5 Developments From Agents of SHIELD: Season 4, Episode 4 [Spoilers]

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    gmanfromheck

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    Edited By gmanfromheck

    Things are heating up in this week's episode of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. Coulson complained that everyone except him has seen the Ghost Rider. This week, it's his turn as the two cross paths. Daisy continues her fight against the Watchdogs, but needs some help from a friend. If that wasn't enough, there's also more about the mysterious evil book everyone is looking for.

    Warning: Spoilers for Season 4, Episode 4 of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, "Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire," will be discussed below.

    Daisy and Simmons Team Up

    One aspect of the show that's been different this season is the separation of the core cast. This begins to change when Daisy has no choice but to seek out Simmons' help. Daisy has been on her own mission and being pursued by SHIELD. After a run-in with some members of the Watchdogs, the anti-Inhuman terrorist group, Daisy obtained a classified SHIELD list of Inhumans they managed to get their hands on. She also got a bullet in her back. After forcing Simmons to help so she wouldn't have to lie to the Director, they discover that James, one of the Inhumans that got sucked into Hive's dark control, is on the Watchdogs' target list.

    Ghost Rider vs. Coulson

    Coulson figures out that Eli Morrow has a connection to the Momentum facility and the ghosts running around. After talking to him in prison and getting no help, he and Mack see Robbie Reyes drive by outside. Reyes recognizes Mack from their previous encounter and this leads to a high-octane car chase with Coulson's car, Lola. The chase ends with Robbie being captured and put in a containment unit. Coulson decides to trust him since Daisy does and lets him out. Robbie agrees to help them and talks to his uncle to try to get more information on the ghosts created at the facility.

    Uncle Eli, the Ghosts, and the Darkhold

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    Eli won't talk to Coulson, and while he's reluctant to discuss things with his nephew, he does finally share his backstory with Robbie. The man Eli beat up and put in a coma, Joseph, is the husband of the main ghost, Lucy Bauer. Eli was brought into the project at Momentum and believed Joseph killed the entire team. They were working on a quantum particle generator and were trying to create matter. Eli's not sure where Lucy would go, but says she'd go after "the book." He doesn't mention the Darkhold by name but says it has all the knowledge anyone would need. The entire team read it (which could be why they're all ghosts), and it's evil. Coulson later convinces Daisy and Robbie to help SHIELD find the book.

    Hellfire and the Watchdogs

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    When Simmons and Daisy track down James, he's still trying to adjust to a life away from Hive's influence after last season. It turns out he has quite a bit of resentment due to being turned into an Inhuman despite his prior obsession with Terrigenesis. He's been helping the Watchdogs and betrays Simmons and Daisy to the group. James hates all Inhumans, including himself, and wants them all dead. A fight ensues, and when it looks bad for the injured Daisy and out-of-ammo Simmons, Ghost Rider arrives to take on Hellfire. It's a pretty epic fight, but James is no match for Ghost Rider.

    Aida Is Revealed to the Team...Sort of

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    Agent May is recovering from being cured of the ghost infection. Radcliffe lets Aida, the life model decoy, attend to her as a test. If May doesn't suspect anything, they could be ready to take the LMD to another level. Aida later meets others on the team, including Coulson. No one suspects anything until Simmons arrives. She pulls Fitz aside and immediately points out that Aida is an android. Fitz explains the Director can't be allowed to know about her/it yet. With Simmons' mandatory lie detector tests, she'll have to keep this, and helping Daisy, from being discovered.

    Our Thoughts

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    There wasn't any shortage of action or suspense in this episode. We're seeing the show veer away from the comics with Robbie's Uncle Eli. Since he's still alive and not the evil spirit that possesses Robbie, we need to find out who exactly is the "devil" Robbie made a deal with. Could it be the elder god, Chthon, due to the Darkhold connection?

    The others have met Aida. It's only a matter of time until they all discover she's actually an LMD. Will she be used in the field? Perhaps she could be used against the ghosts since they wouldn't be able to infect her. It seems more likely the ghost story would get wrapped up before Aida is ready field action.

