Agents of Y.A.W.N.

Saw the mid-season finale to "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." last night.

While sitting through the predictable and somewhat navel-gazing plot, I found another problem with the show just jumping out and waving its hands at me for attention.

The plot moves along to gradually reveal a shadowy character called "The Clairvoyant". When the heroes learn about that, they quickly dismiss the idea of clairvoyance as "impossible". "It's not in the index", they say (meaning it's not a "real" superpower).

And therein lies a huge part of the problem with this show.

"Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." is riding on the tails of success for the Marvel films (most noteworthy, "The Avengers"). Films rife with superpowers and grandiose crazy shit. Now you'd think that "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." would have a fair amount of superpowers in its lineup, but instead the show seems to go out of its way to close doors in its world and say that certain powers are "impossible". Telekinesis? Impossible. Not in the index. Clairvoyance? Impossible. Not in the index.

Now I get that there's rights issues involving mutants, the X-Men, and all that, but really? You're going to dismiss the superpowers that would be easiest to have on a TV show budget? Seriously? Instead we get tepid kickboxing fights with super strength. One guy who can throw fire. And... yeah. Okay, we're done.

I'm not saying the show has to devolve to "superpower of the week" like "Smallville" did, but for the love of the FSM, stop painting the show into a corner! Learn from (FSM help us) "Arrow"! Sure, "Arrow" had the premise of no superpowers at all, but they never announced that on the show! So now they can sneak in weird super-treatments that will inevitably lead up to a TV series for "The Flash".

Oh, and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." writers? Really? The end was your big twist? You guys need help in the worst way.