"Deals with Our Devils" is the seventh episode of the
fourth season of the American television series ''
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen for ABC based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, ...
'' Based on the
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
organization
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism government agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, this agency first appeared in ''Strange Tal ...
, it follows
Phil Coulson
Agent Phillip J. "Phil" Coulson ( ) is a fictional character portrayed and voiced by Clark Gregg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise. Coulson is depicted as a high-ranking member of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and longt ...
and his allies, who are trapped between dimensions. It is set in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
(MCU) and acknowledges
the franchise's films. The episode was written by
DJ Doyle
Daniel J. "DJ" Doyle is an American television writer.
He is well known for his work on ABCs ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.''
Life and career
Doyle hails from Massachusetts. He was an accountant before "getting the bug" to get into the industry. He ...
, and directed by
Jesse Bochco
Jesse John Bochco (born March 2, 1975) is an American television director and producer. He is the son of television producer/writer Steven Bochco and actress Barbara Bosson.
Career
In 1982, Bochco had his first and only acting role as Frank Furi ...
.
Clark Gregg
Robert Clark Gregg Jr. (born April 2, 1962) is an American actor, director, and screenwriter. He portrayed Phil Coulson in films and television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from 2008 to 2024, and voiced Coulson in an animated tele ...
reprises his role as Coulson from the film series, and is joined by series regulars
Ming-Na Wen
Ming-Na Wen (; born November 20, 1963) is an American actress and model. She has won multiple awards throughout her career, including an Annie Award and a Saturn Award, in addition to a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award. She was honore ...
,
Chloe Bennet
Chloé Wang (; born April 18, 1992), known professionally as Chloe Bennet, is an American actress, model and singer. She starred as Daisy Johnson / Quake in the ABC superhero drama series '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020) and voiced Yi ...
,
Iain De Caestecker
Iain De Caestecker ( ; born 29 December 1987) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for portraying Leopold Fitz/The Doctor in the television series '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020). He is also known for his roles in ''Coronation Street ...
,
Elizabeth Henstridge
Elizabeth Frances Henstridge (born 11 September 1987) is an English actress, model and director. She starred as Jemma Simmons in the ABC superhero action drama series '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020), set within the Marvel Cinematic ...
,
Henry Simmons
Henry Oswald Simmons (born July 1, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie in the ABC superhero drama series '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2014-2020) and Baldwin Jones in the ABC police drama seri ...
, and
John Hannah.
"Deals with Our Devils" originally aired on
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
on November 29, 2016, and according to
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
, was watched by 4.63 million viewers within a week of its release. The episode was nominated for
Best Sound Editing – Short Form Dialogue and ADR in Television at the
64th Golden Reel Awards.
Plot
Phil Coulson
Agent Phillip J. "Phil" Coulson ( ) is a fictional character portrayed and voiced by Clark Gregg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise. Coulson is depicted as a high-ranking member of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and longt ...
,
Leo Fitz
Leopold James "Leo" Fitz is a fictional character that originated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before appearing in Marvel Comics. The character, created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, first appeared in the pilot epi ...
and
Robbie Reyes
Roberto "Robbie" Reyes is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the fifth Marvel character to use the name Ghost Rider, after Carter Slade (the Western comics hero later known as the Phantom Rider), Jo ...
are trapped out of sync with reality, unable to interact with the real world, with no-one else able to see, hear or touch them. They are being drawn to another dimension, which Robbie describes as Hell, revealing that the Ghost Rider spirit has been there before. Killing several agents using his new powers,
Eli Morrow
M-11
M-11 is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Originally known as the Human Robot, the character was named "M-11" in the 2006 to 2007 ''Agents of Atlas'' miniseries as an allusion to its first ...
escapes, while the Ghost Rider spirit, unwilling to return to "Hell", abandons Robbie and instead possesses
Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie, just as he learns Morrow was allied with the Chinese
Watchdogs, having recruited them to retrieve the ghost scientists and find the ''
Darkhold
The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features.
Places
Certain places fe ...
