Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Good Samaritan

November 2, 2016 11:38 AM - Season 4, Episode 6

The shocking origin story of Robbie's transition into Ghost Rider is revealed as the lives of Coulson and the team hang in the balance.
posted by Pendragon (11 comments total)

I've been loving this season because of Ghost Rider. I hope they can spin this character off to his own show.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 2:12 PM on November 2, 2016 [4 favorites]

Robbie's little brother seems like he would jump at the chance to take over the family business from him someday.

I may be projecting based on Lorenzo James Henrie's previous character role on Fear the Walking Dead, but he certainly does have the sullen bully face down pat.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 3:40 PM on November 2, 2016

I thought I couldn't love Robbie Reyes and this show anymore than I already do.

And then out of nowhere we get
JOHNNY
FUCKING
BLAZE
posted by nicebookrack at 5:11 PM on November 2, 2016 [4 favorites]

Yeah, now that Johnny has been introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (however obliquely), I'd be perfectly happy to see more of him. He doesn't even need to be the Rider. I'm sure there must be some way they can work in a motorcycle daredevil into the plot somewhere, somehow.

It's nice to see they are trying to build on the SHIELD backstory by incorporating some of the Agent Carter-era history. It would be a shame to see all that stuff forgotten.

Since I've been offering fashion critiques on the DC properties, I may as well carry on here. Even though it's likely practical for her character, I hate Simmons' cropped-pant and running shoe look. Speaking of Simmons, what are the odds she's actually on assignment? I think they're about even with the possibility she is being punished for flunking the lie detector. Yes, she thought she bluffed her way out of the situation, but the director is much sneakier than she is.

The new director and Phil are going to wind up going head-to-head in the near future. I can't see how it would be possible for Phil to survive as an agent or even a SHIELD member after that, if it weren't for the fact he's the star of the show.

I doubt that Phil will be permanently affected by whatever was triggered in the power station, but what about Fitz? I think it's more than possible for him to wind up with some sort of power, and sadly, I'm betting it's one that will somehow interfere in his relationship with Simmons.
posted by sardonyx at 8:22 PM on November 2, 2016

I vote that Fitz becomes intangible like Jason Wilkes did, which will definitely put a speedbump on the FitzSimmons love life. I love that their relationship troubles are so far very realistic and down-to-earth (before the intangibility hits).

Robbie and Phil are going to freak out once they realize that they're stuck in Mysterious Wherever while Gabe and Daisy are stuck on the other side with Eli. SHIELD will have very little incentive to protect them or not arrest Daisy without Robbie there.
posted by nicebookrack at 8:35 PM on November 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

With the ascendant supernatural this season, surely something mysterious is in store for characters who've died and been resurrected: both Coulson and Robbie were brought back from the dead in the past, as well as May more recently, and great emphasis was put on May seeing something (Coulson) in the afterlife. Maybe the formerly dead are immune to ghosts, or more vulnerable to them.
posted by nicebookrack at 8:41 PM on November 2, 2016

I am really liking Robbie Reyes as Ghost Rider and hope he sticks around. The effects are pretty incredible for a television show, probably as good as the Ghost Rider movies of a few years ago, and the show seems to have a little more visual flair in general this season.
posted by entropicamericana at 8:05 AM on November 3, 2016 [4 favorites]

God damn do I love how crazy they got with this season. I do wish they hadn't made Robbie's uncle the real villain, partially because it made me feel cheated by the selective flashbacks but mostly because I really loved that our superspy protagonists were fighting ghosts.

(Also, I expect the Coulson/Mace fight to feature the prosthetic arm and its Captain America energy-shield prominently.)
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 1:06 PM on November 3, 2016 [1 favorite]

I do wish they hadn't made Robbie's uncle the real villain,

I looked in the Marvel wiki to see what Robbie's origin was in the comics. This version of Eli's story is much better.

Also, I expect the Coulson/Mace fight to feature the prosthetic arm and its Captain America energy-shield prominently.

This is the one area that has me nervous, because I really don't want to the SHIELD director to become the new Starfleet admiral, if you know what I mean.
posted by entropicamericana at 1:23 PM on November 3, 2016

I started All-New Ghost Rider on Marvel Unlimited but fell off reading it before I got to that twist, I guess. Fair enough, but I can still wish they'd taken a better route to get there.

(The actual flashback with the shooting and Johnny Blaze, though? ACES.)
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 1:25 PM on November 3, 2016

I read the All-New Ghost Rider series as it was published, so I've been expecting Evil Eli to show up since day 1; it was a pleasant surprise that TV Eli got some actual character depth. Comics Eli was so one-dimensionally evil that he grew annoying.

I doubt anything in future AoS episodes can be predicted from reading All-New Ghost Rider. AoS borrowed the Reyes family and the California setting from ANGR but almost nothing from the plot. Frankly I hope the forthcoming relaunched Ghost Rider comic starring Robbie draws inspiration from the AoS version.
posted by nicebookrack at 3:23 PM on November 3, 2016 [1 favorite]