Granted, Agents of Shield took a while to find its footing and that disappointed many who were very hopeful for the series.
Given the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the likes of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers, pretty much everyone thought that Agents of Shield was a sure thing.
Especially with the return of fan favorite – Agent Phil Coulson.
However, despite the introduction of interesting characters like Agent Melinda May (who is portrayed by Mulan voice actress Ming Na-Wen) and guest appearances from characters from the Marvel movies like the super-spy Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Shield Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and Lady Sif (Jaimie Alexander) – the show failed to acquire the certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ that made the Marvel Cinematic Universe worth billions.
That is, until the premier of the fourth season.
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We are not saying Agents of Shield was bad before, we are just saying – it was not as good as it could have been.
While it got steadily better over the seasons, it finally hit its mark with the fourth season.
There are many things that could have attributed to this; you might even call it the ‘strange effect’ – (i.e. the introduction of Doctor Strange into the Marvel universe) – allowing Agents of Shield to tap into more mystical elements.
Whatever it is, we are thankful it is working.
Here are some of the reasons why you should be watching the fourth season of Agents of Shield.
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It’s New, Darker Tone
With the success of other darker Marvel TV series on Netflix – Daredevil and Jessica Jones – it was about time Agents of Shield joined the bandwagon.
This permits the team and the storylines go places the previous seasons were too afraid to go.
The later time slot helps too, now the show doesn’t have to worry about the effects of its contents on its viewers as much anymore.
And to be honest, that is a good thing.
Treading the path previously used by Matt Murdock (Daredevil) and Jessica Jones and not shying away from blood and gore has definitely proved beneficial for the show.
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2. The Ghost Rider
Guess who’s coming with a vengeance?
First of all, using the Robbie Reyes’ Ghost Rider instead of Johnnie Blaze’s Ghost Rider was a smart move.
If not for anything else but the fact that the Johnny Blaze version has already been on the big screen (played by Nicolas Cage) and also the fact that lesser known Robbie Reyes allows the show’s producers a lot more creativity with the character than they could have with Johnny Blaze who has much of his background known to the audience.
It’s not just about introducing an amazing character, but also handling him well and gratefully, the show has done just done that.
Now let’s hope he’s here to stay.
Honorary mention and spoiler alert: Ghost Rider going up against the Hellfire (who stole his Ghost Rider’s flaming chain shtick in the third season) was pure gold, although to me, that was a hint of what was to come.
3. The Doctor Strange Connection
Who is else is excited about the introduction of Doctor Strange into the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Well, you’re not the only one and Agents Of Shield has definitely wasted no time in taking advantage of that fact.
Tapping into more mystical elements with the introduction of Robbie Reyes as the Ghost Rider and honestly stepping away from the whole “Hydra” story was literally the best thing the TV series could have done.
I mean, even I (an Agents of Shield apologist and a secret Hydra lover) could tell that that storyline was played out.
4. The New Daisy
We’ve seen Daisy go through it all and she has indeed been through a lot through the seasons, so we’re not entirely surprised that everything finally took its toll on her.
The newer and darker Daisy is not so bad though, it’s a more mature and take-matters-into-her-own-hands version of the character that just works; especially her scenes with Robbie.
It is safe to say that Daisy has been the heart of the show since we knew her as ‘Skye’.
While the new Daisy might sometimes feel like a discount version of Jessica Jones, it really was a good move for her (and the show) to go out and find herself before returning to the team.
Seeing a more developed and I guess, hardened, version of the character brings more to the show than she did before.
5. The New Team Dynamics
This is literally one of my favorite things about the new season.
We’re seeing new character pair-ups that were not fully utilized before.
For example – Coulson and Mack, Fitz and Radcliffe, Jemma and Daisy.
Also, isn’t it interesting how Jemma is now the highest ranking member of the old gang?
While we’re loving this new team dynamic, it would be hard not to notice a void missing in the team – Bobbi and Hunter.
Can you imagine what Hunter’s reaction would have been to the Ghost Rider?
We miss them more every episode.
5. Ghosts!
And not in a campy way too.
Anything that can give Melinda May a run for her money is definitely worth a mention.
It literally doesn’t get better that.