Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (S2E8) Review: Attacking From The Back(stories)

Everybody's got a story is how the old saying goes, and Agents of SHIELD proved that this week with it's focus on backstories for many of it's characters. What I found interesting about these backstories is not only in how they're presented in an entertaining manner, but in how much they rely on the universe SHIELD has created for itself. Last season, it felt like everyone named dropped Thor or Iron Man every five minutes, and that was the extent of a larger world beyond the central cast, but now the show has developed itself to the point where there's much more to this show. And that makes for very interesting storytelling possibilities.

Agents of SHIELD (S1E5) Review: All The Pieces Fall Together

One reason Agents of SHIELD has found so much improvement this season is because of the expansion of focus the show has had in the past few episodes. More characters (like Fitz, Lance, Simmons and Melinda May) are being given storylines with more depth and fun that really enhance them and make the stakes more dramatically effective. That's a stark contrast to last season, when most things in the show revolved around Skye, a character who last season was decent at best, absolutely grating at worst.