Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Shadows

"Shadows" is the first episode of the second season of the American television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), revolving around the character of Phil Coulson and his team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as they fight Hydra for a powerful artifact in the possession of the U.S. military. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. The episode was written by Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, and was directed by Vincent Misiano. Clark Gregg reprises his role as Coulson from the film series, and is joined by principal cast members Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge, and Nick Blood. The series was renewed for a second season in May 2014, and production began that July. That month, guest star Lucy Lawless's role was revealed, building hype for her appearance, although her character was always intended to be killed off at the end of the episode. Other guest stars include Hayley Atwell, Neal McDonough, and Kenneth Choi, reprising their roles from previous MCU projects in a sequence that ties-in with another MCU television series, Agent Carter. Series composer Bear McCreary used Christopher Lennertz's Agent Carter theme when writing the music for this sequence. "Shadows" originally aired on ABC on September 23, 2014, and according to Nielsen Media Research, was watched by 5.98 million viewers, considerably less than the first season premiere. However, the episode received a positive critical response, with the majority of critics finding many improvements over previous episodes, and feeling it to be a promising start to the new season. The inclusion of Marvel characters such as Carl Creel and Atwell's Peggy Carter were particularly praised.