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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4

The fourth season of the American television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., based on the Marvel Comics spy organization S.H.I.E.L.D., follows Phil Coulson and other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and allies after the signing of the Sokovia Accords. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and acknowledges the continuity of the franchise's films. The season was produced by ABC Studios, Marvel Television, and Mutant Enemy Productions, with Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, and Jeffrey Bell serving as showrunners.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Season 4
Promotional poster for the season's first "pod", Ghost Rider, and home media cover art
Showrunners
Starring
No. of episodes22
Release
Original networkABC
Original releaseSeptember 20, 2016 (2016-09-20) –
May 16, 2017 (2017-05-16)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 3
Next →
Season 5
List of episodes

Clark Gregg reprises his role as Coulson from the film series, starring alongside the returning series regulars Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge, and Henry Simmons. They are joined by John Hannah who was promoted from his recurring guest role in the third season. The fourth season was ordered in March 2016, with production taking place from that July until the following April. Due to its broadcast schedule, the season was split into three "pods": Ghost Rider for the first eight episodes, featuring recurring guest star Gabriel Luna as the supernatural Robbie Reyes / Ghost Rider and exploring mysticism in the MCU alongside the film Doctor Strange (2016); LMD, referring to the new Life Model Decoy program, for the next seven episodes which focus on recurring guest star Mallory Jansen as the LMD Aida; and Agents of Hydra for the final seven episodes, partly set in a "what if" virtual reality that allowed the return of former series regular Brett Dalton as Grant Ward. The season is also affected by the events of the film Captain America: Civil War (2016), and continues storylines established in the canceled series Agent Carter.

The first episode premiered at a screening on September 19, 2016, with the season then airing for 22 episodes on ABC, from September 20, 2016, until May 16, 2017. The premiere debuted to 3.58 million viewers, down from previous season premieres but average for the series.[1] Critical response to the season was positive, with many feeling that each pod was better than the last and in particular praising the visual effects and tone of Ghost Rider, the writing and acting of LMD, and the character development and political commentary explored during Agents of Hydra. The season saw series low viewership, but was still considered to have solved ABC's problem during its new Friday night timeslot, and the series was renewed for a fifth season in May 2017.[2]

Episodes edit

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
Ghost Rider
671"The Ghost"Billy GierhartJed Whedon & Maurissa TancharoenSeptember 20, 2016 (2016-09-20)3.44[3]
Former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Daisy Johnson, now the vigilante "Quake", is hunting gang affiliates of the terrorist group Watchdogs in Los Angeles when Aryan Brotherhood members are murdered by the fiery "Ghost Rider". Agents Phil Coulson and Alphonso Mackenzie, who were forbidden from searching for Daisy by new S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Jeffrey Mace, are tipped off to her location by Agent Melinda May. Agent Leo Fitz discovers that S.H.I.E.L.D. ally Holden Radcliffe has created the android Aida, and agrees to help perfect her. He keeps this from his girlfriend Agent Jemma Simmons, who is in the Director's inner circle. Simmons discovers that Coulson and Mack are investigating Daisy, and orders May to stop them. The latter arrives to find them surveilling Chinese gangsters who bought a weapon off the Brotherhood: a mystical figure, who turns the gang members berserk, and secretly infects May as well. Daisy tracks down the Ghost Rider, but it defeats her. She later sees its human form, mechanic Robbie Reyes, looking after his disabled brother Gabe.
682"Meet the New Boss"Vincent MisianoDrew Z. GreenbergSeptember 27, 2016 (2016-09-27)2.95[4]
S.H.I.E.L.D. and Daisy independently investigate the figure, an apparent ghost of a woman named Lucy Bauer, both concluding that she worked at an abandoned facility, Momentum Energy. Daisy confronts Reyes again, and he once more overpowers her. Restraining her, Reyes searches Daisy's belongings and discovers her research on Momentum. He leaves, and Daisy escapes her restraints. As Mace plans to officially announce S.H.I.E.L.D. as a legitimate organization again, the infected May grows increasingly paranoid, seeing all people as monsters, and eventually attacking other agents. Mace restrains May with his Inhuman strength, and promises to take care of her. Mack and Fitz arrive at Momentum to find more ghosts, who attempt to blow it up with them inside. Ghost Rider intervenes, destroying one of the ghosts, and Daisy arrives to stop S.H.I.E.L.D. from taking him in. Rather than rejoin S.H.I.E.L.D., Daisy agrees to work with Reyes, who believes that the actions of the ghosts and Watchdogs may be tied to him.
693"Uprising"Magnus MartensCraig TitleyOctober 11, 2016 (2016-10-11)2.68[5]
Inhuman S.H.I.E.L.D. asset Elena Rodriguez is caught in a blackout in Miami. Reyes and Daisy are caught in another in Los Angeles. A group claiming to be the Inhuman resistance, fighting registration with the Sokovia Accords, take responsibility. Reyes explains that his uncle, Eli Morrow, was imprisoned for causing an explosion at Momentum that apparently created the ghosts; he believes that atoning for Morrow's sins will pay his debt to the Devil, and rid Reyes of the Ghost Rider. At the Reyes' house, Gabe realizes that Daisy is Quake and asks her to leave Robbie alone. Radcliffe and Simmons "cure" May by killing and reviving her. Coulson, Mack, and Fitz save Rodriguez from a group of Watchdogs, and find the EMP that caused the blackout—it was set off by the Watchdogs, who had access to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s list of registered Inhumans, and have backing from Senator Ellen Nadeer, whose brother Vijay Nadeer is encased in an Inhuman terrigen cocoon. Hoping to assuage public fears of the Inhumans, Mace announces the return of S.H.I.E.L.D.
704"Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire"Brad TurnerMatt OwensOctober 18, 2016 (2016-10-18)2.34[6]
Daisy coerces Simmons to help track the Watchdogs' actions, discovering that the group hacked the Inhuman list using an Inhuman's monitoring device. Coulson visits Morrow in prison, but gets no answers. Reyes arrives to talk to Morrow, and Mack recognizes him as the Ghost Rider; they capture Reyes and earn his trust. He visits Morrow, and learns that the Momentum explosion was caused by a group of scientists studying the Darkhold, a mysterious book. Only Lucy's husband Joseph, whom Morrow had put in a coma trying to stop the experiments, survived. Daisy and Simmons find the next Inhuman on the list, J. T. James, and destroy his monitor, but he betrays them—he hates being an Inhuman and is aiding the Watchdogs. Coulson and Mack, alerted by the monitor's destruction, arrive to save Daisy and Simmons. The Ghost Rider defeats James. They then get May to help find the Darkhold. Aida supervised May's recovery as a Turing test by Radcliffe, but Simmons deduces her true nature, while being set to take a lie-detection test for Mace.
715"Lockup"Kate WoodsNora Zuckerman & Lilla ZuckermanOctober 25, 2016 (2016-10-25)2.30[7]
Lucy uses her ghostly state to wake Joseph and ask where he hid the Darkhold. Coulson arrives, and is able to learn of this before Joseph dies from her "infection". Coulson decides to use Morrow against Lucy, but doesn't tell Mace. The latter, whose public approval was high after heroics during a bombing in Vienna,[a] becomes more popular after he reveals his Inhuman status in a television debate with Nadeer. However, Simmons threatens to reveal the truth about his Vienna actions, and he agrees to exempt her from any lie-detection tests. At the prison, Lucy infects the staff, who attack Coulson and May. Daisy saves them while Mack and Reyes break Morrow out. Reyes confronts the last member of the "Fifth Street Locos" gang who had paralyzed Gabe in a paid hit. Reyes loses control, and the Ghost Rider kills the prisoner. This allows Lucy to kidnap Morrow, whose help she needs. Mace secretly meets with Nadeer, and agrees to help her when she blackmails him with footage of the Ghost Rider's actions while working with S.H.I.E.L.D.
726"The Good Samaritan"Billy GierhartJeffrey BellNovember 1, 2016 (2016-11-01)2.43[9]
Mace sends Simmons on a secret assignment, then takes a team to board Coulson's plane and arrest Reyes and Daisy. The pair hide with a newly picked up Gabe, where Robbie explains that he and Gabe sneaked out to race in Morrow's car, but they were attacked by the Locos. Gabe was paralyzed and Robbie was killed. Robbie promised an unknown voice that he would seek vengeance if given a second chance, and was resurrected when the spirit of the Ghost Rider was passed to him by a stranger.[b] Mace finds the fugitives, but is overpowered by the Ghost Rider. He agrees to use Robbie against Lucy, and Fitz tracks her to an abandoned Roxxon power plant. May takes and hides the Darkhold while Robbie destroys Lucy, after the latter reveals that Morrow craves the Darkhold's power himself—his own experiments created the ghosts, and Joseph had ordered the hit on Morrow's car to stop him. Morrow now uses an improved version of the Momentum machine to gain the power to create matter. Robbie, Fitz, and Coulson disappear.
737"Deals with Our Devils"Jesse BochcoDJ DoyleNovember 29, 2016 (2016-11-29)2.41[10]
Coulson, Fitz, and Reyes are trapped between dimensions, and helplessly watch as Morrow kills several agents and escapes. Fitz overhears Mace arguing with Nadeer; he needs Simmons to understand Morrow's technology, but she has been taken to Nadeer's brother, Vijay, who she helps escape from his terrigen cocoon. In Simmons' absence, Radcliffe studies the technology, and is presented with the Darkhold by May in her desperation to save Coulson. Radcliffe believes the book contains too much knowledge for a person to process, but Aida is able to read it, revealing her android nature to Coulson and May. Aida constructs a portal through which Coulson and Fitz return. During this time, the Ghost Rider spirit had left Reyes and possessed Mack to avoid the other dimension, where it had been before. Reyes confronts the spirit, promising to serve it even after they defeat Morrow if it leaves Mack. It agrees, and Reyes returns with it through the portal. Secretly, Aida begins experimenting with her new knowledge from the Darkhold, creating an artificial brain.
748"The Laws of Inferno Dynamics"Kevin TancharoenPaul ZbyszewskiDecember 6, 2016 (2016-12-06)2.37[11]
Coulson tells Mace that Aida is an android and he agrees to use her in the fight against Morrow. He also approves a strike team consisting of Rodriguez, Reyes, and Daisy, as long as the latter two keep a low profile. The team attempts to enter an abandoned building in which Morrow has barricaded himself via his growing abilities but, at first, only Reyes can make it through Morrow's initial trap. By viewing Reyes' body-cam, Fitz deduces that Morrow is drawing his power from the other dimension and has created a demon core that could destroy half the city if activated. Aida creates a new dimensional portal beneath the demon core, through which the device and Morrow are dragged. Reyes also falls through the portal after using the Ghost Rider to hold Morrow in place. Daisy is seen by local media and Mace publicly clears her name, reinstating her as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. He then allows Radcliffe to continuing working on his Life Model Decoy (LMD) program after his success with Aida, who has secretly replaced May with an LMD.
LMD
759"Broken Promises"Garry A. BrownBrent FletcherJanuary 10, 2017 (2017-01-10)2.72[12]
Fitz and Radcliffe are sent to clear Aida's memory of the Darkhold, but she reveals her new-found sentience and overpowers them. Taking control of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s systems, Aida finds the Darkhold after Coulson gives its location to the May LMD (which doesn't know it isn't the real May). Fitz is able to take control of the systems before Aida escapes and Mack beheads her. Radcliffe later laments about this to a new model of Aida, as he had programmed the original's apparent sentience in an attempt to steal the Darkhold for himself. Senator Nadeer orders a group of Watchdogs to kill a now recovered Vijay, but he convinces her to spare him as his long terrigenesis appears not to have affected him. Simmons, having identified Vijay from photographs, arrives with Mace and Daisy, as Vijay discovers he now has super-reflexes. Ellen convinces him to leave with her, but then shoots him in the stomach. Ellen asks the Watchdogs for reinforcements from "The Superior" as Vijay's body is dropped into a lake and enveloped by another terrigenesis cocoon.
7610"The Patriot"Kevin TancharoenJames C. Oliver & Sharla OliverJanuary 17, 2017 (2017-01-17)2.03[13]
Mace holds a press conference for Daisy, celebrating her "undercover" actions, until a sniper attempts to assassinate him. Coulson and Mack escort Mace and PR agent Burrows—who is often seen near Mace with a mysterious briefcase—to a quinjet, but it explodes mid-flight. Burrows is flung from the plane with the briefcase and the others crash land in a forest. There, they find ex-Hydra agents, hired by the Watchdogs, who have recovered Burrows' body. In the ensuing fight, Mace tries to get a serum from the briefcase, but it is destroyed and he is injured. Mace explains that he is not an Inhuman and that he was given his abilities by a super-serum from the government to create a trustworthy, enhanced leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. After their rescue by Daisy and the May LMD, Coulson tells Mace to continue as "the Patriot", the face and political leader of S.H.I.E.L.D, while Coulson takes back command of operations. The May LMD discovers her robotic skeleton from a wound and Fitz secretly begins studying Aida's severed head.
7711"Wake Up"Jesse BochcoDrew Z. GreenbergJanuary 24, 2017 (2017-01-24)2.00[14]
Daisy and Mace attend a Senate hearing to ratify the former's signing of the Sokovia Accords, with Senator Nadeer questioning Daisy's undercover actions. Coulson and Rodriguez infiltrate Nadeer's office to install surveillance devices, but are caught, giving Nadeer an excuse to start a full investigation of S.H.I.E.L.D. The May LMD realizes that she subconsciously leaked the details of Coulson's plan and confronts Radcliffe, as Fitz discovers Radcliffe's treachery from the original Aida's programming. Radcliffe explains to the LMD that her programming will not allow her to reveal her nature to anyone else, just before S.H.I.E.L.D. arrives and arrests him. Fitz later confronts Radcliffe in his cell and deduces that he is also an LMD—the real Radcliffe sought protection from Nadeer after Aida's initial failure. He and Aida have May captive with them, her mind in a virtual reality simulation of a tragic past event. Meanwhile, Mack and Rodriguez have grown close and he tells her of his daughter Hope from a past marriage who died as an infant.
7812"Hot Potato Soup"Nina Lopez-CorradoCraig TitleyJanuary 31, 2017 (2017-01-31)2.15[15]
Agent Billy Koenig, whom Coulson entrusted with the Darkhold, is abducted by the Watchdogs. Nadeer directs Radcliffe to the Superior, reclusive industrialist Anton Ivanov, and Radcliffe scans Koenig's brain to learn that the Darkhold was hidden in the Labyrinth, a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility known only to the Koenig family. Coulson secures the rest of the Koenig family, who take him, the May LMD, and Daisy to get the book. The Radcliffe LMD reveals that Radcliffe knows Fitz's estranged father and has created another LMD. Simmons remembers that Radcliffe scanned May's brain when they were curing her of Lucy's influence and warns Daisy of the May LMD in time to stop it from taking the Darkhold and killing Coulson. The Watchdogs arrive with Billy and Radcliffe steals the Darkhold in the ensuing fight. S.H.I.E.L.D. later destroys the remains of the first Aida and the Radcliffe LMD. Ivanov explains to Radcliffe that he plans to use the Darkhold to destroy both the Inhumans and the man who appears to be behind the recent alien crises—Coulson.
7913"BOOM"Billy GierhartNora Zuckerman & Lilla ZuckermanFebruary 7, 2017 (2017-02-07)2.08[16]
Coulson and Mack locate Agnes Kitsworth, Radcliffe's former lover and partner. Radcliffe left Kitsworth after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and modeled Aida after her. Coulson convinces Kitsworth to meet with Radcliffe. In case Nadeer is an Inhuman like her brother, Ivanov sends Watchdog Tucker Shockley to expose her to terrigen (provided by Radcliffe), but the substance transforms him instead. Shockley explodes, killing Nadeer, and then his molecules reassemble. Ivanov agrees to use Shockley's new ability against S.H.I.E.L.D. Radcliffe meets with Kitsworth and convinces her he can save her life if she escapes with him before S.H.I.E.L.D. captures them. Daisy confronts Shockley, and distracts him long enough for Fitz and Simmons to contain him in a specially-made device. Ivanov uses this as a distraction to attack and kidnap Mace, who has learned that each time he uses his super-serum there is a chance that it will kill him. As Kitsworth dies of the cancer, Radcliffe places her consciousness in the virtual "Framework" with May.
8014"The Man Behind the Shield"Wendey StanzlerMatt OwensFebruary 14, 2017 (2017-02-14)2.13[17]
Years ago, Coulson and May recovered an unknown object from a Russian outpost, besting an SVR team that included Ivanov. For the failure, the SVR agents other than Ivanov were tortured and killed. Now, Ivanov leads S.H.I.E.L.D. on a treasure hunt around the world, including to that outpost, in their search for Mace. Ivanov has been torturing Mace, disgusted at his attempts to emulate the Inhumans. The team eventually finds Ivanov, and Daisy overpowers him. Coulson and Mack save a near-death Mace while Fitz and Simmons attempt to locate any sign of the Framework in hopes of finding May. Unsuccessful, the pair reunite with the others and they return to base. Aida, whom Radcliffe has left to carry out his plans while he spends time in the Framework, finds a crippled Ivanov. At base, Fitz and Simmons are alerted by their LMD security system, learning that four agents were replaced with LMDs by Aida while Fitz and Simmons were separated from the group. This includes Coulson, as the Coulson LMD wakes the May LMD from storage.
8115"Self Control"Jed WhedonJed WhedonFebruary 21, 2017 (2017-02-21)2.01[18]
The new LMDs are aware of their nature, and plan to carry out Ivanov's goal of destroying all Inhumans. Simmons discovers that Mace, Mack, and Fitz are the other new LMDs, and overpowers Fitz. Daisy also discovers them, and plans with Simmons to hack into the Framework remotely to find the others from the inside. Aida kills Radcliffe's body, but lets his consciousness live in the Framework. Daisy overpowers the Mace, Mack, and Coulson LMDs, but they find the May LMD waiting for them at the base entrance, tasked with detonating a large explosive to prevent their escape. The May LMD instead lets them leave, and destroys the base with the LMDs inside. In the Framework, the agents find an altered reality: Daisy is in a relationship with an alive Grant Ward; Coulson is teaching about Inhumans; Hope is alive with Mack; Fitz is rich; Simmons is dead; and May works for Hydra, which has replaced S.H.I.E.L.D. In the real world, Aida is able to sever Ivanov's living head from his crippled body and builds android bodies for his mind to control.
Agents of Hydra
8216"What If..."Oz ScottDJ DoyleApril 4, 2017 (2017-04-04)2.15[19]
In the Framework, Daisy discovers that she and Ward are agents of Hydra, working under May and Fitz. The tragic event from May's past has no longer happened; in the real world, she killed Katya Belyakov, a young Inhuman girl, but in the Framework, she brought the girl back to the United States as a refugee who then became a mass murderer and the catalyst for Hydra to take power. Simmons awakens in a mass grave of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and eventually comes across Coulson, who is teaching a Hydra-approved curriculum that warns against the dangers of Inhumans. Simmons is unable to convince Coulson that he is inside a virtual simulation and he calls Hydra. Daisy races to find Simmons before the rest of Hydra and is followed by Ward, who reveals himself to be a mole inside Hydra for the Resistance. Daisy and Simmons try to exit the Framework using a safeguard the latter created, but it has been blocked by Aida, who has entered the Framework as the Director of Hydra and Fitz's lover. Daisy then goes to Coulson and he remembers her name.
8317"Identity and Change"Garry A. BrownGeorge KitsonApril 11, 2017 (2017-04-11)2.32[20]
Hoping Radcliffe can help them escape, Daisy returns to Hydra and locates him, but May gives her a new mission on the orders of Fitz and Aida, the latter choosing to go by Ophelia, or Madame Hydra. Ward directs Coulson (who can remember some things, thanks to previous tampering with his mind) and Simmons to the Resistance, the remnants of S.H.I.E.L.D. under the command of an Inhuman Mace. Ward, Simmons, and Coulson take a stolen Hydra quinjet to extract Radcliffe. May and Daisy arrest Mack, and May forces him to trick Daisy into confessing her true allegiance. The others find Radcliffe living in seclusion with Kitsworth, and he explains that he and Kitsworth cannot leave the Framework due to their real bodies having died. Fitz and Madame Hydra arrive, and Radcliffe attempts to appeal to Fitz, though Fitz already knows of the "other world" and that Radcliffe had enslaved Aida there. He kills Kitsworth and imprisons Radcliffe, torturing him and Daisy. Regretting his actions, Mack joins the Resistance.
8418"No Regrets"Eric LaneuvillePaul ZbyszewskiApril 18, 2017 (2017-04-18)2.43[21]
Mace and Coulson infiltrate a Hydra "Enlightenment Camp" to free an undercover agent—Antoine Triplett, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who died in the real world. They are tracked there by May, who uses a super serum to fight Mace. Through the vents in their holding cells, Daisy learns from Radcliffe of a backdoor he installed to escape the Framework that Aida is unable to disable. Coulson attempts to save one of his former students who he sees being held in the camp, and Mace follows him into a building to help. Hydra uses a missile to bring the building down, and May enters the rubble to ensure Mace is dead. She finds him stopping debris from crushing the student, with Coulson and Triplett helping other children escape the building. May is horrified to find children being victimized by Hydra. With the others having escaped to safety, Mace is crushed beneath the debris, and in the real world Aida finds his physical body dead as well. Turning on Hydra, May sneaks a Terrigen crystal to Daisy so she can gain her Inhuman abilities within the Framework.
8519"All the Madame's Men"Billy GierhartJames C. Oliver & Sharla OliverApril 25, 2017 (2017-04-25)2.15[22]
May and Daisy escape Hydra, with Daisy using her abilities to break Ophelia's back. Ophelia insists that Fitz complete work on their secret Project: Looking Glass, after which her Framework body will no longer matter. May and Daisy join up with S.H.I.E.L.D., who are struggling to regroup after Mace's death. May provides them with body cam footage from the attack on the Enlightenment Center, which Coulson broadcasts to the world to counteract Hydra's propaganda. Meanwhile, Simmons and Triplett investigate a Russian oil platform which he believes is the location of Looking Glass from his time undercover; the platform is the Framework equivalent of Ivanov's oil platform in the real world, from where Aida is running the Framework. The pair find the platform empty, and Simmons deduces that Looking Glass consists of a machine built on the real world platform, to be connected to a machine in the Framework using knowledge from the Darkhold, allowing Ophelia to go from the Framework to a true human body in the real world.
8620"Farewell, Cruel World!"Vincent MisianoBrent FletcherMay 2, 2017 (2017-05-02)2.15[23]
After Daisy and Simmons entered the Framework, their bodies were protected by Rodriguez and Agents Piper, Davis and Prince aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft Zephyr One. With their connection to the Framework draining the plane's power, Piper chose to shut off its cloaking ability, revealing their location to Ivanov and his men. In the Framework, Simmons visits and accidentally kills Fitz's father Alistair, and Fitz begins hunting her with help from Radcliffe, Fitz having offered to send Radcliffe through the machine, restoring his living body. Ophelia initiates her transference into her new body. Daisy takes the group to Radcliffe's exit point, where she, Coulson, and May cross back into the real world. Fitz arrives and confronts Simmons, but is overpowered by Radcliffe, who regrets all his actions since he first saw and wanted the Darkhold. Radcliffe sends Fitz through, followed by Simmons. Mack decides to stay, not wanting to live in a world without Hope. At Ivanov's platform, the newly human Ophelia confronts Coulson, May, and Fitz, teleporting away with the latter.
8721"The Return"Kevin TancharoenMaurissa Tancharoen & Jed WhedonMay 9, 2017 (2017-05-09)2.14[24]
The agents on Zephyr One fight off Ivanov's men and race to the platform to save Coulson and May from Ivanov's android bodies. Ivanov launches torpedoes at the platform that threaten Mack's body, but the latter is saved by Ophelia, convinced by Fitz to put to good use the Inhuman abilities his machine had given her new body. In isolation at S.H.I.E.L.D., Fitz and Ophelia discuss her newly discovered human emotions and the fact that he remembers all the terrible things he did inside the Framework. He admits that he ultimately still loves Simmons over her, outraging Ophelia. Glenn Talbot arrives at the ruined S.H.I.E.L.D. base, where Ophelia kills several of his soldiers and other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents including Prince. Coulson and the others flee in the Zephyr once more, while Ophelia returns to Ivanov, who plans to use knowledge from the Darkhold to apply the changed reality of the Framework to the real world. Meanwhile, Rodriguez enters the Framework herself to try to convince Mack to leave, and the Ghost Rider returns through a portal from the other dimension.
8822"World's End"Billy GierhartJeffrey BellMay 16, 2017 (2017-05-16)2.08[25]
Ivanov takes the Darkhold to an international meeting on S.H.I.E.L.D. and the recent events. He proposes to use the book against the Inhumans, which is timed with an attack on the group by an LMD of Daisy, who shoots Talbot in the head leaving him comatose. In the ensuing fight, S.H.I.E.L.D. is able to retrieve the Darkhold with Reyes' help. In the Framework, Rodriguez is unable to convince Mack to leave, but he returns with her after Hope's code is deleted as a result of Ophelia shutting down the Framework. Radcliffe is also deleted, after accepting that immortality without Kitsworth is worthless. Ophelia comes for the Darkhold, and Coulson surprises her by unleashing the Spirit of Vengeance himself, having made a deal to become the Ghost Rider for a short time. He incinerates Ophelia. Reyes, now the Ghost Rider again, takes the Darkhold through a portal. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents then wait to be arrested by the government, but are instead taken by a mysterious group. Some time later, Coulson finds himself on a space station.