    Coulson will have to figure out how to keep the fact that Daisy and Robbie are working with them from the Director. With the various run-ins the two have had with the rest of the team, it makes sense to put them all back together. If nothing else, it'll guarantee more spectacular fight scenes in the next episode.

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    Dark_Stranger

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    The fight between James and Robbie, wasn't "epic". Rather it was ... meh.

    Now that car chase. That was more interesting. lol

    Also not thrilled that they're making Robbie out to be a true Ghost Rider. Doesn't feel right.

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    Stahlflamme

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    Also Doctor Radcliffe kinda told AIDA how its apparently a good thing to compromise on one of her core directives to protect her own life, while also implying knowledge of her existence is a threat to her life. I'm sure that won't have any negative represcussions...

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    spiderhyphenman

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    Good episode. Many things happening but doesn't feel bogged down at all.

    It would have been great if the James and Robbie fight scene lasted a few minutes but i know TV budgets are tight.

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    RavenKingXXX

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    I'm fine with them taking Robbie down a bit of traditional ghost rider path, but if they screw with his comicbook counterpoint like this there will be hell to pay.

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    rogueshadow

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    #5 rogueshadow  Moderator
    • I really hate Holden, he's an unethical worm and should be far more careful in how he instructs AIDA.
    • As soon as James whipped out the chain I knew what was about to go down.
    • This artifact hunting is (likely purposefully) reminiscent of Dr. Strange, in the tie-in comic we see the Ancient One and Co basically round up items of mystical power and protect them from being abused.
    • I feel like super-spies May and Coulson should've noticed AIDA's... irregularities.
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    jayskee

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    So if Eli is alive and a good person, then who is the evil spirit that possessing Robbie??

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    Space_Coyote

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    Pretty good episode, best of the season so far IMO. The fire fight was short, but it was cool watching Robbie show James how it's done.

    And now that the team is back together + Robbie things can really start moving forward.

    Chthon being Robbie's devil seems like the obvious choice right now. I wonder if they'll throw us a curveball and reveal that it's another being entirely.

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    apg103

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    I really enjoyed this episode.

    Mac: "Did two fire dude fall into a basement full of fireworks?" lmao

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    Stahlflamme

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    @jayskee said:

    So if Eli is alive and a good person, then who is the evil spirit that possessing Robbie??

    I wouldn't bet on Eli being a good person. I don't think it was Josef Bauer who put those guys in the boxes or they would have just said so.

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    kalorama

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    #10  Edited By kalorama

    Between the way last season ended (with the time jump showing Coulson out as Director and Daisy on her vigilante crusade) and the introduction of Ghost Rider, I was really expecting this season to be a train wreck. But, so far, it's been the high water mark of the series. Ghost Rider went from being something that sounded like a terrible idea to being one of the best parts of the show. Assuming Robbie survives, I'd be very surprised if he doesn't end up getting his own shot at a pilot--at least--next season. And Coulson in the field is a much more entertaining character than Coulson in the Director's chair. Speaking of the Director, I hope we'll get some more of Jeff Mace soon. I really like what they've done so far with Aida and Rdcliffe. Both have been really solid additions.

    The more that's revealed about the Darkhold, the more inclined I am to think that it'll end up being some ancient alien artifact and not anything truly "supernatural." But I'm okay with that.

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    LVDBot1

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    Robbie with the chains feels a bit off even though he did use chains in the comics. As to Eli not being the "other guy", I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled a MCU Mandarin thing again.

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    Shadowstare

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    When I think of Ghost Rider, I think of the bike and flaming chain. So the sight of Robbing holding the chain, won it for me. That IS Ghost Rider. I don't know how Robbie will or can be integrated into the rest of the Marvel U, but Agents of Shield is killing this arc with him. Great use of the character and great actor playing Robbie.

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    StMichalofWilson

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    Loved it when James is about to use the chain, Robbie arrives and take it for his own. Also been enjoying the duo of Coulson and Mack

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    BullPR

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    Solid start of the season.

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    Dreadstroke

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    Another solid episode. Really liking this season for far.

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    d9000

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    Oh man, Aida is such an interesting character already!

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    Rubear

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    Laughed at Luke Cage joke. xD

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