I think we can all admit the first season of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had issues. But most first seasons do. When a show starts, the writers are still trying to figure out the characters and what they can accomplish making a 45 minute show on a very crunched timeframe. Add to that fact that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was trying to work in visual effects and also keep Marvel fans happy as an extension of the MCU, and I dare anyone to say it was an easy task.

However, as the first season wound down, the show felt like it had found it's rhythm. And in the first ten episodes of season two, which aired last fall before Agent Carter began, the show definitely picked up steam by introducing new characters, big story arcs, and teasing what's to come in the Marvel universe. If you gave up on the show during season 1, I strongly suggest giving it another chance.

clark-gregg-agents-of-shield

The other day at the VES Awards in Beverly Hills, I got some time with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. star Clark Gregg on the red carpet. He talked about how Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. became what it was meant to be after the crossover episode with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, where they're at in filming the second season, the great ensemble that's built up around the core cast, the biggest challenge in making a TV show, if he's going to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, when he found out the Inhumans were going to be part of the show, Comic-Con, if he's going to direct something again in the near future, and a lot more.

As usual, I’ve time indexed the interview to provide an overview of the conversation.

Clark Gregg Time Index:

  • :03 - Talk about the Complex/Collider partnership.
  • :42 - On how Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. became what it was meant to be after the crossover episode with Winter Soldier. Talks about how the show has changed since then.
  • 1:34 - Where are they at in filming? Says they had no time off while Agent Carter has been airing.
  • 1:50 - Says visual effects team has been working the whole time to catch up to the major visual effects coming up.
  • 2:39 - How many episodes are
  • 3:04 - What is the greatest challenge of making a show like this? Gregg says a lot of it hinges on the visual effects and points out the challenge of introducing five new characters to the Marvel universe.
  • 4:10 - On the great ensemble that's built up around the core cast. Says he's geeking out about working with Adama (Edward James Olmos) on a daily basis.
  • 04:38 - The show took time to find its footing, but the numbers are getting better and better.
  • 05:52 - When did Gregg find out the Inhumans were going to be part of the show?
  • 06:41 - On not knowing if he’ll return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe; he’d be surprised if Marvel didn’t seize the opportunity for its shows and movies to connect.
  • 08:02 - His lighter workload and the opportunity to pursue additional projects; a new movie he’s writing.
  • 08:52 - Going from not being needed for the Iron Man Comic-Con panel to getting free drinks at SDCC.

marvels-agents-of-shield-providence-clark-gregg-patton-oswalt