If you would like to read a recap of last week’s episode, click here. After a long absence, the show was back with a real tie-in to Doctor Strange. The episode was exciting but it was hurt by the absence. The end of the episode promised an exciting midseason finale where maybe the Ghost Rider saga would come to an end one way or another.
The episode starts with a man running through some sort of warehouse. He needs to see Eli since they have a problem with now the police and SHIELD on the radar. The problem for him was that he hasn’t payed him and his other goons for protection. In response, Eli kills him by making him spit out diamonds. We also see that he appears to be building another box.
Los Angeles is under lockdown for a potential threat. Mace appears on the news and denies rumors that the threat was Quake/Daisy. Mace is frustrated with the lack of progress with the situation. Coulson and May come in. They tell him that Eli is held up in some warehouse with the remnants of the Chinese gang. Mace tells them to keep Daisy and Robbie hidden from the public. Coulson thinks they should have the big guns like Daisy, Robbie, and Yoyo. Robbie is on their side and not quake they will deal with him when he is no longer on their side.
Mace suggests Aida to which coulson tells him that she is an android. Mace is a little upset for not being told. Coulson thinks it’s a risky move but could be useful. He wants to dismantle her afterwards and gives them the green light. May thinks it was a risky move revealing Aida’s true nature to Mace but Coulson thinks he should give something to get something. He is worried about Mace’s motives but May believes the only side he’s on is his own. May is sent to fetch Aida but she’ll catch up and later she and Coulson will finally crack that bottle after.
Fitz is scoping the area. Robbie doesn’t want to wear a mask but Mack tells him he must stay out of sight with people around. Robbie is sent to go with Daisy and Yoyo. Fitz just wants to know how Eli does it and Simmonds thinks it’s magic. The earthquakes in the area are not from Daisy. Fitz wants to check her gauntlets. The three go into a building. It’s empty but Robbie still thinks there may be something going on. Yoyo hears something and goes on recon. The walls catch fire leading to her jumping out while on fire. Robbie wants to play and goes in.
Radcliffe explains Aida to Mace. He thinks it’s amazing and sees their allure. Radcliffe claims that it is not what it looks like and offers up all his data. Mace confronts him with the Darkhold. He wants to know more about it. Radcliffe claims it to be intimidating but Mace wonders why he isn’t intimidated by Aida. Mace’s plans for her depend on her next mission.
Yoyo is okay. They lost Robbie’s camera and got then got it back. He dispatches some gangsters until he reaches a giant quantum battery (which apparently was what he was building). Coulson tries to tell him not to go in but his com is down so he goes in. Fitz and Simmonds suspect that he is testing his abilities. Fitz also notices a setup he’s seen before. Eli tells him not to touch that and that he doesn’t belong there. Once he tries to transform, Eli puts a spike through him. Daisy wants to go in.
Simmonds spots something important in the building being a demon core failsafe which was a fuel source that powered the cell and Eli but could explode if not handled carefully, prompting Coulson to ask for suggestions for plan b. Eli always suspected something different with Robbie but his failed transformation attempt proved it. They go over past and what they did to each other. Eli claims killing runs in the family. The people he killed got what they deserved. No one believed in him but look at him now.
Robbie tries to transform again and gets spiked again. Eli warned him so whatever happens next is on him. Mace arrives with Radcliffe and Aida. They brought in all their equipment from before because she thought it was useful. Mace wanted to see a nuclear weapon up close and it was time to see director in action. He has a plan. Daisy’s gauntlets are working fine. Fitz is not excited to see Mace.
Mack doesn’t like Mace’s plan to get Yoyo to retrieve plutonium but Mace reminds him that it not his decision. Mack tells him to go back worrying about optics. Coulson pulls him away. Mack is worried about her. Fitz, Daisy and Simmonds talk about her prior trip. Daisy feels a quake. Fitz thinks Eli is stealing from somewhere to create matter. Coulson lectures mace about losing them. Coulson tells him that he won’t back a bad plan but denies having an agenda.
Daisy and Coulson confront them on Senator Nadeer and her inhuman captive. He explains that he blackmailed him and he wanted to protect SHIELD. He said didn’t have the option and he doesn’t exactly trust Coulson and his group. Coulson urges that they better become a team quick. Water is the next step for Eli’s powers
Coulson shows up and Eli believes he should be dead. Coulson thinks that the reason he didn’t see it coming meant that he he knows nothing. They are setting up a upp gate beneath eli
Disy can’t believe how lifelike Aida is. Robbie claims that something is pulling him within the box. Coulson confronts him on stealing matter from other dimensions. Daisy is absorbing quakes above. Aida is setting things up. Eli in denial of it all. Coulson warns him about the bomb. It isn’t his endgame but it is everyone else’s. Coulson still tries to will Robbie away from the spikes. Coulson calls to engage the team. Robbie is able to get out.
The quakes are getting much for everyone. Aida gets shot. Coulson tries to pull Robbie out with a chain. Coulson drops the chain. Robbie then grabs Eli and burns him. Eli’s box just vanishes. Everyone is tending to Aida. She was programmed to be human-like so she bled and felt pain. Things just too much for Daisy so she jumps up in the sky which lets her presence be known to all the media outside. Mace comes in and saves her.
Daisy wants to give Robbie’s car to Gabe. Coulson tells her that Robbie may not be gone. Daisy wasn’t ready for her public introduction. She is unsure about being an agent but she does misses things and people. She doesn’t quite understand all the procedure. She does like the inhuman head of SHIELD.
Mack and Yoyo are talking. She is confused about their relationship. Mack and Yoyo are just friends but then make out. Mace saves Daisy’s public image saying that she was working undercover for SHIELD the whole time, trying to dismantle the Watch Dogs.
Aida is safe after the mission but Mace wants all of Radcliffe’s data. Mace wants all his LMD work to be done under SHIELD supervision. Mace sent Agent Nathanson to fetch the data but once he gets distracted by something. Aida comes and snaps his neck. Aida cleans up May who is in her chamber.
May (but how can she be in two places at once?) and Coulson finally crack open their bottle. Coulson claims that there’s no place they’d rather be. May believed that she was. right where she belongs.
Overall, this was a great episode which nicely wrapped up the Ghost Rider storyline while still leaving the opportunity for Robbie to return. It’s nice to see Daisy back for good (at least it seems that way) but she should have came back a long time ago. The twist at the end with Aida and LMD’s was nice and can provide an interesting storyline for the second half of the season. I can’t wait for the show to come back.
Score: 8.5/10
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.