Cast and characters edit

Production edit

Development edit

The series was renewed for a fourth season on March 3, 2016,[49] earlier than usual for the series. Executive producer Jed Whedon said on this, "We're thrilled to know going into the end of [season 3] with certainty that we will be returning, because we can build our story accordingly." Executive producer Maurissa Tancharoen also noted that logistics for hiring directors for the season in advance would be easier, "which is a very nice privilege to have...that's a luxury."[50] The end of the episode "What If..." features an onscreen tribute to Bill Paxton, who died in February 2017 and had portrayed John Garrett in the series' first season.[51] The series paid additional tribute to Paxton in "All the Madame's Men" with promos during The Bakshi Report news segment showcasing John Garrett as a fallen American hero.[52] The end of "World's End" features a similar onscreen tribute to Powers Boothe, who died in May 2017 and had portrayed Gideon Malick in the series' third season.[53]

Writing edit

The season shifted to the later 10 pm timeslot, allowing it to take on a darker, more mature tone than previous seasons. According to Tancharoen, "The whole tagline for this year is 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. After Dark'." The timeslot gave the series the opportunity to present an increased level of violence and partial nudity, as well as take more risks and present edgier themes.[54][55][56] Following the third-season finale, Tancharoen stated that the fourth season would explore the guilt Daisy Johnson has over Lincoln Campbell's death.[57] Executive producer Jeffrey Bell noted the writers tried to continue the tradition of "finding new combinations and new conflicts" between different sets of characters, given "a lot of procedurals [see] the same people doing the same thing for five years". Pairings that would be explored included Coulson and Mack, continuing from the end of season three, who have a mutual respect for one another due to their relationships with Daisy, and Leo Fitz and Holden Radcliffe, who work together. The Fitz-Simmons relationship was also explored more, examining the new challenges it presented for the two "working together, loving each other and living together."[27]

Following the third season's dealing with the themes of Captain America: Civil War, such as the opposing reactions to the Inhumans, Whedon said that the question of "How do you deal with a war with powered people at that level, a government level?" was one that they wanted to answer in the fourth season.[58] Tancharoen called the Inhumans "a permanent part of our universe now", with Whedon adding, "we have a quick-fire way of introducing people with powers. It gives us a lot of leeway in our world, and it lets us explore the metaphors of what it is like to be different. We will never close that chapter."[59] With the Inhumans film being removed from Marvel Studios' release schedule, the series had "a little more freedom" and were "able to do a little bit more" with the species, including the potential of introducing some of the "classic" Inhumans,[60] though the series would focus less on Inhumans than the third season which saw "a real significant Inhuman agenda story".[61] It was not intended to be a spin-off of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.[62] On the evolution of S.H.I.E.L.D. to featuring so many powered characters, Whedon said "the dynamic in the world has changed. There was one person with powers, and then by The Avengers there were maybe six total ... now they're much more prevalent, so there's reaction from the public based on that."[27]

The season is structured into three "pods" based on its airing schedule: the first eight episodes, subtitled Ghost Rider;[63][64] LMD (Life Model Decoy) for the subsequent seven episodes;[64][65][66] and a third pod for the final seven episodes called Agents of Hydra.[67][68] Elements and characters cross over between the different pods, but the sections "definitely have a different feel" from one another,[64][69] as Bell explained that 22 episodes "is a long time to hold a big bad or a single plot line, especially for an audience", and for the past two seasons, the series was able to have two separated halves that "allows us to introduce a big bad. And then, something happens and we rise somebody new ... Now, there's three of those."[61] "Financial considerations" were also taken into account in creating the pods for the season, as using LMDs does not "cost as much as setting a guy's head on fire via CGI".[69] In terms of writing the "complicated season", Whedon said the writers were "aware that our fans are our fans and have spent some time with these characters and are clever and see things coming sometimes ... Part of our job is to create not just what we are presenting on plot, but letting the audience be one step ahead of us and being one step ahead of that."[70] He added that the writers knew that they wanted to tell a Ghost Rider story, an LMD story, and a "what if" scenario, and the hardest part was making each pod still fit together as a single season. The major connection ultimately became the Darkhold, which leads from the magic of Ghost Rider to the advanced science of LMD and then the Framework in Agents of Hydra.[71] Ghost Rider also reappears in the final episode of the season, "World's End", as an additional connection.[72]

Ghost Rider edit

While planning the fourth season, Marvel suggested that the series introduce Ghost Rider,[73] after the character's film rights had returned to Marvel from Sony in May 2013.[74] Loeb felt that this made the season unquestionably "the series' biggest" with the "most ambitious story yet".[29] He added that "one of the things that we talked about is, S.H.I.E.L.D. always looked out for the weird, the unusual, the things that were and could be a problem for the public," and Marvel realized that Ghost Rider's abilities, which are more mystical than anything seen in the series to date, opened up "a quarter of the universe that we haven't really spent a lot of time exploring ... what happens if our very real, our very grounded agents who are very much a family have to take on something that is as bizarre and powerful and unique as Ghost Rider."[75] Bell added that the producers would have been willing to give an entire season of the show to a Ghost Rider arc if the season was 13 episodes or less, but 22 episodes seemed too long to "feel like one flavor".[61]

The Robbie Reyes version of Ghost Rider was chosen over other versions of the character from the comics because of his relationship with his brother Gabe, which Loeb said harkened back to the familial nature of the series.[27] This also helped the series distance itself from the Ghost Rider films from Sony that starred Nicolas Cage as the Johnny Blaze version of the character, with Bell describing the series' take as more grounded than Cage's "larger-than-life version".[61] During the series' take on Reyes' origin story, another Ghost Rider appears. While unnamed onscreen,[76] Luna believed it was meant to be Johnny Blaze and that unspecified legal issues prevented this from being made explicit.[8] This Ghost Rider was portrayed by Tom McComas during filming.[77] Given the disparity between the other science-based aspects of the series and the mystical Ghost Rider in the season, Whedon noted that "some very advanced technology [would be developed] this season, and maybe–as that becomes more advanced and we have strange people... possessed people–those things somehow merge down the line."[27] As part of combining technology and mysticism, the series depicts Hell as another dimension that can be reached through a portal, and the Ghost Rider's Spirit of Vengeance as a being from that other dimension.[64]

Marvel trusted the producers of S.H.I.E.L.D. with creating and using Ghost Rider how they wanted to, but did ask them "to be true to what it is" in the comics. They looked to do this by taking the original elements from the comic, but putting their own spin on them. This included Reyes' uncle Eli, who is the spirit possessing Reyes in the comic, appearing as an external villain.[61] Reyes is instead possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance, which is passed to him by another Ghost Rider; in the comics, multiple Ghost Riders exist at once, but for the series this was changed so the power can only be used by one at a time, and they pass it on to the next Ghost Rider.[78]

LMD edit

Since the beginning of the show, the producers had wanted to introduce the concept of LMDs, which Marvel Television head Jeph Loeb noted "have always been part of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s history in the comics".[57] However, they were unable to before Avengers: Age of Ultron, which sees the introductions of Ultron and Vision in a similar manner to LMDs.[64][79] For the fourth season, they particularly pushed the idea, and Whedon noted that the introduction of Ghost Rider and mysticism allowed the series to introduce new technology that could launch LMDs in a way deemed rewarding,[64] so the Ghost Rider storyline "dovetails" into the LMD storyline.[61] The S.H.I.E.L.D. program is introduced through the character Aida, an android.[64] Additionally, with LMDs chosen as one of the pods for the season, Whedon said the writers questioned, "what are all the things we could do? You don't want to do the ones that have been done [in similar tropes], and you don't want to leave any on the table." One idea that "we knew we wanted to have early on" was to reveal that the majority of S.H.I.E.L.D. have been replaced at once.[70]

Tancharoen hinted that the series would continue Age of Ultron's theme of "diving into the world of A.I. [and] things may not go as planned".[80] On what makes Aida different from the villain Ultron, Whedon explained that "Aida started as something that was supposed to mimic human behavior. Ultron came out almost a fully fleshed-out creature with his own agenda, where she's been discovering hers along the way."[64] He added that instead of thousands of robots, the LMDs would be presented as android versions of the other characters in the series. Whedon said of themes that are raised in the second pod, "there are issues of reality and identity. Trust is always an issue in a spy organization. It's much worse when you don't know if the person next to you is the person next to you ... When you get into trust, that's when things get emotional."[61] The pod ends with the Melinda May LMD seemingly destroying herself and all the other known LMDs besides Aida, concluding her specific arc which explored the nature of humanity and identity. Asked if any of these LMDs survived this act, and could carry over to the third pod of the season, Whedon said "We'll see, but the idea was to put that chapter behind us."[67]

Agents of Hydra edit

The third pod of the season "ties together [the season] thematically",[70] taking the characters into the virtual world of the Framework, where their lives are different from the real world. This explores "what if" scenarios for many of the characters by showing who they may have been if a major regret of their life was changed,[81] hence the pod's title, Agents of Hydra.[68] This continues the season's focus on the nature of identity and reality, having "payoff[s] to all the reflection[s] on the past" such as Mack's tragic loss of his daughter and Fitz's troubled relationship with his father. Bennet called the pod "very relevant. It's definitely a theme that I think has been kind of hopping around in pop culture at the moment. But it's kind of like a fun Marvel take on that. For all those people who wished to see these characters in a different light, this is going to be the time for that to happen."[70] Whedon felt that this storyline would not be interesting early in a series, but is rewarding after spending "80-plus episodes with these characters".[81]

Whedon said they replaced S.H.I.E.L.D. with Hydra in the Framework to show "that this world was not what was intended, and what really symbolizes the opposite of S.H.I.E.L.D. or the ultimate evil in our world is Hydra. It's more about our people than it is about the organization itself this time around."[81] It was noted that "the bad guy [Hydra] is in charge and Inhumans are being hunted" could be taken as a commentary on the political climate under the Presidency of Donald Trump. On approaching this subject, Tancharoen said that there was no nervousness in the writer's room, and Whedon said that the similarities to Trump's America was simply an attempt to "paint the reality where, what if the world just turned upside down?" The pod sees Hydra based out of the Triskelion, a S.H.I.E.L.D. building that was destroyed by Hydra previously in the MCU. It also features the return of the character Grant Ward to the series, with Whedon explaining, "We figured when you get dropped into an alternate reality, what better way to show that it might not be everything you imagined than the return of one of our most loved and most hated characters."[67]

Whedon noted that the pod does not entirely take place in the Framework,[67] and that the characters "have their full memories of what happened" once they return to the real world. Some, such as Fitz, struggle with their actions in the Framework.[82] The producers felt the impact of the "what if" scenario comes from rooting the changes in character choices, with Bell saying, "I will give the writers room credit that everything that was chosen had an emotional resonance. It was something you hadn't seen, or wanted to see or wondered about, so for us it was really rich territory to mine." Whedon added, "It wasn't just, 'OK, let's go Wacky World!' It was, 'What if you'd made different decisions?' That made it for us a much more fun puzzle." Regarding the season finale and setting up the next season, Bell said that "Each year we've tried to reinvent the series in some way ... I think the end [of the finale] really does suggest something quite different."[83]

Casting edit

 
John Hannah joined the series' main cast for the season, promoted from his previously recurring role.

