The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1 DVD and Blu-Ray hits stores today. Does it deserve a spot on your Marvel shelf?

Season 1 of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was in many ways a step into uncharted territory. As Marvel’s first foray into live action television, with a cast of new faces led by a character who was supposed to be dead, the venture was perhaps a riskier one than many excited fans realized at the time.

But though (after a remarkably entertaining pilot) the show did get off to a shaky start, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1 steadily found its footing. The cast gelled, plot elements began to pay off, and the writing slipped into a steady blend of action and aw-shucks comedy.

It was after the cataclysmic events of Captain America: The Winter Solider though, that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1 was finally able to spread its wings. Not only was the show irrevocably enveloped in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the events of that film, but the long-held secret of HYDRA broke the creative dams behind which the show had been forced to wait.

Heartbreaking betrayal sharpened the tension to a fine point. Characters pushed to limits began to demonstrate their true depths. From week to week, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1 became thrillingly unpredictable television, right up to its deliciously satisfying finale.

The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1 DVD offers a refreshing look back at the highs and lows of the show’s freshman outing. The DVD includes several sets of special features to add extra spice to an upcoming rewatch. Five “Behind-the-Scenes Field Reports” give fans a closer look at big set-pieces like Chloe Bennet’s leap in “The Asset,” Sif and Lorelei’s battles from “Yes Men,” and a deeper look at the shocking events of “Turn, Turn, Turn.”

Also included are a hilarious blooper reel (twice the length of the version shown at San Diego Comic-Con) VFX breakdowns, and a featurette on the Marvel Cinematic Universe titled “Assembling a Universe.” Eight satisfying deleted scenes are also provided many of which were clearly cut for time, rather than quality.

One unexpectedly charming feature is the “Journey to SDCC” featurette, a short documentary on the cast and crew’s experience debuting Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. at 2013’s San Diego Comic-Con. Though easy to overlook, the short featurette offers a more personal angle on cast’s alternatively glamorous and humbling experience at bringing their show to the people for the first time.

The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1 DVD falls short on only one element – a relative lack of audio commentary. The cast and crew commentary on the three episodes provided (“F.Z.Z.T.”, “The Magical Place,” and “T.R.A.C.K.S.”) is funny, charming, and insightful. Unfortunately, fans will almost certainly miss hearing the thoughts of the cast on crew on later episodes like the astonishing “Turn, Turn, Turn,” and the season finale, which are not provided.

This omission aside, the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1 DVD is an entertaining look back at a season of television that was pivotal not only of itself, but in what it represented for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 2 kicking off on Sept. 23 and Agent Carter due at midwinter, there is no question that the small screen demands the attention and respect of Marvel geeks everywhere.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1 is available today on DVD and Blu-ray.