Welcome back WormholeRiders dedicated to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.!
This reviewer was more than overjoyed by delightful complexity of the story arc and human interest philosophy revealed in “The Bridge”!
This included well choreographed fight sequences with Ming Na, Clark Gregg, J. August Richards and guest star Paul Lacovara of The Avengers. Each of the fight sequences were artfully accomplished, in fact fabulous with one of this reviewers favorite celebrities, Ming Na Wen getting literally spun to the ground as the bad guys set out to take revenge and destroy our heroes, the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.!
Although certainly filmed in a studio location near or in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the fight scenes were even more exciting to this reviewer since the episode story came to the San Francisco Bay Area, across the bay in Oakland California in specific, in search of augmented human beings who have become minions of the evil Centipede criminal organization!
Also enjoyable after the visit to Oakland and the great fight scenes, are long detailed night action in the episodes final sequences shot in Long Beach California where this reviewer invested much time in his youth and during a University sabbatical in the late 1980’s before joining a high technology firm located in Silicon Valley to install early versions of Internet connectivity via satellite Ethernet!
As this outstanding episode unfolds in Oakland California, just across the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, after a slick prison jail break, replete with clues about Raina (Ruth Negga) and her ties to the Centipede criminals, we learn much more about the back story of all of the Agents of Shield team members including a return of Mike Peterson (J. August Richards) to the fold and a huge reveal about what makes Mike and everyone on the team “tick”, occurs on a “bridge” to “bridge” the cliffhanger mid season episode!
Hence the name of the episode, “The Bridge”, not the Golden Gate Bridge or Oakland San Francisco Bay Bridge, but one in Long Beach California, where we find our heroes searching for answers to questions that need to be addressed with a huge sacrifice made in the process.
Although our heroes on the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. team have settled into a relatively smooth working unit, each has hidden items of varying degrees of importance that are generating a measure of friction during the performance of each mission.
Such behavior is not unusual considering our heroes have only been together as a functioning unit for ten missions that we are aware of. Some are minor personality flaws we all encounter in our day to day interaction with other human beings.
Others, as we discover in “The Bridge” are more serious that threaten the very nature of the team’s ability to succeed against a viscous criminal organization such as Centipede, which represents the darker aspects of human existence of today’s world including war, slavery, drug addiction, political corruption, the quest for unbridled social manipulation (power), wonton lust and gratuitous greed.
The story arc in “The Bridge” pulled at the heartstrings of the viewing audience in such a manner so as to identify why good people the world over fight against the evil which threatens to loot the Planet Earth today in real life, much as it has since the dawn of recorded history!
Each of our heroes, including the young innocent “Ace Peterson” (Ajani Wrighster) who represents “the why” of what motivates “the good” in people. What we learn that some in life never do, is what must be done to defeat evil, to ultimately make the world a better place, especially for our children in the next generation.
Ratings Perspective:
Before sharing my analysis of “The Bridge”, some thoughts on fan behavior, the ratings, and the success of the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series that occurred before the mid season break before the Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Holiday season and the New Year in 2014.
A few on social media continue the despicable tactic of denigrating quality entertainment such as Agents of Shield whenever other events intervene to lower live viewing. The previous week for “Repairs” which saw nearly 10 million live viewers (9.69) compared to some 6.11million for “The Bridge” had some ranting on Twitter and Facebook “viewers left in droves”.
The fact of the matter is that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was up against the Country Music Awards which featured superstar Taylor Swift, a program that literally “sucked the air” out of all programs the night of December 10, 2013.
This tendency to slam a program is something we have only witnessed a bit of for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. The facts are exactly the opposite. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is the number one “Plus 7 DVR” program picking up 50% on average each week (based on the latest November 2013 numbers) equals some 3.055 million Plus 7 DVR viewers. When added to the live viewers of 6.11, this equals some 9.19 million viewers, a very healthy total for any television program.
Moreover, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is ranked number 5 out of the top 25 television programs in the United States for the critical 18-49 demographic, proving that a mobile society may not watch live when a popular music awards program is airing, but will watch their favorite programs within the following seven days!
Our point that we believe lovers of entertainment should internalize?
