Clint, Natasha and Agents of SHIELD

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

Hello lovely comm! I've been mulling this topic over for a few weeks now, and decided that on this wonderful long holiday weekend I would share my Clint/Natasha thinky-thoughts as they pertain to Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. Beware of spoilers for all episodes, including the most recent. I'm hoping to spur some discussion, some speculation... maybe inspire some fic... *looks hopeful*




1) I don't have any desire whatsoever to engage in or instigate character-bashing, but I'm assuming that I'm not the only person on this comm who groaned - loudly - at the comparison between Ward's espionage skills and Natasha's. :D

2) As of the episode The Hub, we know that Coulson is a Level 8 agent, Ward and May are Level 7, and (I think) Fitz and Simmons are Level 5. So, what level are Clint and Natasha? High enough to have gotten the memo that Coulson is alive? Maria says the Avengers don't know, that "they're not level 7" (Like that could stop Tony...) but is she just referring to the Big Four?

3) Speaking of the Hub (which looked to me like a giant mall for SHIELD agents) one has to assume that there's all kinds of sub-Level 7 agents walking around there at any given time, any who could have seen Coulson, which has to mean he's not such a big secret after all. I would <3 fic about Clint and Natasha at the Hub, running into an old friend, or maybe just hearing about what happened to Sitwell ;)

4) "Barton, Romanoff... they never have an extraction plan."
"They know that going in."

I squealed. I'll admit it.

5) In the most recent episode, Repairs, we learn about a SHIELD Academy, and how pranks were played on freshmen/rookies. Have Clint and Natasha been to the Academy? Were they ever considered rookies by other agents (with predictable/hysterical/disastrous results) or someone trying to give them the "full experience?"

Comments

[spyforaday.livejournal.com]

I went back and forth on that in my post-episode discussion with my hubby (and by discussion, I mean I talk and argue with myself while he sits quietly by, nodding his head and offers relevant comments when he can once again follow my train of thought). His take on it was that Ward didn't want his team to catch on and make things even more uncomfortable on "the bus." Sounds like he is, as usual, the voice of reason… :)

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

Yeah that's kind of my thought too. But the characterization of both May and Ward is that they ARE, by and large, rule-followers... whereas my feeling is that Clint and Natasha are not... ;)

[hufflepuffsneak.livejournal.com]

That's how I interpreted it :) Also, have to say I love this pairing, although I wasn't expecting it. I just hope May isn't secretly Skye's mother or aunt or something, 'cause that would make things weird later.

[spyforaday.livejournal.com]

I agree and must admit that I did not see that pairing coming. It makes sense now, so kudos to the plot twist.

The Skye connection also has great potential. Looking forward to watching that unravel.