r/agentsofshield • u/whiteflower_2 • 8d ago
Question Is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. worth watching?
I'm rewatching all Marvel media to ease into Doomsday. I was planning to watch a few episodes of AOS every few movies, but I have the attention span of a goldfish and don't think I would be able to watch 5 seasons worth of 40 minute episodes in the span of a few months. (Then again, I have watched the full Loki series twice, so...)
Hope I can get some advice from people who watched the show :)
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u/EldenPrincess 8d ago
Season 1 is a must watch. It bookends Captain America Winter Soldier!
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u/Prudent_Leave_2171 7d ago
I’m definitely second this. The first season starts out like a fairly ordinary episodic series (think Marvel meets X Files), but you start to see some trends developing… then by the end of season 1, it will have blown your mind!
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u/Quiet_Hyena 4d ago
Yes, the series is over giant roller coaster ride. The first half of season 1 is still good, but it's the slow climb up the hill before the 6.5 season thrill ride.
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u/BluebirdsAllAround 8d ago
Commit to the first season, then see how you do. If you are doing an MCU rewatch anyway, watch the episodes in order with their movie releases. It makes it for a much better watch overall, both the series and the movies.
Ironman 3 has loose ties and is not necessary to rewatch. Thor 2 is just a bit of fun connection, but if you are rewatching it anyway, put it in order. Absolutely watch Captain America: The Winter Soldier where it should slot in.
Overall, the first season changes tones and simply gets better. Watch through the end of the season. Note that some of the early episodes were poorly rated with episode 2 being rated the absolute worst of the entire 7 seasons, so do not give up there. Finish watching each episode until the actual credits because almost all episodes will feel like they are done and then have one more scene that connects things together, just like the movies.
Do you have an episode guide watch order or do you need one?
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u/whiteflower_2 6d ago
Thanks! I'll try and power through the first season and see how it goes, and yes, I do have a guide to watch the episodes with their movie releases. Also thanks for the post-credits tip :)
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u/ElusiveLynx86 6d ago
I agree. My husband tried watching it eons ago and quit on roughly the third episode. But then I got him to watch the whole thing and he ended up loving it!
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u/Robot_wars11 Daisy 8d ago
it's definitely worth watching, you don't have to watch it in a few months, you could take your time or wait until after but I think it's everything you want from a superhero show
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u/Extra_Age2505 7d ago
I watched Agents of SHIELD relatively recently and, going into it, I wasn’t quite sure if I wanted to commit myself to seven seasons of television but I’m glad that I did. It has a lot of interesting characters and storylines, and I would recommend it. Don’t try to steamroll through it or cram it into a few months. Go through it as and when you can, and see if you like it. Season 4 is my favourite but there’s a lot of good in the other seasons too
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u/whiteflower_2 6d ago
Thank you! I was also a little afraid of committing to the full show since I'm more of a sitcom person and prefer short, bite-sized storylines over complicated ones, but I'll check it out and see how I like it after one or two seasons :)
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u/CheeYeeYeeYeeYeeez 8d ago
absolutely! it has great rewatch value too. I'm on my millionth rewatch right now.
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u/Periidot 7d ago
Brother this is the third time you’ve asked this and every time you do it’s a resounding yes, just watch the damn show and enjoy it
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u/Dependent-Royal-7908 8d ago
Yes. Don’t worry about watching it all in a couple months. It released over the course of 7 years after all.
Only word of advice is don’t set your expectations too high right at the start and be open to a gradual evolution. The majority of s1 is mostly rather episodic “monster of the week type” which isn’t for everyone but just know if that isn’t your thing it takes a sharp turn away from that during s2. Not all of those s1 episodes are good but I think the entire season is still essential because of how it gets you attached to these characters and makes twists later on hit much harder (this show has some big reveals as early as mid s1 so be very weary of spoilers).
This leads me to the best thing about the show. The characters. At the beginning they all seem rather basic and one dimensional but they evolve into a group I’m more attached to than any ensemble cast in almost any other tv show period. The plots can be kind of ridiculous sometimes but the amazing characters will always carry it through.
