X-Men: The (fan fic) Series

And now we discover how AOS will be getting around the no-mutant legal gag that has been put on the MCU… and I kinda like it.

Step One, find a new name. Chan is a pyrokinetic and they couldn’t use Pyro, Match, Human Torch, or any of the already taken names. So they call him Scorch… which works, all thing considered.

Step Two, don’t explain why he’s a pyro, at least not completely. They make an off comment that could explain why he’s a pyro (he lived next to a nuclear plant that went kablooey) but they don’t really make it concrete. In fact, later on, one of them states they really aren’t sure how he’s a pryo.

Step Three, just run with it.

I have a feeling we’re going to see a lot more of these base-set powered ‘gifted’ humans. PK, TK, TP, etc, these are all powers that can’t be copyrighted so they will use them, hopefully, in the same manner above. This means that we can explore some of the plot lines seen in the comics (just with out known mutant characters) and if the fates love us then if we get a merge of Marvel and Fox (or even more unlikely, Marvel gets the license back) then they can slot in mutants as if they were always there.

Yes, this is me wishful thinking… what?

As for the story itself, I’m really getting tired of Skye. Finally got my ‘twist’ and it’s just another big trope. I still want to know more about the rest of the team, especially this interesting relationship between Coulson and May. And just Coulson in general… something is wrong with him but what?!?! And they get rid of one evil doctor and bring in another shadowy bad guy? They are really keeping us in the dark on this, I hope they don’t try to go too LOST on us.

I think the best part though is I do like the little moments, there are a lot of them and they are pretty fun. When Coulson and May hear that Scorch has a moniker now… the look on their faces are priceless. There is a fun factor here that really makes the show an enjoyable watch.

As much as I’m digging the comic book vibe, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. mustn’t forget they are a still a live action tv series. There is no way Ward kept from looking at his hands (especially while driving) or avoided all reflective surfaces for that long of a time. If you’ve read my Arrow reviews, then you know logistics fubars like this really annoy me. Thankfully, this isn’t Arrow, it is edging there, but only just.

The issues I have with AOS lay in the oversimplified dialogue, i.e. restating what’s previously been said and verbally stating the themes. Thankfully, unlike Arrow, AOS hasn’t gone so far as to completely speechify everything, were way too much screen time is used to show a character droning on about whatever deep point the writers feel they need to make.

Also, AOS isn’t taking itself so seriously. The problem with the ‘dark, gritty’ theme is that it leaves no real room for anything else. Everything has to be so serious and existential… which gets really old, really quick. AOS is keeping the adventure theme which offers a lot more latitude. It can be funny, it can be dramatic, it can be thoughtful, it can be insane, or it can be dark. That’s what AOS is bringing to the table, a much broader sense of the universe which doesn’t have to fit in a mold.

In this episode, the action (still with awesome productive values btw), the comedy, the intrigue, and a good dose of comic book adventure, makes up for the visual fubar, relegating it to just an annoyance rather than a glaring pain. The guest character also wasn’t there as fodder, and the little touch at the end in her cell seals an emotional connection with her. The intrigue is neither bluntly tossed around nor is it insanely over-complicated.

I didn’t mean for this review to become an Arrow vs AOS (DC vs Marvel) but these points needed to be made. If AOS could just fix the dialogue then this series would be near perfect. Well, I could at least forgive the logistic issues.