Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a series best known for bringing Phil Coulson back from the dead following his untimely demise in Marvel's Avengers. A believer in Nick Fury's idea of heroes and a massive fan of Captain America, Coulson had no issue putting his life on the line if it meant that the Avengers Initiative would go off without a hitch. Following his death, Fury sought to bring his friend back under questionable means when his resurrection was finally explained in Season 1, Episode 11, "The Magical Place." Unfortunately, Coulson's rebirth was less of a miracle and more of a horror show.
During the first season, whenever people ask where Coulson was following his death, he would reply with "Tahiti, it's a magical place." The answer was abrupt and cryptic, but all Coulson knew was he didn't remember the true circumstances surrounding his revival. During their assault on the people responsible for a drug called Centipede, Coulson is kidnapped by a woman named Raina and mentally probed for the truth. The entire episode is tension-filled as his team fights to get to him in time but is too late to reach him before his past is revealed.
During the unraveling of the truth, it's revealed that Coulson was very much dead after Loki stabbed him in the chest. When he reawakened, he was met with two scientists facing him and one protesting the procedure taking place. Thanks to a reflection above him, Coulson was able to see the cause for concern -- the top of his skull was removed entirely, and a machine was probing around in his brain. But instead of bringing him back to life, the machine was designed to reprogram his memories.
The real cause for Coulson's miraculous revival came from the blood of a dead Kree soldier discovered by Peggy Carter in a Hydra base in the '40s. An experimental drug named GH.325 was created through its blood that could rapidly heal fatal wounds and resurrect the dead. Fury ordered the drug to be used on Coulson immediately, bringing his friend and partner back from the dead. However, like others given the drug, Coulson dealt with severe trauma that changed him from the person he was before. As a result, Fury let Coulson's mind be reprogrammed while on the operating table.
During the traumatic sight, Coulson begged for a death that would never come. It's far from the only gruesome sight in the series, but it's easily one of its most unsettling. From a film perspective, Coulson died a hero and was remembered as such. While his second life proved he is still just as heroic, the means of his resurrection show a dark flip side to the heroic sacrifice. While he helped bring the Avengers together, he suffered more than any of them ever did and was forced to live when he was ready to die. To make matters worse, those memories were hidden from him under a false reality, fracturing the trust he had in people he knew. These scene calls on classic horror elements like shock and mad science to show how heroism sometimes has a dark price.
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a show about heroes and how even the most damaged people have a chance to do the right thing. This is best shown with Coulson, who endured a torturous rebirth he didn't ask for or want. While he could've used his energy to get revenge, he fought to continue doing good in the world. That being said, it doesn't change that the experiences he went through to get to that point were nothing short of horrific and show just how scary the Marvel Cinematic Universe can be.