So, SHIELD is slowly getting better. It from agonizingly mediocre to now almost crossing the precipice into good. However, nowhere near great. Despite the fan reaction and the belief that it's going to get cancelled, it's not. The ratings are consistent and competitive for its time slot and with other ABC shows. Check TV by the numbers if you don't believe me. Unless something really weird happens, it's getting at least a season 2. So with it in its current state, let's think of hypothetical episodes and arcs they could do that could help it cross into good territory and great in the future.

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Episode: The Lion of Olympus

Forget about the God of Thunder, it's time for the Prince of Power! Hercules makes his triumphant debut, drinking all the beer he can find, getting into brawls and hitting on everything in sight. The cast gets introduced to Olympians as Hercules has been sent by Athena to retrieve an Olympian artifact long thought lost. Naturally hilarity ensues as Ward gets shown up at every turn, particularly as Herc just can't keep his shirt on.

Episode: Amadeus (Two-Parter)

The team gets a mission to retrieve a 14 year old boy, Amadeus Cho. The case is strictly classified and they don't know why he's so important. While trying to pick him up, they're attacked by AIM who has been after the boy. The boy refuses to go with either SHIELD or AIM and runs from both, hacking into different devices to make his getaway. Amadeus ends up hiding in a bar, where he runs into Hercules. After Hercules saves him from AIM, Amadeus thanks him and tries to leave but Hercules insists that he comes along on his heroic journey to find out what happened to his sister. The 2nd part would further cement their partnership to the point where Hercules refuses to let SHIELD take Amadeus.

Episode: Wonder

Simon Williams, a friend of Fitz, who took his talents to build Williams Innovations instead of joining SHIELD, is running into financial troubles and is desperately trying to make a new invention of his work. His brother, Eric, who Simon doesn't know works for Hydra as Grim Reaper, lets him know of a power source in SHIELD's possession that could help his project, but he has to be willing to take it. Using his relationship with Fitz, he gets what he needs, but the project goes awry and he becomes Wonder Man.

Episode: The Boot and the Ant

Rogue agent, Eric O'Grady, has fled SHIELD with a top secret project and the team's mission is to bring O'Grady in. SHIELD top brass is squirrelly when asked what the project is, making the team suspicious. Ward remembers O'Grady from training, stating they were friends once but O'Grady couldn't quite measure up in training and became jealous. Upon finding O'Grady, they discover that he has an Ant-Man suit and that SHIELD was working to replicate Pym's work.

Episode: 50 Shades of Green

A flashback shows Jen Walters helping Skye in the past dig up information on SHIELD. When Skye asked her why she's helping, Jen tells her that she's looking for someone important to her. Flashforward, a SHIELD alert goes out that Jen Walters has gone missing. Skye freaks out as she knows her and wonders why SHIELD has been keeping an eye on her. After looking into her in SHIELD's database, she finds that almost all information about her has been classified. When Coulson learns that Hydra has taken Jen, he realizes that there was no time for secrets. He reveals that Jen is Bruce Banner's cousin, his only living relative, and that her relationship to Banner had been wiped by SHIELD to protect her. Other experiments to recreate the Hulk mostly failed, and SHIELD believed that there may be something unique to Banner, and it might be shared with other members of his family. If this is true, Hydra may be able to create an army of Hulks. SHIELD saves Jen but not before she becomes She-Hulk. Special guest appearance by Mark Ruffalo near the end for a reunion between cousins.

Episode: Nightstalkers

The SHIELD team meets Hannibal King and his Nightstalkers, a group of vampire hunters. Like the previous Blade movies, vampirism is more of a disease then something supernatural. A group of vampires intend to revive a powerful vampire god (hinted to be an alien). May gets infected and King, having been cured of vampirism in the past, helps to save her. Blade does not show up, but there are mentions of the "Daywalker."

Season Arc: Secret Invasion

Important people around the world are secretly being replaced by Skrulls including a member of the team, Simmons. The Skrulls are working to destabilize the world to prepare it for invasion. The team discover the plot but not before they are declared rogue agents and become wanted fugitives. Simmons works hard to escape and after learning more about the Skrulls' physiology, makes a crude device from Skrull tech to reveal their true identity. Simmons and the other captives make their way back to Earth and expose the Skrull plot.

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That's all I've got for now. Yes, most of the ideas I have involve bringing in more Marvel characters, but hopefully by giving them connections to the cast, can also provide character development. Would Agents of SHIELD actually go in this direction? Nope! But we can always hope.