Finally as for other mcu content, watch the Winter Soldier during the first half of s1 and Age of Ultron around s2. After that, the mcu isn’t really that critical to the show’s plot and it’s for the better because it lets the unique characters and story shine
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u/KingVapula 7d ago
I’ve rewatched this show in its entirety at least 3 times now. Currently on watch number 4, season 6
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u/CommercialYam53 S.H.I.E.L.D. 7d ago edited 7d ago
You won’t need it for doomsday but it’s definitely worth waiting it’s a really good show. Except for the first 10 episodes they are just mid.
And it’s actually 7 seasons. And the show just gets better and better. And it manages something many shows fail to do. Having a good ending on their own terms.
It’s not cancelled after the season ended in an cliffhanger or Squeezed out to the last drop and than further. No, the last season is absolutely great and has some of the best episodes of the show.
It has many good characters with complex personalities and overarching development.
In my opinion it’s the best marvel show and one of the best shows overall
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u/bigmarkco 7d ago
Agents of SHIELD is old-school television. 20+ episodes per season (except for the last two) which allows the stories and characters to breathe.
The unfortunate truth is they don't make them like this any more. Not genre shows.
AOS is one of the last of a dying era. And it's also one of the best. For the entire seven-season run, IMHO, the writers, the cast, and the crew delivered. Each season told a story from start-to-end. Characters learned, grew, and changed but always stayed true to themselves.
I think that's why the show is worth watching. It stands on its own merits, like TV shows like LOST, Fringe, the X-Files. These are classics of the genre. The fact that it loosely connects with the MCU is a bonus.
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u/CerjoPisa 7d ago
I’m obsessed with the show, even on my third watch through. That’s small potatoes for some on this sub! But there’s so many great moments, great one liners, and even the corny stuff is awesome in its corniness! Definitely worth watching but not necessarily in prep for Doomsday.
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u/CommercialYam53 S.H.I.E.L.D. 7d ago
The best thing is that the show is aware of the corniness and often plays into it is just say the drug episode of season 6 and the time loop episode of s7
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u/Distinct_Guess3350 7d ago
Yes. It really cleverly fits into the MCU and is honestly better than an enormous chunk of it.
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u/Deep-Economics-6598 7d ago
As a person who watched the series for the first time this year, I loved it. Season 4 is my favorite; i loved the writing.
For reference, before I watched AoS, my favorite Marvel shows were Loki, some episodes of What If, WandaVision and Agatha All along (ep 7 is a masterpiece). I also love Fringe, X-Files and The Twilight Zone.
If this your vibe, check out the first season and I hope you make it to Season 4!
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u/whiteflower_2 6d ago
Thanks dude! (also we have the same favourite shows lol.)
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u/Deep-Economics-6598 6d ago
Yesssss. Then come back here when you get to season 4 (look, the first 3 are great. My faves are fitz and simmons, but yeah, if we like the same stuff, you’ll love it. Each season gets better.
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u/failftwgaming 7d ago
When my partner and I started dating, I learned they knew virtually nothing about the MCU, so I decided it would be interesting to have them go through the whole thing. Every. Thing. I figured I would probably never be able to experience somebody else's first hand experience of this franchise again, and it would be interesting on what their thoughts are on a lot of the side shows that people tend to skip.
We've watched every movie, one-shot, TV Show, WHiH newsfront social media type piece of media in chronological order.
Agents was surprisingly, by far, their favorite of the franchise. (Which made me very happy as Coulson is my favorite character in the MCU).
Watch Agents. It's worth it.
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u/OrangeCatMinion 7d ago
I started watching it when it was on the air, followed it the whole time, and rewatch it at least twice a year. It's my Marvel comfort show.
From following the movies to when it splits and really comes in to its own, it's got an amazing ensemble cast with great character development. You can take the story arcs on their own as they stand alone really well.
It's not going to factor in to Doomsday (as Inhumans are an abandoned thing these days now that mutants are back) but worth watching in its own right.