Some people simply love to stir up the TRIPE for no good reason other than to gain attention to themselves.
Alternatively, we here at WormholeRiders “Team WHR” simply love all the hard work that goes into producing entertainment. We do our best to ignore these malcontents as we have for over six years. We do what we enjoy, express our outright glee and tweet our hearts out for the outstanding entertainment offered by the great team of folks at ABC Studio Network for their superb Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series!
Therefore, as has been my tradition, I provide my grade for “The Bridge” as an “A Plus” for building a solid story arc to be explored when this great science fiction, action, adventure, drama series returns this Tuesday on January 07, 2014 with “The Magical Place”!
Thanks Agents of Shield!
The Bridge:
In the opening seconds we are treated to the realization that “The Pilot”, the “Girl in the Flower Dress” and several other episodes come full circle in “The Bridge” to reveal the ties that bind all of the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episodes aired to date together.
With kudos to the series creators, their use of the Single Effect has been put to good use in the series wonderfully linking every aspect of the story arc with smoothly constructed continuity!
We are outside the Havenworth Federal Penitentiary before zooming in to the prison cafeteria. A person we have seen previously chatting with the “Girl in the Flower Dress”, Edison Po (Cullen Douglas) is casually eating what appears to be dinner before sunset.
Suddenly the ceiling explodes blowing a hole in the roof as three “super soldiers” repel into the cafeteria! Crashing through the cafeteria roof at Havenworth Federal Penitentiary the three subdue the prison guards to free Edison Po.
The camera pans to the super soldiers arm. The quick camera shot confirms they all must have the Centipede device providing superhuman strength.
Edison Po, evil Centipede scientist and leader close to the one known as “The Clairvoyant” tells one of the super soldiers to call him “sir”, which he promptly does to placate the criminal in order to aid his and their escape!
We segue to a fun sparring scene between our lovers Agents Ward and Melinda May on “the bus” while they are en route to their next mission against the Centipede organization.
The banter between the two is realistic, believable and fun setting up more romantic interludes, and Single Malt Scotch post mission between the two Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..
The next scene finds us with Agent Coulson who has informed his team of the prison break and that they will be reinforced getting support from someone who can help them fight fire with fire.
His name: Mike Peterson (J. August Richards) whom we mentioned was abused by Centipede in the series opening episode.
Two of our favorite SHIELD agents, Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and a flirting Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) are conducting testing on Mike and measuring him for an Agents of SHIELD uniform. Mike who has been training at an offsite location informs them know that the weapon they created to stop him actually stabilized the serum inside hias body and in fact saved his life.
In the meantime Skye reveals that Edison Po was visited in prison by the “Girl in the Flower Dress.” As they re-play the security video of the conversation, Skye synthesizes Po’s voice who stated; “The Clairvoyant does not like to be touched.” Mike Peterson confirms that the lady is the same person named Raina (Ruth Negga) who originally recruited him for the criminal Centipede organization.
We move to Raina who is chatting with Edison Po once again asking for him to get the Clairvoyant to help in isolating the chemical compound needed to complete the third stage of the Centipede super soldier because they are exhausted subsequent to every mission.
The Centipede super soldiers need regular injections and constant upkeep. This is difficult to achieve when S.H.I.E.L.D. has them always on the run. Po suggests that it’s time to stop running.
One of the soldiers who broke Po out of prison is named Brian Hayward (Paul Lacovara) whom Skye finds out has a sister attending University of Ohio. Coulson and Ward visit the campus to question Laura Hayward (Molly McCook) who covers for her brother, immediately calling to inform Hayward that someone in the government is looking for him.
Using cell phone tracking technology, not unlike the NSA, Skye learns that Brian Hayward is in Oakland, California at a warehouse. The team is dispatched to track him down. This reviewer always enjoys the scenes of the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. jet being routed to various locations knowing that Ming-Na is “driving the bus”!
The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. arrives are what appears to be a new Centipede laboratory. It’s a trap as the three super soldiers jump Agents Coulson, May and Peterson upon their arrival who are getting their butts kicked.
Coulson attempts to stop Hayward with the blue dendrotoxin that was utilized to neutralize Mike Peterson. The shot has little effect on Hayward who jumps up to continue the butt kicking including slamming Melinda May and Coulson into nearby steel containerized shipping bozes.
