Agents Of SHIELD Season 5, Episode 1 & 2 “Orientation” Review

Marvel’s Agents Of SHIELD returns for a fifth season on Friday, December 1, on ABC. Last season the agents found themselves trapped inside the Framework, a virtual world run by Aida the Life Model Decoy. In this world, SHIELD fell to HYDRA, and Aida wanted to use the mystical Darkhold book to give herself actual life. Needless to say, the good guys won…only to find themselves taken by some government type soldiers. The final episode ended with Phil Coulson waking up out in space on some sort of spaceship. You can read the full recap here.

Marvel has already released the first 17 minutes of the episode. You can see what happened to the agents and how most of them end up in space. After the video below, you can find a spoiler-free review on the first two episodes. You can look for more in depth coverage on Friday, after the episode airs.

SHIELD in space? Is this a good idea? What will this mean for the season? The idea almost seemed a little absurd at first, but it’s actually a pretty smart move. The series started out with their world turned upside down when it was revealed HYDRA was running SHIELD in the first season. The second season dealt with the fallout of Grant Ward’s turn and the introduction of Inhumans. The third season dealt with Simmons being transported to Maveth and Hive’s arrival. The fourth season had the agents face off against Ghost Rider, the Darkhold, Aida, and the Framework. Sending them out to space is the one thing they haven’t done yet.

Another reason this is the right move is because it moves the show away from the everyday happenings in the Marvel Universe. “It’s all connected,” is what they used to say about the different Marvel properties. Agents of SHIELD is supposed to be in the same world as the Marvel movies with the Avengers and the Netflix shows with the Defenders. There’s also the royal family of Inhumans and other residents of Attilan that could be running around as well. We’ve seen it’s become extremely difficult or impossible to have any sort of crossovers. Moving Agents of SHIELD out in space puts that problem on hold for now.

Right away in the first episode, we know how the agents make their journey. The why is strongly hinted at. As more is revealed throughout the episodes, the story becomes more and more intriguing. It’s not just a matter of throwing the cast members into a sci-fi setting. There’s a reason for their situation.

Seeing the characters attempt to deal with their new surroundings helps to shake up the show. They’re coming off a major victory, and this is a way to knock them down a peg or two. We know they’ll rise to deal with any new problem and threat that comes their way. The fun will be seeing how resourceful they can become outside the comfort of a familiar environment.

We’ll also be seeing new characters. The only warning–don’t get too attached to any new faces. The agents aren’t going on a pleasure cruise through the stars. There are some pretty deadly threats they need to watch out for. We are introduced to a couple characters that might be around for a few episodes. They’re showing some promise, and it’ll be interesting to find out more about them as the season unfolds.

Marvel is definitely taking some risks with the coming season of Agents of SHIELD. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. The showrunners have been great with giving each season a different direction and feel. Taking characters that are typically firmly grounded on Earth in a more realistic setting, shunting them into space is a bold and exciting move. The first two episodes just give a taste of what’s to come. Viewers should expect the unexpected.