It’s a new year, and it’s time for a new experiment here at RetroPhaseShift. Rather than trying to cover the news and compete with huge sites that can get exclusive interviews and all kinds of things I won’t be able to provide, I’d like to gather up some of these important news stories that you might have missed for a weekly post. This will include things like casting notices, location filming announcements, the releases of plot synopses for various episodes or films, trailers or teasers, and even smaller things like episode titles or rumors floating around. If I think it can give some insight into an upcoming or ongoing series or movie, it’s valid. On the other hand, I’ll try to keep spoiler-y things either to their own section or left out entirely; I’m not looking to help spread leaks unless they’re so controversial that I feel the need to comment on them directly. After all, there’s plenty of discussion-worthy information to be gleaned from little things without needing a leak to spur it on. Ideally, I’ll leave you with a little window into the production-side of your favorite shows and spark a little excitement for their upcoming seasons or releases.

With that said, on to the news roundup! Read more

An amazing episode and an epic point to end on for a show that’s rocketed in quality over the course of the year. As promised, huge things are happening this week and confirmation galore as questions are finally answered, only to spawn five hundred new ones. Did someone say SUPERPOWERS?

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It’s the leadup to the midseason finale, and you know what that means–big things are happening. The city awaits, but everyone seems to have a bad feeling about it. And if ever there’s a time in TV land to trust your gut reactions, it’s right around midseason finale time. Just ask Deathlok about last year’s.

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Agents of SHIELD has, thus far, not delved into the bad guy’s backgrounds too much. We know Whitehall was a Nazi, and that Skye’s Dad is, well… Skye’s dad, but that’s basically it. Now, at last, we’ve taken the time to flesh out not only their backgrounds, but to a certain extent Bakshi’s as well, and the whole show benefits from it. We also have to deal with this tease that “someone’s going to die” which has been running all week. Thanks, Sweeps.

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With Ward having escaped in the last episode, the team has their hands full. Also, Coulson’s reaching Garrett levels of alien-crazy and we really gotta do something about that. But he’s not the only one having visions of alien writing, and the others are somehow handling it even worse.

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With the Avengers: Age of Ultron scenes and trailer attached, I think we all expected something special in this episode to hook new viewers. And it’s a great episode still, I just can’t help but wonder if last week’s might have been better suited for gaining new viewers.

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This week’s episode kept the streak going, while addressing some of the lingering mysteries, introducing a highly anticipated new character, and confirming a ton of fan theories. Plus, the reunion we’ve all been waiting for, even if it was a bit short. Read more

This week’s episode is one that’s practically made for the shippers, featuring May and Coulson going undercover and posing as a couple. I can almost hear the fangirl (and boy) squeals now. But there’s seasonal arc relevance, too, so read on for more.

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With the threat from the premiere dealt with last week, Agents of SHIELD settles in as both SHIELD and HYDRA compete for the loyalties of returning character Donnie Gill, AKA “Blizzard.” Things are just as dark as the previous 2 episodes, though, and even the appearance (at last) of the real Simmons can’t shake that.

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Watching TV can be a very enjoyable experience, but have you ever considered what it would be like to live a life like your favorite character’s? While we tend to look up to our heroes and hope to emulate them, if most people really thought about it very few would want to be them. The kind of world that TV protagonists live in is often an awful one full of crime, corruption, enormous alien threats and facing death on a daily basis. Take Agent Coulson, for example–he got stabbed by a Norse god and forcibly brought back to life, forever changing who he is. The organization he dedicated his life to is in shambles, and now all the responsibility for trying to rebuild it is on him, including the lives of both the people under his command and of the innocents caught up in the crossfire. But it wouldn’t just suck to be Coulson, or part of SHIELD; imagine being an ordinary Joe in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, left powerless while gods and supersoldiers do battle for the fate of the planet. It’s downright horrifying, when you think about it.

And while there are some exceptions (I think we all want to live in the Star Trek Federation. Replicators and holodecks, anyone?) TV is littered with these kinds of unpleasant worlds. So here are 4 of the worst universes to live in that have ever been shot on camera.

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