Agents of SHIELD 1.04 "Eye Spy"

I liked:

• The continuing mystery of Coulson's resurrection, the how and more importantly, why. I mean he's become a beloved character over the course of the movies- and he seems like a high-ranking field agent, but (aside from a useful incentive to get the Avengers to work together) what is so special about him?
• There are caveats to this statement but; the rest of the characters are growing on me, though for the life of me I can't remember the name of the pilot (Melinda May according to IMDb), or tell the difference between Fitz and Simmons (although this doesn't seem to matter one jot).
• I can't help but think that the character of Akela Amadour would be a welcome addition to the permanent cast (I don't think that SHIELD could really prosecute her for essentially being held captive in her own body). She's badass, and pretty unshakable and her previous history as Coulson's protégée might have been a nice source of continuing conflict- but then she'd be another Melinda May (see I remembered her name!).
• I like the international look and feel of the show (I cannot for the life of me find out where they filmed the opening sequence of this episode- it looks European but I doubt the budget would stretch that far). But I'm sure I recognised a later location as having been used in Star Trek Voyager (the ireland holodeck program). 

Didn't think much of:

• Yeah the other characters are growing on me, but not that much and not quickly. The comparison to other Whedon projects is inevitable, but a quick look at the credits shows that Joss Whedon has had little to do with the show since the pilot (certainly in terms of writing and directing). Instead the day-to-day handling of the show seems to be under the supervision of Jed Whedon and wife Maurissa Tancharoen. Could that be a part of the problem? It seems unlikely considering their writing credits (the other showrunners seem equally qualified). Maybe it's the cast? I've only ever heard of three of the series regulars- all of whom I've enjoyed watching on tv/film in the past, so can it really be that? Maybe the set-up of the show (a small core cast in a plane) is the problem- would an even smaller cast and a wider setting (like the SHIELD helicarrier or ground based compound with a larger supporting cast like Stargate SG-1 or Star Trek Deep Space 9) feel less forced? 
• The plot for this episode was pretty good- if perhaps a little predictable. And whilst it serves as a vehicle for the ongoing story-arc, the same-ness of the storytelling to other/past shows seems to be annoying some viewers (as proved by comments on SFX's Facebook page). Whilst I can understand some of their views there must be a limit on how much storytelling can be done, not just in terms of television budget but with the world the show occupies. The show and the Marvel movies are undoubtedly linked, and maybe there is a level of- not interference- but restraint in the amount of storytelling available while the movies are still in production..?