What has Agents Of SHIELD become?

[DrNewGod]

One of the core things about SHIELD in the comics was its role as a continuity piece in the Marvel Universe. Partially to promote its own feature, and partially as a tool for binding Marvel's superhero comics together, SHIELD often appeared as the backdrop in multiple Marvel titles.
Need the CIA for a comics story? Use SHIELD.
Need some official monster hunters (for anybody but The Hulk)? Use SHIELD.
Need a non-superhero-level-but-capable supporting bodyguard/thug? Make them an ex-SHIELD agent.
Need a gang of disposable, but high tech punching bags? Use SHIELD's enemies HYDRA or AIM.

The TV show, however, has drifted far, far away from this. Ever since The Afterlife story arc, the show has removed itself from the MCU, almost splintering off into a world of its own. Even mention of Daisy and Yo-Yo as being Inhumans has gone by the wayside (of course, given how The Inhumans turned out, perhaps the less said the better).

I don't claim this is bad, but in many ways, the show isn't The Agents of SHIELD anymore beyond the name.

So, if it isn't AoS anymore, is there anything in comics or other media that it resembles more closely?

[Immortal Weapon]

Blame Winter Soldier. That movie effectively removed Shield from the MCU. During the time when movie and TV divisions relationship was still good, the movies never acknowledged happenings of the TV shows. Hell, it wasn't until the last season of the show where Shield regained it's public status only to use it again.

[Iron Fist]

AOS was a problematic show because it was conceived to serve this function and then the MCU immediately made it redundant.

I think the show has adapted really well and continued to be a quality piece of entertainment. The problem is the MCU doesn't want to let certain status quos like SHIELD survive very long so it's hard to set a show on such a violatile foundation.

[Midvillian1322]

The show was never allowed to be that. Joss directed the first episode and he's during So I that to him Coulson is still dead. The show has done a good job finding it's groove but it was always reactionary in the MCU. Doesn't make the show any less good but after TWS Shield in the MCU became a non factor. We don't even get fury again until CAPTAIN marvel and thats 90s Fury. Maybe Maria hill will step up in a a Black Widow movie and Sheild makes a come back but the shows version of Sheild is just a team at this point. I love Mac wish he could cross over to Netflix or The film's when Aid gets cancelled(Maybe just maybe Disney keeps it going on they're streaming service)

EDIT: Wow auto correct made that sound like nonsense. I was just SAYING Wheedon said that to him Coulson is still dead but he directed the first episode of the show. So iono what they're hopes for this show within the MCU eve4 were

[Immortal Weapon]

The show was never allowed to be that. Joss directed the first episode and he's during So I that to him Coulson is still dead. The show has done a good job finding it's groove but it was always reactionary in the MCU. Doesn't make the show any less good but after TWS Shield in the MCU became a non factor. We don't even get fury again until CAPTAIN marvel and thats 90s Fury. Maybe Maria hill will step up in a a Black Widow movie and Sheild makes a come back but the shows version of Sheild is just a team at this point. I love Mac wish he could cross over to Netflix or The film's when Aid gets cancelled(Maybe just maybe Disney keeps it going on they're streaming service)

Maria Hill is working for Stark and BFFs with Pepper. Sharon Carter would be more plausible as she's a former agent who's still in espionage working for the CIA.

[AndrewCrossett]

A good adventure show is about fighting against The Man. If the protagonists ARE The Man, then what you have is just another procedural.

What Coulson said in this episode about SHIELD being more an idea than an agency is what sums up where the show has gone, I think.

It's become much better since it stopped trying to be the low-budget tag-along to the movies.

[DrNewGod]

In many ways, I think it now has more in common with The Challengers of the Unknown than it does its source material, or even its own first season.

[Qwerty]

Blame Winter Soldier. That movie effectively removed Shield from the MCU. During the time when movie and TV divisions relationship was still good, the movies never acknowledged happenings of the TV shows. Hell, it wasn't until the last season of the show where Shield regained it's public status only to use it again.

Uh no that's not correct at all. Nick fury's helicarrior in age of Ultron came from coulson.

[AJBopp]

Uh no that's not correct at all. Nick fury's helicarrior in age of Ultron came from coulson.

Where was that established?

[Kirby101]

Where was that established?

The Theta Protocol in Season 2 was Coulson having a last Helicarrier that he gave to Fury. It wasn't established, it was shown.

[numberthirty]

I don't claim this is bad, but in many ways, the show isn't The Agents of SHIELD anymore beyond the name.

So, if it isn't AoS anymore, is there anything in comics or other media that it resembles more closely?

If you are hung up on "Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D", you are refusing to realize that this show is largely(and always has been) an adaptation of Secret Warriors.

[tib2d2]

At this point its loosely connected to the MCU, not as loosley as the Netflix shows, but connected enough to make Marvel fans happy.

I think this show continues to get better each season. Just when I thought the season where Jemma spent on the alien world was the best, they followed it with the final season with Ward. Then the LMD/Ghost Rider season came and then the Framework. Just when I didn't know where they go from there, they had this awesome season.

I think the show gets more like a comic book series would be, if we had a SHIELD ongoing monthly comic that wasn't super connected to the Marvel Universe.

Just my opinion. I'm ready for the show to wrap up and end though, not sure if that makes sense. But time to go out on a high note. Hope we see more Deathlok though!

[AJBopp]

The Theta Protocol in Season 2 was Coulson having a last Helicarrier that he gave to Fury. It wasn't established, it was shown.

Did Coulson get it back after Fury was done with it?

[Forseti]

I don't care what it resembles or how anyone wants to call it. I only care for it to entertain me.

[DrNewGod]

Did Coulson get it back after Fury was done with it?

As far as I know, it never came up again. However, as SHIELD was outlawed and underground at the time, smart money would be that authorities impounded the Helicarrier when it dropped the Sokovian survivors.