Main cast members Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge and Henry Simmons return from previous seasons as Phil Coulson, Melinda May, Daisy Johnson / Quake, Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons, and Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie, respectively.[26] They are joined by John Hannah as Holden Radcliffe,[28] promoted from his third season recurring role.[27] Within the Framework reality, Daisy is referred to by her original name, Skye, while Fitz is also known as "The Doctor".[84]

Also returning from earlier in the series are Natalia Cordova-Buckley as Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez,[30] Axle Whitehead as J. T. James / Hellfire,[40][45] Adrian Pasdar as Glenn Talbot,[41] Ava Acres as Katya Belyakov,[85] Patton Oswalt as Billy, Sam and Thurston Koenig,[46] and Briana Venskus, Maximilian Osinski, and Alexander Wraith as Agents Piper, Davis, and Anderson, respectively.[31][39][86] Agents of Hydra also sees the return of former series regular Brett Dalton as Grant Ward,[43] along with the return of B. J. Britt as Antoine Triplett,[47] Adam Kulbersh as Kenneth Turgeon,[44] and Simon Kassianides as Sunil Bakshi.[48]

Advertisements for the show ahead of the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con featuring a flaming chain led to speculation that the character Ghost Rider would be joining the series during the season, though it was noted that the image could just indicate an increased role for Whitehead after he was introduced as James in the third season, and also wields a flaming chain.[87] When casting for two Latino brothers, "one of whom is always the most dangerous person in the room, the other paralyzed in a wheelchair", was revealed to be underway for the series in June,[88] further speculation pointed to the inclusion of Ghost Rider, with those character descriptions resembling those for Marvel Comics' All-New Ghost Rider Robbie Reyes and his brother Gabe, respectively.[89] At the series' Comic-Con panel, the speculation was confirmed—Gabriel Luna was announced to be cast as Robbie Reyes,[29] and Lorenzo James Henrie was later revealed to be cast as Gabe.[31]

Also in June, the series was looking to cast an actress for the recurring role of Aida,[88] a robot whose artificial intelligence was briefly voiced by Amanda Rea during the third-season finale;[88][90] Mallory Jansen was cast in the role that August.[91] Jansen also portrays Agnes Kitsworth, Radcliffe's former lover and partner after whom he modeled Aida.[92] Within the Framework reality, Aida appears as "Ophelia" / Madame Hydra, portrayed as well by Jansen.[32][33] Other recurring guests revealed were Lilli Birdsell as Lucy Bauer, a worker at Momentum Energy;[34][35] Jason O'Mara as Jeffrey Mace / Patriot, the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D.;[36][93] Parminder Nagra as Ellen Nadeer, an anti-Inhuman politician;[37][38] and Patrick Cavanaugh as S.H.I.E.L.D. PR agent Burrows.[39] In October 2016, José Zúñiga was revealed to be portraying Eli Morrow, the Reyes' uncle,[40] while in January 2017, Zach McGowan was revealed as Anton Ivanov, "The Superior" of the Watchdogs.[42] In April 2017, Jordan Rivera was revealed as Hope Mackenzie, Mack's daughter in the Framework reality.[44] Additionally, Blaise Miller and Ricardo Walker make multiple appearances as S.H.I.E.L.D. lab tech Nathanson and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Prince.[31]

In May 2016, Tancharoen said "we're always open" to the possibility of Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood appearing in the season,[79] after they left the series' cast during the third season for the spin-off series Marvel's Most Wanted,[94] which ultimately did not get picked up.[95] Whedon reiterated in January 2017 that "Once an agent, always an agent, so it's always out there in the ether", but stated that the pair were unlikely to return during the fourth season.[96]

Design edit

Each pod of the season introduces new title graphics for the series: a "hellfire"-based title card for Ghost Rider;[97][98] a graphic constructed from robot circuitry for LMD;[98] and a more traditional Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. logo for the third pod that changes onscreen to Agents of Hydra for episodes primarily set in the Framework,[99][100] but remains Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. during "The Return". The Ghost Rider title card was used again for the season finale.[101] For the Framework setting, the production team chose a specific, more "washed" out palette to clearly differentiate those scenes from the real world. This was realized through a combination of production and costume design, and cinematography.[102]

Ghost Rider was designed by Marvel Television creative director Joshua Shaw, based on Felipe Smith's design from the comics. His jacket was then custom made by costume designer Ann Foley and her team.[103][104] The character's skull design includes exhaust-type jets of flames coming from the temples to mimic the effects on his car.[105] Foley worked with the visual effects department to ensure that the costume would not interfere with their work.[103] Aida's costume was also custom made, and inspired by the works of Alexander McQueen.[103] The costume evolves through the season, becoming a darker shade of gray when the more ruthless "Aida 2.0" is introduced.[106] Foley left the show after the thirteenth episode of the season, to work on a television adaptation of Altered Carbon,[107] and was replaced with Amanda Riley. Riley used her previous experience recreating costumes to "blend in" with Foley's established look, and also noted that the majority of her work was designing for the Framework reality which allowed her to not exactly match with previous designs. Riley took Foley's costumes for Aida as the base shape of the Madame Hydra costume, but looked to make it feel "stronger" and more military-esque than those costumes by having the shoulders of the costume evoke epaulettes. The costume uses the color green, which is closely tied with the character in the comics.[102]

For the Darkhold, writer Lilla Zuckerman suggested that the book's cover should feature the word "Darkhold" as an ambigram,[108][109] with the series' props department designing a new font to achieve this. Prop master Scott Bauer was inspired by elements from the Kree weaponry designed for the previous season when designing the cover of the Darkhold. Multiple versions of the book were created for the show, with the frames created by 3D-printing molds to create durable rubber casts. These were then given to a bookbinder with aged, vellum pages, who assembled the props and created the leather cover. The pages were filled with text and illustrations inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man.[110]

Filming edit

Production on the season began on July 21, 2016,[111] in Los Angeles.[112] Whedon made his directorial debut with "Self Control". Whedon noted he had decided at the end of season three to direct an episode in season four after doing some second unit work on "Spacetime" under Kevin Tancharoen. He credited his brother and series creator Joss Whedon along with Tancharoen, and his "years working with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s directors from a showrunning perspective and his close relationship with the cast and crew" for why now was the right time for him to direct an episode. The cast expressed enthusiasm with Whedon directing "Self Control", given he also wrote the episode, with Bennet feeling, "The vision is so clear. There's a lot more room to play, like 'what about this?' and the enthusiasm because he wrote these words, he knows what's coming next. It's been so much fun."[66] Ahead of filming the final episode of the season, Wen injured her leg in an on set accident with "a fairly severe injury". Wen noted the production was able to work around her injury with no delay and that she would still be involved with the episode.[113] Production on the season concluded on April 17, 2017.[114]

Music edit

The season saw "several major creative turning points" in the score from composer Bear McCreary. Given the introduction of Ghost Rider and the Framework in the season, McCreary used "searing synths" over the regular symphonic orchestra.[115]

Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-ins edit

In March 2016, Tancharoen stated that there was a possibility the season could continue the story of Agent Carter in some way,[50] given it was not renewed for the 2016–17 season.[116] Whedon added that "We are linked to them through history [but] whether or not we'll tell their stories remains to be seen."[50] The Momentum Energy Labs group introduced in the season is eventually revealed to be a successor to the Isodyne Energy company from the second season of Agent Carter. The two companies are connected by the parent company Roxxon, a mainstay of the MCU, and deal with supernatural entities: Isodyne discovered the extra-dimensional Darkforce, while Momentum is shown experimenting on extra-dimensional energy using the Darkhold, the Book of Sins from the comics.[117][118] In December, Whedon said that Peggy Carter "is a part of the universe, and she's a character we care about", and that there was a good chance of having bigger connections to her show moving forward after the Ghost Rider pod.[61]

The season's exploring of supernatural and mystical concepts ties-in with the release of Doctor Strange, the first MCU film to explore magic. In addition to the Darkhold, this includes the introduction of Ghost Rider, with Whedon explaining in July 2016, that "the Marvel [Cinematic] Universe is moving into new waters [with the upcoming release of Doctor Strange]. We felt that [Ghost Rider] was obviously a great character that we'd love to have on our show that we feel fits with that shift."[119] Whedon pointed out that the previous tie-ins were sometimes "very direct", and other times "more thematic. The tie this year will feel more of a reflection of [Doctor Strange], less an interweaving plot." He added, "Hopefully some of the questions that we're asking will be answered by [the film, which can] then pose some new themes and ideas for us to explore."[80] "Deals with Our Devils", aired after the release of Doctor Strange, sees Aida create a portal to rescue Coulson and Fitz from another dimension. The visuals for these are intentionally reminiscent of those used in the film.[120] Bell added that the Darkhold "feels like it belongs in the library in Kathmandu", referring to the Kamar-Taj library seen in Doctor Strange.[61]

On the season having a big crossover in early 2017 like previous seasons, Bell said that any crossover will not be as large scale as the first season crossover with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which changed the premise of the series, and noted that the MCU film being released at that time is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which would be difficult to tie-in with as it is not set on Earth, and takes place earlier in the MCU continuity than the season is set.[61]

Marketing edit

In July 2016, members of the cast and the executive producers attended San Diego Comic-Con to promote the season.[121] The trolly used to transport attendees at San Diego Comic-Con was covered in advertisements for the series, highlighting the addition of Ghost Rider.[87] Also, Ghost Rider's 1969 Dodge Charger was revealed on the show floor.[122][123] The first teaser trailer for the season was released in early September 2016, as "found footage" showing Ghost Rider's car "peeling out",[124] followed shortly after by a teaser with actual footage from the series.[63] The premiere episode "The Ghost" was first screened on September 19, 2016,[125] and the episode "Uprising" was screened on October 7, when Gregg, Bennet, and Luna were promoting the series at New York Comic Con.[126]

A six-part web series, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot, debuted on ABC.com on December 13, 2016. It follows Elena "Yo–Yo" Rodriguez on a secret mission, with Cordova-Buckley reprising her role, shortly before the start of season four.[65] Gregg, O'Mara, Simmons, Bennet, Wen, De Caestecker and Henstridge all reprise their roles in the series.[127] In March 2017, Marvel re-released previous posters for the series, updated to show what they would have looked like had the series taken place in the Framework reality.[128] They also released faux propaganda posters highlighting Hydra's surveillance state within the Framework, and their focus on hunting Inhumans.[129] The episode "What If..." was screened on April 1, 2017, at WonderCon, with members of the cast, including Dalton, and the show's executive producers promoting the series.[51]

Release edit

Broadcast edit

The season began airing in the United States on ABC on September 20, 2016,[130] and completed its 22-episode run on May 16, 2017.[131][132] Unlike the previous two seasons, which were split into "two little mini-seasons" based on their airing schedule, this season was broken into three different sections by the schedule. This led to the season's three pod story structure, which Tancharoen said "has made our lives easier, to break it down in that way."[73]

Home media edit

The season began streaming on Netflix in the United States on June 15, 2017,[133] and was available until February 28, 2022.[134] It was released on Blu-ray and DVD in Region 2 on July 2, 2018, by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.[135] It became available on Disney+ in the United States on March 16, 2022,[136][137] joining other territories where it was already available on the service.[134]

Reception edit

Ratings edit

Viewership and ratings per episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4
No. Title Air date Rating/share
(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
DVR
(18–49)
DVR viewers
(millions)
Total
(18–49)
Total viewers
(millions)
1 "The Ghost" September 20, 2016 1.1/4 3.44[3] 1.1 2.79 2.2 6.24[138]
2 "Meet the New Boss" September 27, 2016 0.9/3 2.95[4] 1.0 2.43 1.9 5.39[139]
3 "Uprising" October 11, 2016 0.9/3 2.68[5] 1.0 2.21 1.9 4.89[140]
4 "Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire" October 18, 2016 0.7/3 2.34[6] 1.1 2.44 1.8 4.78[141]
5 "Lockup" October 25, 2016 0.8/3 2.30[7] 0.9 2.25 1.7 4.55[142]
6 "The Good Samaritan" November 1, 2016 0.8/3 2.43[9] 0.9 2.14 1.7 4.57[143]
7 "Deals with Our Devils" November 29, 2016 0.8/3 2.41[10] 0.9 2.22 1.7 4.63[144]
8 "The Laws of Inferno Dynamics" December 6, 2016 0.7/3 2.37[11] 0.9 2.12 1.6 4.49[145]
9 "Broken Promises" January 10, 2017 0.8/3 2.72[12] 0.8 1.94 1.6 4.66[146]
10 "The Patriot" January 17, 2017 0.6/2 2.03[13] 0.9 2.02 1.5 4.05[147]
11 "Wake Up" January 24, 2017 0.6/2 2.00[14] 0.8 1.97 1.4 3.97[148]
12 "Hot Potato Soup" January 31, 2017 0.6/2 2.15[15] 0.9 2.08 1.5 4.23[149]
13 "BOOM" February 7, 2017 0.7/3 2.08[16] 0.8 2.04 1.5 4.13[150]
14 "The Man Behind the Shield" February 14, 2017 0.6/2 2.13[17] 0.9 2.03 1.5 4.16[151]
15 "Self Control" February 21, 2017 0.6/2 2.01[18] 0.8 1.87 1.4 3.88[152]
16 "What If..." April 4, 2017 0.7/3 2.15[19] 0.8 2.07 1.5 4.22[153]
17 "Identity and Change" April 11, 2017 0.7/3 2.32[20] 0.8 1.68 1.5 4.01[154]
18 "No Regrets" April 18, 2017 0.8/3 2.43[21] 0.7 1.82 1.5 4.25[155]
19 "All the Madame's Men" April 25, 2017 0.7/3 2.15[22]
20 "Farewell, Cruel World!" May 2, 2017 0.7/3 2.15[23] 0.7 1.60 1.4 3.75[156]
21 "The Return" May 9, 2017 0.7/3 2.14[24] 0.9 1.88 1.6 4.02[157]
22 "World's End" May 16, 2017 0.7/3 2.08[25] 0.8 1.99 1.5 4.07[158]

The season's new timeslot, 10 p.m. on Tuesday, was nicknamed the "death slot" for ABC by commentators, with nine different series being scheduled in the slot between 2011 and 2017, and all of them dropping in viewership while airing then. This was the same for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4, which reached series' lows of 0.6 live ratings and around 2 million viewers, a drop from the third season of around 30 percent.[159] However, by the season finale it was described as having "helped solve [ABC]'s problem" in the timeslot, while being "a solid DVR performer" and draw for international viewership. This led to the renewal of the series for a fifth season.[2] The season averaged 4.22 million total viewers, including from DVR, ranking 110th among network series in the 2016–17 television season. It also had an average total 18–49 rating of 1.5, which was 70th.[160]

Critical response edit

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 96% approval rating with an average score of 7.8/10, based on 25 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. explores darker territory in its fourth season with the thrilling introduction of Ghost Rider, setting up an action-packed new chapter of Marvel's edgier mythologies."[161]

 
 
The season's recurring guests, including (L-R) Gabriel Luna (Robbie Reyes / Ghost Rider) and Jason O'Mara (Jeffrey Mace / Patriot), were highlighted by critics.

Reviewing the premiere, Terri Schwartz of IGN praised the introduction of Ghost Rider and subsequent darker tone which "will eventually allow [the series] to sit more comfortably beside its corporate cousins over on Netflix", but did feel that there were some "growing pains" with the transition to more mature material.[162] The A.V. Club's Alex McCown-Levy called it "a standard first episode back, in that it once again does a lot of table-setting, and not always in the most compelling manner". Levy felt that Ghost Rider's introduction was handled well for non-comic fans discovering the character with the show, but that the new positions of the series' main characters were more interesting and should have been focused on more.[163] Kevin Fitzpatrick of ScreenCrush said, "I'm nervous for Season 4 overall, especially if said reinvention doesn't goose the ratings like Marvel and ABC hope, but "The Ghost" is reason enough for some casual optimism." He was positive about the new similarities to the darker series Daredevil, but felt that the series "doesn't have the firmest handle" on Ghost Rider yet.[164] Evan Valentine, writing for Collider, said that the series "certainly benefits somewhat from taking a page from" the Marvel Netflix series, highlighting the number of more mature elements in the episode's opening as "a nice introduction that shows you this may not exactly be the same show you've gotten to know over the years."[165]

For the change from Ghost Rider to LMD, Joseph McCabe at Nerdist said that any doubts he had about the change "are more or less eliminated" by the series take on a robotic antagonist, which he called "Avengers: Age of Ultron done right ... where it most obviously improves on the overstuffed second Avengers film is in the humor department".[98] Schwartz called the transition smooth, and felt the series' ongoing Inhuman subplot complemented the LMD storyline well.[166] Valentine said that the beginning of LMD "doesn't maintain the heights of [the series'] days with Ghost Rider in the driver's seat, but it does manage to remain a solid entry on the airwaves." He was very critical of the Inhuman subplot, calling the Watchdogs "pretty much played out at this point" and feeling the Inhumans had become stale after the previous two seasons.[167] Fitzpatrick also criticized the "flat" Inhuman storyline, but felt the change to LMD "got off to the best possible start" given the "obviously less of an immediate hook" than Ghost Rider.[168] Beginning the Agents of Hydra pod, Schwartz said "this return episode more than delivered" on the previous episode's cliffhanger. She was satisfied that the Framework reality was not undone within a single episode, and was hopeful that the remaining episodes of the season would offer "similar surprises [that circumvent] our expectations".[169] Valentine felt "What If..." "made for a very good start" to the pod, feeling it "continues to build on the goodwill created by season 4 of S.H.I.E.L.D. presenting an interesting concept and world to be explored".[170] McCown-Levy continued the praise, saying "This could've been a sodden slog through too-obvious reveals and portentous doom and gloom. Instead, S.H.I.E.L.D. kept its fleet and efficient pacing, but bent it to the service of a dark and compelling narrative arc already paying dividends in terms of rewarding long-time viewers with deep-pull references and stories".[84] Fitzpatrick, however, felt the episode "stumbled" and was "something of a bumpy reentry into season 4, and doubly so for anyone who lost sight of the Life Model Decoy conflict in play, or harbor concern ABC might not order a fifth season." He found it difficult to determine the rules at play in the Framework, and felt the storyline was done more so because the "producers missed working with Brett Dalton".[171]

