Agents Of SHIELD: 10 Reasons Season 2 Is A Massive Improvement

5. More Sophisticated And Interlinking Plots

Season 1 had its arc plots, such as the mystery of how Phil come back from the dead, but was often more in style to Smallville with its superhuman threat of the week. Season 2 has bucked this trend, immersing viewers into a more complicated world with plots that slot together and all contribute to the overall arc of the series. Even when this season has had a more self-contained episode, such as when Coulson and May tried to steal a painting, events are still inked to the wider arc, the painting having the same alien symbols on them that Coulson has been compelled to carve. Many episodes so far have been juggling several plot strands at once, with a maturity and assurance that was unheard of in its debut year. There is also a satisfying feeling of resolution, with questions being answered as well as asked. Phil's compulsion to carve was explained and cured while Skye got to meet her father and learn about her origins without it taking years to do so. Rarely does the show feel as if it's trading water, each episode having a sense of purpose and real momentum.