Before I even bother addressing the story or plot or characters, I think we all have to pause and appreciate the fact that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has given us an amazing version of Ghost Rider. The visuals were already impressive, but I literally cursed out loud when Robbie did that slow-mo midair Flamechain whirl on AIDA right before the title card. There were a few other great moments throughout, including Quake and Ghost Rider teaming up—which led to a fantastic moment of Coulson geeking out about how he missed it. It’s a safe bet Ghost Rider will be back, but here’s hoping he gets the spinoff he deserves someday.

Speaking of Ghost Rider and his travel plans, that’s how you do an Easter egg. The movies could really learn from the scene of Robbie opening the portal. It’s such a natural reference to Doctor Strange and actually makes even more sense coming on the end of Robbie’s Flamechain. It’s the type of moment that fits perfectly with the story we’ve seen so far but also has added depth for MCU fans. Sadly, all Robbie’s talk about ancient wars and inter-dimensional battles just reminds me of how bummed I am that this show can’t properly connect with the movies. Even a better connection to Agent Carter and the Darkforce plot would be nice, seeing as it corresponds nicely with the similar Dark Matter that makes up the Darkhold (as confusing as all that is).

Then there’s the final moment, which clearly sets up SHIELD in space and possibly brings S.W.O.R.D. into the MCU (or at least an iteration of it as it has been confirmed to be owned by Fox). For those who don’t know, it’s basically SHIELD but they fight aliens from a giant sword-shaped space station above the Earth. And fun fact, Joss Whedon created the group during his Astonishing X-Men run, so there’s a nice connection to the show which is partially run by his brother. As fun as it will be for the show to return to space whenever it comes back, it’s one more glaring thing that should connect to the movies. How are the Avengers not going to notice the giant space station orbiting Earth when they go off to fight Thanos? Only time will tell, but it’s still fun to see this show introduce things from the comics and create its own corner of the MCU. The timeline of Marvel’s shared universe has always been wonky, and things rarely connect in organic ways. All told, it’s easier to just pretend this show is something separate and just happens to introduce similar concepts from the comics from time to time.

This has easily been the show’s strongest season, and though the finale was packed full of action and drama and tears, it still managed to wrap things up, satisfy viewers, and tease the future. The movies and even Netflix shows can only ever bring so many things to life, and part of the fun with SHIELD is how it’s able to weave in so many elements fans love from the comics. LMDs, the Darkhold, SWORD, Ghost Rider—these are not small introductions. They’re all interesting elements that would never be able to get more than a nod in the movies, so I’m glad we have this show for however much longer we do as it’s only going to continue bringing the comics to life.

FINAL SCORE

4.5 Yo-Yo’s out of 5. I can’t even fathom what sort of code you’d have to write to generate yo-yos into someone’s pockets.

ONE-SHOTS

  • The Mack and Yo-Yo stuff was amazing, and something that’s been sorely missing from the show for awhile. I’m glad at least one couple had a happy ending, though each pairing at least made some sort of movement towards stabilization. Also, Mack and Joe West from The Flash need to have some sort of gut-wrenching crossover that will leave us all sobbing. Those guys can really get the waterworks going.
  • Really like the Darkhold-style title card as a way to tie everything together.
  • Also loved Daisy’s callback to her plot and fashion at the beginning of the season. We’ve really come a long way.
  • Some great lines tonight, but May wins with “I never wanna have a talk.”
  • Why couldn’t there be a scene of Coulst Rider in Hellola?!
  • AIDA also demonstrated Vijay’s cool fighting powers. I really hope he comes back next season, because they sure set up his cocooning as a way for him to return.
  • So, thoughts on what Coulson’s deal was? Is he all alone up in space, or was that just for the sake of simplicity? We won’t be getting the show back until the spring of next year, so there’s no telling when new info will pop up. Could be Comic-Con, but could come after Inhumans is wrapped. Either way, we’re hopefully headed towards Ghost Rider in space!
  • I’m sure I forgot to mention a lot of stuff as I’m still processing it all, but what moments did you love? What references did you catch? What did you like and dislike about the season? Thanks so much for sticking with me all season. It’s been a lot of fun reviewing this show and hearing what you all had to say each week. I really cannot wait for this show to come back.