I liked this episode. Not a Home Run but a nice solid double. As far as turning tropes on their head, I think having the Mysterious Ghost Man actually protecting the Victim was their attempt at that.
Which is odd when you consider the team members are to varying degrees analogs for the original Buffy cast.
Giles -> Coulson
Ward -> Angel
May -> Buffy
Fitzsimmons -> Willow & Xander
Skye -> Cordelia (sort of, maybe with some Faith thrown in, this one is looser than the rest)
It’s not a perfect match (Xander was no genius, May’s not the main focus, etc), but close enough that it makes things seem plenty Jossy despite his apparent lessened involvement.
WooHoo! May has partially removed the stick from her lemon-sucking ass!
That was okay. Not bad at all. I think the show is indeed hitting its stride. I liked everyone telling Sky a different version of the Cavalry story, and then she gets yet another version from Coulson (which may be the accurate version), which explains May’s lemon-sucking stick ass.
I also liked the prank jumping out at them while they were scrambling for their lives from the demon. Heh. 
I agree with most of the comments in this thread… one additional thing that irked me was that suddenly Skye was so massively concerned about how cruel it would be to have the lady interact with May. I mean, May is brusque and a bit standoffish, but she’s not MEAN. Having her be the primary person of interaction during what is supposed to be a several-hour-only trip to “the freezer” (or wherever they’re going) is one of those I’m-reacting-this-way-to-make-some-point-in-a-TV-show things, not an idea would ever occur to a real person.
Plus, the woman didn’t even see May shoot her. So she had no idea!
Gas station in the opening was a ROXXON station–nice job.
Come on, it’s a comic book petrochem corp and they couldn’t go the extra mile to call it ROXXOFF? Really?
When I saw the trophy ball fall on the floor, I figured Coulson’s next words should have been “May, get us on the ground.” Granted, having an teleporting ghost in the control room during the landing would have been problematic…
It was nice to see May acquire her second facial expression at the end.
I wish they’d stop filming ALL the action sequences in the dark. If it’s a CGI plane, it really doesn’t need to crash in pitch darkness.
I may have heard it wrong at the end, but after May says “You have to let the girl go,” Coulson asked her what she said and she said “The same words you used on me.” I’m beginning to think she’s Skye’s aunt, rather than her mother.
Oh, and yeah, the “but that’s impossible!” meme needs to go away. I’m getting really tired of them having to find a technical explanation for everything that happens; they need people to start showing up who just plain have powers, or who are telekinetic or telepathic, and just get it the fuck over with. Kicking and screaming will the foolish technophiliac characters be dragged into a comic book universe.
Also, as far as I can tell Thor’s signature move involves reaching out and willing expectantly until the hammer comes flying to his hand.
That, and he flies by throwing the hammer really, really hard and not letting go. Explain that, Simmons!
I don’t think so. I think that May wasn’t able to save the hostage, and it has haunted her. That’s why she hates the nickname and withdrew. Having her be in any way related to Skye would just be…cute.
I hate cute.
Another peeve: I realize it saves a lot on the fight choreography budget, but having all the fights take place in the dark is getting old, too, particularly when they’re all dressed in black.