Orientation (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)
"Orientation" | |
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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episodes | |
Episode nos. | Season 5 Episodes 1 and 2 |
Directed by | |
Written by | |
Produced by |
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Cinematography by | Allan Westbrook |
Editing by | Dexter Adriano |
Original air date | December 1, 2017 |
Running time | 86 minutes |
Guest appearances | |
| |
"Orientation" is the first and second episodes and two-part season premiere of the fifth season of the American television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D., it follows Phil Coulson and his team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as they are transported to a future in which the Earth has been destroyed. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and acknowledges the franchise's films. The first part was written by Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen and directed by Jesse Bochco, with the second part written by DJ Doyle, and directed by David Solomon.
Clark Gregg reprises his role as Coulson from the film series, starring alongside Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge, Henry Simmons, and Natalia Cordova-Buckley. This marks Cordova-Buckley's first appearance as a series regular, after recurring in previous seasons. A fifth season was ordered in March 2017, and filming began that July. Several new recurring guest stars were announced beginning in August, including Jeff Ward, Eve Harlow, and Pruitt Taylor Vince, who are all introduced in the episodes. The episodes serve as the beginning to the first "pod" of episodes for the season.
"Orientation" originally aired on
Plot
Part one
The team finds May's jacket and realize the outpost appears to be a human colony. They find a computer, only to trigger an alarm that sends a team of
May and Simmons follow Deke's directions to a ship that could send a message to Fitz to rescue them, Johnson heads off to find Mack and Yo-Yo, and Coulson stays behind to get information out of Deke. Johnson frees Mack and the two set out to save Yo-Yo. Gradually, all of them come to realize that the monolith didn't take them into space, but to a future where the Earth has been destroyed, and the outpost is all that remains of humanity. Mack finds a message on the postcard reading "Working on it - Fitz".
Part two
May and Simmons return to the outpost, where Deke offers to give implant metrics in their wrists so they can blend in. They're suddenly interrupted by
Tess takes Coulson to Virgil's apartment, where Coulson finds a notebook Virgil hid among the artifacts of the old world he collected. Tess' boss,
The Kree take Simmons to see
Kasius demands perfection from anyone who represents him, and has Sinara kill the servant that Simmons treated. Kasius places a device into Simmons' ear, causing her to lose her hearing and dim her sight. Meanwhile, Johnson confronts Deke about using the Framework. Deke reminds her that the Earth is gone and humanity is near extinction. Deke pauses a TV playing a news report about Johnson saving Los Angeles.[a] He went into the Framework to confirm that Johnson was Quake, the person he believes tore the Earth apart. Later, Simmons becomes one of Kasius' servants, whose voice is the only one she can hear, and Kasius prepared for the arrival of some guests.
Production
Development
The series was renewed for a fifth season on May 11, 2017,[2] moving to a Friday timeslot of 9:00 pm.[3] In November 2017, Marvel announced that the season premiere of the season would be in two parts, titled "Orientation", with part one written by executive producers Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen and directed by Jesse Bochco, and part two written by DJ Doyle and directed by David Solomon.[4] It serves as the beginning of the first pod of episodes for the season, which consisted of ten episodes.[5]
Writing
On how the episodes would tie into the
Discussing the state of the main characters in these episodes, actor Clark Gregg said, "They're suddenly thrown into this world that they don't know anything about, that seems kind of savage... they're suddenly in a world that they don't run and they don't have those kind of powers and have great limitations and they're separated to a certain extent, so finding a way to reestablish themselves as a team is a big, big part of the beginning."[7]
Casting
In October 2017, Marvel confirmed that principal cast members
Design
The episode introduces a new typeface logo and title card for the series. Jamie Lovett of
Filming and visual effects
