Agents Of SHIELD Season 4 Winter Finale: Up In Flames

"Agents Of SHIELD" has some great moments but since it airs on ABC, there are just too many episodes to watch. Network shows typically have 22 episodes per season. Who has time for all that? Too bad. "AoS" would have greatly benefited from a tighter script.

Season 4 introduces Ghost Rider. Robbie Reyes died but made a pact with the Devil. He can live as long and he brings an unspecified number of individuals to justice. The CGI for Ghost Rider is surprisingly good. And best of all, we don't have to watch Nicholas Cage. Yeah! That guy is seriously irritating.

In couples news, Mack and Yo-Yo (Elena Rodriguez) finally share a romantic moment. I'm all for it. More Yo-Yo please. She reminds me of Quicksilver. Fitz and Simmons are also house hunting.

"The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics" features a final showdown with Uncle Eli. He's gone crazy after reading the Darkhold (Book of Sins). It's the same book that made Lucy and the other ghosty scientists bonkers. Eli creates a "demon core" (plutonium reactor to blow up LA) and declares himself a god. Robbie knows the only way to defeat Eli is to drag him into another dimension. Will we see Robbie again? If so will the writers follow the comics and merge both he and Eli one body? That would be interesting.

New SHIELD director Jeffrey Mace dons a cool looking "patriot suit" for the battle. After it's over, Mace tells the public that Daisy/Quake is a hero (and not a baddie). She rejoins SHIELD. I still dont trust Mace though. He confessed to being inhuman (even though he's not). Simmons calls his bluff. He is also up to something with Senator Nadeer but we're not sure exactly what. All we know so far is she wants Simmons help to free her inhuman brother.

It turns out Aida is a LMD (life model decoy). Let's just call her an android. Fitz guesses the truth but others don't catch on for some time. And in the surprise ending, May has also been replaced by an android. The real May is unconscious and being help by Aida. Is Holden in on this too or is just her? Coulsen's in for a shocker.

Grade: 3 3/4 Monsters (out of 5). A good episode that brings the Ghost Rider storyto an end (for now). I hope Aida and android May wreak havoc on SHIELD next year. "AoS" returns from break on January 10, 2017.