By "All the Madame's Men", McCown-Levy felt that Agents of Hydra was "the most consistently entertaining arc the series has ever done. The show has had higher highs, but never this constant a level of quality. I've argued several times of late that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been getting steadily better each season, and even in a year that had strong arcs like Ghost Rider and LMD, this final storyline tops them all ... the show has essentially managed to create an alternate reality where it can work out longstanding issues and address unfinished character beats, all while smartly delivering action and thrills ... And insofar as this keeps working, it's managed to turn the TV equivalent of a fun B-movie into a superior television show."[172] Overall, Schwartz awarded the season an 8.8 out of 10, stating the season was "the best [the series has] ever been, maturing as a show and learning the right lessons from what's come before." She praised the pod format, saying it "helped tighten the season and give it a stronger throughline" and added that each new pod the season introduced was more successful than the previous, with the Agents of Hydra pod and Framework story arc possibly the strongest of the entire series. Schwartz also spoke fondly of the guest stars throughout the season, particularly Jansen, who she called "the season's MVP" and felt "stole the show" with Aida, who was "the standout new character" of the season. Some negatives on the season were the additional villains, Eli Morrow and the Superior (not "a particularly standout villain", and never "as imposing or terrifying as he should have been", respectively), and some of the early effects work, though she also praised "the great CGI work" with Ghost Rider.[173] Den of Geek's Rob Leane also praised the pod format, saying it "fixed the 22-episode problem". He felt the Ghost Rider pod had amazing visual effects, and was a "natural" length that other series may have stretched further. He also highlighted Wen's performance as LMD May in the LMD pod and the Agents of Hydra pod's Mack and Hope storyline, and praised the guest performances of Luna and Jansen (feeling that bringing the latter two together in the finale "was the perfect way to wrap things up"). Leane called the season "a master class in how Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. can thrive going forward ... the writers keep throwing in more sci-fi concepts, the special effects team keep delivering, and the cast keep stepping up their game to keep up with it all."[174]

Analysis edit

Many critics noted the commentary on the Trump administration during the Agents of Hydra pod, including Hydra leader Fitz wanting to "make society great again" and saying of Daisy "Nevertheless, she persisted", news reporter Bakshi offering to take a female colleague furniture shopping, and Coulson referring to Hydra's approved history as "alternative facts".[175][176][177] Valentine described this as "one of the prevalent themes" of the pod, and felt that "S.H.I.E.L.D. has managed to throw in some biting commentary this season."[175] McCown-Levy said that during the pod, "it became clear the show was leaving behind its former tactic of satisfying itself with coy allusions and nods to the contemporary political reality in the U.S. The Framework is giving this series an opportunity to express its displeasure with the current administration." He also noted that Fitz's Framework upbringing was justified in comparison to the actions of Nazis, which he found to be more effective than the other commentary since tied to character development.[178]

Amanda Marcotte of Salon felt that by May 2017, there "hasn't been time for most of pop culture to react to [Trump's election] but there is one truly remarkable exception to the rule: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ... the writers and producers did a remarkable job shaping the latter half of this season into a horror-show mirror of what it feels like for liberals living in Trump's America." Marcotte noted that the "Resistance" is lead, for the audience, by two women in Daisy and Simmons, reflecting the 2017 Women's March, and also that Hydra gained power using fear of Inhumans just as "Trump was able to ride a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment into power". She also highlighted Simmons' warning to a young boy that all Hydra agent are Nazis, calling this a warning "to the audience, reminding them not to forget exactly what kind of authoritarian monster has been put in the White House."[179] Michal Schick of Hypable noted that the political commentary had been running throughout the season, with Nadeer and the Humans First movement, but that "in the face of murderous demons with combustible craniums and body-swapping LMD's, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. largely kept the commentary in the background. That changed—drastically—as the show entered" the final pod. Schick highlighted the fact that "for all of the clear allusions to Trump's America, the president himself remains unparodied. The mistress of the Framework's perversities is Aida, as Madame Hydra, and it's hard to imagine a more different figure from Trump ... By omitting this easiest and most obvious point of satire, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. broadens its message beyond straight contemporary commentary. It is easy (and desperately tempting) to place blame all of our ills and evils on a current administration, and easy to pin all the ills of the Framework on Aida. But an element of individual responsibility burns through, both in our own lives and in this fiction."[180]

Writing for Polygon, Eric Watson said that "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s fourth season pulls the best elements from the MCU and the most over-the-top elements from comics to remind me why I love Marvel: superheroes punching Nazis." He said this was refreshing after the controversial comic storyline Secret Empire which sees the patriotic Captain America revealed to be a sleeper agent for Hydra.[181] Carli Velocci at TheWrap also discussed the season in relation to Secret Empire, noting that Agents of Hydra "hasn't spawned a digital mountain of outrage" like the comic event. She said that Secret Empire "all but ignores [the] real world context, minus acknowledging that Nazis tend to like concentration camps. If anything, it treats the subject matter like window dressing, background for a plot intended to blow readers' minds ... Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, however, embraces that real world context. It does everything it can to ensure that the real world still matters and that the audience understands the negative consequences of a Nazi-driven society. And unlike the comic book counterpart, it doesn't shy away from the fact that Hydra is definitely rooted in the Third Reich." She continued that the series "manages to create a world where Hydra is the establishment, but every other plot point is about questioning it explicitly" and "what's more inspiring than seeing an actual symbol of America not taking crap from Nazis? Wherever the comic series takes Captain America, it shouldn't have lost sight of that. Fortunately, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't."[182]

Accolades edit

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was included on Laura Hurley of CinemaBlend's Top 10 Shows of 2016 list, ranking 2nd.[183] Comic Book Resources named "The Ghost" as the 15th best episode in 2016 among comic book-related television series.[184]

Notes edit

  1. ^ During the events of Captain America: Civil War.
  2. ^ Luna believed this was meant to be the Johnny Blaze version of the Ghost Rider character and that unspecified legal issues prevented this from being made explicit.[8]

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General references edit

  • "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4 Episode Guide". TV Guide. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  • "Shows A-Z – Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC". The Futon Critic. Retrieved July 21, 2017.