''. Mack hunts down the remaining Chinese gang members, and
Daisy Johnson
Daisy Johnson, also known as Quake, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Gabriele Dell'Otto, the character first appeared in '' Secret War'' #2 ...
pursues him, unknowingly accompanied by Robbie, who convinces the spirit to return to him and help him exact revenge on Morrow, in exchange for Robbie continuing to serve as the spirit's host afterwards.
Melinda May
Melinda Qiaolian May, also known as The Cavalry, is a fictional character that originated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before appearing in Marvel Comics. The character, created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, first appea ...
decides to use the ''Darkhold'' to rescue Coulson, Fitz and Robbie, and enlists
Holden Radcliffe
Holden Radcliffe is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is an enemy of Machine Teen.
The character made his live action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series ''Agents of S.H.I ...
to read the ''Darkhold'', but he finds the contents are too overwhelming for the human brain to perceive.
Aida
''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 De ...
suggests she reads it instead, revealing her android nature to May (and Coulson), and with the magical knowledge she learns from the book, she builds a machine that opens a dimensional portal, through which Coulson, Fitz and Robbie return.
Meanwhile,
Jemma Simmons
Jemma Anne Simmons is a fictional character that originated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before appearing in Marvel Comics. The character, created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, first appeared in the 2013 pilot episode ...
frees
Vijay Nadeer from his Terrigen cocoon by touching it, at which point
Ellen Nadeer immediately has her removed. Upon returning to the
Playground
A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people wi ...
she reunites with Fitz, who learned of the deal
Jeffrey Mace
Jeffrey Solomon Mace, also known as the Patriot and Captain America, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created during the 1940s, a period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Co ...
made with Nadeer while out of sync. In an end tag, Aida secretly begins experimenting with her new knowledge from the ''Darkhold'', creating an artificial brain.
Production
Development
In November 2016, Marvel revealed that the seventh episode of the season would be titled "Deals with Our Devils", to be written by
DJ Doyle
Daniel J. "DJ" Doyle is an American television writer.
He is well known for his work on ABCs ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.''
Life and career
Doyle hails from Massachusetts. He was an accountant before "getting the bug" to get into the industry. He ...
, with
Jesse Bochco
Jesse John Bochco (born March 2, 1975) is an American television director and producer. He is the son of television producer/writer Steven Bochco and actress Barbara Bosson.
Career
In 1982, Bochco had his first and only acting role as Frank Furi ...
directing.
Casting
Main cast members
Clark Gregg
Robert Clark Gregg Jr. (born April 2, 1962) is an American actor, director, and screenwriter. He portrayed Phil Coulson in films and television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from 2008 to 2024, and voiced Coulson in an animated tele ...
as
Phil Coulson
Agent Phillip J. "Phil" Coulson ( ) is a fictional character portrayed and voiced by Clark Gregg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise. Coulson is depicted as a high-ranking member of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and longt ...
,
Ming-Na Wen
Ming-Na Wen (; born November 20, 1963) is an American actress and model. She has won multiple awards throughout her career, including an Annie Award and a Saturn Award, in addition to a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award. She was honore ...
as
Melinda May
Melinda Qiaolian May, also known as The Cavalry, is a fictional character that originated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before appearing in Marvel Comics. The character, created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, first appea ...
,
Chloe Bennet
Chloé Wang (; born April 18, 1992), known professionally as Chloe Bennet, is an American actress, model and singer. She starred as Daisy Johnson / Quake in the ABC superhero drama series '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020) and voiced Yi ...
as
Daisy Johnson / Quake,
Iain De Caestecker
Iain De Caestecker ( ; born 29 December 1987) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for portraying Leopold Fitz/The Doctor in the television series '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020). He is also known for his roles in ''Coronation Street ...
as
Leo Fitz
Leopold James "Leo" Fitz is a fictional character that originated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before appearing in Marvel Comics. The character, created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, first appeared in the pilot epi ...
