Now we’re cooking with hellfire! “Meet the New Boss” continued the world building of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s fourth season, but managed to do so in a more compelling (though frantic) way than the season premiere. The strength of Ghost Rider’s addition to the series wasn’t just seeing a Spirit of Vengeance tear a swath across the road in fiery glory, even though that continues to be cool, but rather he opens up the pathway for the supernatural to start seeping into the show, and boy does it ever with this episode. “Meet the New Boss” begins on quite a creepy note as the ghost from our season premiere appears in a family’s living room in the middle of the night. Confused and hostile, the ghost jumps into the body of a worried father who sees his son as a monster before the show pans to the title card, leaving his fate unknown. Honestly, you can guess where this went from here, but I can appreciate the darker edge without necessarily showing the gory details here.

Speaking of Ghost Rider, we’re given a bit more insight into Robbie Reyes’ life as a mechanic, as he works to support his younger brother who also happens to be stalked by a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in the form of Daisy. The chemistry that everyone had in the car shop definitely had me wishing we’d get more of that, as it seemed very natural and would fit well into the Netflix-Marvel setting, even if it doesn’t take place in New York City proper. Gabriel Luna continues to do an admirable job as Reyes, though I wish his character was fleshed out a tad more than the gruff exterior he currently has; though I suppose that’s part of just getting to know him and the relationship with his brother as time goes on. The back and forth Daisy has with him goes a long way toward getting into his head, and manages to give us a better sense of Quake’s capabilities (both with her spy training and her powers) as she uses them quite frequently when the two throw down.

When Ghost Rider first appeared in the season premiere, I’m sure a lot of people were nervous that the Rider would not be making appearances as frequently due to the budgetary restrictions of a television series versus a major motion picture. However, this episode puts those worries to rest as the Spirit of Vengeance continues to have never looked better in his ghostly form. Speaking of ghosts, the clues laid out and the characters presented as this season’s antagonists (in the form of a gaggle of ghosts) is intriguing enough to have me interested in what exactly their deal is. At “Ghost HQ,” the spirits talk about an experiment gone horribly wrong that has led to their current predicament involving the “Darkholde” (which I’ll explain the origins of in the Miscellanea section). Since they’re dead, they have no qualms about blowing up the reactor and taking out a number of city blocks with them. Luckily, Ghost Rider, along with Mack and Fitz, manage to save the day.

One of the stronger parts of this episode came when we were  introduced to the new Director through Coulson and May. Now the subplot of Inhumans from the past seasons had reached it’s tipping point, that’s for sure, but weaving the identity of this new director into that works surprisingly well, mostly thanks to actor Jason O’Mara. Rather than going the route of a typically Hollywood interpretation of a jarhead, or unabashed villain hiding his true intentions, the Director instead is a slick politician who has been placed in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D. to quell the U.N. and help implement the Sokovia Accords. The character himself, with the added twist of being an Inhuman, is smart, sly, and knows his limitations along with those of his team. His dressing down of Coulson’s weakness in how he treats Daisy regardless of her actions was well-deserved, and you can’t help but like the guy and see his point. His charm and charisma on screen reminds me of Bill Paxton from the first season in many ways.

With the ghosts defeated (and one of them burned to ash), Reyes strikes an unlikely alliance with Daisy, and the two jettison off into the sunset -- but not before Quake gets a tongue lashing from her former co-workers in the form of Mack and Fitz. It’s a quiet, personal moment that allows Fitz to really tear into Daisy, deservedly so. Though to be honest, I felt this episode, if it suffered at all, once again fell into the trap of having just too many subplots to tackle in that Life Model Decoys didn’t appear at all this time around. However, “Meet the New Boss” managed to give us more exposition that brought us further along into the Agents’ new world while still managing to throw in a good amount of action and fan service to boot.

Rating: ★★★★ Very good

Agents of M.I.S.C.E.L.L.A.N.E.A.

-- “What is the Darkholde?” you may ask. Think of it as the Marvel Universe’s version of the Necronomicon from the Evil Dead. It’s a spellbook that, when used by magic experts, can produce insanely powerful results. Dr. Strange actually used it once to eliminate all the vampires in the Marvel Universe, which obviously didn’t stick. It also functions as something of a monkey’s paw to those inexperienced with, granting their deepest desires at a terrible price. Read the old Marvel series, Darkholde Redeemers, if you want a better look into what the book can do. Obviously, this will play a HUGE role moving forward and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it shows up in Dr. Strange as well in some form or fashion.

-- I’ll never not love Mack’s “Shotgun Axe.”

-- May’s insanity is a nice wrinkle and hopefully, with this season potentially being the last, I hope that they can start being a little more fast and loose with this darker batch of episodes, perhaps losing some established folks along the way.

-- Thoughts on whether the ghosts may be characters from the comics themselves? I’m wracking my brain for Ghost Rider villains on this one.

-- Which Inhuman could the Director be?

-- Reyes: “If it ain’t silver and black, I don’t really give a damn.”

Simmons: “Yeah, a simple empty box.”

-- May: “Move.”

Coulson: “He doesn’t appear to be moving.”

-- Director: “Melinda May, now there’s a riddle I’d like to solve.”

-- Reyes: “I sold my soul.”

Daisy: “To the devil?”

Reyes: “He was the only one buying.”