Whew.
It's nice to finally reach the end of something. And if it's not on Netflix, I don't count it as something.
I must admit that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been a peculiar beast. It did not turn out to be what I first thought it was going to be, and by the end, it was a completely different show than what it started as.
Still, I'm glad I experienced it. And season 4 has the distinction of being not the worst season of the show. So let's take a moment to look back on everything that this fourth outing brought us, and give kudos to the things that were done right.
The Story
It's a post-Doctor-Strange world, and the MCU is free to introduce supernatural elements, such as a gang of spooky ghosts released into the wild after years of imprisonment.
And these ghosts are going to be this season's primary villains...for about five minutes.
Because the real threat is actually an android named Aida, built, in part, by series regular Leopold Fitz.
After the events of Age of Ultron, nobody wants to build any kinds of artificial intelligence ever again, so Aida's creators intentionally deprive her of free will. But her automaton mind, which seeks ever more efficient ways to fulfill her program, deduces that possessing free will would make her even better at fulfilling her mission. Thus, she sets out on an extremely convoluted quest to become a true artificial intelligence, using a mysterious book called the Darkhold.
Reminiscent of the grimoires used by the ancient one in Doctor Strange, the Darkhold is an evil book that will reveal arcane knowledge to whomever reads it, with the caveat that any attempt to use the book's power for good will ultimately be corrupted and backfire.
So when Aida (our android antagonist) uses the book to discover a formula for becoming a real girl, she ends up creating a virtual simulation of a world where Hydra triumphed over S.H.I.E.L.D., and she traps the main cast inside this virtual nightmare while replacing them in the real world with realistic Life Model Decoy androids.
Also, the Inhumans are still in this show, because the writers of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. don't know when to abandon a bad idea.
But hey, at least we get to see Ghost Rider.
Ghost Rider: "Good news: I'm in this season."
Me: "Wow, that's kind of a neat addition."
Ghost Rider: "Whoops! Just kidding. I'm outta here."
Me: "Aw, shucks."
With the lives of all our main characters on the line, season 4 may be the most dramatic installment of this show. And sometimes that even manages to be a good thing.
The Good Parts
The idea of blending technology and magic, though common in anime/manga, novels, comics, and cartoons, is a combination not often seen in western movies or live-action televised dramas.
And season 4 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. takes this concept in an interesting new direction. The idea of an android unable to break it's programming turning to magic to transform itself into a true AI---that's original enough to make the show interesting again, at least for some stretches.
I must also say that, though his stay was brief, Ghost Rider was a welcome addition to the show, and a way of tying it more strongly to the Marvel canon, which in some other seasons it felt like it drifted away, somewhat.
The other great part about this season was the further development of Jemma Simmons, as a character. She began to blossom a bit in season 3, but here she becomes more of a central character, giving us some blessed breathing room from Skye/Daisy.
And while I wasn't particularly wowed by the cast's trip to an elseworld ruled by Hydra, I have to admit they at least made the visit interesting, if not enthralling.
The Bad Parts
They brought Ward back.
I'm sorry. I know that's a spoiler. But you needed to be warned. They bring him back, and it's totally pointless, and he already wore out his welcome ages ago, and we were all so glad when he finally died for good at the end of the last season, but...they brought him back.
And even though it was only for a short while, it was easily the worst part of season 4.
The other real sticking point is just how convoluted the plot was. Previous seasons had to pull one or two contrivances to fill out the 22-episode run. But season 4 was merely a long series of detours and false finishes, as we went from one red-herring climax to the next until we ended in a strangely non-climactic final battle, all wrapped up in a cliffhanger season ending that makes absolutely no sense in context.
What a disappointment.
My Judgment
The one essential good quality of the show still remains: it's highly bingeable and good for wasting time without boring you to tears. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is not a great drama, or great science fiction, or a great tale of intrigue and espionage.
But it is a great soap opera.
If you can manage to watch season 4 without thinking to much about it, you will be rewarded for the experience. As a fun, non-serious supplement to the MCU movies, it honestly has everything you could ever want.
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@talanhorne,
Once I tried to watch Season 1, but then I stopped! I will retry to watch this! Nice review friend!
Cheers~
Excellent work again by @talanhorne sir...
