As we get farther from the pilot, we're starting to get into the meat of what this show is capable of without the scaffolding of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And so far the results are promising. This was easy my favorite episode of the show so far.
The reasons for that are, I think, two-fold. The characters are starting to get more fleshed-out, which was bound to happen over time. I have reasons to care about Agent Ward now, and I can see the common ground he might share with Skye. Skye's conflict is becoming better-defined (though it seems to boil down to which bad guys are the worst in any given situation). We still haven't learned much about Agent May's past, but since Ming-Na Wen may be the best actor on the show we don't really need to in order to care about her character. The fact the she's changed her mind about going into combat has me hopeful that we'll get her backstory soon. (Please, don't pull a Shepherd Book on us...)
I also like that the show seems to be getting more confidence. The advertising is absolutely abysmal (I cringe every time I hear a radio ad), but the plots are coming along. I liked that this one toyed with the idea of a super-villain who wasn't entirely evil. He did some bad things, but he also made some points that Skye agreed with. The titular asset is the one who's on the path to becoming a super-villain, trapped in the gravitonium and locked in an unmarked vault. If he's not just ignored for the rest of the show's run (which, given Whedon's track record he probably will be) he could pop up as a really great bad guy in a future episode.
There isn't a ton to say about this episode. It was fun. The banter between the characters is improving. Coulson's immediate past remains a mystery, and probably will until the season finale. At the end of the day, the show is entertaining and holds my attention. That's enough for now.
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