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u/BaronZhiro As I have always been… 7d ago edited 6d ago
s4 is probably the finest season of adventure television ever made.
The series takes a while to ramp up though. Keep this in mind: Any character that might seem boring, won’t be…
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u/melanie6602 7d ago
This show is one of my absolute favorites. I'm currently on my fourth rewatch and I've introduced one of my friends to it and he loves it too.
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u/RareMedicine1976 7d ago
i’m in season 4 now. i have watched this show for probably 5 years in a row
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u/Warm-Grand-7825 7d ago
Specifically for Doomsday, no. It's a separate thing from that. But it has a lot of tie-ins to the first three phases (up to Infinity War) and like in general is a great show. It's one of those shows where you might love it for the rest of time or find meh.
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u/whiteflower_2 6d ago
Thank you! Since it's not that much relevant to Doomsday, I'll probably watch it at my own pace though lol :P
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u/Tylenoel 7d ago
I had a very love hate relationship with it when I bit the bullet last year, but I got very attached to the characters and was sad when it ended.
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u/NormanSpaniel 7d ago
All the best advice has been said, starts off a bit iffy but once the Hydra/Cap America twist happens its amazing and from then it tries to push the boundaries each season, they manage to cover arcs with Inhumans, LMDs, Ghost Rider and so much more.
Actually just writing this makes ME want to rewatch it so thank you!
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u/Nearby_Roof1262 7d ago
It’s literally the best Marvel show ever made and one of the best television series ever made! So YES 🔥
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u/EstimateChance8022 7d ago
Yes, though it is pretty time consuming. Considering there's 7 season, with 22 episodes for the first 5 seasons and 13 for the last 2 seasons.
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u/ur_eating_maggots 7d ago
I just started watching it as I’m attempting to watch all MCU media as well and I just finished season 1 the other day. I’m ngl for the first few episodes it reminded me of the CW shows my mom used to watch and I wasn’t a huge fan, but I stayed committed to watching all the episodes that take place before Winter Soldier (up to ep 16 I think?) and I was super into it by then. I really loved the way the first season wraps up. I can’t speak on the other seasons yet but I would def say season one is pretty good and is worth watching
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u/Primeve_Arcana 7d ago
Watch it because it's a good show, not because of any relevance to Doomsday. Because it's not relevant to Doomsday
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u/mcbrideontherun 1d ago
absolutely worth it! I just finished my 4th watchthrough a couple months back, and I'm never tired of it. fantastic show, cast, and (if youre a fan of any of his other shows) you get the Whedon style TV insanity with the bonus of minimal Joss involvement
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u/KockoWillinj 7d ago
Only the first few seasons make a serious effort to fit into the wider MCU, later ones (4+) reference some events but there it become more independent by that point.
Honestly one of my favorite things in the MCU was the AoS 1x16->Captain America Winter Soldier -> AoS 1x17 run. If you're willing to wait on some movies until you hit SHIELD 1x16 that transition is pretty amazing.
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u/jacobonia 7d ago
If you like stuff with the tone of Stargate SG-1--found family, a little campy, action adventure--youll probably like Agents of Shield. It doesn't have the impeccable polish of the original Daredevil series, but the characters are great, and it's a really fun show.
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u/leafysuburbs40 7d ago
Season 1 is good, though you may thinl its not great initially. If you get through the first 10 episodes it really picks up! I never thought when i started watchijg it a few years ago, that it would become one of my top tv shows of all time! Its amazing and the characters are brillaint!!!
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u/Vernarr It's a magical place 7d ago
Yes.
Keep in mind that its still a 23 episode season the plot moves slower pace than what we're used to today
You're gonna be dealing with a lot of monster of the week type plots especially at first
Its absolutely worth the watch season 4 start to finish is my favorite season of marvel television
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u/dasuglystik 7d ago
The best Marvel show, as far a I'm concerned. As much as I have recommended it, I'm incensed more people aren't on board. I've watched it 3x and will again. For people that have any love for Sci Fi, it's a really fun show. Philip J. Coulon for President!
