So many promising pilots, so little time. As you go through withdrawals of “Breaking Bad” and “House of Cards,” Hatchet reporter Eric Robinson helps narrow your list of what to watch next.

“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Airtime: Tuesdays, 8 p.m., ABC
Names you’ll know: Clark Gregg, “The Avengers”
Watch if you liked: Any Joss Whedon Show, “The Avengers”
Overall grade: B
Premise: A secret government team, led by agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), hunts for super humans across the world.

“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is the arguably the most anticipated drama pilot of the entire season. With acclaimed screenwriter Joss Whedon billed as the creator and fan favorite Phil Coulson (Gregg) making a return to the screen after “The Avengers,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” can’t be anything but good.

Thankfully, it is.

Sure, a few moments of clunky dialogue and the huge pile of exposition in the first act of the show slow it down, but ultimately the effective and well-paced direction of Joss Whedon and the witty – if slightly dense – script makes this a show a must-see.

As expected, Clark Gregg is great as agent Phil Coulson, presenting a world-weary leader who still holds onto his humor. While the rest of the cast remains a bit underdeveloped, they’re still quite a bit fun as they blurt out classic Whedon dialogue.

While the show’s final moments offer a tense and emotional scene at a train station, the plot wastes time early on setting up characters. It’s still not clear why ABC gave the pilot two hours instead of one.

No doubt, “Agents of Shield” will eventually improve. Joss Whedon’s shows are notorious for clunky pilots that gradually morph into the best shows on televisions. That said, the pilot is a bit of a letdown after the hype it received.