Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Season 2 (2014)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2014
	Creators:  Maurissa Tancharoen, Jed Whedon, Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly)
	Actors: Clark Gregg (Iron Man 1-3, The Avengers), Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Blair Underwood (Gattaca, Deep Impact), Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica TV-series), Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks TV-series, Dune, Hidden)
	Country: USA
	Genre: Action, SF
	Conditions of visioning: 22-25.07.2016, VOD, 32" TV screen
Synopsis: Life and work must go on in the team led by Phil Coulson (Gregg) in spite of the formal dissolution of S.H.I.E.L.D. and of what happened to some team members. They keep on trying to stop the Hydra organization while recruiting new members.
Review: We meet again the agents that we discovered in the first season, some months after we left them. As I mentioned in the review of that first season, some characters did undergo a radical change and this continues in the second season. In particular the one of Skye (Chloe Bennet), the strong woman of the series that undoubtedly carries the mark of its creator Joss Wheadon, like in the past Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or River Tam (Summer Glau) in Firefly. The evolution of the characters and the introduction of new ones (special mention to a brilliant Kyle MacLachlan) is a positive point for this season. But as often the case, it is difficult to maintain the same level once the surprise of a new series has passed, and I found myself less immersed in the story as I did in the first season, although it successfully unites the same elements. Also I made the mistake of watching the whole season too fast (in just 4 days!) which leaves me with a weird feeling (already encountered in the past) that it was rushed while it is in fact not the case. I'll try to remember not to do that anymore in the future. The season still evolves in the Marvel Cinematic Universe consolidated in The Avengers, and I found that in fact it reinforces the importance of the Captain America franchise thanks to a constant conflict against the Hydra terrorist organisation. In particular the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier are often mentioned or even shown in background. I loved that the season delivers a mini-climax at the end of Episode 10 What They Become, then giving the audience a chance to breathe a little before ramping up the action again until the revelations in Episode 17 Melinda and the excellent Episode 19 The Dirty Half Dozen introductory to Avengers: Age of Ultron. I am expecting the release of the third season on Netflix soon, although the last three Episodes of this season (20-22) don't really let me anticipate new ideas.
Rating: 5 /10