Marvel Television's flagship show, Agents Of SHIELD became a huge hit among the fans as soon as it released the first season. While at first, the show followed the timeline of the movies, soon, it began to do its own thing, without concerning itself about everything going on with the movies.
The superhero drama follows the events of Marvel's Avengers, with Agent Phil Coulson being brought back from the dead. He gets his own crew and together, they fight every new threat coming up all around the world. Here are some of the best episodes from the first outing of the critically acclaimed series according to IMDb.
"The Magical Place" (8.3)
The eleventh episode of season 1 uncovers many mysteries surrounding Phil Coulsen's resurrection. Raina, from the Centipede Project, tortures him to gain some dark information. Elsewhere, Victoria Hand is entrusted to lead the project of saving Coulson but her beliefs cause some strain between the team. For instance, she removes Sky from the team. Also, Mike Peterson is alive, even though he looks absolutely battered.
"Providence" (8.4)
The eighteenth episode of season 1 is all about SHIELD's secret base, The Providence. Colonel Glenn Talbot is extensively looking for Coulson and his team, so they find a place, where no one would ever come looking for them. Being a SHIELD base, it is full of secrets, as is the case with Nick Fury. These secrets are not easy to take as almost every single one of them is shocking and could change the destiny of the team.
"The Only Light In The Darkness" (8.4)
In the nineteenth episode of season 1, Grant Ward has suffered multiple injuries and Jemma makes that known to him, while Coulson struggles to deal with things because his life has literally turned upside down.
If all the bad things happening around him weren't enough, Coulson now has to save his first true love; one with whom he hasn't met since he was resurrected. Also, the "The Cellist" puzzle starts to unravel.
"Ragtag" (8.5)
In the penultimate episode of season 1, Grant Ward's story behind the betrayal is revealed. Fifteen years in the past, a young Ward met with John Garrett at a Juvenile Facility and the latter offered him a chance to come and work for HYDRA, in return for a luxurious lifestyle. This is a very important part to understand the thinking of Ward because believe it or not, he is going to be one of the main antagonists of the story for quite some time to come.
"T. A. H. I. T. I" (8.6)
In the fourteenth episode of season 1, the team isn't in a good mood, as Skye is struggling for her life, while Coulson is trying to find Nick Fury because he wants answers about his resurrection. This episode is very important because it shows how close Coulson and his team have gotten to Skye, even though she joined them owing to unforeseen circumstances. While Sky is battling, Coulson is wondering about the magical place.
"T. R. A. C. K. S" (8.7)
In the thirteenth episode of season 1, the chase for Clairvoyant heats up as Coulson and team boards a train to Italy but little do they know that this trio could end up costing them their lives. The team divides in order to cover as much ground as possible but that, in the end, leads to the failure of the mission. Divided and feared, the team must find a way to get back to each other, or else dark forces will find them. May is in the thick of the action.
"End Of The Beginning" (8.7)
In the sixteenth episode of season 1, some new SHIELD operatives join Coulson's hunt for The Clairvoyant, with Deathlok behind every single one of them.
Among the chaos, Skye reads some psychological files and comes to the conclusion that The Clairvoyant is, indeed, a SHIELD member. But they cannot reach the real identity of the perpetrator unless Deathlok eases up, which he isn't likely to do because he is literally a killing machine.
"Nothing Personal" (8.7)
In the twentieth episode of season 1, Agent Maria Hill is on her way from Washington D.C before May bumps into her and asks a couple of interesting questions regarding Project T. A. H. I. T. I. Maria does have an answer for her but there are more important matters that need to be attended to. SHIELD is being dismantled from the inside and with no one left to trust, Hill and Coulson team up in a desperate quest.
"Beginning Of The End" (9.1)
The season 1 finale sees the storyline come to an acceptable ending with Coulson and the team going up against HYDRA. Garrett and Ward have some plans of their own, which shouldn't come to fruition because that could lead to something absolutely dangerous, both for the SHIELD and for the world. Coulson wants to end this but only on his terms. Also, the finale ends on a huge cliffhanger.
"Turn, Turn, Turn" (9.3)
In the seventeenth episode of season 1, everything is centered around a traitor being present among Coulson's unit and it is a hugely emotional episode, to say the least. A lot of characters begin to show their true colors under pressure, as Melinda May is taken to the interrogation room, with Coulson believing her to be the traitor. Coulson doesn't know who to trust but he knows exactly what he needs to do.