Eye Spy (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.): Difference between revisions
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===Casting=== |
===Casting=== |
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{{further|List of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. characters}} |
{{further|List of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. characters}} |
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In September 2013 Marvel revealed that main cast members [[Clark Gregg]], [[Ming-Na Wen]], [[Brett Dalton]], [[Chloe Bennet]], [[Iain De Caestecker]], and [[Elizabeth Henstridge]] would star as [[Phil Coulson]], Melinda May, Grant Ward, [[Daisy Johnson|Skye]], Leo Fitz, and Jemma Simmons, respectively.<ref name="Declassifying" /> |
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Theatrical actress Pascale Armand got the role of Akela Amador after auditioning, and received the script the night before traveling to Los Angeles. In preparation for the role, Armand watched ''[[The Avengers (2012 film)|Marvel's The Avengers]]'', and took gym classes. About working on the show, Armand said "The pressure is always on for me to do my best work, no matter what I do. That’s just who I am. It started to seep in just how big this show was while I was working on the set, when I went to Stockholm, Sweden and coming back home to [New York City]. EVERYONE was talking about the show and there were posters everywhere advertising it ... It was my first time on a set that big, having such a sizable role. I really have nothing to compare it to. All I can say is that I had a great time and learned so much. [[Roxann Dawson|Roxann [Dawson]]] was great to work with. I appreciate a director who knows how to get the best out of her actors. I feel she was able to do that with me."<ref name="Armand" /> |
Theatrical actress Pascale Armand got the role of Akela Amador after auditioning, and received the script the night before traveling to Los Angeles. In preparation for the role, Armand watched ''[[The Avengers (2012 film)|Marvel's The Avengers]]'', and took gym classes. About working on the show, Armand said "The pressure is always on for me to do my best work, no matter what I do. That’s just who I am. It started to seep in just how big this show was while I was working on the set, when I went to Stockholm, Sweden and coming back home to [New York City]. EVERYONE was talking about the show and there were posters everywhere advertising it ... It was my first time on a set that big, having such a sizable role. I really have nothing to compare it to. All I can say is that I had a great time and learned so much. [[Roxann Dawson|Roxann [Dawson]]] was great to work with. I appreciate a director who knows how to get the best out of her actors. I feel she was able to do that with me."<ref name="Armand" /> |
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Revision as of 23:57, 22 July 2015
"Eye Spy (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)" |
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"Eye Spy" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American television series Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., or simply Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), a fictional peacekeeping and spy agency in a world populated with superheroes and numerous supernatural phenomena. It is the first television episode to be set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. The episode was written by Jeffrey Bell, and directed by Roxann Dawson.
The episode revolves around the character of Phil Coulson, with Clark Gregg reprising his role from the film series, and his team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, played by regular cast members Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, and Elizabeth Henstridge, as they investigate a series of diamond thefts committed by a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, portrayed by guest star Pascale Armand. Filming for the episode took place in Los Angeles and Stockholm, Sweden.
"Eye Spy" originally aired on ABC on October 15, 2013, and according to Nielsen Media Research, was watched by 7.85 million viewers in its original airing. The episode received a mostly positive critical response, with Armand's performance praised.
Plot
In Stockholm, Sweden, a group of identically dressed masked men, each handcuffed to a briefcase, are attacked in a subway. They are all killed, with one also having his hand cut off, and his briefcase taken. The attacker, Akela Amador, opens the briefcase and removes the box of diamonds it contained. Investigating the attack, Agent Phil Coulson discovers that the briefcases were randomly assigned, so no one knew which contained the diamonds, and that Amador carried it out completely with her eyes closed. Civilian recruit and S.H.I.E.L.D. trainee Skye believes Amador may have extrasensory perception, but Coulson and Agent Melinda May doubt that such abilities exist. Using social media, the team discovers that Amador is behind the attack and theft (as well as several others), and Coulson reveals that she is a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that he trained, and believed dead. Meanwhile, in Zloda, Belarus, Amador uses the diamonds as payment for a proxcard to access the Todorov Building in Minsk.
The team arrive in Zloda, but Amador manages to escape. Skye, Agent Leo Fitz, and Agent Jemma Simmons discover a strange video feed linked to Amador, which they soon discover to be coming from a camera in her eye, the source of her apparent 'powers'. Seeing the name of the hotel Amador is at through the feed, May tracks her down and confronts her. Amador reveals that her prosthetic eye contains a fail safe, so that her handler, who also relays orders in text-form through the eye, can kill her if she refuses to complete her missions. The two fight until Coulson arrives and stuns Amador. Skye hijacks the feed, and relays it through a pair of glasses that Agent Grant Ward wears, carrying out Amador's mission while Agents Fitz and Simmons remove the prosthetic eye. Ward eventually finds Amador's goal: a mysterious diagram in a room of the Todorov Building. Coulson tracks down Amador's handler, but he is killed instantly by his own prosthetic eye. Amador is taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, and though Coulson promises to testify for her, she is just happy to be free.