Fortunately with Mike Peterson’s help, who is injured in the process, they are able to take down Brian Hayward. Coulson interrogates Hayward about who the people are that make up the criminal Centipede organization. Hayward remains loyal, but Centipede has other ideas!
Suddenly as Coulson and Mike Peterson are able to stop Hayward, one of Brian Hayward eyes appears to explode.
Hayward has been subjected to the Centipede “kill switch” technology we originally observed in the earlier episode “Eye Spy”.
The final images of Mike Peterson and Agent Coulson are transmitted just before Hayward’s death back to Po and Raina who have been monitoring the entire event.
Back to Edison Po, Raina has been flirting with him to learn more about “The Clairvoyant”.
Edison Po refuses to allow her to see him stating that she can never meet “The Clairvoyant” or find out what he is really is like.
However, emotionless Po does throw Raina a bone, letting her know he did inform “The Clairvoyant” about her value to Centipede.
Earlier Skye was informed that Melinda May was working on the identity of her parents. Sadly, May and Coulson agreed to not reveal the details of what they found out, creating a new mystery for the second half of the first season.
Melinda May is deliberately cruel to Skye as a diversion stating “if she can’t put aside her personal attachments then she shouldn’t be on the team”. May goes further to harden Skye blaming Coulson “He doesn’t want you to know the truth”.
May is being mean to Skype because she is actually the one with hurt feelings since she wrongly accused Agent Ward of taking things personally in the field to protect her. Her emotions, the first we have seen seems to have spilt over to Skye whom she thinks she is helping avoid emotional ties to her parents. The interpersonal dynamic between these four members also will become a focal point in the second half of season one.
Skye is heartbroken, but knows she is still on probation with Agent Coulson. Tearfully, she shreds her own the research into her parents that she had been conducting. Outside her door, Agent Coulson has overheard the entire incident. However for reasons not entirely clear, he does not console Skye. This reviewer suspects it is because Skye parents are somehow related to Centipede!
Agents Coulson chats with Mike about why he has not visited his son since the incident at Union Station in Los Angeles.
Mike believes that his son may think of him as a freak of nature. Coulson encourages Mike enough that he decides to call his son.
In a plot twist somewhat expected, Mike is terrified that “Ace” has been kidnapped by Raina who demands an exchange or she threatens to kill him.
Mike confides in the Agents of SHIELD team and asks for their help. Agent Coulson coordinates the plan of action.
Agents Fitz and Simmons are confident that they track Mike using non-electronic means.
At Mike’s request, Coulson is present at the exchange on “The Bridge” in Long Beach California. Agent Ward takes up position with a sniper rifle on a nearby building when things suddenly go awry!
When the exchange is about to take place, Coulson discovers that Raina wants him, not Mike. It has all been an elaborate rouse to trap Coulson! Mike tries to threaten Raina, but Coulson warns him that any action on his part would endanger the boy. Agent Coulson has no choice and surrenders himself to Raina.
Mike escorts “Ace” to the team and then turns to go after Raina. Centipede planned for this contingency by planting explosives on the bridge! The bridge explodes with Mike on it. Everyone is shocked, including this reviewer. Has Mike been killed or will his super powers save him? Is “Ace” fatherless? The elements of the Cliffhanger are almost complete!
A helicopter rises below “The Bridge” with our hero Agent Coulson captured! Suddenly machine gun fire fills the air as Agent Ward is hit!
Agent Melinda May, long time friend of Coulson, and in the opinion of this reviewer, former lover, has a look of absolute hatred on her face as the Centipede helicopter escapes the scene in Long Beach California!
The action packed episode draws to a conclusion as Raina tells Coulson what they really want; How did he survive the attack in New York and what happened the day after he died!?
As mentioned, this episode deserves an “A PLUS”. The creators of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. have incorporated all the elements of success into the exciting first half of season one. Bravo!
This reviewer cannot wait for more fun, action and to learn the fate of Agent Coulson and the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the second half of season one!
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Thank you. 
Best Regards,
WR_Systems (Kenn)