I really liked this episode. Great call backs to Agent Carter, and possibly a chance to tie up the loose end of exactly what the Dark Force Dimension is and can do. Interesting that the Darkhold seems to have the same effect as exposure to the Dark Force itself, an almost insatiable need for more exposure. I'm kind of assuming that our Big Bad lies beyond the dimensional barrier, and Eli is merely a tool to set him/her/it free. We shall discover moving forward. Speaking of Eli, he of course turns out to be evil. Because Eli. It will be interesting to see how Robbie deals with his uncle now that the Rider and Eli are on a collision course. Also, I'm really curious exactly what the Darkhold machine has actually done to him. He can create matter, I gather. But to what end? Eli Morrow, Dark God should be entertaining moving foward. As for Robbie himself, we get a proper origin story for him here. I was impressed with how much of his comic origin story they used, while nevertheless changing things around for their telling here. The presence of a second Ghost Rider really shakes up whatever we thought we knew about Robbie thus far. Considering the Blaze easter eggs in the basement where the Darkhold was discovered, and the fact that it seems silly to waste such a tantalizing opportunity for this one scene, it seems likely that Blaze or Ketch (or both) are on their way. In the comics, it's Johnny that teaches Robbie how control the demon inside him (Eli, in the comic, but the Spirit works just as well in this version). Could be seeing an adaptation of something similar here. A kind of taming of the Spirit story that leaves Robbie more in control. In the speculation corner, it seems to me that Robbie has hopelessly misinterpreted his encounter with the Ghost Rider and his own resurrection. He's not made a deal with the devil, he's been tapped to fight whatever evil is behind the Darkhold's power. Again I go back to the easter eggs in that basement. What if they weren't just for funsies? If this Other Rider (or even another, similarly made) had the Darkhold, one must ask why. Was he shepherding it in some way? Or hiding it? Hiding it seems more likely. Protecting the world from it's evil. What if the Rider is meant to check the power of the book, and it's ilk? All of sudden Robbie's transformation isn't just a lucky break or an interesting coincidence. His uncle was involved in the book research, and Robbie of all people becomes the Ghost Rider? It feels like we're building to a reveal of the Riders not just as Spirits of Vengeance, but as something else. Or maybe I'm just overthinking it, lol. I would be remiss in talking about the episode without mentioning the good Director Mace. He does sinister functionary really, really well. I'm inclined to believe it's mostly a red herring, because the new director being a bad guy seems like such a lazy angle. But he's definitely got his secrets. And where did he send Simmons? I expect her to be hostage of the Senator and her Watchdog friends but maybe Mace has a little more Fury in him than that. It's going to be a long couple of weeks waiting for new episodes!
I think it's a safe bet that other Ghost Rider was indeed Johnny Blaze judging by the bike. Ketch's bike always looks like a custom modded sports/racing bike where this one looks something like a Harley Chopper, which is pretty much what Blaze rode. One interesting detail is that the skull of this Ghost Rider appears to have a bullet hole in the forehead. I'm not 100% up on my Ghost Rider lore, but I always thought Blaze died in a stunt jump gone wrong, while Ketch just randomly found the bike in a junkyard. Am I missing something? Any other Ghost Riders that got a bullet to the brain pan? And yeah, it's probably not a co-incidence that he showed up at a hit meant for a guy using the Darkhold.
So if that is the Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider and with earlier rumors that they approached Nick Cage to appear as him ..would that mean the 2 Ghost Rider movies are somewhat cannon to the MCU?
Not necessarily. It's been known for the same actor to play the same role in two different continuities, e.g. Judi Dench as M in the Bond movies, or Adam West reprising Batman for the later seasons of Super Friends. The Flash has brought back several actors from the 1990 series to reprise their roles in a new continuity -- mainly Mark Hamill and Amanda Pays, but also Vito D'Ambrosio and Alex Desert. The Marvel animated universe on Disney XD features Coulson, Fitz, and Simmons played by the same actors from Agents of SHIELD, as well as J.K. Simmons reprising J. Jonah Jameson, but it's certainly not the same continuity as either the MCU or the Raimi Spider-Man movies.
That's why I asked if it was somewhat cannon.. I can't really remember anything about the 2 movies so I don't know if there's anything in them that could support or discount the possibility they fit into the MCU..at the most I was thinking the basic plot of the Movies could be used as a background for this GR if SHIELD expands on his history . Of course this was more of a Easter Egg and will probably not be addressed in any real matter on SHIELD and unless MARVEL say the GR movies are cannon its just speculation.
Can someone please explain to me why are they releasing the next episode a month from now? It seems wierd. So far the mid-season finale was always episode 10 on the second tuesday of december, but now as we stand that will be december 20th. Is there something up that I didn't hear about? I hope we get more of a tie-in with Agent Carter than just these few mentions, but it was great either way. Also, do you think that Ms. Senator de Vil needed Simmons to "cure" her brother or just for evil, inhuman killing things? And I don't know about you guys, but I'm good without Nick Cage.
