Agents Of SHIELD: 8 Mistakes It Needs To Fix In Season 3

8. The MCU Tie-In

One of the big problems with the first-half of season 1 is that it didn't really know what sort of show it wanted to be, and just kind of existed to make a few references to the MCU, such as Coulson namedropping the Avengers. It was understandable when so many fans, who'd hoped it would be a worthwhile extension of the cinematic universe, abandoned ship after a handful of episodes. If they did, though, then they missed out on the transformation of the show, as it really kicked into gear when The Winter Soldier hit theatres. It was clear from that point what the show could be and the stories it could tell, even if it was never going to have Iron Man or Thor showing up on screen. There was the level below that, dealing with Hydra and the fall-out from that reveal, that was perfect for S.H.I.E.L.D. In season 2 it had more of an established story that it wanted to tell, outside of the films, yet still it felt the need to tie into Age of Ultron. You can see the logic, because it might seem strange if it were to just completely ignore it, but the brief mention of the Theta Protocol wasn't really anything more than a throwaway line, and didn't do anything to serve the show nor the film. If that's going to be the case, then it might as well stop doing the tie-in. That seems unlikely, so really they need to make sure that it's an organic part of the show, that it really serves a purpose and can help drive the story forward. The plot of Civil War, which will be out as S.H.I.E.L.D. approaches its season 3 finale, should be one that fits into the world of the show quite easily, and can hopefully enhance the viewing pleasure and storyline in the same way Winter Soldier did in season 1.