Agents of SHIELD has always been a science-based show, so incorporating magic and the supernatural into the series in the form of Robbie Reyes' Ghost Rider was a bit of a gamble going in. While the science-based storylines that came later in the season still were stronger, the inclusion of the Ghost Rider character stuck the landing, largely because of Gabriel Luna's excellent performance and the great CGI work from Mark Kolpack and his team.
Nice and execellent article sir...
The good parts you mentioned are enough for me to give this a try..
Great review
Amazing movie review.I always enjoy your post.
Thanks for sharing.
Great review my dear friend. really you doing very good job. thanks for sharing with us and I waiting for your next post
I had watched the first season, then somehow forgot about it completely.
Judging by your review it deserves another shot
i haven't watchd any of its season
may be i will give it a shot
of all the seasons of S.H.I.E.L.D which you think is the best season.
for me the second season was the best I do not think of the fourth because I could not see it.
I'm afraid I still like the first season best.
What can I say? I just loved the episodic nature of the first season, and how it allowed the characters to touch every facet of the Marvel canon.
Getting inspired by your review,it is making space in my mind....
have never seen #Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, but you can see that their story are great I have to see it.
Excellent tv series, Great post. @talanhorne
I’m totally fine with spoilers since it gives me a glimps of what’s coming. It tells me a lot about movie quality and story.
Great review of dissapinting season 4! 😔
Your reviews always excites me to watch those intersting Netfliz shows/series. Thank you so much @talanhorne! You are awesome!
Great review sir.🤗💙
Amazing post.
I appreciate your work.
Ghost rider was the welcome addition to the show.
Nice content
I completely agree with your judgement.
Very well articulated
Excellent job sir.
Thanks @talanhorne sir for sharing this post.
Upvoted + resteemed your post.
İt is wonderful. You are awesome @talanhorne
Another wonderful and interesting ideas by @talanhorne sir...
Actually interesting article sir...and I think With its fourth season, Marvel's Agents of SHIELD is the best it's ever been...
Wel done sir...
Upvoted and Resteemed...
Cheers~~~
Wow....wonderful review again by @talanhorne sir...
No more words sir...
W
E
L
D
O
N
E
And execellent work sir...
I'm waiting ur next valuble update in this platform...
Good luck...
This is valuable post. very Netflixing movies and good think.
@talanhorne
Have a great day.
Very interesting story movies, I like it and will see the movies, thank you very much for your sharing to us, hopefully you always success brother @talanhorne
This post really amazing I like this so much .tnx for share
nice part great review nice collection sir
Wonderfull tv shows review good job
Really nice post good movie reviews
nice collection super review tnx for share
Wow amazing post really nice and helpful .Great job Re-steem
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Nice blog I like your post Really mindtouch post
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Helpful post really nice good job Re-steem sir
amazing review really nice tnx for share
I like this post really nice and helpful post ..
great review sir super post sir like this so much sir
@talanhorne, That's excellent review of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Season 4. It's part movie under Netflix series. Great work.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Tv movie is very interesting to me. It had nice story. Your review very easily understand story tale.
I've never seen these Netflix movie part no 3 or 4. But your description better than watching. Great work @talanhorne.
I'm not interesting whole movie. It's 50/50 prefer to mine. I much like to watch fiction style movies. There has low quality story title. However your introduction best @talanhorne.
Excellent post good story and photography dear i like your story thank you for shere......@talanhorne
Excellent work and wonderful review, my friend. Season 4 is in principle quite decent, but the first parts seemed to me more interesting. Thank you @talanhorne
Thanks for the nice full review. Thanks to you I will watch the movie knowing that I will get from this pleasure.
Very beautiful life netflix tv post to you for thank you very much, and post a lot like and like post vote and comments and post share, I like this post a total of all see and this post to everyone can vote
Wonderful post. Thanks for sharing
Restseem
have not watch but now i think it may interesting to watch.
amazing story
Good review & Nice judgement. Thank you
we all know that marvel productions are the best as always. They created amazing piece of movies & tv series also. I see most of the movies but i didn't watch this tv series yet. but it seems looking really interesting i'll try to see this series.
your all review are highly informative and true fact included. speacilly move review.
nice collection super movie and tv show review tn for share
Just amazing sir. Thanks for sharing a great post.
Upvote & resteem done
Brilliant post. A debt of gratitude is in order for sharing
Restseem
Splendid post. An obligation of appreciation is all together to share
Have a nice day
Restseem
i like this post nice review really
re-steem sir