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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Good Samaritan

“You deserve the truth. All of it.”

If you were waiting for some sign about the direction of the show before you invested yourself in watching another season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., consider this your burning bush. This episode was amazing.

When I took up the mantle of AoS reviewer this year it was mostly just a nagging sense of ‘okay someone has to keep reviewing this show,’ if only for continuity’s sake. I never imagined that I would enjoy it so much. This episode was as close to perfect as I could imagine. We got Robbie backstory, answers to questions, and someone punched Jeffrey in the face. Love it.

The episode's main focus was Robbie. Forced into a containment unit with Daisy and Gabe, Robbie finally confesses everything to his little brother as Daisy somewhat awkwardly looks on. Robbie takes Gabe out racing one night (which is just jaw-droppingly irresponsible) and the Locos perform their hit on what they know to be Eli Morrow’s car, paralyzing Gabe and killing Robbie, or so he believes. In the moments before his death, Robbie begs the universe to save Gabe and is presented with a choice and chooses be returned to life as a instrument of vengeance. The idea of the devil existing in the MCU seems a little Judeo-Christian to me. I think it more likely that the being who offered Robbie the choice was another Ghost Rider, that the flaming skull thing is like a virus that can only be passed on willingly. This is all just guesswork, though, as I have no familiarity with the comics or the Nicolas Cage film. Feel free to weigh in in the comments, guys!

As for Robbie, I’m still not clear who’s in control. Is it like a thing where Ghost Rider takes over completely? Because if so, having him respond to Gabe’s voice seems odd. Does Robbie still have a modicum of control over himself after he flames out? Is it like a Hulk thing where his level of control varies depending on how he transforms?

After being teased last week, we learned that the hit was put on Eli by Joseph Bauer because Eli... dramatic pause... is not a good guy! He wanted the Darkhold for himself the whole time! Last week I said I couldn’t see Eli beating a man mostly to death for endangering the lives of coworkers, but I could totally see him doing the same out of desire for the Darkhold.

I do have a couple of complaints about the episode. For instance, Jemma. She appeared in the first few minutes of the episode and then ended up being... sort of kidnapped? I think? It felt like a distraction from the truly compelling main body of the episode. Second complaint: after Mace flew half a day to reach the team, boarded and searched the Zephyr, discovered that Coulson has been hiding fugitives, and got beat up by Ghost Rider, it seems a little unbelievable for him to agree with Coulson that Robbie should be allowed to be let go for now. Can you say ‘plot necessity?’

It might be moot now that Robbie is possibly dead. Now that’s what I call a cliffhanger. Coulson, Fitz, and Robbie potentially blasted into non-existence? I’m counting the minutes until the next episode.

Intel and Assets

--This week in nicknames: Mack called Gabe “Ironside” and Gabe called Mack “Black Kojak.”

--It was a blink-and-you-missed-it moment but did the “Good Samaritan” have a bullet hole in his skull?

--Given how Ghost Rider broke out of the containment unit, he’s the most powerful thing they’ve ever come up against.

--Called it. Momentum is related to Agent Carter’s Isodyne and Roxxon.

Mace: “It’s not a wild goose-chase if there are geese. Do you deny they’re on board?”
Coulson: “Geese? I have zero geese. We are goose-free.”

Robbie: “Why aren’t you in bed, boy?”
Gabe: “Bed’s for people who aren’t taking honors classes, who don’t have soccer practice, who don’t want to go to college. So why aren’t you in bed?”

Robbie: “All work and no play...”
Gabe: “Gets me into Stanford or Berkeley.”

Robbie: “I’ll help you with your homework when we get back.”
Gabe: “Okay, but you are not helping me with my homework. I need to get an A.”

Mack: “Who names these things? Are there focus groups for evil things?”

four out of four focus groups for evil things
---
sunbunny

9 comments:

  1. So I should probably make an attempt to catch up, then? Is that burning bush for me? :)

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  2. Okay I have been reading reviews on this site for a very long time and finally decided to comment. I have been reading Ghost Rider, the comic book series, since I was about six years old so, about 20 years. I feel that I should explain a few things for other viewers of the show. Robbie Reyes is the fourth Ghost Rider following; Johnny Blaze being the first, Dan Ketch Being The second (my favorite) and Alejandra being the Third. Reyes is the newest Ghost Rider and he did drive a car where as the last three Ghost Riders all road motorcycles. I'm pretty sure the Cameo of the Ghost Rider on the motorcycle that saved Gabe and Robbie was Johnny Blaze. I think that was his cameo. Now Robbie is pretty much like he is in the comics in the show. I mean they've done a really good job with his characterization. When it comes to The Ghost Rider, it is a separate entity from the person that it's possessing, but they do usually have a mutual bond or have common goals. So they usually work pretty well together. Every now and then there's a time where Ghost Rider will have this obsession over Vengeance and he will fight the host or other way around so when Robbie decides to beat the crap out of the new director of Shield that was probably more the Ghost Rider than it was Robbie and I feel Robbie fought for control when he heard Gabe's voice.

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  3. Billie - You and Mark, yes. :)

    yodudeyo100 - Thanks for the information and congrats on your first comment! :D

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  4. I was wrong about the demon and host having a mutual bond most of time. Thats only true for Dan Ketch and Alejandra. For Johnny it truly as a curse. The Demon and him constantly fought each other for control. Robbie and the Demon had to come to an agreement and it didn't always work out so well.

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  5. I don't want to risk spoiling anything, but Marvel definitely doesn't shy away from Judeo-Christian elements so the Devil thing wouldn't be a problem for them.

    I'm guessing Coulson, Fitz, and Robbie are all in the ghost-like state now, which will be interesting in combination with Ghost Rider abilities.

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  6. Alot of Ghost Rider stories deal with Angels, Demons, God, and the Devil.

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  7. Aren't Coulson, Fitz and Robbie in those boxes now, like Lucy and her coworkers were before?

    As for Mace, I don't think it's OOC. He is exactly the kind of guy who, just after being beaten up, would still keep the cool head and try to reason.

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  8. "We are goose-free." :) Very Whedonesque.

    I was surprised that Uncle Eli was evil, but I shouldn't have been.

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