Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 Premiere




Just a fair warning, this post will contain some spoilers.  I'll give fair warning before they start flying.
I'll start off by saying I've been a fan of this show since the beginning so I might be a little biased in my opinion.  I understand it got off to a slow start in season 1 but I'm happy to see that it has picked up since then and has stayed consistently strong throughout.  I am also glad that they finally started to introduce characters with super powers.  One of the weakest points for the show was that it took place in the Marvel Universe, a rich comic book world filled with almost limitless amounts of amazing super heroes and focused on terrorist organizations and militias.  That changed in season 2 and they've been staying strong in season 3.  The introduction of the Inhumans in season 2 was a huge game changer for the show.  Not to mention that there is an Inhumans movie slated for 2018, which means we are almost guaranteed a crossover with the show (assuming the show is still around that long).
The season 3 premiere seemed to pick up right where season 2 left off.  Characters are fitting into their new roles nicely and even though a few characters are absent (for various reasons) the rest of the cast is compensating nicely.  The plot seemed to move along quickly at times, however that makes sense considering how many new elements they needed to introduce in a 42 minute episode.  The dialogue between the characters seemed as natural and witty as ever, especially when Clark Gregg's Agent Coulson was on screen.  Without giving much away he has a particularly delightful exchange with a new character on a metro train.  I have a lot of friends who are on the fence about watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., to them I say watch the first season to an episode entitled Turn, Turn, Turn.  If you are not sucked in by that point, this may not be the show for you.  Season 3 starts off strong and has a lot of potential moving forward.  With the introduction of new villains and relationships, I'm excited to see what the future of this show holds.

Now for spoilers, the following section will contain spoilers for season 2 as well as the season 3 premiere, so read with caution.  

Alright, are all the uninitiated out of the room... good.  After watching the season 3 premiere, I've come up with a few theories about where the show is heading.  First there is the introduction of a new super powered villain.  When Daisy, Mac, and Lincoln are in the hospital, they are attacked by a new villain who is a black shadowy figure with long tendrils for hair.  My first thought when I saw this character walking down the hall was "is that Blackheart?".  Now this is not confirmed by Marvel, but I'll let you guys decide.


Who is this character?  A quick rundown, Blackheart is the son of the devil created by the sins of humanity.  Yes, Hell and the Devil (although he goes by Mephisto) exist in the Marvel Comic Universe.  Now, what does this mean for the show?  This wouldn't be the first time Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. introduced a character from the comics and changed their history to better fit with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Just see the introduction of Deathlok in season 1.  I wouldn't be shocked if he turned out to be a genetic experiment gone wrong, etc, etc, etc.  But what if he's not.  What if they are actually introducing Mephisto's realm into the MCU?  Think about what else is going on with another character in the show.  Simmons vanished at the end of season 2, swallowed by the black monolith.  At the end of the season 3 premiere, we see her running around a dark realm, frightened, injured, and clearly hiding from something dangerous.  Does that sound maybe a bit like someone's idea of Hell?  Is it possible that she is stuck in Mephisto's realm?  Mephisto is also a character who is famous for making deals with characters.  We've seen that Fitz is willing to give up anything (even his life) to get Simmons back.  Could they possibly be setting up a story line between Mephisto and Fitz?  This is all clearly speculation, but it's still fun to think about.

Now, the other big development in the season 3 premiere that has the internet buzzing.  Does the president's speech at the end of the episode set up Civil War?  I wrote a previous blog post about the events of Marvel Civil War and it has been established that this is the story line for the upcoming Captain America film.  At the end of the season 3 premiere, the president makes a nationally televised speech stating that they will do whatever it takes to neutralize the alien threat.  He also states that they are forming a new task force to combat the threat.  Could this be the beginning of the Super Human Registration Act?  We know that the creators of the show love to mix the events of the show with the movies, could we be seeing that here?  I don't know for certain, but I intend to keep watching and find out.  

-Big O

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Episode 13 Video Game Blowout

This week Big O is joined by very special guest Rory and they decided to talk about the greatest thing on the planet, video games.  From Dark Souls to Mass Effect, these two discuss some of the best franchises to appear in the last console generation.  Bethesda is awesome, let's throw a bit of that in there too.  Who else is excited for Fallout 4?  Whether you're a casual video game fan or hardcore super player, this is a great show. 

Episode 13: Video Game Blowout

-Big O

Monday, September 21, 2015

West Coast Food Corps

Food is great.  It doesn't matter what you like, there is food out there for you to enjoy.  Whether you're adventurous, safe, or somewhere in between, there is no shortage of different types of food to satisfy your hunger.  Certain foods can even evoke memories in us.  How many of us travel back in time when you eat your mother's famous meatloaf or have images of watching a Summer blockbuster when munching on popcorn?  Many of us also have memories working in the food industry.  I can't be the only one who gets a spike in their blood pressure when they hear someone arguing with a waiter or belittling an employee at a fast food restaurant.  There are also those of us who find cooking or baking to be oddly cathartic.  Everyone has a relationship with food.  This week's episode is all about that special substance that we eat to keep us alive.

Episode 12: West Coast Food Corps

-Big O

Monday, September 14, 2015

WCNC is Still at Disneyland

Join the West Coast Nerd Corps in the epic conclusion to their Disneyland adventure.  I want to take this moment to invite all of our listeners to share their favorite Disney memories.  Do you have a funny story from Disney World when you were 10?  Was there a Disney movie that touches you even to this day?  We want to hear about it.  Feel, don't conceal and tell us what you love about this company that owns our childhoods. 

Episode 11: Disneyland Part 2

-Big O

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Episode 10 WCNC Goes to Disneyland Part 1

Big O, Panda, and Beef are here to impart their expert knowledge on all things Disneyland.  If you're a long time fan or just curious, check out part one of our first ever two part podcast. 

Episode 10 WCNC Goes to Disneyland Part 1

-Big O