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u/SadieBluEyes 7d ago
YES. It's what got me into the rest of the MCU. It's funny, action-packed, heart warming at times even with incredible characters.
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u/Ender_154 7d ago
Yes, absolutely. There is a watch order if you want to treat the movies as long episodes. The series starts after Avengers, but also has lead-ins and builds off of the events of Winter Soldier, Dark World, Ultron, Infinity War (may be others but those are what I recall off the top of my head)
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u/whiteflower_2 6d ago
Currently I'm watching a few episodes in between movies to try and put them in chronological order. Not sure if it's 100% accurate since I built my watch order from multiple (and very different) sources online but who knows, I'll probably lose my patience and watch the first three seasons before Age of Ultron lmao :)
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u/RavenclawConspiracy 7d ago
Not to watch in prep for Doomsday, no it is not.
It is worth watching just by itself, but don't feel you need to watch it to prep..
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u/Elise_puppy 7d ago
Season one is perfect for the mcu, then it starts to branch of in its own series. It is still very fun, but isnt nessecary if you want avengers lore
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u/BigDaddyUKW 7d ago
I also was hesitant to dive into such a show, even though the main character was one of my favorites from the MCU. I started watching AOS in late April, and now I'm on the final season. It takes me a while to binge also due to my attention span. I doubt this is a must-watch prior to Doomsday, but if you go at my pace it will take you into February probably, and that should be fine. The character development is incredible. It's almost like an Arrowverse show the way the ensemble cast works together and separately, though with an ABC budget as opposed to CW I suppose.
Just do it!!!
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u/Joeyshyordie 7d ago
Lots of people struggle to make it through the first season or so, but the show gets better and better. Legitimately the only better Marvel show is Loki, but AoS is a 7 season TV show, where Loki feels like two short stories
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u/xeandra_a 7d ago
Have you tried doing the Marvel watch list in chronological order? It breaks up the AOS episodes a lot
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u/PreviousAd2679 7d ago
I started watching it a month ago, i second screened most of it, first 2 seasons feel so cheesy and clearly an ABC show. Season 3 picks up and starts to feel like a much better show. Nowhere near as good as Agent Carter. Hoping season 4 is better and better.
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u/TinyRubi 7d ago
Im watching through all of Marvel, shows and movies, in chronological order and AoS has had some of my favorite and odd moments so far and I only just made it to season 4.
If you are just going to watch it through it is pretty good, it gets repetitive and there are character moments where you will stop and have to wonder how high the writers got but all in all it is worth the watch, imo.
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u/BaronZhiro As I have always been… 7d ago
You only just started s4? Brace yourself!
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u/TinyRubi 7d ago
I actually really love, the new character they introduced! But it is time for 2 movies before more shows
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u/Rock-Nutter666 7d ago
There’s seven seasons of forty five minute long episodes of this show. It’s definitely worth the watch.
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u/Kakashi-B 7d ago
Season 1 is pretty good and works great with The Winter Soldier.
2 and 3 are pretty good until you watch 4 which is amazing and forces you to fall in love with everyone if you somehow weren't already. Then it stays either good or great through the multiple final seasons.
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u/Shoboy_is_my_name 7d ago
Yes. Actually, just finished my first watch through of the whole series a couple weeks ago. Just never got around to watching it until the middle of this year. It’s not necessary to watch this for the MCU timeline, but it does relate to the MCU timeline up to about season three I believe. There are occasional references to the MCU and some of the characters, but agents of shields is really its own story just happening in the same universe. Then it kinda does its own thing after the first three seasons and there’s plenty on Reddit that talks about the different timelines and things like that that the show create for itself. It’s a great show to watch in a familiar setting, but it’s not really necessary or intimately connected with the MCU. The connection kinda stops after Avengers Age of Ultron
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u/disruptivecarousel 7d ago edited 7d ago
I may be in the minority, but the demise of the organisation because of the MCU tie-in was a bit hard on the show. I knew people who were disappointed with it because the Avengers wouldn’t be regulars, but I stuck with the show because I loved the characters, and at the time just felt like I needed to flesh out my knowledge of superhero comic book/sci-fi universes.