External links edit

  • Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. at IMDb

agents, season, fourth, season, american, television, series, agents, based, marvel, comics, organization, follows, phil, coulson, other, agents, allies, after, signing, sokovia, accords, marvel, cinematic, universe, acknowledges, continuity, franchise, films,. The fourth season of the American television series Agents of S H I E L D based on the Marvel Comics spy organization S H I E L D follows Phil Coulson and other S H I E L D agents and allies after the signing of the Sokovia Accords It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe MCU and acknowledges the continuity of the franchise s films The season was produced by ABC Studios Marvel Television and Mutant Enemy Productions with Jed Whedon Maurissa Tancharoen and Jeffrey Bell serving as showrunners Agents of S H I E L D Season 4Promotional poster for the season s first pod Ghost Rider and home media cover artShowrunnersJed Whedon Maurissa Tancharoen Jeffrey BellStarringClark Gregg Ming Na Wen Chloe Bennet Iain De Caestecker Elizabeth Henstridge Henry Simmons John HannahNo of episodes22ReleaseOriginal networkABCOriginal releaseSeptember 20 2016 2016 09 20 May 16 2017 2017 05 16 Season chronology PreviousSeason 3Next Season 5List of episodes Clark Gregg reprises his role as Coulson from the film series starring alongside the returning series regulars Ming Na Wen Chloe Bennet Iain De Caestecker Elizabeth Henstridge and Henry Simmons They are joined by John Hannah who was promoted from his recurring guest role in the third season The fourth season was ordered in March 2016 with production taking place from that July until the following April Due to its broadcast schedule the season was split into three pods Ghost Rider for the first eight episodes featuring recurring guest star Gabriel Luna as the supernatural Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider and exploring mysticism in the MCU alongside the film Doctor Strange 2016 LMD referring to the new Life Model Decoy program for the next seven episodes which focus on recurring guest star Mallory Jansen as the LMD Aida and Agents of Hydra for the final seven episodes partly set in a what if virtual reality that allowed the return of former series regular Brett Dalton as Grant Ward The season is also affected by the events of the film Captain America Civil War 2016 and continues storylines established in the canceled series Agent Carter The first episode premiered at a screening on September 19 2016 with the season then airing for 22 episodes on ABC from September 20 2016 until May 16 2017 The premiere debuted to 3 58 million viewers down from previous season premieres but average for the series 1 Critical response to the season was positive with many feeling that each pod was better than the last and in particular praising the visual effects and tone of Ghost Rider the writing and acting of LMD and the character development and political commentary explored during Agents of Hydra The season saw series low viewership but was still considered to have solved ABC s problem during its new Friday night timeslot and the series was renewed for a fifth season in May 2017 2 Contents 1 Episodes 2 Cast and characters 2 1 Main 2 2 Recurring 2 3 Notable guests 3 Production 3 1 Development 3 2 Writing 3 2 1 Ghost Rider 3 2 2 LMD 3 2 3 Agents of Hydra 3 3 Casting 3 4 Design 3 5 Filming 3 6 Music 3 7 Marvel Cinematic Universe tie ins 4 Marketing 5 Release 5 1 Broadcast 5 2 Home media 6 Reception 6 1 Ratings 6 2 Critical response 6 3 Analysis 6 4 Accolades 7 Notes 8 References 8 1 General references 9 External linksEpisodes editMain article List of Agents of S H I E L D episodes No overallNo inseasonTitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU S viewers millions Ghost Rider 671 The Ghost Billy GierhartJed Whedon amp Maurissa TancharoenSeptember 20 2016 2016 09 20 3 44 3 Former S H I E L D agent Daisy Johnson now the vigilante Quake is hunting gang affiliates of the terrorist group Watchdogs in Los Angeles when Aryan Brotherhood members are murdered by the fiery Ghost Rider Agents Phil Coulson and Alphonso Mackenzie who were forbidden from searching for Daisy by new S H I E L D Director Jeffrey Mace are tipped off to her location by Agent Melinda May Agent Leo Fitz discovers that S H I E L D ally Holden Radcliffe has created the android Aida and agrees to help perfect her He keeps this from his girlfriend Agent Jemma Simmons who is in the Director s inner circle Simmons discovers that Coulson and Mack are investigating Daisy and orders May to stop them The latter arrives to find them surveilling Chinese gangsters who bought a weapon off the Brotherhood a mystical figure who turns the gang members berserk and secretly infects May as well Daisy tracks down the Ghost Rider but it defeats her She later sees its human form mechanic Robbie Reyes looking after his disabled brother Gabe 682 Meet the New Boss Vincent MisianoDrew Z GreenbergSeptember 27 2016 2016 09 27 2 95 4 S H I E L D and Daisy independently investigate the figure an apparent ghost of a woman named Lucy Bauer both concluding that she worked at an abandoned facility Momentum Energy Daisy confronts Reyes again and he once more overpowers her Restraining her Reyes searches Daisy s belongings and discovers her research on Momentum He leaves and Daisy escapes her restraints As Mace plans to officially announce S H I E L D as a legitimate organization again the infected May grows increasingly paranoid seeing all people as monsters and eventually attacking other agents Mace restrains May with his Inhuman strength and promises to take care of her Mack and Fitz arrive at Momentum to find more ghosts who attempt to blow it up with them inside Ghost Rider intervenes destroying one of the ghosts and Daisy arrives to stop S H I E L D from taking him in Rather than rejoin S H I E L D Daisy agrees to work with Reyes who believes that the actions of the ghosts and Watchdogs may be tied to him 693 Uprising Magnus MartensCraig TitleyOctober 11 2016 2016 10 11 2 68 5 Inhuman S H I E L D asset Elena Rodriguez is caught in a blackout in Miami Reyes and Daisy are caught in another in Los Angeles A group claiming to be the Inhuman resistance fighting registration with the Sokovia Accords take responsibility Reyes explains that his uncle Eli Morrow was imprisoned for causing an explosion at Momentum that apparently created the ghosts he believes that atoning for Morrow s sins will pay his debt to the Devil and rid Reyes of the Ghost Rider At the Reyes house Gabe realizes that Daisy is Quake and asks her to leave Robbie alone Radcliffe and Simmons cure May by killing and reviving her Coulson Mack and Fitz save Rodriguez from a group of Watchdogs and find the EMP that caused the blackout it was set off by the Watchdogs who had access to S H I E L D s list of registered Inhumans and have backing from Senator Ellen Nadeer whose brother Vijay Nadeer is encased in an Inhuman terrigen cocoon Hoping to assuage public fears of the Inhumans Mace announces the return of S H I E L D 704 Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire Brad TurnerMatt OwensOctober 18 2016 2016 10 18 2 34 6 Daisy coerces Simmons to help track the Watchdogs actions discovering that the group hacked the Inhuman list using an Inhuman s monitoring device Coulson visits Morrow in prison but gets no answers Reyes arrives to talk to Morrow and Mack recognizes him as the Ghost Rider they capture Reyes and earn his trust He visits Morrow and learns that the Momentum explosion was caused by a group of scientists studying the Darkhold a mysterious book Only Lucy s husband Joseph whom Morrow had put in a coma trying to stop the experiments survived Daisy and Simmons find the next Inhuman on the list J T James and destroy his monitor but he betrays them he hates being an Inhuman and is aiding the Watchdogs Coulson and Mack alerted by the monitor s destruction arrive to save Daisy and Simmons The Ghost Rider defeats James They then get May to help find the Darkhold Aida supervised May s recovery as a Turing test by Radcliffe but Simmons deduces her true nature while being set to take a lie detection test for Mace 715 Lockup Kate WoodsNora Zuckerman amp Lilla ZuckermanOctober 25 2016 2016 10 25 2 30 7 Lucy uses her ghostly state to wake Joseph and ask where he hid the Darkhold Coulson arrives and is able to learn of this before Joseph dies from her infection Coulson decides to use Morrow against Lucy but doesn t tell Mace The latter whose public approval was high after heroics during a bombing in Vienna a becomes more popular after he reveals his Inhuman status in a television debate with Nadeer However Simmons threatens to reveal the truth about his Vienna actions and he agrees to exempt her from any lie detection tests At the prison Lucy infects the staff who attack Coulson and May Daisy saves them while Mack and Reyes break Morrow out Reyes confronts the last member of the Fifth Street Locos gang who had paralyzed Gabe in a paid hit Reyes loses control and the Ghost Rider kills the prisoner This allows Lucy to kidnap Morrow whose help she needs Mace secretly meets with Nadeer and agrees to help her when she blackmails him with footage of the Ghost Rider s actions while working with S H I E L D 726 The Good Samaritan Billy GierhartJeffrey BellNovember 1 2016 2016 11 01 2 43 9 Mace sends Simmons on a secret assignment then takes a team to board Coulson s plane and arrest Reyes and Daisy The pair hide with a newly picked up Gabe where Robbie explains that he and Gabe sneaked out to race in Morrow s car but they were attacked by the Locos Gabe was paralyzed and Robbie was killed Robbie promised an unknown voice that he would seek vengeance if given a second chance and was resurrected when the spirit of the Ghost Rider was passed to him by a stranger b Mace finds the fugitives but is overpowered by the Ghost Rider He agrees to use Robbie against Lucy and Fitz tracks her to an abandoned Roxxon power plant May takes and hides the Darkhold while Robbie destroys Lucy after the latter reveals that Morrow craves the Darkhold s power himself his own experiments created the ghosts and Joseph had ordered the hit on Morrow s car to stop him Morrow now uses an improved version of the Momentum machine to gain the power to create matter Robbie Fitz and Coulson disappear 737 Deals with Our Devils Jesse BochcoDJ DoyleNovember 29 2016 2016 11 29 2 41 10 Coulson Fitz and Reyes are trapped between dimensions and helplessly watch as Morrow kills several agents and escapes Fitz overhears Mace arguing with Nadeer he needs Simmons to understand Morrow s technology but she has been taken to Nadeer s brother Vijay who she helps escape from his terrigen cocoon In Simmons absence Radcliffe studies the technology and is presented with the Darkhold by May in her desperation to save Coulson Radcliffe believes the book contains too much knowledge for a person to process but Aida is able to read it revealing her android nature to Coulson and May Aida constructs a portal through which Coulson and Fitz return During this time the Ghost Rider spirit had left Reyes and possessed Mack to avoid the other dimension where it had been before Reyes confronts the spirit promising to serve it even after they defeat Morrow if it leaves Mack It agrees and Reyes returns with it through the portal Secretly Aida begins experimenting with her new knowledge from the Darkhold creating an artificial brain 748 The Laws of Inferno Dynamics Kevin TancharoenPaul ZbyszewskiDecember 6 2016 2016 12 06 2 37 11 Coulson tells Mace that Aida is an android and he agrees to use her in the fight against Morrow He also approves a strike team consisting of Rodriguez Reyes and Daisy as long as the latter two keep a low profile The team attempts to enter an abandoned building in which Morrow has barricaded himself via his growing abilities but at first only Reyes can make it through Morrow s initial trap By viewing Reyes body cam Fitz deduces that Morrow is drawing his power from the other dimension and has created a demon core that could destroy half the city if activated Aida creates a new dimensional portal beneath the demon core through which the device and Morrow are dragged Reyes also falls through the portal after using the Ghost Rider to hold Morrow in place Daisy is seen by local media and Mace publicly clears her name reinstating her as an agent of S H I E L D He then allows Radcliffe to continuing working on his Life Model Decoy LMD program after his success with Aida who has secretly replaced May with an LMD LMD 759 Broken Promises Garry A BrownBrent FletcherJanuary 10 2017 2017 01 10 2 72 12 Fitz and Radcliffe are sent to clear Aida s memory of the Darkhold but she reveals her new found sentience and overpowers them Taking control of S H I E L D s systems Aida finds the Darkhold after Coulson gives its location to the May LMD which doesn t know it isn t the real May Fitz is able to take control of the systems before Aida escapes and Mack beheads her Radcliffe later laments about this to a new model of Aida as he had programmed the original s apparent sentience in an attempt to steal the Darkhold for himself Senator Nadeer orders a group of Watchdogs to kill a now recovered Vijay but he convinces her to spare him as his long terrigenesis appears not to have affected him Simmons having identified Vijay from photographs arrives with Mace and Daisy as Vijay discovers he now has super reflexes Ellen convinces him to leave with her but then shoots him in the stomach Ellen asks the Watchdogs for reinforcements from The Superior as Vijay s body is dropped into a lake and enveloped by another terrigenesis cocoon 7610 The Patriot Kevin TancharoenJames C Oliver amp Sharla OliverJanuary 17 2017 2017 01 17 2 03 13 Mace holds a press conference for Daisy celebrating her undercover actions until a sniper attempts to assassinate him Coulson and Mack escort Mace and PR agent Burrows who is often seen near Mace with a mysterious briefcase to a quinjet but it explodes mid flight Burrows is flung from the plane with the briefcase and the others crash land in a forest There they find ex Hydra agents hired by the Watchdogs who have recovered Burrows body In the ensuing fight Mace tries to get a serum from the briefcase but it is destroyed and he is injured Mace explains that he is not an Inhuman and that he was given his abilities by a super serum from the government to create a trustworthy enhanced leader of S H I E L D After their rescue by Daisy and the May LMD Coulson tells Mace to continue as the Patriot the face and political leader of S H I E L D while Coulson takes back command of operations The May LMD discovers her robotic skeleton from a wound and Fitz secretly begins studying Aida s severed head 7711 Wake Up Jesse BochcoDrew Z GreenbergJanuary 24 2017 2017 01 24 2 00 14 Daisy and Mace attend a Senate hearing to ratify the former s signing of the Sokovia Accords with Senator Nadeer questioning Daisy s undercover actions Coulson and Rodriguez infiltrate Nadeer s office to install surveillance devices but are caught giving Nadeer an excuse to start a full investigation of S H I E L D The May LMD realizes that she subconsciously leaked the details of Coulson s plan and confronts Radcliffe as Fitz discovers Radcliffe s treachery from the original Aida s programming Radcliffe explains to the LMD that her programming will not allow her to reveal her nature to anyone else just before S H I E L D arrives and arrests him Fitz later confronts Radcliffe in his cell and deduces that he is also an LMD the real Radcliffe sought protection from Nadeer after Aida s initial failure He and Aida have May captive with them her mind in a virtual reality simulation of a tragic past event Meanwhile Mack and Rodriguez have grown close and he tells her of his daughter Hope from a past marriage who died as an infant 7812 Hot Potato Soup Nina Lopez CorradoCraig TitleyJanuary 31 2017 2017 01 31 2 15 15 Agent Billy Koenig whom Coulson entrusted with the Darkhold is abducted by the Watchdogs Nadeer directs Radcliffe to the Superior reclusive industrialist Anton Ivanov and Radcliffe scans Koenig s brain to learn that the Darkhold was hidden in the Labyrinth a S H I E L D facility known only to the Koenig family Coulson secures the rest of the Koenig family who take him the May LMD and Daisy to get the book The Radcliffe LMD reveals that Radcliffe knows Fitz s estranged father and has created another LMD Simmons remembers that Radcliffe scanned May s brain when they were curing her of Lucy s influence and warns Daisy of the May LMD in time to stop it from taking the Darkhold and killing Coulson The Watchdogs arrive with Billy and Radcliffe steals the Darkhold in the ensuing fight S H I E L D later destroys the remains of the first Aida and the Radcliffe LMD Ivanov explains to Radcliffe that he plans to use the Darkhold to destroy both the Inhumans and the man who appears to be behind the recent alien crises Coulson 7913 BOOM Billy GierhartNora Zuckerman amp Lilla ZuckermanFebruary 7 2017 2017 02 07 2 08 16 Coulson and Mack locate Agnes Kitsworth Radcliffe s former lover and partner Radcliffe left Kitsworth after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer and modeled Aida after her Coulson convinces Kitsworth to meet with Radcliffe In case Nadeer is an Inhuman like her brother Ivanov sends Watchdog Tucker Shockley to expose her to terrigen provided by Radcliffe but the substance transforms him instead Shockley explodes killing Nadeer and then his molecules reassemble Ivanov agrees to use Shockley s new ability against S H I E L D Radcliffe meets with Kitsworth and convinces her he can save her life if she escapes with him before S H I E L D captures them Daisy confronts Shockley and distracts him long enough for Fitz and Simmons to contain him in a specially made device Ivanov uses this as a distraction to attack and kidnap Mace who has learned that each time he uses his super serum there is a chance that it will kill him As Kitsworth dies of the cancer Radcliffe places her consciousness in the virtual Framework with May 8014 The Man Behind the Shield Wendey StanzlerMatt OwensFebruary 14 2017 2017 02 14 2 13 17 Years ago Coulson and May recovered an unknown object from a Russian outpost besting an SVR team that included Ivanov For the failure the SVR agents other than Ivanov were tortured and killed Now Ivanov leads S H I E L D on a treasure hunt around the world including to that outpost in their search for Mace Ivanov has been torturing Mace disgusted at his attempts to emulate the Inhumans The team eventually finds Ivanov and Daisy overpowers him Coulson and Mack save a near death Mace while Fitz and Simmons attempt to locate any sign of the Framework in hopes of finding May Unsuccessful the pair reunite with the others and they return to base Aida whom Radcliffe has left to carry out his plans while he spends time in the Framework finds a crippled Ivanov At base Fitz and Simmons are alerted by their LMD security system learning that four agents were replaced with LMDs by Aida while Fitz and Simmons were separated from the group This includes Coulson as the Coulson LMD wakes the May LMD from storage 8115 Self Control Jed WhedonJed WhedonFebruary 21 2017 2017 02 21 2 01 18 The new LMDs are aware of their nature and plan to carry out Ivanov s goal of destroying all Inhumans Simmons discovers that Mace Mack and Fitz are the other new LMDs and overpowers Fitz Daisy also discovers them and plans with Simmons to hack into the Framework remotely to find the others from the inside Aida kills Radcliffe s body but lets his consciousness live in the Framework Daisy overpowers the Mace Mack and Coulson LMDs but they find the May LMD waiting for them at the base entrance tasked with detonating a large explosive to prevent their escape The May LMD instead lets them leave and destroys the base with the LMDs inside In the Framework the agents find an altered reality Daisy is in a relationship with an alive Grant Ward Coulson is teaching about Inhumans Hope is alive with Mack Fitz is rich Simmons is dead and May works for Hydra which has replaced S H I E L D In the real world Aida is able to sever Ivanov s living head from his crippled body and builds android bodies for his mind to control Agents of Hydra 8216 What If Oz ScottDJ DoyleApril 4 2017 2017 04 04 2 15 19 In the Framework Daisy discovers that she and Ward are agents of Hydra working under May and Fitz The tragic event from May s past has no longer happened in the real world she killed Katya Belyakov a young Inhuman girl but in the Framework she brought the girl back to the United States as a refugee who then became a mass murderer and the catalyst for Hydra to take power Simmons awakens in a mass grave of S H I E L D agents and eventually comes across Coulson who is teaching a Hydra approved curriculum that warns against the dangers of Inhumans Simmons is unable to convince Coulson that he is inside a virtual simulation and he calls Hydra Daisy races to find Simmons before the rest of Hydra and is followed by Ward who reveals himself to be a mole inside Hydra for the Resistance Daisy and Simmons try to exit the Framework using a safeguard the latter created but it has been blocked by Aida who has entered the Framework as the Director of Hydra and Fitz s lover Daisy then goes to Coulson and he remembers her name 8317 Identity and Change Garry A BrownGeorge KitsonApril 11 2017 2017 04 11 2 32 20 Hoping Radcliffe can help them escape Daisy returns to Hydra and locates him but May gives her a new mission on the orders of Fitz and Aida the latter choosing to go by Ophelia or Madame Hydra Ward directs Coulson who can remember some things thanks to previous tampering with his mind and Simmons to the Resistance the remnants of S H I E L D under the command of an Inhuman Mace Ward Simmons and Coulson take a stolen Hydra quinjet to extract Radcliffe May and Daisy arrest Mack and May forces him to trick Daisy into confessing her true allegiance The others find Radcliffe living in seclusion with Kitsworth and he explains that he and Kitsworth cannot leave the Framework due to their real bodies having died Fitz and Madame Hydra arrive and Radcliffe attempts to appeal to Fitz though Fitz already knows of the other world and that Radcliffe had enslaved Aida there He kills Kitsworth and imprisons Radcliffe torturing him and Daisy Regretting his actions Mack joins the Resistance 8418 No Regrets Eric LaneuvillePaul ZbyszewskiApril 18 2017 2017 04 18 2 43 21 Mace and Coulson infiltrate a Hydra Enlightenment Camp to free an undercover agent Antoine Triplett a S H I E L D agent who died in the real world They are tracked there by May who uses a super serum to fight Mace Through the vents in their holding cells Daisy learns from Radcliffe of a backdoor he installed to escape the Framework that Aida is unable to disable Coulson attempts to save one of his former students who he sees being held in the camp and Mace follows him into a building to help Hydra uses a missile to bring the building down and May enters the rubble to ensure Mace is dead She finds him stopping debris from crushing the student with Coulson and Triplett helping other children escape the building May is horrified to find children being victimized by Hydra With the others having escaped to safety Mace is crushed beneath the debris and in the real world Aida finds his physical body dead as well Turning on Hydra May sneaks a Terrigen crystal to Daisy so she can gain her Inhuman abilities within the Framework 8519 All the Madame s Men Billy GierhartJames C Oliver amp Sharla OliverApril 25 2017 2017 04 25 2 15 22 May and Daisy escape Hydra with Daisy using her abilities to break Ophelia s back Ophelia insists that Fitz complete work on their secret Project Looking Glass after which her Framework body will no longer matter May and Daisy join up with S H I E L D who are struggling to regroup after Mace s death May provides them with body cam footage from the attack on the Enlightenment Center which Coulson broadcasts to the world to counteract Hydra s propaganda Meanwhile Simmons and Triplett investigate a Russian oil platform which he believes is the location of Looking Glass from his time undercover the platform is the Framework equivalent of Ivanov s oil platform in the real world from where Aida is running the Framework The pair find the platform empty and Simmons deduces that Looking Glass consists of a machine built on the real world platform to be connected to a machine in the Framework using knowledge from the Darkhold allowing Ophelia to go from the Framework to a true human body in the real world 8620 