If you look really closely…you can tell that I threw that picture together in GIMP.
For the past two seasons, SHIELD’s finales have been split into two episodes and aired as a 2-hour event. But, because of the changes in scheduling, the fourth season’s finale only had one installment, and that doesn’t work in the finale’s favour. It does feel like it was written, and perhaps even shot, as two episodes, given how things happen, or are resolved, so sporadically. There’s not much room for the characters to breathe except at the end of the episode…before they’re plunged into the set-up for next season.
That’s not to say “World’s End” isn’t a good episode. It’s awesome! There’s just a handful of scenes, explanations, plot threads and character interactions that should have been fleshed out a bit more.
Ghost Rider’s return was something I’ve been looking forward to since the moment he left back in the midseason finale. Robbie slides back into the story, and Gabriel Luna back into the role, effortlessly, and he gets some freaking cool stuff to do. His first action scene is him kicking some LMD behinds and giving Aida a run for her money. Unfortunately, the explanation as to where he’s been/what he’s been doing isn’t as clear as I would’ve liked. Sure, he says he was in “Hell,” but was it the same “Hell” he, Coulson and Fitz were stuck in earlier? He says he killed people, but how can he? And what war was he talking about? It was all very vague and confusing, and even though it’s very possible they’re saving that stuff for next season or our hopeful Ghost Rider series, I felt like more light (perhaps from a fiery head?) should’ve been shed on those details.
The resolution to the Aida’s story also proved to be underwhelming. After the events of the Framework arc and the ending of last week’s episode, I was excited to see the SHIELD crew, along with Ghost Rider,just obliterate her. I got my wish, but it all happened so fast. It was like, “Hey, Coulson’s Ghost Rider! Commercial break! Now they’re teleporting for a few seconds aaaaand now she’s dead.” I would sound sadistic if I said I wanted Aida’s death to be slow, but I just wanted it to be more of a struggle, making her death all the more satisfying.
There a few other negative things I could highlight, such as the unexpected Simmons LMD, the way the Superior’s plot thread is sort of left hanging, etc. But let’s talk positive stuff now, eh?
Yo-yo’s voyage into the Framework was an interesting send-off to the virtual reality. There was something eerie about the way everything and everyone just started blipping out of existence, including our dear Hope (Sad!), leaving just Mack, Yo-yo and Radcliffe. I thought for sure they’d keep the Framework for next season as a bit of an open door for a return from Ward or Tripp, but maybe literally pulling the plug on it is for the best.
But, in the end, my favourite moment of the finale…was the end. No, not that end. Not yet. I’m talking about the scene with our team at the diner, sharing a meal. Mack, Yo-yo, May, Coulson, Daisy, Simmons and Fitz all having a good time and getting that aforementioned time to breathe. Sure, it may have seem a bit sudden to have a moment of levity like that after they just stopped an insane robot-turned-human from plunging the world into chaos, but after three finales that left our heroes in uncertain or bleak situations, it was a nice change of pace.
BUT HEY WHAT WOULD A SHIELD FINALE WITHOUT SOME GOOD OLD-FASHIONED SET-UP AMIRITE? And, to be fair, it was a great set-up. The SHIELD team is captured by a group who can seemingly control time, and then brought to some sort of prison…in SPACE. It was the perfect combination of teasing and giving us a good idea of where the next season is going.
September January, ahoy!
Other Thoughts:
- So Ghost Rider’s chain can now use his chain as a sling ring? Nice.
- Definitely would’ve gone with the chocolate banana cream pie. Sounds heavenly.
- Aw, man. Daisy’s the one who gives the “we’re all in this together” pep talk to Fitz because she went through a similar thing last season. The feels!
- So…what could Coulson owe the Spirit of Vengeance?
- “I missed it, didn’t I? You two together!”
- Yeah, where is Gabe? Haven’t seen him in a while.
- I’m thinking that those time-stopping guys don’t actually stop time. I think they just paralyze those in the surrounding area. Note how the leader says “The window closes in two minutes.” How can you measure time when time’s stopped? It sounds dumb, but I’M STICKING WITH IT.
- But seriously. Ghost Rider show. Near future.
Rating: 8.2/10 bullets to Talbot’s head
Noah
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