Marvel Cinematic Universe: Every 2017 Project Ranked Worst To Best

To say that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has come a long way would be an understatement. Ever since its rocky start back in 2013, the series has only gotten better, and season four, which featured the Ghost Rider, LMD, and Agents of Hydra story pods, turned out to be the best season to date (though only the LMD and Agents of Hydra arcs aired in 2017).

The back half of season four featured AIDA in the show's villain role, and actress Mallory Jansen alone was enough to elevate the season, delivering a standout performance across multiple roles in AIDA, Madame Hydra, and AIDA's real-life basis, Agnes. It also threw the characters into The Framework, which allowed for old fan favorites like Trip and Ward to return for a bit, saw the noble death of Jeffrey Mace, and changed the characters forever, particularly Fitz, whose experiences and actions in the Framework have had a profound effect on his psyche.

And now, in the show's currently-airing fifth season, the team has found themselves thrust forward in time and into space, widening the scope of the show even further. It's easy to knock the show for the seeming fact that the movies don't seem to care about acknowledging these characters, but when the show has fallen into a good groove and these characters have carved out their own corner of the MCU, who cares? The show is fun, satisfying more often than not, and the team is worth rooting for, and 2017 proved to be a fantastic year for a series that many still overlook simply because it didn't wow right out of the gate.