Not really. The show didn't gain its momentum until the second half of season one, especially that the tie-in episodes with Captain America: The Winter Soldier had improved ratings.

Well, it wasn't Whedon's idea of killing off Coulson. That was Kevin Feige's idea. Also, Coulson is a fan favourite after all.

Don't regret reviving Coulson, Joss. You did a great job in bring back Coulson after seeing the strong response from fans using the #CoulsonLives hashtag. Without Coulson, Agents of SHIELD wouldn't have existed.