I liked it just fine. If you want crappy watch "Under the Dome" or the last season of Dexter. This was "Citizen Cane" compared to them.

I think they crammed a lot into an hour trying to set everything up, probably at the insistence of the network. I think it has some good potential to grow. Thought it was well cast.

I think the cinematography complaints are pretty funny. I never once thought while watching the Avengers in the movie theater that it was anything other than awesomely cinematic. But whatever.

Watched that the other day and enjoyed it as much as this.

Want to keep it in Marvel? Okay then...

Jackal has created hundreds of Whedon clones. Its the Whedon Clone Saga.

So this is Joss Reilly?

Caught this. Thought it was really good. It is very open and upfront with it's humanity - which is what makes the Marvel movies so good.

Some Whedon stuff was in there. I giggled when Coulson stepped into the light and said the light bulb must be out.

I agree. Get ready to be told everything was shit instead.

It was all shit.

at all the hate for this. It was entertaining TV. I've never really watched Whedon's work, but loved the lead from the Marvel films. Only a few pilots a year motivate me to watch the second episode, but this one did.

^ Laugh all you want, but there is nothing more amusing than people hearing about lukewarm reception and well-reasoned arguments for why someone didn't like a show and reacting with derision and overwrought disbelief. "OMG, what's with all the hate! This show was so good, you guys. You guys hate everything! Gawd! "

Pretty much. This thread should have been a poll.

It seems like there are maybe 3 people that OMG LOVED IT! and two dozen that range from bad to mediocre to liked but not loved it, but clearly the minority are right. BEST PILOT EVR!11011!

Can we please retire that stupid ass statement..."If you don't like it, don't watch it." ??

All these threads and this forum would die if people listened to that.

I never said I loved it, and haven't read all the comments; but several seemed less than "well reasoned" and much stronger than "lukewarm".

But whatever, it's a TV show; do we really argue like this over an obviously "light entertainment" TV show?

FWIW I spent Friday playing poker with friends who are much more casual about their TV. They were pretty excited about the show and satisfied with what they saw. I'd characterize their reaction as more hey it's SHIELD on TV that's cool than I thought it was very well acted and plotted, to be clear.

Love this thread.

I thought it was a pretty entertaining pilot. I can see why some didn't like it, though. It's very family-friendly and light. I'll give it a few episodes, at least.

There is a difference between "lukewarm reception" and "it's a pile of shit." And saying things like "I don't know anyone's name" is not a well-reasoned argument.

Plus, a lot of this comes down to opinion. "It looked like a backlot set" is not a fact. I disagree with that statement, as it didn't ever look like a set to me - at least not moreso than any other show which is also shot on a set.

I don't think it's unreasonable to disagree with people's opinions about the show.

I don't know anyone's name is a way of saying that plot was stupid as an introduction to what this show is about.

I have to admit I don't get the backlot set thing, either. Of all the problems I identified with the show, the sets weren't one of them.

Yes the name thing is a silly complaint, but that doesn't make it any less valid. Say centipede dude decides to go nuclear at the end and take out a few agents with him. 40 minutes in and I don't know anyone and don't care. Take out a few Shield agents. No skin off my back. That's a problem.

I'm actually hoping they kill off everyone except for Coulson and Melinda May by the second or third episode. Just quasi-reboot the show and pretend this pilot never happened.

God damn comic book fans. Going to ruin pretty good TV for us normal folks.

I hope the very vocal negative opinion of the show doesn't kill it.

Why would you assume it's only comic book fans who didn't like it?

Seems like a mix based on this thread. I'm a comic book fan, and I thought it was decent.

Most of the comic blogs / comments I've read have been over the moon about the pilot. Comic fanatics are notoriously nitpicky online, but that hasn't been my experience when it comes to Agents of SHIELD at all.

I don't think it's mediocre because I'm a comic book fan; I think it's mediocre because it's mediocre.

Not a comic fan either, nor a Whedonite. I just want to be entertained. So much for assumptions explaining away the negative vibe.

I liked it, but like many first episodes, it throws a lot at you at once just to get the characters introduced. I thought it had a lot of potential and hope it will continue to grow, advance the storyline and give us characters that we care about. And I believe this show has the potential to do this. Only time will tell...

It's much more likely that the negative reactions are coming from the crowd that enjoys high qualify cable fare than comic book fans. Comic book fans will need a longer time than one episode to get incensed because they look for different things like violations of the canon.