Farewell Cruel World Vincent MisianoBrent FletcherMay 2 2017 2017 05 02 2 15 23 After Daisy and Simmons entered the Framework their bodies were protected by Rodriguez and Agents Piper Davis and Prince aboard the S H I E L D aircraft Zephyr One With their connection to the Framework draining the plane s power Piper chose to shut off its cloaking ability revealing their location to Ivanov and his men In the Framework Simmons visits and accidentally kills Fitz s father Alistair and Fitz begins hunting her with help from Radcliffe Fitz having offered to send Radcliffe through the machine restoring his living body Ophelia initiates her transference into her new body Daisy takes the group to Radcliffe s exit point where she Coulson and May cross back into the real world Fitz arrives and confronts Simmons but is overpowered by Radcliffe who regrets all his actions since he first saw and wanted the Darkhold Radcliffe sends Fitz through followed by Simmons Mack decides to stay not wanting to live in a world without Hope At Ivanov s platform the newly human Ophelia confronts Coulson May and Fitz teleporting away with the latter 8721 The Return Kevin TancharoenMaurissa Tancharoen amp Jed WhedonMay 9 2017 2017 05 09 2 14 24 The agents on Zephyr One fight off Ivanov s men and race to the platform to save Coulson and May from Ivanov s android bodies Ivanov launches torpedoes at the platform that threaten Mack s body but the latter is saved by Ophelia convinced by Fitz to put to good use the Inhuman abilities his machine had given her new body In isolation at S H I E L D Fitz and Ophelia discuss her newly discovered human emotions and the fact that he remembers all the terrible things he did inside the Framework He admits that he ultimately still loves Simmons over her outraging Ophelia Glenn Talbot arrives at the ruined S H I E L D base where Ophelia kills several of his soldiers and other S H I E L D agents including Prince Coulson and the others flee in the Zephyr once more while Ophelia returns to Ivanov who plans to use knowledge from the Darkhold to apply the changed reality of the Framework to the real world Meanwhile Rodriguez enters the Framework herself to try to convince Mack to leave and the Ghost Rider returns through a portal from the other dimension 8822 World s End Billy GierhartJeffrey BellMay 16 2017 2017 05 16 2 08 25 Ivanov takes the Darkhold to an international meeting on S H I E L D and the recent events He proposes to use the book against the Inhumans which is timed with an attack on the group by an LMD of Daisy who shoots Talbot in the head leaving him comatose In the ensuing fight S H I E L D is able to retrieve the Darkhold with Reyes help In the Framework Rodriguez is unable to convince Mack to leave but he returns with her after Hope s code is deleted as a result of Ophelia shutting down the Framework Radcliffe is also deleted after accepting that immortality without Kitsworth is worthless Ophelia comes for the Darkhold and Coulson surprises her by unleashing the Spirit of Vengeance himself having made a deal to become the Ghost Rider for a short time He incinerates Ophelia Reyes now the Ghost Rider again takes the Darkhold through a portal The S H I E L D agents then wait to be arrested by the government but are instead taken by a mysterious group Some time later Coulson finds himself on a space station Cast and characters editMain article List of Agents of S H I E L D characters Main edit Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson 26 Ming Na Wen as Melinda May 26 Chloe Bennet as Daisy Johnson Quake 26 Iain De Caestecker as Leo Fitz 26 Elizabeth Henstridge as Jemma Simmons 26 Henry Simmons as Alphonso Mack Mackenzie 26 John Hannah as Holden Radcliffe 27 28 Recurring edit Gabriel Luna as Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider 29 Natalia Cordova Buckley as Elena Yo Yo Rodriguez 30 Lorenzo James Henrie as Gabe Reyes 31 Mallory Jansen as Aida Ophelia Madame Hydra 32 33 Lilli Birdsell as Lucy Bauer 34 35 Jason O Mara as Jeffrey Mace Patriot 36 Parminder Nagra as Ellen Nadeer 37 38 Patrick Cavanaugh as Burrows 39 Jose Zuniga as Eli Morrow 40 Adrian Pasdar as Glenn Talbot 41 Zach McGowan as Anton Ivanov The Superior 42 Brett Dalton as Grant Ward 43 Jordan Rivera as Hope Mackenzie 44 Notable guests edit Axle Whitehead as J T James Hellfire 40 45 Patton Oswalt as Billy Sam and Thurston Koenig 46 B J Britt as Antoine Triplett 47 Adam Kulbersh as Kenneth Turgeon 44 Simon Kassianides as Sunil Bakshi 48 Production editDevelopment edit The series was renewed for a fourth season on March 3 2016 49 earlier than usual for the series Executive producer Jed Whedon said on this We re thrilled to know going into the end of season 3 with certainty that we will be returning because we can build our story accordingly Executive producer Maurissa Tancharoen also noted that logistics for hiring directors for the season in advance would be easier which is a very nice privilege to have that s a luxury 50 The end of the episode What If features an onscreen tribute to Bill Paxton who died in February 2017 and had portrayed John Garrett in the series first season 51 The series paid additional tribute to Paxton in All the Madame s Men with promos during The Bakshi Report news segment showcasing John Garrett as a fallen American hero 52 The end of World s End features a similar onscreen tribute to Powers Boothe who died in May 2017 and had portrayed Gideon Malick in the series third season 53 Writing edit The season shifted to the later 10 pm timeslot allowing it to take on a darker more mature tone than previous seasons According to Tancharoen The whole tagline for this year is Agents of S H I E L D After Dark The timeslot gave the series the opportunity to present an increased level of violence and partial nudity as well as take more risks and present edgier themes 54 55 56 Following the third season finale Tancharoen stated that the fourth season would explore the guilt Daisy Johnson has over Lincoln Campbell s death 57 Executive producer Jeffrey Bell noted the writers tried to continue the tradition of finding new combinations and new conflicts between different sets of characters given a lot of procedurals see the same people doing the same thing for five years Pairings that would be explored included Coulson and Mack continuing from the end of season three who have a mutual respect for one another due to their relationships with Daisy and Leo Fitz and Holden Radcliffe who work together The Fitz Simmons relationship was also explored more examining the new challenges it presented for the two working together loving each other and living together 27 Following the third season s dealing with the themes of Captain America Civil War such as the opposing reactions to the Inhumans Whedon said that the question of How do you deal with a war with powered people at that level a government level was one that they wanted to answer in the fourth season 58 Tancharoen called the Inhumans a permanent part of our universe now with Whedon adding we have a quick fire way of introducing people with powers It gives us a lot of leeway in our world and it lets us explore the metaphors of what it is like to be different We will never close that chapter 59 With the Inhumans film being removed from Marvel Studios release schedule the series had a little more freedom and were able to do a little bit more with the species including the potential of introducing some of the classic Inhumans 60 though the series would focus less on Inhumans than the third season which saw a real significant Inhuman agenda story 61 It was not intended to be a spin off of Agents of S H I E L D 62 On the evolution of S H I E L D to featuring so many powered characters Whedon said the dynamic in the world has changed There was one person with powers and then by The Avengers there were maybe six total now they re much more prevalent so there s reaction from the public based on that 27 The season is structured into three pods based on its airing schedule the first eight episodes subtitled Ghost Rider 63 64 LMD Life Model Decoy for the subsequent seven episodes 64 65 66 and a third pod for the final seven episodes called Agents of Hydra 67 68 Elements and characters cross over between the different pods but the sections definitely have a different feel from one another 64 69 as Bell explained that 22 episodes is a long time to hold a big bad or a single plot line especially for an audience and for the past two seasons the series was able to have two separated halves that allows us to introduce a big bad And then something happens and we rise somebody new Now there s three of those 61 Financial considerations were also taken into account in creating the pods for the season as using LMDs does not cost as much as setting a guy s head on fire via CGI 69 In terms of writing the complicated season Whedon said the writers were aware that our fans are our fans and have spent some time with these characters and are clever and see things coming sometimes Part of our job is to create not just what we are presenting on plot but letting the audience be one step ahead of us and being one step ahead of that 70 He added that the writers knew that they wanted to tell a Ghost Rider story an LMD story and a what if scenario and the hardest part was making each pod still fit together as a single season The major connection ultimately became the Darkhold which leads from the magic of Ghost Rider to the advanced science of LMD and then the Framework in Agents of Hydra 71 Ghost Rider also reappears in the final episode of the season World s End as an additional connection 72 Ghost Rider edit While planning the fourth season Marvel suggested that the series introduce Ghost Rider 73 after the character s film rights had returned to Marvel from Sony in May 2013 74 Loeb felt that this made the season unquestionably the series biggest with the most ambitious story yet 29 He added that one of the things that we talked about is S H I E L D always looked out for the weird the unusual the things that were and could be a problem for the public and Marvel realized that Ghost Rider s abilities which are more mystical than anything seen in the series to date opened up a quarter of the universe that we haven t really spent a lot of time exploring what happens if our very real our very grounded agents who are very much a family have to take on something that is as bizarre and powerful and unique as Ghost Rider 75 Bell added that the producers would have been willing to give an entire season of the show to a Ghost Rider arc if the season was 13 episodes or less but 22 episodes seemed too long to feel like one flavor 61 The Robbie Reyes version of Ghost Rider was chosen over other versions of the character from the comics because of his relationship with his brother Gabe which Loeb said harkened back to the familial nature of the series 27 This also helped the series distance itself from the Ghost Rider films from Sony that starred Nicolas Cage as the Johnny Blaze version of the character with Bell describing the series take as more grounded than Cage s larger than life version 61 During the series take on Reyes origin story another Ghost Rider appears While unnamed onscreen 76 Luna believed it was meant to be Johnny Blaze and that unspecified legal issues prevented this from being made explicit 8 This Ghost Rider was portrayed by Tom McComas during filming 77 Given the disparity between the other science based aspects of the series and the mystical Ghost Rider in the season Whedon noted that some very advanced technology would be developed this season and maybe as that becomes more advanced and we have strange people possessed people those things somehow merge down the line 27 As part of combining technology and mysticism the series depicts Hell as another dimension that can be reached through a portal and the Ghost Rider s Spirit of Vengeance as a being from that other dimension 64 Marvel trusted the producers of S H I E L D with creating and using Ghost Rider how they wanted to but did ask them to be true to what it is in the comics They looked to do this by taking the original elements from the comic but putting their own spin on them This included Reyes uncle Eli who is the spirit possessing Reyes in the comic appearing as an external villain 61 Reyes is instead possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance which is passed to him by another Ghost Rider in the comics multiple Ghost Riders exist at once but for the series this was changed so the power can only be used by one at a time and they pass it on to the next Ghost Rider 78 LMD edit Since the beginning of the show the producers had wanted to introduce the concept of LMDs which Marvel Television head Jeph Loeb noted have always been part of S H I E L D s history in the comics 57 However they were unable to before Avengers Age of Ultron which sees the introductions of Ultron and Vision in a similar manner to LMDs 64 79 For the fourth season they particularly pushed the idea and Whedon noted that the introduction of Ghost Rider and mysticism allowed the series to introduce new technology that could launch LMDs in a way deemed rewarding 64 so the Ghost Rider storyline dovetails into the LMD storyline 61 The S H I E L D program is introduced through the character Aida an android 64 Additionally with LMDs chosen as one of the pods for the season Whedon said the writers questioned what are all the things we could do You don t want to do the ones that have been done in similar tropes and you don t want to leave any on the table One idea that we knew we wanted to have early on was to reveal that the majority of S H I E L D have been replaced at once 70 Tancharoen hinted that the series would continue Age of Ultron s theme of diving into the world of A I and things may not go as planned 80 On what makes Aida different from the villain Ultron Whedon explained that Aida started as something that was supposed to mimic human behavior Ultron came out almost a fully fleshed out creature with his own agenda where she s been discovering hers along the way 64 He added that instead of thousands of robots the LMDs would be presented as android versions of the other characters in the series Whedon said of themes that are raised in the second pod there are issues of reality and identity Trust is always an issue in a spy organization It s much worse when you don t know if the person next to you is the person next to you When you get into trust that s when things get emotional 61 The pod ends with the Melinda May LMD seemingly destroying herself and all the other known LMDs besides Aida concluding her specific arc which explored the nature of humanity and identity Asked if any of these LMDs survived this act and could carry over to the third pod of the season Whedon said We ll see but the idea was to put that chapter behind us 67 Agents of Hydra edit The third pod of the season ties together the season thematically 70 taking the characters into the virtual world of the Framework where their lives are different from the real world This explores what if scenarios for many of the characters by showing who they may have been if a major regret of their life was changed 81 hence the pod s title Agents of Hydra 68 This continues the season s focus on the nature of identity and reality having payoff s to all the reflection s on the past such as Mack s tragic loss of his daughter and Fitz s troubled relationship with his father Bennet called the pod very relevant It s definitely a theme that I think has been kind of hopping around in pop culture at the moment But it s kind of like a fun Marvel take on that For all those people who wished to see these characters in a different light this is going to be the time for that to happen 70 Whedon felt that this storyline would not be interesting early in a series but is rewarding after spending 80 plus episodes with these characters 81 Whedon said they replaced S H I E L D with Hydra in the Framework to show that this world was not what was intended and what really symbolizes the opposite of S H I E L D or the ultimate evil in our world is Hydra It s more about our people than it is about the organization itself this time around 81 It was noted that the bad guy Hydra is in charge and Inhumans are being hunted could be taken as a commentary on the political climate under the Presidency of Donald Trump On approaching this subject Tancharoen said that there was no nervousness in the writer s room and Whedon said that the similarities to Trump s America was simply an attempt to paint the reality where what if the world just turned upside down The pod sees Hydra based out of the Triskelion a S H I E L D building that was destroyed by Hydra previously in the MCU It also features the return of the character Grant Ward to the series with Whedon explaining We figured when you get dropped into an alternate reality what better way to show that it might not be everything you imagined than the return of one of our most loved and most hated characters 67 Whedon noted that the pod does not entirely take place in the Framework 67 and that the characters have their full memories of what happened once they return to the real world Some such as Fitz struggle with their actions in the Framework 82 The producers felt the impact of the what if scenario comes from rooting the changes in character choices with Bell saying I will give the writers room credit that everything that was chosen had an emotional resonance It was something you hadn t seen or wanted to see or wondered about so for us it was really rich territory to mine Whedon added It wasn t just OK let s go Wacky World It was What if you d made different decisions That made it for us a much more fun puzzle Regarding the season finale and setting up the next season Bell said that Each year we ve tried to reinvent the series in some way I think the end of the finale really does suggest something quite different 83 Casting edit nbsp John Hannah joined the series main cast for the season promoted from his previously recurring role Main cast members Clark Gregg Ming Na Wen Chloe Bennet Iain De Caestecker Elizabeth Henstridge and Henry Simmons return from previous seasons as Phil Coulson Melinda May Daisy Johnson Quake Leo Fitz Jemma Simmons and Alphonso Mack Mackenzie respectively 26 They are joined by John Hannah as Holden Radcliffe 28 promoted from his third season recurring role 27 Within the Framework reality Daisy is referred to by her original name Skye while Fitz is also known as The Doctor 84 Also returning from earlier in the series are Natalia Cordova Buckley as Elena Yo Yo Rodriguez 30 Axle Whitehead as J T James Hellfire 40 45 Adrian Pasdar as Glenn Talbot 41 Ava Acres as Katya Belyakov 85 Patton Oswalt as Billy Sam and Thurston Koenig 46 and Briana Venskus Maximilian Osinski and Alexander Wraith as Agents Piper Davis and Anderson respectively 31 39 86 Agents of Hydra also sees the return of former series regular Brett Dalton as Grant Ward 43 along with the return of B J Britt as Antoine Triplett 47 Adam Kulbersh as Kenneth Turgeon 44 and Simon Kassianides as Sunil Bakshi 48 Advertisements for the show ahead of the 2016 San Diego Comic Con featuring a flaming chain led to speculation that the character Ghost Rider would be joining the series during the season though it was noted that the image could just indicate an increased role for Whitehead after he was introduced as James in the third season and also wields a flaming chain 87 When casting for two Latino brothers one of whom is always the most dangerous person in the room the other paralyzed in a wheelchair was revealed to be underway for the series in June 88 further speculation pointed to the inclusion of Ghost Rider with those character descriptions resembling those for Marvel Comics All New Ghost Rider Robbie Reyes and his brother Gabe respectively 89 At the series Comic Con panel the speculation was confirmed Gabriel Luna was announced to be cast as Robbie Reyes 29 and Lorenzo James Henrie was later revealed to be cast as Gabe 31 Also in June the series was looking to cast an actress for the recurring role of Aida 88 a robot whose artificial intelligence was briefly voiced by Amanda Rea during the third season finale 88 90 Mallory Jansen was cast in the role that August 91 Jansen also portrays Agnes Kitsworth Radcliffe s former lover and partner after whom he modeled Aida 92 Within the Framework reality Aida appears as Ophelia Madame Hydra portrayed as well by Jansen 32 33 Other recurring guests revealed were Lilli Birdsell as Lucy Bauer a worker at Momentum Energy 34 35 Jason O Mara as Jeffrey Mace Patriot the new director of S H I E L D 36 93 Parminder Nagra as Ellen Nadeer an anti Inhuman politician 37 38 and Patrick Cavanaugh as S H I E L D PR agent Burrows 39 In October 2016 Jose Zuniga was revealed to be portraying Eli Morrow the Reyes uncle 40 while in January 2017 Zach McGowan was revealed as Anton Ivanov The Superior of the Watchdogs 42 In April 2017 Jordan Rivera was revealed as Hope Mackenzie Mack s daughter in the Framework reality 44 Additionally Blaise Miller and Ricardo Walker make multiple appearances as S H I E L D lab tech Nathanson and S H I E L D agent Prince 31 In May 2016 Tancharoen said we re always open to the possibility of Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood appearing in the season 79 after they left the series cast during the third season for the spin off series Marvel s Most Wanted 94 which ultimately did not get picked up 95 Whedon reiterated in January 2017 that Once an agent always an agent so it s always out there in the ether but stated that the pair were unlikely to return during the fourth season 96 Design edit Each pod of the season introduces new title graphics for the series a hellfire based title card for Ghost Rider 97 98 a graphic constructed from robot circuitry for LMD 98 and a more traditional Agents of S H I E L D logo for the third pod that changes onscreen to Agents of Hydra for episodes primarily set in the Framework 99 100 but remains Agents of S H I E L D during The Return The Ghost Rider title card was used again for the season finale 101 For the Framework setting the production team chose a specific more washed out palette to clearly differentiate those scenes from the real world This was realized through a combination of production and costume design and cinematography 102 Ghost Rider was designed by Marvel Television creative director Joshua Shaw based on Felipe Smith s design from the comics His jacket was then custom made by costume designer Ann Foley and her team 103 104 The character s skull design includes exhaust type jets of flames coming from the temples to mimic the effects on his car 105 Foley worked with the visual effects department to ensure that the costume would not interfere with their work 103 Aida s costume was also custom made and inspired by the works of Alexander McQueen 103 The costume evolves through the season becoming a darker shade of gray when the more ruthless Aida 2 0 is introduced 106 Foley left the show after the thirteenth episode of the season to work on a television adaptation of Altered Carbon 107 and was replaced with Amanda Riley Riley used her previous experience recreating costumes to blend in with Foley s established look and also noted that the majority of her work was designing for the Framework reality which allowed her to not exactly match with previous designs Riley took Foley s costumes for Aida as the base shape of the Madame Hydra costume but looked to make it feel stronger and more military esque than those costumes by having the shoulders of the costume evoke epaulettes The costume uses the color green which is closely tied with the character in the comics 102 For the Darkhold writer Lilla Zuckerman suggested that the book s cover should feature the word Darkhold as an ambigram 108 109 with the series props department designing a new font to achieve this Prop master Scott Bauer was inspired by elements from the Kree weaponry designed for the previous season when designing the cover of the Darkhold Multiple versions of the book were created for the show with the frames created by 3D printing molds to create durable rubber casts These were then given to a bookbinder with aged vellum pages who assembled the props and created the leather cover The pages were filled with text and illustrations inspired by Leonardo da Vinci s Vitruvian Man 110 Filming edit Production on the season began on July 21 2016 111 in Los Angeles 112 Whedon made his directorial debut with Self Control Whedon noted he had decided at the end of season three to direct an episode in season four after doing some second