While the Jaimie Alexander episode was fantastic (maybe just because Alexander was able to say “Son of Coul”), the Deathlok storyline is just too flat to sustain a TV series. That may be, in part, because the show has been interrupted so many times. There is just no way to become emotionally invested in characters that disappear from the screen for seemingly no reason.
It was fun to see a character from Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The cameo, however, left something to be desired. “End of the Beginning” was a disappointment with the mid-show twist easily defined, and the end reveal, more like a magician’s illusion than an “aha” moment.
“End of the Beginning” is not essential viewing even with its tie to the new Captain America movie, and that may be what is hurting Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. To borrow a phrase from another network, the show just isn’t “Must See TV” even for fans. Here is to hoping that will change over the rest of the season, especially with what happens on the big screen.