Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is the story of a group of agents, led by Phil Coulson, initially under the command of Director Nick Fury, who strive from day to day to defend the world against HYDRA, the evil organization that we first encounter in World War II in the film, Captain America: The First Avenger. They battle other threats as well that might not be big enough to require the intervention of the Avengers themselves, and most recently have been dealing with the inhumans issue.
Agents of Shield started out a little slow, and for a while during its first season there was some question as to whether or not it would get a second. It did, but that season, too, seemed to lag for a time, in part because the writers had to wait for the cinematic release of Captain America: Winter Soldier before they could take their story to the place where they intended to go. Once that film was released and the show was able to move forward with its story line, however, the show improved, and it has continued to do so.
We first met Agent Carter, Peggy Carter, in Captain America: The First Avenger. Beginning as a British military officer during World War II, she went on to work for the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) soon after the war, after Steve Rogers (Captain America) became frozen in polar ice, and would eventually go on to found, or co-found, S.H.I.E.L.D. Lasting for only two short seasons, Agent Carter told the story of Peggy's time in the SSR.
Daredevil tells the story of Matt Murdock, a lawyer in Hell's Kitchen, New York. As a child, Murdock was blinded when he was exposed to a chemical spill. As a result, he developed enhanced senses. Undeterred by his blindness, he becomes a vigilante, and the incredibly good first season of the show follows his rather violent encounters as he rises to become "the devil of Hell's Kitchen."
The show's second season continued to follow Murdock/Daredevil, of course, but also introduced us to two more MARVEL characters, The Punisher and Elektra. I thoroughly enjoyed the Punisher's subplot and I'm guessing that most other fans did as well because The Punisher is now going to be a show of its own. However, I found the Elektra subplot to be...well...kind of boring. That's just my own opinion, though. I'm sure there are fans out their who enjoyed it.
Jessica Jones came next. Jessica Jones tells the story of...duh, Jessica Jones...a former superhero who has decided to hang up her cape (if she ever wore one) and become a private investigator.
As I write this, it's been nearly a year and a half since I watched the first season (the only one that has aired, so far), and I must admit that I barely made it through. I wanted to like it because I have enjoyed the MARVEL films and had very much enjoyed Daredevil, but for me it lacked... something... and I don't really remember a whole lot about it. Her main nemesis in the season was someone called, if I remember correctly, the Purple Man. I don't remember much about him, either.
Jessica Jones has been renewed for a second season. Hopefully, season 2 will be better.
Luke Cage was introduced in Jessica Jones and became the next MARVEL/Netflix series to premiere. Cage was experimented upon while imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, and as a result of the those experiments has incredible strength and unbreakable skin. He escapes from prison and faces trials and tribulations as he tries to rebuild his life.
Like Jessica Jones, only one season of Luke Cage has aired so far. In my opinion, it was not a "great" show, but it was okay. I do think its first season was better than Jessica Jones' first season. Because they are a part of the overall MARVEL Cinematic Universe, I will watch both shows' second seasons when they become available. I can only hope that they will improve over the shows' first seasons.
Iron Fist is the most recently released Netflix contribution to the MCU. As a boy, Danny Rand was on a plane with his parents when the plane went down in the Himalayas. Danny's parents were killed, but Danny survived and was rescued and raised by monks who train him in Kung Fu. While with the monks he becomes the legendary Iron Fist. Then, 15 years after the crash, he returns to New York and tries to take his rightful place as heir to his father's multi-billion dollar corporation, which is being run by the grown children of his father's former partner, and of which he inherited a majority share.
I've seen a lot of negative reviews of Iron Fist and I don't understand why. Of the four (so far) Netflix contributions to the MCU, I think that it is second only to Daredevil, better than both Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, but I guess we all know what "they" say about opinions.
In closing, I would like to point out two additional aspects of all four of the Netflix shows that I have not mentioned yet. First, all four of them do take a moment or two along the way to mention "the attack on New York" (as seen in The Avengers) or "the big green guy" or some other aspect of events as seen in the MCU, reminding us that they are all taking place in one big shared universe. Second, Rosario Dawson appears as Claire Temple in at least three of them (I don't remember if she appeared in Jessica Jones) adding to the continuity.
Finally, fans know that we have not seen the last of any of these characters. In the way that Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor (and the Hulk as well, sort of) were featured in their own films and then brought together to appear in The Avengers, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist will soon be brought together as The Defenders.
Dumpster fire TV
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