unit work on Spacetime under Kevin Tancharoen He credited his brother and series creator Joss Whedon along with Tancharoen and his years working with S H I E L D s directors from a showrunning perspective and his close relationship with the cast and crew for why now was the right time for him to direct an episode The cast expressed enthusiasm with Whedon directing Self Control given he also wrote the episode with Bennet feeling The vision is so clear There s a lot more room to play like what about this and the enthusiasm because he wrote these words he knows what s coming next It s been so much fun 66 Ahead of filming the final episode of the season Wen injured her leg in an on set accident with a fairly severe injury Wen noted the production was able to work around her injury with no delay and that she would still be involved with the episode 113 Production on the season concluded on April 17 2017 114 Music edit The season saw several major creative turning points in the score from composer Bear McCreary Given the introduction of Ghost Rider and the Framework in the season McCreary used searing synths over the regular symphonic orchestra 115 Marvel Cinematic Universe tie ins edit In March 2016 Tancharoen stated that there was a possibility the season could continue the story of Agent Carter in some way 50 given it was not renewed for the 2016 17 season 116 Whedon added that We are linked to them through history but whether or not we ll tell their stories remains to be seen 50 The Momentum Energy Labs group introduced in the season is eventually revealed to be a successor to the Isodyne Energy company from the second season of Agent Carter The two companies are connected by the parent company Roxxon a mainstay of the MCU and deal with supernatural entities Isodyne discovered the extra dimensional Darkforce while Momentum is shown experimenting on extra dimensional energy using the Darkhold the Book of Sins from the comics 117 118 In December Whedon said that Peggy Carter is a part of the universe and she s a character we care about and that there was a good chance of having bigger connections to her show moving forward after the Ghost Rider pod 61 The season s exploring of supernatural and mystical concepts ties in with the release of Doctor Strange the first MCU film to explore magic In addition to the Darkhold this includes the introduction of Ghost Rider with Whedon explaining in July 2016 that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is moving into new waters with the upcoming release of Doctor Strange We felt that Ghost Rider was obviously a great character that we d love to have on our show that we feel fits with that shift 119 Whedon pointed out that the previous tie ins were sometimes very direct and other times more thematic The tie this year will feel more of a reflection of Doctor Strange less an interweaving plot He added Hopefully some of the questions that we re asking will be answered by the film which can then pose some new themes and ideas for us to explore 80 Deals with Our Devils aired after the release of Doctor Strange sees Aida create a portal to rescue Coulson and Fitz from another dimension The visuals for these are intentionally reminiscent of those used in the film 120 Bell added that the Darkhold feels like it belongs in the library in Kathmandu referring to the Kamar Taj library seen in Doctor Strange 61 On the season having a big crossover in early 2017 like previous seasons Bell said that any crossover will not be as large scale as the first season crossover with Captain America The Winter Soldier which changed the premise of the series and noted that the MCU film being released at that time is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 which would be difficult to tie in with as it is not set on Earth and takes place earlier in the MCU continuity than the season is set 61 Marketing editIn July 2016 members of the cast and the executive producers attended San Diego Comic Con to promote the season 121 The trolly used to transport attendees at San Diego Comic Con was covered in advertisements for the series highlighting the addition of Ghost Rider 87 Also Ghost Rider s 1969 Dodge Charger was revealed on the show floor 122 123 The first teaser trailer for the season was released in early September 2016 as found footage showing Ghost Rider s car peeling out 124 followed shortly after by a teaser with actual footage from the series 63 The premiere episode The Ghost was first screened on September 19 2016 125 and the episode Uprising was screened on October 7 when Gregg Bennet and Luna were promoting the series at New York Comic Con 126 A six part web series Agents of S H I E L D Slingshot debuted on ABC com on December 13 2016 It follows Elena Yo Yo Rodriguez on a secret mission with Cordova Buckley reprising her role shortly before the start of season four 65 Gregg O Mara Simmons Bennet Wen De Caestecker and Henstridge all reprise their roles in the series 127 In March 2017 Marvel re released previous posters for the series updated to show what they would have looked like had the series taken place in the Framework reality 128 They also released faux propaganda posters highlighting Hydra s surveillance state within the Framework and their focus on hunting Inhumans 129 The episode What If was screened on April 1 2017 at WonderCon with members of the cast including Dalton and the show s executive producers promoting the series 51 Release editBroadcast edit The season began airing in the United States on ABC on September 20 2016 130 and completed its 22 episode run on May 16 2017 131 132 Unlike the previous two seasons which were split into two little mini seasons based on their airing schedule this season was broken into three different sections by the schedule This led to the season s three pod story structure which Tancharoen said has made our lives easier to break it down in that way 73 Home media edit The season began streaming on Netflix in the United States on June 15 2017 133 and was available until February 28 2022 134 It was released on Blu ray and DVD in Region 2 on July 2 2018 by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment 135 It became available on Disney in the United States on March 16 2022 136 137 joining other territories where it was already available on the service 134 Reception editRatings edit Viewership and ratings per episode of Agents of S H I E L D season 4 No Title Air date Rating share 18 49 Viewers millions DVR 18 49 DVR viewers millions Total 18 49 Total viewers millions 1 The Ghost September 20 2016 1 1 4 3 44 3 1 1 2 79 2 2 6 24 138 2 Meet the New Boss September 27 2016 0 9 3 2 95 4 1 0 2 43 1 9 5 39 139 3 Uprising October 11 2016 0 9 3 2 68 5 1 0 2 21 1 9 4 89 140 4 Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire October 18 2016 0 7 3 2 34 6 1 1 2 44 1 8 4 78 141 5 Lockup October 25 2016 0 8 3 2 30 7 0 9 2 25 1 7 4 55 142 6 The Good Samaritan November 1 2016 0 8 3 2 43 9 0 9 2 14 1 7 4 57 143 7 Deals with Our Devils November 29 2016 0 8 3 2 41 10 0 9 2 22 1 7 4 63 144 8 The Laws of Inferno Dynamics December 6 2016 0 7 3 2 37 11 0 9 2 12 1 6 4 49 145 9 Broken Promises January 10 2017 0 8 3 2 72 12 0 8 1 94 1 6 4 66 146 10 The Patriot January 17 2017 0 6 2 2 03 13 0 9 2 02 1 5 4 05 147 11 Wake Up January 24 2017 0 6 2 2 00 14 0 8 1 97 1 4 3 97 148 12 Hot Potato Soup January 31 2017 0 6 2 2 15 15 0 9 2 08 1 5 4 23 149 13 BOOM February 7 2017 0 7 3 2 08 16 0 8 2 04 1 5 4 13 150 14 The Man Behind the Shield February 14 2017 0 6 2 2 13 17 0 9 2 03 1 5 4 16 151 15 Self Control February 21 2017 0 6 2 2 01 18 0 8 1 87 1 4 3 88 152 16 What If April 4 2017 0 7 3 2 15 19 0 8 2 07 1 5 4 22 153 17 Identity and Change April 11 2017 0 7 3 2 32 20 0 8 1 68 1 5 4 01 154 18 No Regrets April 18 2017 0 8 3 2 43 21 0 7 1 82 1 5 4 25 155 19 All the Madame s Men April 25 2017 0 7 3 2 15 22 20 Farewell Cruel World May 2 2017 0 7 3 2 15 23 0 7 1 60 1 4 3 75 156 21 The Return May 9 2017 0 7 3 2 14 24 0 9 1 88 1 6 4 02 157 22 World s End May 16 2017 0 7 3 2 08 25 0 8 1 99 1 5 4 07 158 The season s new timeslot 10 p m on Tuesday was nicknamed the death slot for ABC by commentators with nine different series being scheduled in the slot between 2011 and 2017 and all of them dropping in viewership while airing then This was the same for Agents of S H I E L D season 4 which reached series lows of 0 6 live ratings and around 2 million viewers a drop from the third season of around 30 percent 159 However by the season finale it was described as having helped solve ABC s problem in the timeslot while being a solid DVR performer and draw for international viewership This led to the renewal of the series for a fifth season 2 The season averaged 4 22 million total viewers including from DVR ranking 110th among network series in the 2016 17 television season It also had an average total 18 49 rating of 1 5 which was 70th 160 Critical response edit The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 96 approval rating with an average score of 7 8 10 based on 25 reviews The website s consensus reads Agents of S H I E L D explores darker territory in its fourth season with the thrilling introduction of Ghost Rider setting up an action packed new chapter of Marvel s edgier mythologies 161 nbsp nbsp The season s recurring guests including L R Gabriel Luna Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider and Jason O Mara Jeffrey Mace Patriot were highlighted by critics Reviewing the premiere Terri Schwartz of IGN praised the introduction of Ghost Rider and subsequent darker tone which will eventually allow the series to sit more comfortably beside its corporate cousins over on Netflix but did feel that there were some growing pains with the transition to more mature material 162 The A V Club s Alex McCown Levy called it a standard first episode back in that it once again does a lot of table setting and not always in the most compelling manner Levy felt that Ghost Rider s introduction was handled well for non comic fans discovering the character with the show but that the new positions of the series main characters were more interesting and should have been focused on more 163 Kevin Fitzpatrick of ScreenCrush said I m nervous for Season 4 overall especially if said reinvention doesn t goose the ratings like Marvel and ABC hope but The Ghost is reason enough for some casual optimism He was positive about the new similarities to the darker series Daredevil but felt that the series doesn t have the firmest handle on Ghost Rider yet 164 Evan Valentine writing for Collider said that the series certainly benefits somewhat from taking a page from the Marvel Netflix series highlighting the number of more mature elements in the episode s opening as a nice introduction that shows you this may not exactly be the same show you ve gotten to know over the years 165 For the change from Ghost Rider to LMD Joseph McCabe at Nerdist said that any doubts he had about the change are more or less eliminated by the series take on a robotic antagonist which he called Avengers Age of Ultron done right where it most obviously improves on the overstuffed second Avengers film is in the humor department 98 Schwartz called the transition smooth and felt the series ongoing Inhuman subplot complemented the LMD storyline well 166 Valentine said that the beginning of LMD doesn t maintain the heights of the series days with Ghost Rider in the driver s seat but it does manage to remain a solid entry on the airwaves He was very critical of the Inhuman subplot calling the Watchdogs pretty much played out at this point and feeling the Inhumans had become stale after the previous two seasons 167 Fitzpatrick also criticized the flat Inhuman storyline but felt the change to LMD got off to the best possible start given the obviously less of an immediate hook than Ghost Rider 168 Beginning the Agents of Hydra pod Schwartz said this return episode more than delivered on the previous episode s cliffhanger She was satisfied that the Framework reality was not undone within a single episode and was hopeful that the remaining episodes of the season would offer similar surprises that circumvent our expectations 169 Valentine felt What If made for a very good start to the pod feeling it continues to build on the goodwill created by season 4 of S H I E L D presenting an interesting concept and world to be explored 170 McCown Levy continued the praise saying This could ve been a sodden slog through too obvious reveals and portentous doom and gloom Instead S H I E L D kept its fleet and efficient pacing but bent it to the service of a dark and compelling narrative arc already paying dividends in terms of rewarding long time viewers with deep pull references and stories 84 Fitzpatrick however felt the episode stumbled and was something of a bumpy reentry into season 4 and doubly so for anyone who lost sight of the Life Model Decoy conflict in play or harbor concern ABC might not order a fifth season He found it difficult to determine the rules at play in the Framework and felt the storyline was done more so because the producers missed working with Brett Dalton 171 By All the Madame s Men McCown Levy felt that Agents of Hydra was the most consistently entertaining arc the series has ever done The show has had higher highs but never this constant a level of quality I ve argued several times of late that Agents of S H I E L D has been getting steadily better each season and even in a year that had strong arcs like Ghost Rider and LMD this final storyline tops them all the show has essentially managed to create an alternate reality where it can work out longstanding issues and address unfinished character beats all while smartly delivering action and thrills And insofar as this keeps working it s managed to turn the TV equivalent of a fun B movie into a superior television show 172 Overall Schwartz awarded the season an 8 8 out of 10 stating the season was the best the series has ever been maturing as a show and learning the right lessons from what s come before She praised the pod format saying it helped tighten the season and give it a stronger throughline and added that each new pod the season introduced was more successful than the previous with the Agents of Hydra pod and Framework story arc possibly the strongest of the entire series Schwartz also spoke fondly of the guest stars throughout the season particularly Jansen who she called the season s MVP and felt stole the show with Aida who was the standout new character of the season Some negatives on the season were the additional villains Eli Morrow and the Superior not a particularly standout villain and never as imposing or terrifying as he should have been respectively and some of the early effects work though she also praised the great CGI work with Ghost Rider 173 Den of Geek s Rob Leane also praised the pod format saying it fixed the 22 episode problem He felt the Ghost Rider pod had amazing visual effects and was a natural length that other series may have stretched further He also highlighted Wen s performance as LMD May in the LMD pod and the Agents of Hydra pod s Mack and Hope storyline and praised the guest performances of Luna and Jansen feeling that bringing the latter two together in the finale was the perfect way to wrap things up Leane called the season a master class in how Agents Of S H I E L D can thrive going forward the writers keep throwing in more sci fi concepts the special effects team keep delivering and the cast keep stepping up their game to keep up with it all 174 Analysis edit Many critics noted the commentary on the Trump administration during the Agents of Hydra pod including Hydra leader Fitz wanting to make society great again and saying of Daisy Nevertheless she persisted news reporter Bakshi offering to take a female colleague furniture shopping and Coulson referring to Hydra s approved history as alternative facts 175 176 177 Valentine described this as one of the prevalent themes of the pod and felt that S H I E L D has managed to throw in some biting commentary this season 175 McCown Levy said that during the pod it became clear the show was leaving behind its former tactic of satisfying itself with coy allusions and nods to the contemporary political reality in the U S The Framework is giving this series an opportunity to express its displeasure with the current administration He also noted that Fitz s Framework upbringing was justified in comparison to the actions of Nazis which he found to be more effective than the other commentary since tied to character development 178 Amanda Marcotte of Salon felt that by May 2017 there hasn t been time for most of pop culture to react to Trump s election but there is one truly remarkable exception to the rule Marvel s Agents of S H I E L D the writers and producers did a remarkable job shaping the latter half of this season into a horror show mirror of what it feels like for liberals living in Trump s America Marcotte noted that the Resistance is lead for the audience by two women in Daisy and Simmons reflecting the 2017 Women s March and also that Hydra gained power using fear of Inhumans just as Trump was able to ride a wave of anti immigrant sentiment into power She also highlighted Simmons warning to a young boy that all Hydra agent are Nazis calling this a warning to the audience reminding them not to forget exactly what kind of authoritarian monster has been put in the White House 179 Michal Schick of Hypable noted that the political commentary had been running throughout the season with Nadeer and the Humans First movement but that in the face of murderous demons with combustible craniums and body swapping LMD s Agents of S H I E L D largely kept the commentary in the background That changed drastically as the show entered the final pod Schick highlighted the fact that for all of the clear allusions to Trump s America the president himself remains unparodied The mistress of the Framework s perversities is Aida as Madame Hydra and it s hard to imagine a more different figure from Trump By omitting this easiest and most obvious point of satire Agents of S H I E L D broadens its message beyond straight contemporary commentary It is easy and desperately tempting to place blame all of our ills and evils on a current administration and easy to pin all the ills of the Framework on Aida But an element of individual responsibility burns through both in our own lives and in this fiction 180 Writing for Polygon Eric Watson said that Agents of S H I E L D s fourth season pulls the best elements from the MCU and the most over the top elements from comics to remind me why I love Marvel superheroes punching Nazis He said this was refreshing after the controversial comic storyline Secret Empire which sees the patriotic Captain America revealed to be a sleeper agent for Hydra 181 Carli Velocci at TheWrap also discussed the season in relation to Secret Empire noting that Agents of Hydra hasn t spawned a digital mountain of outrage like the comic event She said that Secret Empire all but ignores the real world context minus acknowledging that Nazis tend to like concentration camps If anything it treats the subject matter like window dressing background for a plot intended to blow readers minds Agents of S H I E L D however embraces that real world context It does everything it can to ensure that the real world still matters and that the audience understands the negative consequences of a Nazi driven society And unlike the comic book counterpart it doesn t shy away from the fact that Hydra is definitely rooted in the Third Reich She continued that the series manages to create a world where Hydra is the establishment but every other plot point is about questioning it explicitly and what s more inspiring than seeing an actual symbol of America not taking crap from Nazis Wherever the comic series takes Captain America it shouldn t have lost sight of that Fortunately Agents of S H I E L D didn t 182 Accolades edit Agents of S H I E L D was included on Laura Hurley of CinemaBlend s Top 10 Shows of 2016 list ranking 2nd 183 Comic Book Resources named The Ghost as the 15th best episode in 2016 among comic book related television series 184 Year Award Category Nominee s Result Ref 2017 Golden Reel Awards TV Short Form Dialogue ADR Deals with Our Devils Nominated 185 Kids Choice Awards Favorite Family TV Show Agents of S H I E L D Nominated 186 Saturn Awards Best Superhero Adaptation Television Series Agents of S H I E L D Nominated 187 Teen Choice Awards Choice Action TV Show Agents of S H I E L D Nominated 188 Choice Action TV Actor Gabriel Luna Nominated 188 Dragon Awards Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series Agents of S H I E L D Nominated 189 190 Notes edit During the events of Captain America Civil War Luna believed this was meant to be the Johnny Blaze version of the Ghost Rider character and that unspecified legal issues prevented this from being made explicit 8 References edit Lovett Jaimie September 21 2016 Ghost Rider s Agents Of SHIELD Debut Draws Middling Ratings ComicBook com Archived from the original on September 22 2016 Retrieved September 23 2016 a b Goldberg Leslie May 11 2017 ABC Renews Agents of SHIELD American Housewife Designated Survivor The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on May 12 2017 Retrieved May 12 2017 a b Porter Rick September 21 2016 Tuesday final ratings NCIS Brooklyn Nine Nine adjust up This Is Us amp Bull steady TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on September 22 2016 Retrieved September 21 2016 a b Porter Rick September 28 2016 Tuesday final ratings The Voice adjusts up Scream Queens adjusts down TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on September 30 2016 Retrieved September 29 2016 a b Porter Rick October 12 2016 The Voice NCIS Flash and ABC comedies adjust up No Tomorrow adjusts down Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on October 13 2016 Retrieved October 12 2016 a b Porter Rick October 19 2016 American Housewife and The Voice adjust up Chicago Fire SHIELD and Real O Neals down Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on October 20 2016 Retrieved October 20 2016 a b Porter Rick October 26 2016 American Housewife adjusts up final World Series numbers Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on February 21 2017 Retrieved October 26 2016 a b Williams Caleb May 29 2017 Phoenix Comic Con 17 Teddy Spears Ciara Renee and Gabriel Luna Panels Omega Underground Archived from the original on April 21 2018 Retrieved April 20 2018 a b Porter Rick November 2 2016 The Flash Chicago Fire The Voice Fresh Off the Boat adjust up Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on November 4 2016 Retrieved November 2 2016 a b Porter Rick December 1 2016 Fresh Off the Boat amp American Housewife adjust up No Tomorrow adjusts down Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on December 1 2016 Retrieved December 1 2016 a b Porter Rick December 7 2016 NCIS adjusts up Agents of SHIELD adjusts down Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on December 8 2016 Retrieved December 7 2016 a b Porter Rick January 11 2017 The Mick and This Is Us adjust up Bones adjusts down Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on January 12 2017 Retrieved January 11 2017 a b Porter Rick January 19 2017 Fresh Off the Boat adjusts up Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on January 20 2017 Retrieved January 19 2017 a b Porter Rick January 25 2017 Chicago Fire adjusts up Agents of SHIELD adjusts down Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on January 27 2017 Retrieved January 26 2017 a b Porter Rick February 1 2017 The Wall adjusts up Bones adjusts down Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on February 1 2017 Retrieved February 1 2017 a b Porter Rick February 8 2017 The Middle The Wall This Is Us FOX comedies all adjust up Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on February 9 2017 Retrieved February 8 2017 a b Porter Rick February 15 2017 American Housewife adjusts up Agents of SHIELD and Tough Mudder adjust down Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on February 16 2017 Retrieved February 15 2017 a b Porter Rick February 23 2017 The Flash NCIS all others unchanged Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on February 23 2017 Retrieved February 23 2017 a b Porter Rick April 5 2017 NCIS and The Middle adjust up Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on April 6 2017 Retrieved April 5 2017 a b Porter Rick April 12 2017 The Middle adjusts up Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on April 13 2017 Retrieved April 12 2017 a b Porter Rick April 19 2017 The Middle adjusts up Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on April 20 2017 Retrieved April 19 2017 a b Porter Rick April 26 2017 The Mick and Agents of SHIELD adjust up iZombie adjusts down Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on April 26 2017 Retrieved April 26 2017 a b Porter Rick May 3 2017 NCIS and The Middle adjust up Prison Break adjusts down Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on May 3 2017 Retrieved May 3 2017 a b Porter Rick May 10 2017 The Voice adjusts up iZombie adjusts down Tuesday final ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on May 11 2017 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Shield Star Natalia Cordova Buckley Joins Bates Motel EXCLUSIVE Variety Archived from the original on July 31 2017 Retrieved July 31 2017 a b c d 401 The Ghost The Futon Critic Archived from the original on November 21 2016 Retrieved September 6 2016 a b Abrams Natalie April 1 2017 Madame Hydra to appear on Agents of S H I E L D first look Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on April 2 2017 Retrieved April 2 2017 a b Holub Christian April 11 2017 Agents of S H I E L D recap Identity and Change Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on April 12 2017 Retrieved April 11 2017 a b 405 Lockup The Futon Critic Archived from the original on October 27 2016 Retrieved October 11 2016 a b Petski Denise July 25 2016 Marvel s Agents Of S H I E L D Casts Lilli Birdsell In Recurring Role For Season 4 Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on July 27 2016 Retrieved July 25 2016 a b Abrams Natalie October 3 2016 Agents of S H I E L D officially reveals new director s identity Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on October 4 2016 Retrieved October 3 2016 a b Strom Marc August 11 2016 Parminder Nagra Joins Marvel s Agents of S H I E L D in a Recurring Role Marvel com Archived from the original on August 17 2016 Retrieved August 12 2016 a b Meslow Scott October 25 2016 Agents of S H I E L D Recap Prison Break Vulture Archived from the original on October 26 2016 Retrieved October 25 2016 a b c 403 Uprising The Futon Critic Archived from the original on September 27 2016 Retrieved September 27 2016 a b c d 404 Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire The Futon Critic Archived from the original on October 5 2016 Retrieved October 5 2016 a b Cave Rob November 16 2016 Adrian Pasdar Will Return To Agents Of SHIELD For Season 4 Comic Book Resources Archived from the original on November 17 2016 Retrieved November 17 2016 a b 412 Hot Potato Soup The Futon Critic Archived from the original on February 1 2017 Retrieved January 31 2017 a b Abrams Natalie 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Retrieved February 21 2017 This Week in Marvel s Agents of S H I E L D Ep 56 Jed Whedon Podcast Marvel Entertainment February 22 2017 Archived from the original on February 24 2017 Retrieved February 23 2017 via SoundCloud Mitovich Matt Webb May 1 2017 Marvel s Agents of S H I E L D Spoiler Set to Return in Season 4 Finale TVLine Archived from the original on May 1 2017 Retrieved May 1 2017 a b Radish Christina September 20 2016 Agents of S H I E L D EPs Jed Whedon amp Maurissa Tancharoen on Season 4 Ghost Rider and More Collider Archived from the original on September 21 2016 Retrieved September 21 2016 Nicholson Max May 2 2013 Ghost Rider Blazes Back to Marvel IGN Archived from the original on February 21 2014 Retrieved May 2 2013 Boone Josh July 25 2016 EXCLUSIVE Marvel s Head of TV Reveals How The Defenders Will Be Different From The Avengers Entertainment Tonight Archived from the original on July 26 2016 Retrieved July 29 2016 Schwartz Terri November 2 2016 Does Agents of SHIELD s Ghost Rider Reveal Mean Johnny Blaze Is In The MCU IGN Archived from the original on November 3 2016 Retrieved April 20 2018 Benjamin Troy October 17 2017 Marvel s Agents of S H I E L D Season Four Declassified Marvel Enterprises ISBN 9781302904517 Yehl Joshua January 17 2017 Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider Not Likely to Return in Agents of SHIELD IGN Archived from the original on January 18 2017 Retrieved January 18 2017 a b Prudom Laura May 17 2016 Agents of SHIELD Finale Bosses Break Down Deaths Time Jump and Final Scene Variety Archived from the original on May 19 2016 Retrieved May 18 2016 a b Abrams Natalie September 16 2016 How Agents of S H I E L D will cross over with Doctor Strange Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on September 17 2016 Retrieved September 17 2016 a b c Schwartz Terri February 21 2017 Marvel s Agents of SHIELD Showrunner Addresses Hydra s Return Simmons Fate and Framework Changes IGN Archived from the original on February 22 2017 Retrieved February 23 2017 Abrams Natalie May 3 2017 Agents of S H I E L D bosses on aftermath of Framework escape Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on May 3 2017 Retrieved May 3 2017 Mitovich Matt Webb May 15 2017 Agents of S H I E L D EPs Take Us Inside Creation of Framework Arc Including the Evil Haircut They Didn t Ask For TVLine Archived from the original on May 17 2017 Retrieved May 16 2017 a b McLevy Alex April 4 2017 Agents Of S H I E L D turns the world inside out in the best possible way The A V Club Archived from the original on April 5 2017 Retrieved April 5 2017 Wake Up The Futon Critic Archived from the original on January 10 2017 Retrieved January 10 2017 Agents of S H I E L D The Complete First Season Disc 02 LowPro net Archived from the original on October 2 2016 Retrieved September 29 2016 a b Lesnick Silas June 22 2016 Could Ghost Rider Be Headed to Agents of SHIELD Season Four SuperheroHype Archived from the original on June 24 2016 Retrieved June 22 2016 a b c Mitovich Matt Webb June 30 2016 Matt s Inside Line Scoop on Agents of S H I E L D Once Upon a Time Legends POI Rizzoli amp Isles and More TVLine Archived from the original on July 5 2016 Retrieved June 30 2016 Mueller Matthew June 30 2016 Is Agents Of SHIELD Casting Ghost Rider After All ComicBook com Archived from the original on July 2 2016 Retrieved July 23 2016 321 322 Absolution Ascension The Futon Critic Archived from the original on July 20 2020 Retrieved May 4 2016 Mitovich Matt Webb August 16 2016 Agents of S H I E L D Taps Galavant Star Mallory Jansen to Do the Robot TVLine Archived from the original on August 17 2016 Retrieved August 16 2016 413 BOOM The Futon Critic Archived from the original on February 8 2017 Retrieved February 7 2017 Mitovich Matt Webb August 1 2016 Agents of S H I E L D Jason O Mara Cast as New Director for Season 4 TVLine Archived from the original on August 2 2016 Retrieved August 2 2016 Schwartz Terri March 22 2016 Agents of SHIELD EP Jeff Bell on Mockingbird and Hunter Departure and Marvel s Most Wanted IGN Archived from the original on March 23 2016 Retrieved March 23 2016 Wagmeister Elizabeth May 12 2016 Marvel s Most Wanted Not Going Forward at ABC Variety Archived from the original on May 13 2016 Retrieved May 13 2016 Abrams Natalie January 27 2017 Spoiler Room Scoop on Supernatural Scandal Hawaii Five 0 and more Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on January 27 2017 Retrieved January 28 2017 Mangione Nick September 21 2016 Agents of S H I E L D gives us the Ghost Rider we didn t know we wanted Geek com Archived from the original on September 22 2016 Retrieved September 23 2016 a b c McCabe Joseph January 11 2017 Marvel s Agents of S H I E L D Recap Broken Promises is an Exhilarating Evil AI Thriller Nerdist Archived from the original on February 4 2017 Retrieved February 4 2017 Brand Dana Leigh April 5 2017 Agents of SHIELD Review What If The Tracking Board Archived from the original on April 6 2017 Retrieved April 20 2017 Agents of SHIELD Season 4 Episode 21 The Return Recap Metawitches May 12 2017 Archived from the original on August 1 2017 Retrieved August 2 2017 Agents of Shield Season 4 Episode 22 World s End Season Finale Recap Metawitches May 21 2017 Archived from the original on August 1 2017 Retrieved August 2 2017 a b This Week in Marvel s Agents of S H I E L D Discusses Creating a Hydra World Podcast Marvel Entertainment April 12 2017 Archived from the original on May 8 2017 Retrieved August 2 2017 via SoundCloud a b c Lovett Jaimie September 14 2016 Agents Of S H I E L D Costume Designer Gives Details On Ghost Rider And AIDA s TV Look ComicBook com Archived from the original on September 17 2016 Retrieved September 15 2016 Kolpack Mark MarkKolpack September 21 2016 Another name all of you should learn is Joshua James Shaw He s Marvel TV s creative concept designer He designed the skull VFX made it CG Tweet Archived from the original on September 22 2016 Retrieved September 23 2016 via Twitter Marvel Entertainment September 22 2016 Creating the Ghost Rider Forging Marvel s S H I E L D Archived from the original on September 23 2016 Retrieved September 23 2016 via YouTube This Week in Marvel s Agents of S H I E L D Returns With a LMD Uprising Marvel com Podcast January 13 2017 Archived from the original on November 3 2018 Retrieved February 4 2017 Gregg Clark clarkgregg February 15 2017 After 80 eps of AgentsofSHIELD afoley24 leaves us Farewell u incredible artist collaborator geek Can t wait for alteredcarbon Tweet Archived from the original on August 1 2017 Retrieved August 2 2017 via Twitter Zuckerman Nora NoraZuckerman October 26 2016 Yes the darkhold book cover is an ambigram reads the same way upside down lillazuck s idea our art department s awesome execution Tweet Archived from the original on April 8 2017 Retrieved April 9 2017 via Twitter Agents of S H I E L D AgentsofSHIELD October 26 2016 It s an ambigram AgentsofSHIELD Darkhold Tweet Archived from the original on April 8 2017 Retrieved April 9 2017 via Twitter Chan Robert January 25 2017 Marvel s Agents of S H I E L D Props to the Prop Master Yahoo News Archived from the original on August 1 2017 Retrieved August 2 2017 Wen Ming Na MingNa July 21 2016 Day one AgentsofSHIELD Season 4 begins filming Early calltime The Cavalry is back on her horse peeps Yeah still hate waking so early Tweet Archived from the original on July 26 2016 Retrieved July 22 2016 via Twitter Siegel Lucas September 8 2016 Agents of S H I E L D Set Videos Show Ghost Rider s Car in Action ComicBook com Archived from the original on September 13 2016 Retrieved September 24 2016 Gallaway Lauren April 4 2017 Ming Na Wen s Injury Won t Affect Agents of SHIELD Production Comic Book Resources Archived from the original on April 6 2017 Retrieved April 5 2017 Tancharoen Maurissa MoTancharoen April 18 2017 Last day of shooting on Season 4 with director Billy Gierhart AgentsofSHIELD Tweet Archived from the original on April 18 2017 Retrieved April 17 2017 via Twitter McCreary Bear August 14 2020 Agents of S H I E L D Saying Goodbye BearMcCreary com Archived from the original on September 1 2023 Retrieved September 1 2023 Goldberg Lesley May 12 2016 Agent Carter Canceled at ABC The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on May 12 2016 Retrieved May 12 2016 Mitovich Matt Webb September 27 2016 S H I E L D Recap Catch the Spirit Plus the New Director Is Spoiler TVLine Archived from the original on September 29 2016 Retrieved September 28 2016 Lachenal Jessica November 2 2016 Agents of S H I E L D Debrief Season 4 Episode 6 The Good Samaritan The Mary Sue Archived from the original on November 3 2016 Retrieved November 3 2016 Abrams Natalie July 22 2016 Why Agents of S H I E L D chose this Ghost Rider Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on July 24 2016 Retrieved July 22 2016 Abrams Natalie November 30 2016 Agents of S H I E L D reveals what happened to the team Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on November 30 2016 Retrieved November 30 2016 Marvel Television Returns To San Diego Comic Con Marvel com June 30 2016 Archived from the original on July 22 2018 Retrieved June 30 2016 Outlaw Kofi July 22 2016 Agents of S H I E L D Season 4 Ghost Rider s Car Revealed at SDCC ComicBook com Archived from the original on August 26 2016 Retrieved September 13 2016 Osborn Alex September 12 2016 First Image Of Ghost Rider From Agents Of SHIELD Revealed IGN Archived from the original on September 13 2016 Retrieved September 13 2016 Ching Albert September 4 2016 Ghost Rider Stars in New Found Footage Agents of SHIELD Teaser Comic Book Resources Archived from the original on September 6 2016 Retrieved September 4 2016 Abrams Natalie September 21 2016 Agents of S H I E L D What s in the box Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on September 22 2016 Retrieved September 21 2016 Brownfield Paul October 7 2016 Agents Of S H I E L D Previews Episode amp Pranks Fans NY Comic Con Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on October 9 2016 Retrieved October 9 2016 Marvel s Agents of S H I E L D Slingshot Cast Characters and Stars ABC com Archived from the original on December 10 2016 Retrieved December 7 2016 Erao Matthew March 14 2017 Agents of S H I E L D Posters Reimagine Past Seasons in the Framework Screen Rant Archived from the original on March 14 2017 Retrieved March 14 2017 Damore Meagan March 21 2017 Agents of SHIELD Hypes Hydra s Return With New Propaganda Posters Comic Book Resources Archived from the original on March 23 2017 Retrieved March 22 2017 Stanhope Kate June 28 2016 ABC Announces Fall Premiere Dates The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on June 29 2016 Retrieved June 28 2016 Damore Meagan July 22 2016 SDCC Marvel s Agents of SHIELD Cast amp Crew Declassify Season 4 Comic Book Resources Archived from the original on July 23 2016 Retrieved July 22 2016 Nilles Billy May 16 2017 Agents of S H I E L D Bosses Season 4 Finale Preview Will Make You Very Thankful There s a Season 5 to Look Forward to E Online Archived from the original on May 17 2017 Retrieved May 17 2017 Netflix June 2017 Movie and TV Titles Announced ComingSoon net May 23 2017 Archived from the original on May 28 2017 Retrieved May 24 2017 a b Silverio Ben F February 15 2022 Agents Of SHIELD Is Leaving Netflix Too What This Could Mean For Marvel TV On Streaming Film Archived from the original on February 17 2022 Retrieved March 1 2022 Marvel UK amp Ireland MarvelUK May 11 2018 The robot apocalypse is finally here on Blu ray and DVD Season 4 of Marvel s AgentsofSHIELD is available July 2nd Tweet Archived from the original on June 5 2018 Retrieved June 5 2018 via Twitter Sharf Zack March 1 2022 Daredevil and Other Marvel Shows to Stream on Disney Plus in March After Netflix Exit Variety Archived from the original on March 1 2022 Retrieved March 1 2022 Romano Nick March 1 2022 Daredevil Jessica Jones and other Defenders shows find new streaming home on Disney Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on March 1 2022 Retrieved March 1 2022 Porter Rick October 4 2016 Designated Survivor is your premiere week DVR champion Broadcast Live 7 ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on October 5 2016 Retrieved October 4 2016 Porter Rick October 11 2016 Designated Survivor posts more big DVR gains Broadcast Live 7 ratings for Sept 26 Oct 2 TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on October 12 2016 Retrieved October 11 2016 Porter Rick October 27 2016 This Is Us Big Bang Designated Survivor lead broadcast Live 7 ratings for Oct 10 16 TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on October 28 2016 Retrieved October 27 2016 Porter Rick November 4 2016 This Is Us and Agents of SHIELD score in broadcast Live 7 ratings for Oct 17 23 TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on November 5 2016 Retrieved November 4 2016 Porter Rick November 10 2016 This Is Us Designated Survivor stay on top in broadcast Live 7 ratings for Oct 24 30 TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on November 11 2016 Retrieved November 12 2016 Porter Rick November 17 2016 13 shows double This Is Us amp Big Bang lead broadcast Live 7 ratings for Oct 31 Nov 6 TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on November 18 2016 Retrieved November 18 2016 Porter Rick December 21 2016 6 shows double in week 11 broadcast Live 7 ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on December 22 2016 Retrieved December 24 2016 Porter Rick December 22 2016 This Is Us reaches season highs week 12 broadcast Live 7 ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on December 23 2016 Retrieved December 24 2016 Porter Rick January 26 2017 This Is Us rides high in week 17 broadcast Live 7 ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on January 26 2017 Retrieved January 27 2017 Porter Rick February 1 2017 Agents of SHIELD and This Is Us make big gains in week 18 broadcast Live 7 ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on February 1 2017 Retrieved February 2 2017 Porter Rick February 11 2017 This Is Us and TGIT rise above the rest in week 19 broadcast Live 7 ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on February 11 2017 Retrieved February 12 2017 Porter Rick February 15 2017 Big Bang Theory Agents of SHIELD benefit the most in week 20 broadcast Live 7 ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on February 16 2017 Retrieved February 15 2017 Porter Rick February 23 2017 This Is Us and Timeless lead the week 21 broadcast Live 7 ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on February 24 2017 Retrieved February 24 2017 Porter Rick March 2 2017 This Is Us and Agents of SHIELD on top again Week 22 broadcast Live 7 ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on March 3 2017 Retrieved March 3 2017 Porter Rick March 9 2017 This Is Us makes biggest gains again Week 23 broadcast Live 7 ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on March 10 2017 Retrieved March 9 2017 Porter Rick March 9 2017 iZombie premiere gets decent bump in week 29 broadcast Live 7 ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on April 20 2017 Retrieved April 20 2017 Porter Rick April 26 2017 6 shows double led by Designated Survivor Week 30 broadcast Live 7 ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on April 27 2017 Retrieved April 27 2017 Porter Rick May 4 2017 Designated Survivor makes more big gains Week 31 broadcast Live 7 ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on May 5 2017 Retrieved May 4 2017 Porter Rick May 22 2017 Modern Family Big Bang gain the most 10 shows double Week 33 broadcast Live 7 ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on May 26 2017 Retrieved May 22 2017 Porter Rick May 27 2017 Designated Survivor Big Bang Theory finale lead week 34 s broadcast Live 7 ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on May 27 2017 Retrieved May 28 2017 Porter Rick June 2 2017 Modern Family Designated Survivor finales make biggest gains in week 35 broadcast Live 7 ratings TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on June 2 2017 Retrieved June 3 2017 Mitovich Matt Webb January 19 2017 ABC s Tuesday Death Slot A Brief History of Its Put Upon Occupants TVLine Archived from the original on March 31 2017 Retrieved May 13 2017 de Moraes Lisa May 26 2017 Final 2016 17 TV Rankings Sunday Night Football Winning Streak Continues Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on May 30 2017 Retrieved May 26 2017 Marvel s Agents of S H I E L D Season 4 2016 Rotten Tomatoes Archived from the original on October 12 2016 Retrieved April 26 2020 Schwartz Terri September 20 2016 Marvel s Agents of SHIELD The Ghost Review IGN Archived from the original on September 21 2016 Retrieved October 15 2016 McCown Levy Alex September 20 2016 Marvel s Agents Of S H I E L D is back and confronting an iconic antihero The A V Club Archived from the original on September 22 2016 Retrieved October 15 2016 Fitzpatrick Kevin September 20 2016 Agents of S H I E L D Review The Ghost Rides High on Season 4 s Dark Energy ScreenCrush Archived from the original on September 24 2016 Retrieved October 15 2016 Valentine Evan September 20 2016 Agents of S H I E L D Season 4 Premiere Recap The Ghost Highway to Hell Collider Archived from the original on September 30 2016 Retrieved October 15 2016 Schwartz Terri January 10 2017 Marvel s Agents of SHIELD Broken Promises Review IGN Archived from the original on January 11 2017 Retrieved February 4 2017 Valentine Evan January 10 2017 Agents of S H I E L D Recap Broken Promises W E S T W O R L D Collider Archived from the original on February 4 2017 Retrieved February 4 2017 Fitzpatrick Kevin January 10 2017 Review Agents of S H I E L D Jokes Away LMD Reboot With Broken Promises ScreenCrush Archived from the original on February 4 2017 Retrieved February 4 2017 Schwartz Terri April 4 2017 Marvel s Agents of SHIELD What If Review IGN Archived from the original on April 5 2017 Retrieved April 5 2017 Valentine Evan April 4 2017 Agents of S H I E L D Recap What If The Wonderful World of Hydra Collider Archived from the original on April 5 2017 Retrieved April 5 2017 Fitzpatrick Kevin April 4 2017 Review Agents of S H I E L D Returns With a Convoluted What If Hydra Twist ScreenCrush Archived from the original on April 5 2017 Retrieved April 5 2017 McLevy Alex April 25 2017 Agents of Hydra is the most consistently strong arc S H I E L D has ever done The A V Club Archived from the original on April 26 2017 Retrieved April 26 2017 Schwartz Terri May 23 2017 Marvel s Agents of SHIELD Season 4 Review IGN Archived from the original on June 25 2017 Retrieved July 30 2017 Leane Rob May 22 2017 How Marvel s Agents Of S H I E L D fixed the 22 episode problem Den of Geek Archived from the original on August 3 2017 Retrieved August 3 2017 a b Valentine Evan April 25 2017 Agents of S H I E L D Recap All the Madame s Men Unusual Politics Collider Archived from the original on April 26 2017 Retrieved April 26 2017 Wickline Dan April 19 2017 Nevertheless She Persisted Anti Trump Slogan Dropped Into Marvel s Agents Of SHIELD Bleeding Cool Archived from the original on August 2 2017 Retrieved August 2 2017 Wickline Dan April 26 2017 Agents Of SHIELD Writers Takes A Few More Shots At Trump Bleeding Cool Archived from the original on August 2 2017 Retrieved August 2 2017 McLevy Alex April 18 2017 Agents Of S H I E L D gets sharply political and a surprisingly moving guest star The A V Club Archived from the original on July 27 2017 Retrieved August 2 2017 Marcotte Amanda May 28 2017 Marvel s Agents of SHIELD is the glorious anti Trump satire you ve been longing for Salon Archived from the original on August 2 2017 Retrieved August 2 2017 Schick Michal April 26 2017 Agents of S H I E L D is the political fairytale we need right now Hypable Retrieved August 2 2017 Watson Eric May 17 2017 Agents of SHIELD s fourth season was all about punching Nazis and it was the best yet Polygon Archived from the original on August 2 2017 Retrieved August 2 2017 Velocci Carli May 3 2017 How Agents of S H I E L D Is Tackling the Nazi Problem Better Than Marvel Comics Commentary TheWrap Archived from the original on August 9 2017 Retrieved August 2 2017 Hurley Laura December 2016 The Top 10 Shows Of 2016 According To Laura 2 Agents Of S H I E L D ABC CinemaBlend Archived from the original on January 8 2017 Retrieved January 7 2017 Bejar Christian December 24 2016 2016 s 16 Best Episodes In Comic Book TV Comic Book Resources Archived from the original on December 25 2016 Retrieved December 24 2016 Tapley Kristopher January 27 2017 Arrival Rogue One Westworld Lead MPSE Sound Editing Nominations Variety Archived from the original on January 29 2017 Retrieved January 28 2017 Kids Choice Awards The Winners List The Hollywood Reporter March 11 2017 Archived from the original on March 12 2017 Retrieved March 20 2017 McNary Dave March 2 2017 Saturn Awards Nominations 2017 Rogue One Walking Dead Lead Variety Archived from the original on March 3 2017 Retrieved March 2 2017 a b Nordyke Kimberly August 13 2017 Teen Choice Awards Complete Winners List The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on August 14 2017 Retrieved August 14 2017 Liptak Andrew August 4 2017 The 2017 Dragon Awards are a far ranging sci fi and fantasy reading list The Verge Archived from the original on May 20 2019 Retrieved August 4 2017 2017 Dragon Awards Winners Locus Online September 5 2017 Archived from the original on September 7 2017 Retrieved October 14 2017 General references edit Marvel s Agents of S H I E L D Season 4 Episode Guide TV Guide Retrieved July 21 2017 Shows A Z Marvel s Agents of S H I E L D on ABC The Futon Critic Retrieved July 21 2017 External links editAgents of S H I E L D at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Agents of S H I E L D season 4 amp oldid 1223261492 ep83, wikipedia, wiki, book, 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