[SPOILERS for those not caught up on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ahead.]
-
Although the viewership numbers for Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. haven't noticeably increased since its fourth season premiered, the critical response to the show's latest episodes has been by and large positive. There is a distinctly different feel to the show now thanks to the new political landscape in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - with S.H.I.E.L.D. operating legitimately and Daisy acting as a vigilante. The introduction of Ghost Rider in season 4 has also been warmly received, with the consensus being that the show is handling the character far better than the previous Ghost Rider movies (featuring the Johnny Blaze version of the character).
In recent episodes, Daisy - who is now known to many as the inhuman Quake - and Ghost Rider (real name Robbie Reyes) had begun to strike up an intriguing and promising relationship. However, Reyes' protective younger brother wasn't too keen on his sibling hanging out with an inhuman and, seemingly unaware of his brother's own abilities, he forced Daisy to part ways with Ghost Rider.
And if a new teaser clip from the forthcoming forth episode, 'Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire', is anything to go by, Daisy doesn't seem to be coping too well out on her own. The ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent's vibration abilities are causing significant damage to her bone structure and it seems that this and other injuries have forced Daisy to make contact with her old pals in S.H.I.E.L.D. again.
The scene shows Daisy's arm still in poor shape, but she also appears to be suffering from another, bloodier, wound; possibly a gunshot to the stomach. The likely inference is that Daisy has had a run in with the season's antagonists, the Watchdogs, an anti-inhuman group the vigilante had been investigating along with Robbie Reyes. The clip also contains a pleasingly light exchange between Simmons and Fitz; who, after finally becoming an item, are headed for plenty of problems when Simmons finds out about Fitz helping Radcliffe with his Life Model Decoy, AIDA.
Of course, Daisy returning to the S.H.I.E.L.D. fold was always inevitable; and with her medicine supply from Yo-Yo now cut off, the side effects of Daisy's abilities may force her to stay with the agency on a more permanent basis. Quite how this will impact her blossoming relationship with Ghost Rider remains to be seen, but it would certainly be a shame if the duo's partnership ended there as there was plenty of mileage left in that team-up. Certainly, it seems as if a showdown between Ghost Rider and S.H.I.E.L.D. is on the cards, before an eventual team-up further down the line.
Alternatively, some viewers may feel that Daisy's vigilante phase has run its course and that the character needs to snap out of her self-imposed exile before it becomes frustrating - returning to the friends she so clearly belongs with. Perhaps then, other plot lines such as the Watchdogs' connections with Ghost Rider and the recent incident with Agent May can come to the fore.
NEXT: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is the Heart of the MCU
Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. continues October 18th with 'Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire' on ABC.
Source: ABC