Filming for the season began on July 20, 2017.[12][13] Henstridge expressed how different filming her role was for this season stating, "She's always been so headstrong and kind of arrogant to a point where she feels like her brain is the best and who cares about anything else. So this is just a completely different realm for her and she hates every second of it. So it's brilliant and it was very frustrating to film because you just can't really do anything. You just have to be still. She has zero power and could be killed at any second."[14] For the design of the "roaches", Whedon and Tancharoen took inspiration from the 1979 horror film Alien. The actors were shown what the creatures would like in the scene. Cordova-Buckley said "I'm terrified of them. It's kind of fun to now be in a show where the enemy is aliens, and all kinds. I love Ridley Scott's first Alien so it's really fun to be doing another world and all of us getting to do that together."[15]
Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-ins
In November 2017, Whedon said that the season would not have moved the characters to space if the recent MCU films like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Thor: Ragnarok had not been exploring that part of the MCU, but that this would remain a "thematic tie". He explained that they had moved on from the overt tie-ins with the MCU films that the series utilized in earlier seasons because "we have our own mythology. That started to be much more interesting to us, and hopefully to the audience ... No one wants to come to see our show to see another show."[6] The season features the Kree, an alien race that previously appeared in the first three seasons, and in the film Guardians of the Galaxy.[16]
Release
Broadcast
"Orientation" was first aired in the United States on ABC on December 1, 2017.[17]
Marketing
At New York Comic Con on October 7, 2017, the main cast appeared to promote the season, where they premiered the first 20 minutes of "Orientation".[18][17] A shortened version of the footage was released by ABC and Marvel on November 26, 2017, a week before the episode's airing.[19]
Home media
The episodes, along with the rest of the fifth season, began streaming on Netflix in the United States on June 17, 2018.[20]
Reception
Ratings
In the United States the episode received a 0.7/3 percent share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49, meaning that it was seen by 0.7 percent of all households, and 3 percent of all of those watching television at the time of the broadcast. It was watched by 2.54 million viewers. This marked the lowest-rated season premiere of the series.[21] Within a week of its release, "Orientation" had been watched by 4.27 million U.S. viewers,[22] above the season average of 3.57 million.[23]
Critical response
Matt Fowler of IGN scored the premiere 8 out of 10, indicating a "great" episode and praising it as a "soft reboot" for the series. Fowler praised the episodes as "solid (if not claustrophobic) entertainment". He noted that the first part felt like a "mysterious space horror story" and the second part was a "full-throttle remake/remodel of Agents of SHIELD as a series". He complimented the humor of these episodes, as it helped "ease viewers into such a large, and possibly series ending, premise." He noticed that the characters are "strong enough to go off on an adventure totally separate from anything Shield-related - that they can just be their own special band of adventurers." He questioned the importance of the new characters asking, "How invested should we be in what's happening in the future, humanity-wise, if the idea is for everything to somehow get course corrected?"[24]
The A.V. Club's Alex McLevy graded the episodes an "A−" and praised the move to space, saying that "if season four was Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. firing on all cylinders, especially during its stellar 'Agents of Hydra' arc in the Framework, then this is the look of a show that knows it has mastered its storytelling, and is confidently expanding the scope of its ambition." He noted that part one "works a little better" than part two, but they're both "excellent installments that can stand on their own, narrative-wise." He described the opening 20 minutes of the premiere as a "miniature Twilight Zone". Levy felt that Mack's attitude towards the team's predicament was a "remnant of being forced out of the Framework (and away from the daughter he presumably remembers all too well) at the end of last season."[25] Danny Hale of Flickering Myth gave the premiere a positive review, in particular praising the development of Simmons. He noted that "her character has become so strong and resilient over the years and her almost jaded attitude when put in front of Kasius was so refreshing. She knows she should probably be afraid of this man but she can't seem to care enough to bow to him." He also complimented the new additions to the cast, calling Kasius "interesting" who is established as more than just "generic bad guy". He also praised the performances of Ward and Harlow as Deke and Tess, predicting they will likely have the most interactions with the principal cast.[26]
Evan Valentine of
Accolades
"Orientation: Part 1" won a
Notes
- ^ As depicted in "The Laws of Inferno Dynamics".