Well, naturally they have to take next Tuesday off because it's Election Day. So they'd be skipping a week anyway (The Flash is also off next Tuesday). So maybe they figured this was an opportune time to take a break, rather than taking a week off now and then another break four weeks later.
I find it interesting that ABC and Marvel scheduled the airing of Robbie Reyes' backstory on the same day as the Day of the Dead celebrations. Coincidence or deliberate?
No, in several previous cases they've spoiled a movie in an episode released the very next week. They certainly did so with The Winter Soldier, and with Age of Ultron. Since Doctor Strange is out this week, they'd have no reason not to follow up on it next week, if next Tuesday weren't Election Day.
I could so watch a Ghost Rider spinoff by the way and WTF, a 4 week gap to next episode FFS. It's even more annoying after that awesome ending. I know why it's not on next week but what is ABC doing on the 15th & 22nd. The show will only be back for several episodes before another long break over Christmas/new year.
I've stated before that the Robbie version of GR is not my favorite. However, I'm a comic book fan and overall GR fan(yes I like Alejandra, felt fandom gave her a bad shake), read Robbie's 12 issue run. I've been enjoying the portrayal and feel the actor is doing a good job with him even if he's somewhat more dark at times. We get to this origin episode and get a giant easter egg in what may or may not be Johnny Blaze. As one who came into GR with Dan Ketch I'd be just as stoked if it were Dan. The possibilities of where we are going in the MCU with AoS and Dr.Strange this week are super exciting. I'm glad I was on target with the Agent Carter tie back. I had thought that's what the name drops were but reading others posts confirmed I was on target. Would be nice to even get some type of flashback sequence to further tie up that Agent Carter thread.
Great episode, particularly Robbie's origins, although some of his dialogue in retelling the story was clunky and repetitive. Now that we know that the Blaze or Ketch Ghost Rider also exists in this universe, I'm more forgiving of Robbie's inclusion. Plus, it doesn't hurt that his storyline has been well handled and Gabriel Luna does a good job as Robbie. Hopefully, without detracting to much from Robbie's story, we'll see more of the Blaze Ghost Rider. I'm still hoping for a series, although I'm guessing a Netflix series less likely now. So...any explanation as to what happened to Coulson and Fitz? I'm not up on my Ghost Rider lore. What were the Blaze Easter eggs in the basement?
That was a fantastic episode. I for one love the direction they are going. I nerded out seing GR backstory and the other GR. I think I only read the first comic of Robbie's run so I can't tell if this is close to his origin or not, but I'm so liking that he's being used right, back in the MCU. Shame we have to wait a month for the continuation but bravo MCU, bravo.
Next week, the 8th is US Election Day. They need to run that all night results special. The 22nd is the finale of Dancing with Stars, which will eat up the entire night's schedule. They could have aired an episode in between, on the 15th, but are instead showing a David Blaine special on the schedule. Guess they figured it was better to just take one long break rather than two short ones. As a poster above me mentioned, the big one is the Quentin Carnival posters. Which is where Blaze worked when he became the Ghost Rider. Also, the motorcycle and related tools/equipment, which by themselves aren't much, but combined with the posters makes it look like this is Johnny Blaze's basement/garage.
For what it's worth, apparently Clark Gregg tweeted last night that our Good Samaritan was indeed Johnny Blaze.
Just going back and looking at that basement scene again and there seems to be a lot more in there then just a poster and some motorcycle parts, which is all I really spotted on first viewing. Hung up right next to where they walk in is what looks like a very loud and colourful (looks yellow with stars & stripes motif) leather suit, with what might be a bright yellow cape handing right besides it. Next up is a pair of open face helmets, one of which again has a stars & stripes paint job. Followed by the "Quentin Carnival" poster, several loose motorcycle wheels, one of which is still attached to a pair of forks that looks like it came off a chopper, all resting on a large travel case covered in various stickers. Just along from that is a black leather jacket lying conspicuously on top of an old wooden chest (the book is actually buried right in front of the case & chest.) Then there's a large column trophy next to a cupboard with what looks like another carnival or circus poster for "Voltara Goddess of Light!" (I looked it up, but didn't seem to be a reference to anything in particular) with a chopper's mudguard on the floor. And the last thing that might be relevant is a chair In the middle of the room that again has that stars & stripes motif. So yeah, carnival posters, racing trophy, chopper parts, a stars & stripes motorcycle outfit & helmet plus a beat-up black leather jacket...all signs seem to point to carnival stuntman Johnny Blaze. Also of note, they mention the house was the family home of the man who murdered the last person to own the Darkhold. So presumably Blaze killed whoever that was and hid the book under his old house? Which would mean he was probably tracking these people down when he ran into Robbie...but then what did he do? Can the Spirit of Vengeance only have one host at a time, or can there be more than one Ghost Rider at any given time?