There’s a lot to be said in favor of finding fresh new talent to make your show or film a success. As unknowns, they come in without any notions of typecasting or anything for viewers to compare them against. It helps them be viewed as their character rather than the actor playing them. Plus, they’ll be prepared to throw everything they have into making the role a success in the hope of it being their big break. The same can be said for characters in comics adaptations as shows like Gotham (Fish Mooney) and Arrow (John Diggle) try to build new characters from the ground up but none more so than Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., with many of its ranks being homegrown heroes and villains. That’s all well and good but sometimes you're just a big draw, an existing name or property that will turns heads just at the mention and lure them into your show. That’s certainly the play Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.has is going for this season as (with the possible exception of Nick Fury) it begins its fourth season by introducing its biggest comics character to date. Will it get you engine revving?
The Ghost – After months of trying to track Daisy “Quake” Johnson down, the reorganized Shield might have a lead in LA as she’s on the trial of a new killer on the streets with a taste for muscle cars and fiery vengeance. Meanwhile Dr. Radcliffe introduces Fits to his AI experiment AIDA.
Ok let’s start with one hell of an opening scene and the new skull face in question as Ghost Rider makes an epic entrance. Firstly, for anyone wondering why he’s not riding a bike, this is not the most familiar incarnation, Johnny Blaze (as played by Nicholas Cage in the movies) but a more recent Rider named Robbie Reyes, who only debuted in 2013 and drives a black muscle car instead. His arrival is suitably badass with one hell of an effects money shot to wrap your eye sockets around but this whole sequence showcases another key new addition to the show; it’s post-watershed airtime. Okay, it’s still not in Game of Thrones or Spartacus territory but immediately, we sizable blood splatter facial to signify the show leaning more towards adult content. That bodes extremely well for the featuring of characters like Ghost Rider as they won’t need to be toned down so much. Concerning Robbie Reyes, it’s worth noting that his comics origins story has some connection to Calvin Zebo/Mr Hyde aka Daisy’s father. We could well see the show following suit, even if only in flashbacks, giving us a welcome encore for Kyle MacLachlan. Indeed, his final moments reveal a certain figure from his comics back story and a face that Fear the Walking Dead fans should recognize. Throughout the episode, the character continues to be used well from his key chain flicking, to the blazing street art mural and one hell of a showdown with a more regular face. His Flaming head (and the rest) CG looks fantastic and even if we don’t get that every episode it will still be worth it when we do.
Whenever Agents returns from a summer vacation, it always has some fresh MCU material to play with and here, there’s a great incorporation of Civil War’s Sokovia Accords as we see it has become a working part of their new organization. In a welcome reunion with Yo-Yo “Slingshot” Rodriguez, we learn that she and all their registered enhanced/Inhuman assets must abide by The Accords. This is reflected well by Daisy going rogue as a vigilante on the streets taking on The Watchdogs in the spirit of Team Cap. Her approach shows positive and negative sides to this. While she is certainly doing good she’s also more reckless than before, lacking the precision and finesse of her Shield days resulting in less regards for collateral damage. The episode’s climax nicely implies that even Daisy is starting to understand the drawbacks of always flying solo, giving her that all important route back to the team.
We also get some knock on effects from Age of Ultron as, courtesy of Dr Radcliffe’s experiment AIDA (as teased at the end of last season). We learn that Ultron has led to all AI being banned within Shield, probably to crack down on the level of genocidal staff members. However, Dr. Radcliffe’s pursuits deliver us into something resembling Ex Machina. In this episode, we see Fitz seduced by Radcliffe into the technological side of his AIDA project. At the same time, it’s implied that Simmons' new inner circle position is putting a strain on the Fitzsimmons relationship with a high degree of separation. So it’s really not a stretch to see Fitz spending more time with AIDA over the coming weeks/months and developing feelings for her to point of conflict over choosing between her and Simmons. Radcliffe even speaks of a Turing test that he claims AIDA cannot currently pass. Could in fact the whole “revealing” introduction to Fitz be part of an elaborate scheme in which AIDA’s humanity is being tested by whether or not Fitz will develop feelings for her? Not to mention that if Fitz ultimately rejects AIDA that forms an ideal jumping point for AIDA to turn villain (hell hath no fury like a cyber lady scorned.... well possibly a Ghost Rider).
You have to admire the bold and broad reach Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. looks to be taking this year as likes of Ghost Rider push the show into mythology that should link nicely into Doctor Strange while the AI antics of Radcliffe and AIDA are deeper science fiction cuts. How it manages to juggle these very different elements may determine whether the season is a blaze of glory or merely sparks of potential. For now though, this is a hell of a promising start. The now condensed main cast all seem to setup well with their own story in this new Government intervened Shield regime. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has upped its game this season. Its rival shows better do the same or they’ll be staring at tail lights all year.