Production
Casting
Theatrical actress Pascale Armand got the role of Akela Amador after auditioning, and received the script the night before traveling to Los Angeles. In preparation for the role, Armand watched Marvel's The Avengers, and took gym classes. About working on the show, Armand said "The pressure is always on for me to do my best work, no matter what I do. That’s just who I am. It started to seep in just how big this show was while I was working on the set, when I went to Stockholm, Sweden and coming back home to [New York City]. EVERYONE was talking about the show and there were posters everywhere advertising it ... It was my first time on a set that big, having such a sizable role. I really have nothing to compare it to. All I can say is that I had a great time and learned so much. Roxann [Dawson] was great to work with. I appreciate a director who knows how to get the best out of her actors. I feel she was able to do that with me."[1]
Filming
Like the rest of the series, the majority of the episode was filmed in Los Angeles, but the opening sequence was filmed on location in Stockholm, Sweden.[1]
Music
Composer Bear McCreary called his expanded use of the orchestra in the episode, "The real star of this score", and noted that when executive producer and writer Jeffrey Bell heard an early version of it, he compared it to the work of Bernard Hermann. McCreary highlighted the opening and climactic action cues as striking "that perfect balance between contemporary instrumentation and traditional scoring that works so well in the Marvel [Cinematic Universe]." The episode saw several variations of the series' main theme played: "The episode’s most triumphant musical moments come as Ward blasts his way out of the building. Here, the trumpets and French horns offer soaring statements of the Main Theme, which is always appropriate for these kinds of heroics"; "Trumpet player Malcolm McNab owns a broken harmon mute that I’ve always wanted an excuse to use ... it rattles and buzzes like nothing I’ve ever heard. The orchestrators suggested he try it out for this bouncy little statement of the Main Theme and it was hilarious." The Agents theme, first introduced in "0-8-4", was also used "At the end of the episode, [when] Coulson and Skye find a moment of [peace] and unwind ... this theme always represents the emotional bond between our protagonists. The Coulson Theme and The Skye Theme would not have really fit ... the Agents Theme captured everything I needed. I stripped out all the guitars and percussion from the first version we heard and arranged it solely for con sord strings and a few woodwinds."[2]
![](http://178.128.105.246/cars-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/37/Akela_Amador_theme.jpg)
For the episode, McCreary composed a theme for the character of Akela Amador. "Her melody is a musical representation of her name. The six notes are arranged so that the syllables in her name land with the right emphasis. The melody basically suggests that you sing along with her name ... I also put two of the A’s and the D in Akela Amador’s name on those exact notes ... Starting with this association with her name was a fun way to kickstart my creative process, and it also produced a malleable melody that could be adapted to my needs throughout the episode. Early in the episode, it is stated in the low strings as an ominous melody. When she attacks our heroes in their van, the low brass blast it out as an evil fanfare. And finally, when she reunites with Coulson for an emotional conversation, the strings repeat her theme in twisting, circular statements, adding angst and heartbreak."[2]
Release
Broadcast
"Eye Spy" was first aired in the United States on ABC on October 15, 2013.[3] It was aired alongside the US broadcast in Canada on CTV,[4] while it was first aired in the United Kingdom on Channel 4 on October 18, 2013.[5] It premiered on the Seven Network in Australia on October 16, 2013.[6]
Marketing
"Eye Spy" was screened early at the New York Comic Con on October 12, 2013.[7]
Home media
The episode, along with the rest of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first season, was released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 9, 2014. Bonus features include behind-the-scenes featurettes, audio commentary, deleted scenes, and a blooper reel.[8] It was released in Region 2 on October 20,[9] and in Region 4 on November 11, 2014.[10] On November 20, 2014, the episode became available for streaming on Netflix.[11]
Reception
Ratings
In the United States the episode received a 2.8/8 percent share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49, meaning that it was seen by 2.8 percent of all households, and 8 percent of all of those watching television at the time of the broadcast. It was watched by 7.85 million viewers.[3] The Canadian broadcast gained 1.78 million viewers, the third highest for that day and the eleventh highest for the week.[4] The United Kingdom premiere had 2.38 million viewers[5] and in Australia, the premiere had 1.05 million viewers, including 0.9 million timeshifted viewers.[6]
Critical response
Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club graded the episode a 'B+', feeling that the series was "getting better with each new episode, and now that it’s has been picked up for a full season, I’m genuinely excited to see where the show goes from here. “Eye Spy” is a big step in the right direction, delving further into the history of these characters while laying groundwork for future stories. S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t need superheroes to be a captivating TV series, and making sure the human elements are developed is the best way to guarantee the show’s success." He felt that Armand "does impressive work depicting the mental toll of Akela’s experience, and her intensity early in the episode makes for a poignant final moment when she lays down in her prison cell, finally at peace after years of torment."[12] Eric Goldman of IGN scored the episode 7.9 out of 10, praising the "darker and edgier elements" of the episode, the Akela/May fight, and Ward's storyline, pointing out that "some viewers have found [Ward] to be dull. I actually quite enjoyed Ward’s material in the pilot, and this episode was an especially nice spotlight for him ... He got some nice action beats along the way and one of the funnier moments of the episode". He did, however, criticize the fact that half of the team members are unready for combat, stating "3 out of 6 team members being unready for combat is 2 too many."[13]
Will Salmon at SFX scored the episode 3.5 stars out of 5, feeling that "The 'agent gone bad' is a hackneyed trope, but this works, largely because of Pascale Armand’s strong, understated performance" and praising the opening sequence as being "wonderfully eerie", comparing it positively to Doctor Who and The Avengers.[14] Graeme Virtue at The Guardian praised the more focused, personal stakes of the episode, noting that "it's easier to cheer for scrappy underdogs than a huge, militarised Big Brother organisation like SHIELD", as well as Grant Ward's storyline, but criticized the episode's use of Bear McCreary's score, calling it "backgrounded".[15] Marc Bernardin of The Hollywood Reporter praised the episode for its much more realistic (compared to previous episodes) familial environment, complete with tension, as well as the character of Akela Amador and the fact that "Agent Coulson was at the center of the action, where he belongs".[16] Den of Geek's James Hunt surmised that "Agents of SHIELD is definitely getting better and that's the main thing to take away from this episode. At this rate it should actually be quite good (rather than forgivably average) by Christmas. Let's hope the viewers last that long."[17] Jim Steranko, known for his work on Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., felt the episode "had an overall cohesion not previously in evidence", but criticized it as unambitious, noting that "stripping the Marvel concept to its visual minimum makes little sense".[18]
References
- ^ a b Coratelli, Carlo (October 15, 2013). "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – Interview with actress Pascale Armand". Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
{{cite web}}
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ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b McCreary, Bear (October 14, 2013). "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – Eye-Spy". Archived from the original on September 6, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b Bibel, Sara (October 16, 2013). "Tuesday Final Ratings: 'NCIS', 'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,' 'The Biggest Loser', 'Dads' & 'Person of Interest' Adjusted Up; 'Chicago Fire' & 'Supernatural Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Top Programs – Total Canada (English) October 14 - October 20, 2013". bbm.ca. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Top 30 Programmes". BARB. Archived from the original on September 1, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Pay TV Ratings". tvtonight.com.au. October 16, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Ching, Albert (October 12, 2013). "NYCC: Jeph Loeb, Cast Members Talk "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD"". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on May 13, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Fowler, Matt (May 30, 2014). "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD Blu-ray And DVD Details". IGN. Archived from the original on May 30, 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Season 1 (Limited Edition Digipack) [Blu-ray]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
- ^ "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Season 1". EzyDVD. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
- ^ O'Keefe, Meghan (November 11, 2014). "Exclusive: 'Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Is Coming To Netflix November 20!". Decider. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Sava, Oliver (October 16, 2013). "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: "Eye Spy"". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Goldman, Eric (October 15, 2013). "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: "Eye Spy" Review". IGN. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Salmon, Will (October 18, 2013). "Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD 1.04 "Eye Spy" TV REVIEW". SFX. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Virtue, Graeme (October 18, 2013). "Agents of SHIELD recap: series one, episode four – Eye-Spy". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Bernardin, Marc (October 15, 2013). "'Agents of SHIELD' Recap: One Big Thing About 'Eye-Spy'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Hunt, James (October 17, 2013). "Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode 4 review: Eye Spy". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Steranko, Jim (October 15, 2013). "Jim Steranko on 'Agents of SHIELD': More Cohesive, But Not Enough Spectacle". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
{{cite web}}
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