Weekly Nerd Chat: Agents of SHIELD Season 4 Speculation

Us nerds like nothing more than to banter back and forth on nerdy topics in Slack. Here is one of those chats, very lightly edited.

Weekly Nerd Chat: Agents of SHIELD Season 4 Speculation

Adkins The return of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD is just around the corner. I’m not as neck deep in Marvel’s television world as you two are, so I was hoping we could chat about it for a bit. Jason, where would you like to start?

Jason So, from the story point, we have dramatic changes in the MCU since last time, namely The Slovakian Accords! How is all this hero registering stuff going to play with perennial rule breaker Phil Coulson?

Clave Well, it’s going to bring us Emo Daisy, for starters.

Adkins And Phil hearts Cap, so I can’t imagine him being too far from Cap idealistically. Do you think there are good odds that he and the agents lean at all in Stark’s direction on that?

Jason Emo Daisy, while an excellent band name, worries me as a story development. I mean sure her one super possessed boyfriend died when he other semi-alien boyfriend killed him deep in space, I don’t get why she turned all mopey.

But the government always follows the rules. And it has reabsorbed SHIELD. Is this why we are getting a new director?

And, is this the year where the show breaks the Whedon mold and doesn’t have a Big Bad?

Clave That’s a pretty good recap you gave for confused readers: Daisy is off moping on her own. SHIELD is recommissioned after the Civil War movie, a new director is in, and the show is introducing new characters like Ghost Rider. This season should be a decent place for new viewers to jump in.

Adkins Wait…I was under the impression that there would be a Big Bad: Ghost Rider. Is he with Coulson and co.?

I know Ghost Rider isn’t strictly a bad dude in comics, but he isn’t strictly what one might easily label a good guy, either. At least not always.

Clave Wait, Ghost Rider is bad? I thought he was just misunderstood, and that the love of Daisy would turn him into an upstanding citizen.

Jason I don’t think Ghost Rider is the big bad based on the character and version they are using. I think he is a new member of the team.

But this show is notoriously awful on promos. Remember the hype last year where we were all pumped for the Secret Warriors and we sorta had them show up in 2.5 episodes?

Clave Agreed. Never take Marvel hype at face value. It will only lead to the type of moping we will see out of Daisy this season.

Jason One thing I have seen and now am hopeful about: it looks like the Inhuman Yo-Yo is going to be around more this season. I loved the dynamic of her and Mack last season.

Clave Let’s just talk about Mack and never leave that topic. Who is your favorite character on the show and why is it Mack?

Adkins I feel like that’s a loaded question…

Jason Mack is, indeed, the best. Which is amazing considering how little he was as a character when they started him out. I hope we get to see more co-stars return from last year’s Mack centric episode: his brother and Shotgun-Axe, who was robbed of an Emmy this weekend.

But FitzSimmons is my best. Especially because her former alien boyfriend also died in the same explosion. Fitz has permission to move freely now. And I find them adorable

Clave I don’t think he was meant to have to high profile role he has now. I think the writers added to his story based upon the strength of the actor and the response from the fans. I’ll fight anyone who doesn’t like Mack.

Jason He serves as an amazing central character to help the audience process. He is “normal” but called to be a hero. His lack of powers is negated by his big heart. Love that guy.

Do you think Hunter and Bobbi return now that the spin-off wasn’t claimed to be a new series? (Really, Hulu? You couldn’t work a deal for this and Peggy Carter season 3?)

Clave Going another direction: Coulson is still central, so how does the show work without the nurturing dynamic between him and Daisy, plus how does Coulson react to potential registration?

Adkins Ha! That was my original question!

Clave [Psst!] Yes on Hunter and Bobbi returning. That’s my guess.

Sorry, we’re squirrelly brained Marvel zombies. Did you think you’d keep us on topic?

Jason I think Coulson becomes less central to the show. I think there is a spot where there isn’t a way to advance the character. And unless you turn him full blue and turn him to Super Papa Smurf, I don’t know where there is left to go on the character.

Jason Which reminds me, this show leaves some serious dangling plot lines. Is Claremont secretly a show writer?

Adkins Surely Coulson can’t just fade into the background of the MU at this point. How do you suppose or suggest they handle that transition fully?

Clave Coulson becomes Director of Banter.

Question: Now that Coulson has a bionic hand, should he be registered per the Slovakian Accords?

Jason I mean, he was director. Then Secret director. Then returning director. Now, not Director.

And absolutely between magic hand and blue alien goo in his system, Coulson should be registered

Clave Regardless, it should be a pretty good season of Agent of SHIELD. Four seasons in and I’m still engaged. I’m a little nervous about Emo Daisy, but the strong ensemble means there are tons of other characters and storylines that can grow.

Jason So, we haven’t seen a mid-season tie-in. Does the November Doctor Strange release mean we get some weird magic? (I’d pay large money for a New Orleans Brother Voodoo related episode!)

Clave I hope so.

Jason And, maybe lastly, what do you think of the move to 10 pm? I’ve rarely watched it live and now that time slot…is the show creeping towards an end?

Clave So far the tie-ins have been lackluster at best, but at only a million per episode, Disney has the pockets to keep the show going a couple more seasons, which gives me hope that there is still some good stuff to come.

The 10pm time shift has me worried on two fronts: 1) I think it does signal that it has a shorter leash and 2) I don’t need it grim grittier; I want it kid-friendly so new young fans can come on board.

Adkins Technically 10pm still falls under the prime time umbrella, but only barely. I’d be curious to know if there are any examples of long-running television shows that survived longterm in that 10pm slot.

Jason Me too. I think if the show can move away from Coulson and Daisy as the centerpiece, it can be good for years to come. Hopefully, this is the season.

Some of the Crown Jewels of television were in that slot. But none of them were ever superhero related. It makes me nervous. And if this thing tilts grittier, I may be out. Be different.

So Agents of SHIELD will have returned and likely started answering some of these questions. You can check it out on Tuesday’s at 10 on ABC or Hulu starting the next morning. And our recaps and analysis run here on Nerds on Earth every Wednesday!