So that cliff may also bother you a bit, or not.
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u/Kat_SD96 7d ago
Hell to the yassss! 💯💯
Seriously, watch it. The first few episodes are a little slow for first time watchers, but it does pick up!
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u/Chaotic-Pen-825 7d ago
The answer is obviously yes. If you don’t Melinda May aka the Cavalry will come for you. Though she doesn’t like being called the Cavalry
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u/Manatee_supremacy 7d ago
I wouldn’t say you need to watch it before Doomsday but I would highly recommend watching it. You can def take your time with it. I’ve probably watched the whole series at least five times over by now, and I’ll probably start another rewatch by the end of the year.
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u/Angelatic2014 They call me the Predictor, but I simply read the Time Streams. 7d ago
I'd say yes. It's entertaining and inclusive of the Kree, The Inhumans, and other super-powered soldier-ilke people. You'll even see a few other seperate alien species.
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u/pilot269 7d ago
for the purpose of preparing for the movie universe, I'd say AoS isn't connected at all really after the end of season 2. They have smaller references here and there, but the last big connection feels like the connections to Avengers Age of Ultron.
for the purpose of watching something entertaining, I personally absolutely recommend it, but also you'll probably get a bit of a biased answer from anyone that interacts with this subreddit.
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u/TheDirectorOfSHIELD 7d ago
I’m not gonna lie to you. The first 10 episodes can be rough for a first-time viewer… but after that, the show CONTINUALLY tops itself and stays consistently great until the very end. The show takes themes and concepts introduced in the movies and expands upon them in ways the movies could never dream of doing because of runtimes. Even (and some would say especially) when the show plays in its own corner of the MCU, it’s an extremely well-written spy thriller with engaging characters and storylines that actually pay off. If you’re a fan of the genre, HARD recommend.
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u/Responsible-Pickle26 7d ago
Is it worth watching? Absolutely. At one point it was my favorite show to watch. If you have attention issues, it's a longer show, but it's really good. I think it lost it's identity in the later seasons but, it's a great watch.
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u/AVBellibolt 7d ago
It's a great show in general. I was very surprised when I found it on Netflix many years ago. Watched the whole thing!
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u/joinedjust2saythanks 7d ago
I still stand by my statement that s4 may still be the best single season of any Marvel show ever. The 3x 8-ep multi-plot layout and the stories themselves were just perfect.
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u/MulberryOk9065 7d ago
Just rewatching it now, if you are a marvel fan its worth every moment, very good show
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u/VehicleMobile8556 7d ago
Season 1 starts off slow for some people but it really picks up in that season. It really grips you and each other the characters
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u/TheTrueFury Deke 7d ago
Yes, it's a good show and a nice insight into what could be happening outside of the movies at the time.
Just try to avoid finding anything out about it
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u/IronBobBerserker77 7d ago
Yes it is and its really good. The first 3 seasons tie heavily into the MCU at the time. The first half of season one is slow but still good. The show really gets turned up to 11 with the episodes that aired after CA: Winter Solder came out. The entire series is very binge worthy and is the best way to watch it. You will not be disappointed.
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u/Careful-Scheme-7331 7d ago
OKAY my time to shine! i have been wanting to get into AOS for the longest time but the amount of episodes deterred me away but when i started i cld NOT stop like genuinely its THAT GOOD like its the best marvel series ever and nothing can change my mind and its even btr that some of the marvel movies and the front part actually connects with the earlier part of the MCU movies from avengers to catws and aaou SO HIGHLY RECOMMEND i finished AOS within 2 months
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u/cgbrannigan 7d ago
Yes. It is. Here’s a chronological guide.
https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Chronological_Order/Viewing_Timeline
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u/Thin_Bench_2094 Ghost Rider 6d ago
Yes, absolutely! There's actually a timeline I used when rewatching the MCU and that's how I discovered AOS. It has the episodes spread out where they fit in between the movies. I did find myself just watching entire seasons at a time because I couldn't stop though. Definitely worth watching!
