Season 4

This season was superb. Because it was split in several smaller arcs instead of a big one, there's more happening during this season than in several years of other shows. And because all these subplots are superposed, it's just not one after another, it connects the whole thing and it works great. So many storylines: Ghost Rider, the ghosts scientists, the Watchdogs, Aida, SHIELD rehabilitation, the Senator, the May LMD, Radcliffe, the Russian, the Framework

The big bad changes all the time too. You get:
spooky scientists ghosts
nope, it was Eli
also the Watchdogs
then Aida
nope, turns out she was following Radcliffe commands
again the Watchdogs and their russian boss
ah, now it's Aida again,
then Aida, but in the Framework
then Aida, but with super powers,
in reality about everything is the Darkhold's fault.

I feel the Ghost Rider character works super well with Daisy, great teamwork every time they're together. Also he really kicks ass, and well, he got a flaming skull, a burning car and a fiery chain. And he can kill ghosts and immortal beings. What's not to love ?

I think my favorite character this season was Radcliffe though. A genuinely good guy who was really trying to help but just got corrupted by the Darkhold. He really loves Fitz, he really wants to protect people, and to find a way for Agnes to live, or at least not die. And he even got over the Darkhold's evil and redeemed himself by the end. Though maybe bing dead at the time helped. He would have been such a great add to the team, I'm gonna miss him.

The Watchdogs and senator Nadeer are not really interesting. Seen a thousand times. A militia against people that are differents, nothing new. Very X-Men feeling where the world is against mutants.

Not really original, but one of the great points of this show is how well it integrates in the MCU. So here, the fear of Inhumans is linked the Civil War events and the Sokovia accords. It makes sense that something like the Watchdogs would exist. It's just not specially interesting.

Same thing with Aida. It makes sense that everyone is immediately super freaked out because we are in a post Ultron world.

The weaker point for me was the Framework. Not a big fan of the what if alternative reality thing. Maybe a little, it can be fun, it gives an occasion to see differents sides of the character, and see again some old characters, nice touch. Also gives the best acting performance of the season. But it was way too long. Specially on the Mack teary eyed story.

Second weak point is the Russian. Really 100% uninteresting. Almost to the point where I thought it was done on purpose as an in-joke for Coulson one-liners. But nope, he will probably still be there nex season.

Also disappointed by the quick way they get rid of super power Aida. They was so much character and antagonist potential here. I feel like it got wasted. I mean she should have had tons of powers, and we only see two!

Mallory Jansen as Aida is really impressive. At first she's just, well, an almost expressionless robot. So it's hard to tell if it's good acting, or well used bad acting. But when later she gets to play other characters, as well as the explosively emotional version of Aida at the end, you realize how good she is to nail this almost human but kinda weird android feeling. And even more in the part when she turns human and desperately can't handle all she feels. Aida, Agnes, Ophelia, and the human Aida are four really different characters, and she aces it.

One of the best character this season is Jemma. She gets one badass moment after another, much better than even when she was stranded all alone in another planet. Also many awful and heartbreaking moments. Elizabeth Henstridge is amazing. Even more so as she's the central character in several episodes, often really desperate, but finding th strength to do what must be done (when the HQ is infiltrated by LMDs, entering the Framework).

But the acting award goes to Iain De Caestecker! Fitz goes through a lot but he plays everything to the perfection. His relationship with Jemma, missions on the field, lying to her about Aida, Radcliffe's treason, his investigation on Aida's actions. Then comes the Fitz LMD. You don't see him for long, but it's by far the most impressive play of an LMD. When he tries to convince Jemma, switching instantly from scared Fitz, to emotionless robot. The moment when she's killing him! Really astonishing performance. And then arrives Evil Fitz in the Framework, and there you're left speechless. He's just terrifying. I didn't really like the Framework episodes, but I could have watched more just for him. Such a different character, but on the same basis. And because of that, you also know that in the aftermath, he will feel a paralyzing amount of guilt for the monster that he was in there, and boy can he sell that too !

Apart from that:
- some good Yoyo scenes. Her power is so fun, I want more of her!
- some fun references to past episodes (it's a magical place)
- some great fights, as usual. Specially with the Raider, and Daisy can now do some real dammage with her power
- that moment when she trash the Mack and Coulson LMDs !
- or when she projects Ophelia out the window !
- that incredibly emotional moment when Daisy and Jemma find each other during the LMD invasion
- the new Director makes an interesting though limited character
- some heartbraking character development for Mack
- Coulson still makes fun comments
- May being so pissed off because of the whisly bottle
- some fun flashbaks from when Coulson was a less experimented agent, also in the Framework
- a guy (Vijay) that I would totally called as the big villain, but was then totally ignored. Maybe next season.
- some fun with the Koenigs
- the season is short on new Inhumans with interesting powers, but there's the boom one, pretty cool

I so fucking hope Coulson will be in Infinity War!