Originally written August 15, 2016

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is one of those shows that’s really evolved a lot since its beginnings. The first half or so of season 1 really wasn’t anything special, but towards the end it really started to show its potential for what it was capable of. Season 2 continued season 1’s ending momentum and delivered a season that was simply fantastic from start to finish. It was by the end of season 2 that I felt like the show had really hit its stride. Now here we are with season 3, which I felt simply continued the great stride that it had in season 2.

Over the course of another 22 episodes, season 3 gives viewers even more to love from its show. Season 3 repeated the basic formula of season 2, where the show was on for 10 episodes in the fall, took a break for a few months (which is when Agent Carter aired), and then returned with another 12 episodes. While both halves were in the same season, there seemed to be a basic story arc for each of the two halves. Therefore, the focus in the second half of the season is a lot different than the focus in the first half.

The first half of season 3 basically focuses on the hunt for more Inhumans to recruit to S.H.I.E.L.D., the search to find Simmons after her disappearance in season 2’s finale, and the hunt to finally take down Ward once and for all. The second half of season 3, without spoiling any specifics, then focuses on the biggest Inhuman threat to ever face the planet, along with a “fallen agent” storyline, where a vision is received that predicts that one member of S.H.I.E.L.D. will die, which winded up not having as big of an impact as initially expected.

While the stakes of the second half of the season are a lot higher, I actually found that the first half was a lot stronger for me. It just felt a lot more personal for everyone involved. It was really important to Daisy (previously known as Skye on the show) to look for Inhumans so that they could be protected. It was really important to Fitz to figure out what happened to Simmons. And then it was really important to everyone on the team to take down Ward. This provided a lot of needed tension on the show, since it really showed some great moments of character development and frustration. While the whole “save the world” angle in the latter half was also great, it kind of paled in comparison sometimes to the more personal moments in the first half.

Overall, I think season 3 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. shows that the show still has a lot of great moments to offer. I think it’s one of the better cable dramas out there right now, and I think the show has really come a long way and fell into its own groove over time. I consider the season to be a small step backwards only because of its slightly inferior second half, but it really is only a marginal difference. I’ve never considered this show to be one of my all-time favorite shows or anything like that, but I still enjoy it immensely and I’m excited to see where the show goes next.

4/5