'Pilot' -- SHIELD 1x01

Warning: Spoiler Alert

Seriously ... what is up with pretty much every show calling their pilot "Pilot"? Can they really not think of something else to call it? I mean ... really. I know that it doesn't seem like it's something that should be aggravating, but it kind of is. I'd just like to have one of the shows that I start to get into have a pilot that is titled something else. It would be a nice change.

And since Joss is involved, we got a couple of alum from his stuff involved with the project. ::waves at Shepard Book:: ::waves at Gunn:: Did anyone else notice the fact that at one point, Skye called Mike "Gunn"? I seriously had to rewind it to make sure that I had heard it correctly. A goof? Or maybe a deliberate Easter Egg?

So, the rumors of Coulson's demise were greatly exaggerated? It makes me wonder what it is that they're not telling him about "Tahiti," cuz it's obviously something. It almost sounds as though he was implanted with false memories, while they worked on him in some underground bunker to make sure that he stayed alive (or came back to life, however you want to look at it). The fact that there is all manner of alien tech in this universe (and all manner of super human tech (as well as superhuman tech)) would possibly mean that they were able to use something to make sure that he stayed alive ... or maybe the Asgardians felt bad for what Loki did, and they decided that they would do Coulson a solid and make sure that he survived whatever happened to him cuz of Loki? They could have possibly kept him in Asgard while getting him better, and made him think he was on the beach on earth? But that would mean getting him back before he realized that he was somewhere other than Midgard. Erg. That wouldn't work, would it? At least not completely. But I wouldn't be surprised if the Agardians were in involved somehow, cuz they wanted to make sure that he survived Loki. And maybe they would only do it for him (and not the rest of NY), cuz he was a member of SHIELD. Please, no one take this away from me yet ... I WANT THEM TO HAVE BEEN THE REASON THAT HE'S STILL ALIVE!!

Overall, I thought it was a pretty solid opening for a show ... even though I kept getting the feeling that it was kind of like "Firefly" in some respects (and not just cuz Book was there). It was more cuz they were bringing together a group of "savants" (and that's how Joss described the crew of "Firefly"). I'm sure that other people could do that same sort of thing, and it could feel slightly different, but this had a Joss feel to it to me ... though, I may be imagining it a bit since I know that he was involved.

It was nice to see Scherbatsky on the show (and yes, she will always be Scherbatsky, no matter what else she's in), even though I don't think that she'll be in any other episodes (not with HIMYM being in its last season right now). She might be in some of SHIELD next season (provided that it lasts into a second season), since HIMYM will be off the air by that point, and it'll be cool to see her in more stuff.