Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ghost Rider Episode 7 review - Deals with our devils

I wouldn’t be surprised if next episode is the one that brings us into winter break… jeez, what a lot of material they have for it.

So, it’s been a month, more or less since the last episode, where we were left on quite a cliffhanger. Coulson, Fitz and Robbie are missing and Eli has earned the power to control matter. If I were to make one critique of this episode, and it’s not a small one, it’s just how undervalued that threat is. I do understand Mace not wanting to sacrifice agents against him so quickly but people’s lives are on the line now. The quicker you act the more lives you can save and may be useful to have something to distract him whilst you work out a plan. Now he’s free to carry out his will and you have no means (yet) to track him down before he kills people.

So, now we got that one out, the episode itself. If you remember TRACKS from season 1, you’ll know the technique of letting the same scene play out multiple times to get different viewpoints on the scene. It’s used again here and it’s equally as effective as it was last time I’m pleased to report. This time we see the scene from the point of view of Daisy, Mack, May, Gabe and Mace, all reeling over the losses they think they’ve sustained and looking for answers. Daisy is the optimist, she doesn’t believe they’re gone. May is grieving, she also doesn’t believe they’re gone but it feels more like she’s in denial that Daisy’s hope.

Mack is angry and is the first to want to try and track Eli down using connections to previous episodes but Mace holds him back after losing another 4 agents to Eli. Gabe’s still reeling over the revelations from last week and is blaming himself a bit I think. But into the fold comes the subplot involving the LMD, Ada and Doctor Radcliffe and it’s suggested that Ada, being an android, may be able to read the text in the Darkhold without being corrupted.

We also see the episode from the point of view of Fitz, Robbie and Coulson. They’re version of events have a weird filter to give it an eerie effect and I feel it’s done reasonably well. Couslon serves as the optimist of the group, trying his hardest to get through to people even when they’re not listening. Fitz is more concerned about Simmons, especially upon finding out her being sent off to somewhere even Mace doesn’t know. His concern leads to a blowout with Coulson regarding him stepping down as leader, it’s actually handled well.

Robbie has even bigger issues, the Ghost Rider spirit doesn’t want to be dragged down with them and then temporarily escapes into Mack, who holds a lot of pain or something. Robbie eventually gets him to come back but offers a deal which means he’ll likely be the Ghost Rider forever. It’s a hefty sacrifice

Oh yeah, and we have the Simmons subplot, she’s been sent to help whatshisname out of the terrigenesis cocoon, we saw him with Nadeer back in episode 3, don’t know what his deal is yet, can’t wait to find out.

Overall this episode doesn’t deliver much action but is otherwise an interesting story in a solid season

Rating 7.5/10

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