References
- ^ ComicBook.com. Archivedfrom the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ^ Goldberg, Leslie (May 11, 2017). "ABC Renews 'Agents of SHIELD,' 'American Housewife,' 'Designated Survivor'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 12, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
- ^ Abrams, Natalie (May 16, 2017). "Why Once Upon a Time and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are heading to Fridays". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 17, 2017. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
- ^ a b c "(#501/502) "Orientation, Part One & Part Two"". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on November 17, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ Abrams, Natalie (November 30, 2017). "Why Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is headed to space in season 5". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ^ a b c Ching, Albert (November 30, 2017). "How Agents of SHIELD Season 5 Ties-In to the Marvel Studios Movies". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
- ^ Yehl, Joshua (November 28, 2017). "Why Agents of SHIELD Is Going To Space For Season 5". IGN. Archived from the original on November 29, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
- ^ "ABC's "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Star Natalia Cordova-Buckley Upped to Series Regular for Season Five of Hit Series" (Press release). The Futon Critic. October 5, 2017. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
- ^ Patten, Dominic (October 5, 2017). "'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Ups Natalia Cordova-Buckley To Series Regular For Season 5 – NY Comic-Con". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
- ^ Petski, Denise (August 4, 2017). "'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.': Jeff Ward Set To Recur in Season 5". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
- ^ Abrams, Natalie (November 2, 2017). "Meet the new season 5 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. cast members – first look". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 2, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
- ^ Wen, Ming-Na [@MingNa] (July 20, 2017). "First Day of school with these badass babes! We're back! Season 5 #AgentsofSHIELD" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 21, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ Tancharoen, Maurissa [@MoTancharoen] (July 20, 2017). "#TBT to last year's #comiccon. We're on Day 1 of S5 of #agentsofshield but we're with you in..." (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 21, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2017 – via Twitter.
- CinemaBlend. Archivedfrom the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
- ^ Topel, Fred (November 30, 2017). "10 Things We Learned on the Set of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on December 10, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
- ComicBook.com. Archivedfrom the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
- ^ a b Agard, Chancellor (October 7, 2017). "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 5 premiere date revealed at NYCC". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 8, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
- ^ Ching, Albert (September 5, 2017). "Marvel TV Brings Agents of SHIELD, Punisher and Runaways to NYCC". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on September 6, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Lenker, Maureen Lee (November 26, 2017). "Watch the first 17 minutes of the new season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- Decider. Archivedfrom the original on May 23, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
- ^ Porter, Rick (December 4, 2017). "'Blue Bloods' and 'The Exorcist' adjust down: Friday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 5, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Porter, Rick (December 15, 2017). "CW crossovers get another bump in week 10 broadcast Live +7 ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
- ^ de Moraes, Lisa; Hipes, Patrick (May 22, 2018). "2017-18 TV Series Ratings Rankings: NFL Football, 'Big Bang' Top Charts". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ^ Fowler, Matt (December 1, 2017). "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: "Orientation Parts 1 and 2" Review". IGN. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
- ^ McLevy, Alex (December 1, 2017). "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. brings the gravity in a thrilling outer-space season premiere". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on January 6, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
- ^ Hale, Danny (December 3, 2017). "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5 Episodes 1 & 2 Review - 'Orientation'". Flickering Myth. Archived from the original on July 22, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
- ^ Valentine, Evan (December 1, 2017). "'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Season 5 Premiere Recap: "Orientation" Parts 1 and 2". Collider. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
- ^ Buxton, Marc (December 4, 2017). "Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 5 episodes 1 & 2 review: Orientation". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
- ^ Giardina, Carolyn (November 15, 2018). "HPA Awards: Avengers: Infinity War, Alpha Among Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
- ^ Giardina, Carolyn (February 13, 2018). "Visual Effects Society Awards: War for the Planet of the Apes Wins Big". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 14, 2018. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
External links
- "Orientation: Part 1" at ABC[dead link]
- "Orientation: Part 2" at ABC[dead link]
- "Orientation: Part 1" at IMDb
- "Orientation: Part 2" at IMDb