agent Hill and Dr. Streiten exchange discreet words about Agent Coulson being under the impression he spent his recovery in Tahiti, when really he has no idea about his previous whereabouts. If you saw The Avengers then you know that Agent Coulson got, as he put it, “shanked by the Asgardian Mussolini.” It was pretty brutal, he clearly had internal bleeding, and he seemingly died, but now Agent Coulson’s “death” is only referenced as a ruse; the catalyst the Avengers needed to band together and take down Loki and his minions.
2.       Agent Coulson’s team is a well-balanced mix of brain and brawn (with three strong, intelligent women!) Agent May is an ace pilot, weapons expert, and trained combat fighter; Agent Ward is a black ops specialist; Agent Fitz and Agent Simmons (initially referred to as Fitzsimmons, which reinforces their closeness) specialize in weapons technology and human/alien life sciences, respectively. New recruit Skye is an advanced computer hacker. They all bring charm, wit, intelligence, warmth, and goofiness to the table, which makes them a formidable and appealing team.
3.       In regards to canon, the pilot takes place after the events of The Avengers, and most likely either before or during the events of Iron Man 3.  Both the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode 1.1 and IM3 plots revolve around the Extremis Virus (an experimental regenerative treatment intended to allow recovery from crippling injuries).
4.       Did you notice Ron Glass from Firefly and Serenity as Dr. Streiten? How about J. August Richards from Angel as Mike Peterson? My guess is that we will be seeing a lot more actors from some of Joss Whedon’s other stellar works like Buffy, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and of course, hopefully, The Avengers.
5.       Agent Coulson’s red 1962 C1 series Corvette convertible, Lola, is fitted with Tony Stark hover technology. That baby purrs and flies! So definitely, “Don’t touch Lola!”

*I think Joss could also tap into the Marvel animated universe a bit. If you watch, or have kids who watch, Ultimate Spider-Man, Agent Phil Coulson is acting principal of Midtown High School where some superheroes, like Iron Fist, attend. I think that would be a cool way to incorporate new superheroes and some undercover type work from Agent Coulson and/or his team.


What are your thoughts? Did you enjoy the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiere? Will you be tuning in for the rest of the season? Sound off in the comment section below!