Pilot Review: Almost Human and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

There is very little about an upcoming TV season that makes me wary more than FOX doing a sci-fi project; but the possibility that something has been over-hyped is pretty darn close. At last weeks San Diego Comic-con International, I had the opportunity to preview two upcoming series I had been interested in seeing based on the trailers released earlier in the spring- Almost Human and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

FOX doesn’t have the best history with Sci-fi productions- the notable recent exception being the five season run of Fringe. So when I see a teaser and get excited, that excitement always dies when FOX is involved as the network. But I have now seen the full pilot episode for Almost Human and I have high hopes that FOX allows the show to be as awesome as it can be. Besides, it’s from J.J. Abrams… FOX seems to like his projects.

So let me explain what it is that drew me to this show- Karl Urban. I mean, it’s pretty much a cop drama with a robot for a partner- it’s been done. It’s set in the future- that’s been done, too. But Karl Urban using dry wit and sulky stares and kicking ass? Um… yes, please. Sign me up. Love this guy in action movies since Chronicles of Riddick (Yes, I know he was in LOTR first but Riddick is what made me look him up on IMDb and follow his work). To be honest, the character of Kennex feels like Dr. McCoy (Urban’s role in the Star Trek reboot) opted for a career in law enforcement.

A bonus here is that the effects are a lot of fun- plasma lasers and DNA mutations are just a few of the shiny doodads. The tech used in both Kennex’s apartment and in the police department made my fingers itch to play with it. Don’t think it’s a spoiler at this point to say that when Kennex loses his leg to the plasma weapon… well, it looked like it hurt.

Of course, Karl Urban may be the lead but he’s not alone. Almost Human has a solid cast- Michael Ealy (recently seen in Flash Forward and Common Law), plays Dorian, a discontinued model synthetic (he doesn’t like that term) human that partners with Kennex. Lili Taylor (The Conjuring and Hemlock Grove are some of her more recent credits) appears as the police captain. Incidentally, she worked hard to get Kennex to come back to work at the precinct, but there’s something “off” about her. It’s unclear who else fits the regular or supporting roles based on the pilot as only these three get massive amounts of screen time, but I’d say it’s a safe bet Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights) is going to be around for a while.

I am not going to lie- the start of the episode took a bit to warm up. I was open to that- I expect pilots to take a bit of time to build up and hook me. But by the time Dorian and Kennex started to talk and build a solid rapport, I’m sorry, I was ready to set my DVR to record a season. Bring on episode 2! I need to find out about “The Syndicate!”

I mentioned that I caught two pilots… the second was the much hyped new project from geek-god, Joss Whedon, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Not quite a spin-off of Whedon’s recent smash hit Avengers film, nor a continuation, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. picks up after The Avengers and either during or after the recent Iron Man 3. Instead of focusing on the superheros of the world, S.H.I.E.L.D. introduces and focuses on a specific team that works to identify and connect with superheroes just starting out. The team is made up of two scientists (Fitz & Simmons), an operative considered one of the most dangerous men alive, and a driver; though I am willing to bet that driver has some underlying skills… Oh, and the team is led by Agent Coulson. That’s right, Coulson lives.

And yes, the how is touched on in the pilot episode, but I can’t tell you about it. You aren’t Level 7.

Let me begin by explaining why I am concerned- the hype. I have been hearing about this series, or at least about Whedon being connected to a Marvel television series, since August of last year. During the year since, we have been handed tidbits of information- that it would be S.H.I.E.L.D. based, who the characters are (and who is playing them), that J. August Richards would be appearing, etc etc. So much good news! And it truly seemed to be getting support from Marvel, ABC, and Disney. But those of us that are Whedon fans will always have a wary feeling when a Joss project is on the small screen. Every time I saw new information or videos leaked, the knot in my stomach tightened.

The important thing to know is that I have seen the pilot. And not only is it good, it is amazingly good and all my fear about it being over hyped has been put aside. If ABC/Disney/Marvel continues to be supportive, this show will rock!

It opens with strong action sequences, introducing characters and situations, and setting a quick rhythm for the show. Unlike many pilots, there is no slow build-up to warm up to characters- the audience is thrown in head first. In what I hope will lead to a regular guest appearance, J. August Richards (Angel) appears as a hero in the making. His character is hinted at in some of the trailers, and I’m not going to spoil you- but he rocks! And has a really interesting arc in the episode. There are other guests who make appearances in the episode- Ron Glass and Cobie Smulders, have already been announced.

Besides the fun cast and the top notch writing (witty dialogue combining beautifully with storyline, as we have come to expect from this crew), there are the toys. No, the agents didn’t get their own hover carrier… but they have a plane. Clark Gregg said during the panel, “I don’t even know everything the plane does yet!” Personally, I want to play with the plane. If you’ve seen the trailers, you know about Lola. The only thing you need to know about Lola right now is not to touch her. Fitz and Simmons apparently have all the best toys- scanners, tools, and weapons, just to name a few. I’m willing to bet that if you’ve got a messy job that needs doing, they’ve got a tool for it.

To sum up- I was on the edge of my seat through the entire pilot presentation. Bring on the Fall!