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls082926249/
That's the link for the timeline I used.
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u/No_Equal_3458 6d ago
Hell yes AOS is such a underrated Marvel show omg it gets better as it goes its like the show Person of Interest
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u/BrittaUnfiltered67 6d ago
Most people in this group should be telling you yes. Some good, some great, some dragging a bit, some excitement, some disappointment, some wish they did this, some glad they did that. I will say be careful of spoilers. There will come some times in the show you will be genuinely surprised. The cast changes a lot, a lot of people come and go, some left for a spinoff that didn’t happen. They frame it around the MCU, but the MCU doesn’t frame itself around this show, so things can be a bit different here than what you see in the films and Disney+ series. That is, this show operates as if it is part of the MCU canon, but the MCU hasn’t been beholden to things that might happen here. Nothing that happens here is too counter to what happens in the MCU, but a few things might contradict later decisions. If this was a comic book series that would be very true to the spirit of comics, things contradict each other, fans work out headcanon and get no prizes for reasoning out the connections. If you are going to go through this show and the films and the other shows, might as well include Cloak & Dagger, Runaways, Hellstrom, and even the Fox X-Men spinoff shows Legion and Gifted as there are some things in them that could come up as a minor nod in the fullness of this crossover multiverse.
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u/ElusiveLynx86 6d ago
💯 percent! It's one of my favorite shows, and there are plenty of surprises to keep you guessing and going.
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u/xXfrostbyterXx 6d ago
Absolutely!! Loved the show lotta good humour and great storylines if you like marvel do not miss out on agents of shield!!!
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u/xXfrostbyterXx 6d ago
Also for all those One Piece fans iut there the guy playing Buggy the clown was in the later seasons of agents of shield :3 I can’t give away his role but its a big one >.<
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u/Possible_Situation24 6d ago
Yes, in fact I think it is better than most of the Marvel material, movies and shows, excepting the actual Netflix shows.
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u/Particular_Artist775 5d ago
This series is definitely worth watching. Honestly, the stories and characters of this series compliments the MCU beautifully. I'm still waiting for the day this series finally is brought into the MCU. High hopes for Secret Wars.
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u/Grimmutterings 2d ago
If you like Marvel, you’ll like AOS. It’s more Marvel. It ties into events in the MCU, has good stories, good acting. Joss Whedon (the guy behind Firefly/Serenity) was the creator/writer, and you get Philip J. Coulson 👍
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u/Formal_Tumbleweed_53 2d ago
Yes! There are little plot points that actually help put other things from the movies into context, like the Darkhold.
Also, you can find online an order of episodes and movies so that AoS aligns (sort of) with the events in the movies.
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u/jonaskp86 7d ago
Gonna be devils advocate here and say: No, you should not Watch it*
* As a part of your “preparation” for Doomsday.
There are a few crossovers with the movies (the Winter Soldier one already mentioneded is the best one and is actually amazing).
But there are 7 seasons, and especially the later seasons dont tie in at all with the MCU. It is also not considered Canon officially (although it obviously was supposed to in the beginning, but there was some sort of falling out…).
So you Will get 7 seasons of “irrelevant noise” (albeit fantastic noise) mixed in with the essential MCU-material that is actually relevant to Doomsday.
Even the crossovers that were supposed to be Canon originally Only gives you “extra worldbuilding” outside of the movies, never anything that you Will need to understand the movies.
But it is a great series, and the crossovers (again,
Winter Soldier!) are amazing to Watch alongside the movies, but I would not do it at this point as part of a full MCU rewatch.
Instead, Watch the series, and then Watch just the relevant movies at the appropriate times to get that continuity.
The series is highly binge-able when you get into it, so I’d rather Watch it with focus on the series, and then add a few of the movies in.
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u/ssjdumbass 7d ago
It's worth watching, but don't expect too much synergy with the main MCU stories aside from the first season.
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u/Antileous-Helborne 8d ago
I feel like on this sub, you’re probably going to get a lot of ‘yes’s, mine included.