Overview
"The Ghost" is the first episode of the fourth season of the American television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D., it follows Phil Coulson and his fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as they deal with the enhanced individuals Quake and Ghost Rider. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and acknowledges the franchise's films. The episode was written by showrunners Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, and directed by Billy Gierhart.
Clark Gregg reprises his role as Coulson from the film series, starring alongside Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge, Henry Simmons, and John Hannah. A fourth season was ordered in March 2016, with Gabriel Luna introduced as Ghost Rider, a character created through both practical and visual effects. He was included as part of the series exploring supernatural elements ahead of the release of the MCU film Doctor Strange (2016). Mallory Jansen and Lilli Birdsell are also introduced as recurring characters for the season. The episode begins the season's first "pod" of eight episodes, subtitled Ghost Rider.
"The Ghost" originally aired on ABC on September 20, 2016, at the later time of 10:00pm which allowed it to be darker and more mature than previous seasons. The episode was watched by 6.24 million viewers within a week, and received mostly positive reviews due to its new status quo and the introduction of Ghost Rider. The opening scene received criticism for sexualizing Bennet.
Plot
Former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Daisy Johnson, now the vigilante "Quake", is hunting gang affiliates of the anti-Inhuman terrorist group Watchdogs in Los Angeles when members of the Aryan Brotherhood are murdered by the fiery "Ghost Rider" in front of her. Agents Phil Coulson and Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie, who were forbidden from searching for Johnson by the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D, are tipped off to her location by Agent Melinda May. They fly to Los Angeles under the guise of checking in on Inhuman asset Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez, who has signed the controversial Sokovia Accords and is now under the jurisdiction of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the United Nations.
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