Following the success of Marvel’s The Avengers, director Joss Whedon returns with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Phil Coulson, the beloved S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and Captain America fanboy from Marvel’s The Avengers, comes back to life to lead a new specialized team for the agency.

The taskforce consists of Melinda May, a fellow agent and pilot with a mysterious past (because what is a show without an enigmatic back story?), Agent Ward, an “I work alone” type and an adorably nerdy pair of scientists occasionally referred to as a singular unit under the name of “Fitzsimmons.” Together the duo creates new gadgets and weapons, research, and happen to be the most entertaining and likeable new characters on the show. It is like watching two puppies wrestling over a particle accelerator… or something.

Then there is the new girl, Skye, a hacker equipped with a laptop she won in a bet. Covered in papers and profile pictures with blood red X’s over them, the van she uses as a portable hacker lair is fitting of a serial killer or Scooby Doo’s gang. Unfortunately, like most stereotypical hackers, she is not exactly a black belt. Agent Ward is assigned to train her for the field. The result is awkward – for them and for the viewers. The foreseeable romance and “bonding” between the characters felt painfully scripted. However, as the episodes and character development progress, the acting and scripting become more natural, and the characters grow to be more likeable.

Though the show has had a few rough patches, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is an entertaining show for superhero fans of all ages, and worth keeping your eyes on. Or, in the case of director Fury, ‘eye’ on.