On a night, when almost all network shows slipped in terms of ratings, ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D ended up being the biggest loser, with a 34% drop. The show, which could have become the network’s brand new flagship series, delivered 11.9 million viewers on its premiere last week, but it failed to retain that audience this time.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Press Image
Agents didn't quite manage to take a stand against traditional network favorites.

The night’s runner-up was The Voice, attracting a total of 14.2 million viewers to NBC’s 8-10pm slot, according to preliminary ratings, courtesy of The Wrap. It had to take second place to a special episode of CBS’s NCIS, which, despite a minor slip, still managed to dominate Tuesday ratings. An unexpected boost in viewers was measured for NBC’s Chicago Fire, while The Mindy Project on Fox managed to stay flat from its previous episode.

After a strong start last week, ABC had a disappointing night, with all of its shows dropping at least 29% from last week. The Goldbergs (2.2/6) was down 29%, Trophy Wife (1.4/4) was down 39%, and Lucky 7 delivered pitiful numbers, instantly sparking cancellation rumors with a 0.8/2. Meanwhile, The Voice scored 4.4/13, and had 14.2 million total viewers, making it one of the biggest successes of the night. CBS’s NCIS was the other golden egg on Tuesday, with the episode marking castmember Cote de Pablo’s departure scoring 19.3 million. 

As for S.H.I.E.L.D, a quick look at Twitter shows that the series definitely has potential to become a cult favorite. As with other Joss Whedon productions (Buffy, The Vampire Slayer, anyone?) this one seems to have cult classic potential.