The advent of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. marks a groundbreaking Marvel event which attempts to create another branch of the connective universe, this time in a weekly television format. Since the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has grown into a global phenomenon, the recently concluded series on Channel 4 warrants a meticulous diagnosis. The following is an attempt to dissect the strengths and weaknesses of SHIELD.

For the uninitiated, the acronym means Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division. A brainchild of Avengers scribe Joss Whedon, there is no blueprint or preconceived notion for such a show.

Resurrected Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) leads a completely new team in a world which has witnessed an alien invasion and where superheroes are the worst kept secret. The series offered an opportunity to examine the lives of the ordinary players as opposed to the gifted ones.

An intriguing pilot showed promise for an interesting season ahead. Premieres in UK and across the pond on Disney's resident channel ABC garnered the biggest network drama debuts respectively. However, marred by inconsistencies and a decline in quality of narrative, with one decent episode followed by a lackluster one, excitement for SHIELD quickly dissipated.

One of the primary limitations of the show was its inaccessibility to Marvel mainstays such as Iron Man and Hulk, which may have proved a hindrance. Perhaps viewers clamoring for a glimpse of the aforementioned characters misconstrued the meaning of the show, since the premise was always to delineate the adventures of the agents and the influence of superheroes, not the other way round. Also, it is likely that the writers were expected to tread with heed to avoid affecting the continuity adversely.

This led to plenty of lip service and gratuitous name dropping from the Avengers franchise. While the link to the MCU was always the USP of the show, the writers exploited this connection ad nauseam, long before the series was able to forge its own identity.

Serving as a bridge from cinema to television screens, Clark Gregg was quite often the saving grace of the main cast. What began as a scene stealing cameo in Iron Man was now a full-fledged role as the face of SHIELD. Gregg was consistently able to inject proceedings with his charm and wit.

The initial story arc of Coulson's uncanny recovery, following his demise in the Avengers, also provided Gregg to flex his acting muscles. The rest of the principle cast was less fortunate in this regard.

Certain characters and even actors were clichéd and suffered from lack of development, despite adequate time devoted to establishing said characters. Only wildcard computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet) was the best of a bad bunch. Apart from Agent Coulson, audiences may have struggled to rally behind the remaining characters.

A forte of SHIELD was the potency of its guest appearances. The reprisal of various roles from the MCU such as Director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), Sif (Jamie Alexander) as well as priceless new additions such as Agent Garrett (Bill Paxton) helped considerably.

You know the main cast is woeful when I rave about the stellar guest appearances and cameos. The principle cast often lacked the refined qualities of the aforementioned actors.

Moreover, the transition from movies to television provided scope of portraying an exciting connectivity to Marvel franchises, including specific episodes attributed to plot threads from Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, all of which were coincidentally released around the inception of SHIELD.

Ultimately, SHIELD'S salvation lay in the arrival of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which heralded a new dawn for the flat lining series. Those who have seen the excellent sequel will know that the collision of age old enemies Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D., which resulted in wholesale decimation, was central to the plot.

The cataclysmic events of Captain America 2 coincided with SHIELD and paid off extraordinarily well. The conspiracy angle, a highlight of the second installment, was at the forefront of a vastly improved third part of the season.

Since the fate of the titular organization rested firmly on said intrinsic twist, it is likely the writers may have held back to properly exploit this unique opportunity. The twist elevated the show generally with the actors now able to exercise their range while the writers were finally able to provide intriguing plot twists.

Furthermore, tie-ins to Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 were predominantly fruitful. Additionally, the writers also paid homage to Marvel comics by including characters such as Deathlok, Graviton and Blizzard.

While the MCU has gained universal acclaim for its game changing concept, reactions to SHIELD have been mixed. The first half of the season in particular, left much to be desired from both cast and crew. The renewal for a second season offers the chance to rectify shortcomings of the primary season.

The third half of the season had rejuvenated the show considerably. Here's hoping season 2 follows suit.