SHIELD, vampires, and kittens
May. 18th, 2014 12:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tardis_stowawayI just caught up on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. That finale was damn good! After such an underwhelming start to the season, the show has really upped its game since Captain America: The Winter Soldier prompted some major changes. Things I liked:
-Simmons and Fitz talking about death and the first law of thermodynamics. The writing was lovely, and those actors really bring home the emotion.
-Surprise Nick Fury in a chopper to the rescue! I saw Samuel L. Jackson's name in the opening credits, but by the time he showed up I was sufficiently in the moment to be totally surprised. I flailed my arms and seal-clapped in excitement.
-Everything with Coulson and Fury together. Highlights included the "not dead yet" reveal, the sassing of Garrett's attempts at being a Big Bad, Coulson's (very justified) yelling at Fury about bringing him back from the dead with T.A.H.I.T.I., and Fury pretty much calling Coulson one of the Avengers.
-Coulson/Really Big Guns OTP! Tumblr had spoiled me for the "I know what this does" moment, but it was still amazing. Then Coulson shooting Garrett just as Garrett appeared to be doing a surprise villain resurrection was a great moment. I liked Garrett okay as a villain, but I feel like he's had enough of a run, especially since he started dialing the crazy up to 11 in this ep.
-I am so glad that Ward's feelings for Skye are (so far) being portrayed not as a source of redemption but as something creepy and controlling.
-It looks like they're setting up Trip to be part of the main cast for next season, which I am super excited about!
Less good:
-Threatening the captured Ward with torture. You're the good guys. Torture is seriously not okay, even directed at a douchebag two-faced creepazoid killer like Ward.
-I still don't care about Skye. Sorry, show.
-If you stare too hard at the plot there are some significant logic holes. I am mostly okay with hand-waving and looking away from those.
-But what about Fitz's brain? :(
-As amusing as the tail-end of Coulson's "dude, I told you not to use this resurrection technology and then you used it on me" rant at Fury was, I sort of feel like that was an important conversation that maybe we should have heard more of and should have been played more seriously.
Overall, I enjoyed this episode quite a lot, and I'm actually looking forward to next season.
I saw Only Lovers Left Alive last weekend. I thought it was really good, though not a movie for everyone. The pace was very slow. However, the film was beautifully shot and masterfully acted by an amazing cast. Seriously, this movie had so many good people with both geek cred and serious acting chops: Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton as the lead vampires, John Hurt (the War Doctor!) as...actually I'm not going to say his character's name, because I really enjoyed the revelation of who he was supposed to be, Anton Yelchin (Chekov from the Star Trek AOS movies) as a human who procures vintage guitars and other items for Hiddleston's character, and Mia Wasikowska (Alice from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland) as Tilda Swinton's vampire sister.
Last but not least, have some kitten pictures!
It was too hot on the day this picture was taken to sleep in a heap, but they are still super snuggly. I like the subtle grey stripey patterns the one that used to be pure white is developing.
Synchronized nursing!
-Surprise Nick Fury in a chopper to the rescue! I saw Samuel L. Jackson's name in the opening credits, but by the time he showed up I was sufficiently in the moment to be totally surprised. I flailed my arms and seal-clapped in excitement.
-Everything with Coulson and Fury together. Highlights included the "not dead yet" reveal, the sassing of Garrett's attempts at being a Big Bad, Coulson's (very justified) yelling at Fury about bringing him back from the dead with T.A.H.I.T.I., and Fury pretty much calling Coulson one of the Avengers.
-Coulson/Really Big Guns OTP! Tumblr had spoiled me for the "I know what this does" moment, but it was still amazing. Then Coulson shooting Garrett just as Garrett appeared to be doing a surprise villain resurrection was a great moment. I liked Garrett okay as a villain, but I feel like he's had enough of a run, especially since he started dialing the crazy up to 11 in this ep.
-I am so glad that Ward's feelings for Skye are (so far) being portrayed not as a source of redemption but as something creepy and controlling.
-It looks like they're setting up Trip to be part of the main cast for next season, which I am super excited about!
Less good:
-Threatening the captured Ward with torture. You're the good guys. Torture is seriously not okay, even directed at a douchebag two-faced creepazoid killer like Ward.
-I still don't care about Skye. Sorry, show.
-If you stare too hard at the plot there are some significant logic holes. I am mostly okay with hand-waving and looking away from those.
-But what about Fitz's brain? :(
-As amusing as the tail-end of Coulson's "dude, I told you not to use this resurrection technology and then you used it on me" rant at Fury was, I sort of feel like that was an important conversation that maybe we should have heard more of and should have been played more seriously.
Overall, I enjoyed this episode quite a lot, and I'm actually looking forward to next season.
I saw Only Lovers Left Alive last weekend. I thought it was really good, though not a movie for everyone. The pace was very slow. However, the film was beautifully shot and masterfully acted by an amazing cast. Seriously, this movie had so many good people with both geek cred and serious acting chops: Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton as the lead vampires, John Hurt (the War Doctor!) as...actually I'm not going to say his character's name, because I really enjoyed the revelation of who he was supposed to be, Anton Yelchin (Chekov from the Star Trek AOS movies) as a human who procures vintage guitars and other items for Hiddleston's character, and Mia Wasikowska (Alice from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland) as Tilda Swinton's vampire sister.
Last but not least, have some kitten pictures!
It was too hot on the day this picture was taken to sleep in a heap, but they are still super snuggly. I like the subtle grey stripey patterns the one that used to be pure white is developing.
Synchronized nursing!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2014-05-20 01:42 am (UTC)I'll continue to watch SHIELD next season... but It's not an absolute must for me!
(no subject)
Date: 2014-05-20 10:40 pm (UTC)I was definitely losing interest in SHIELD until Cap 2 shook it up. I will be interested to see if the show can continue to hold my interest in the long run.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-05-20 03:28 pm (UTC)Awwww kittens! There's four of them, right? The stripey one really is unusual, but all of them are so adorable! :D
(no subject)
Date: 2014-05-20 11:17 pm (UTC)There are indeed four kittens. That pale stripey one started out pure white, but it is developing such a neat pattern. It's also probably the most outgoing.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-05-21 10:29 am (UTC)And that's a gorgeous icon you have there! Makes me want to rewatch Buffy...