,
Elizabeth Henstridge
Elizabeth Frances Henstridge (born 11 September 1987) is an English actress, model and director. She starred as Jemma Simmons in the ABC superhero action drama series '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020), set within the Marvel Cinematic ...
as
Jemma Simmons
Jemma Anne Simmons is a fictional character that originated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before appearing in Marvel Comics. The character, created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, first appeared in the 2013 pilot episode ...
,
Henry Simmons
Henry Oswald Simmons (born July 1, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie in the ABC superhero drama series '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2014-2020) and Baldwin Jones in the ABC police drama seri ...
as
Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie, and
John Hannah as
Holden Radcliffe
Holden Radcliffe is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is an enemy of Machine Teen.
The character made his live action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series ''Agents of S.H.I ...
were confirmed to be starring in the episode.
Also revealed was the guest cast for the episode, including
Jason O'Mara
Jason O'Mara (born 6 August 1972) is an Irish-American actor. He has starred in American television series '' Terra Nova'' (2011), '' Vegas'' (2012–13), '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2016–17) and '' The Man in the High Castle'' (2018–19). Fo ...
as Director
Jeffrey Mace
Jeffrey Solomon Mace, also known as the Patriot and Captain America, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created during the 1940s, a period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Co ...
,
Gabriel Luna
Gabriel Luna is an American actor and producer. He is known for his roles as Robbie Reyes / Ghost Rider on the ABC action superhero series '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2016–2017), Tony Bravo on the El Rey Network drama series ''Matador'' (20 ...
as
Robbie Reyes
Roberto "Robbie" Reyes is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the fifth Marvel character to use the name Ghost Rider, after Carter Slade (the Western comics hero later known as the Phantom Rider), Jo ...
,
Mallory Jansen
Mallory Jansen (born ) is an Australian actress and model. She is best known for playing Aida / Ophelia / Madame Hydra in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) television series '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Early life
Jansen was born in Australia ...
as
Aida
''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 De ...
,
Manish Dayal
Manish Dayal (born Manish Sudhir Patel; June 17, 1983) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the CW teen drama series '' 90210'' (2011–2012) as well as in the films '' The Hundred Foot Journey'' (2014) and '' Viceroy's House'' ...
as
Vijay Nadeer, Alexander Wraith as Agent
Anderson,
Lorenzo James Henrie
Lorenzo James Henrie (born June 29, 1993) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Chris Manawa on the AMC television series ''Fear the Walking Dead'' (2015–2016).
Early life
Henrie was born in Phoenix, Arizona, to Linda (''né ...
as
Gabe Reyes
R'Klll
R'Klll (sometimes spelled R'Kill) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
She is depicted as the wife of Dorrek VII, the mother of Anelle, and the grandmother of Hulkling.
Raa of the Caves ...
,
Maximilian Osinski
Maximilian Osinski is an American actor of Polish descent known for his recurring roles as Agent Davis on ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' and Zava on ''Ted Lasso''.
Early life and education
Maximilian Osinski was born in a refugee camp in Austria ...
as Agent
Davis
Davis may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Mount Davis (Antarctica)
* Davis Island (Palmer Archipelago)
* Davis Station, an Australian base and research outpost in the Vestfold Hills
* Davis Valley, Queen Elizabeth Land
Canada
* Davis, Sa ...
,
Patrick Cavanaugh
Patrick Cavanaugh is an American actor.
Early life and education
Cavanaugh was raised in Vallejo, California; his parents divorced when he was young. Cavanaugh started performing as a child and did a Young Actor's Workshop at a local community ...
as
Burrows,
José Zúñiga as
Eli Morrow
M-11
M-11 is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Originally known as the Human Robot, the character was named "M-11" in the 2006 to 2007 ''Agents of Atlas'' miniseries as an allusion to its first ...
, Blaise Miller as Agent
Nathanson Nathanson is a surname. It may refer to:
*Bernard Nathanson (1926–2011), American physician
*E. M. Nathanson (1928–2016), American writer
*Jacob P. Nathanson (1901–1986), New York politician
*Jeff Nathanson (born 1965), American screenwriter
...
, Arnell Powell as scientist, Lance Broadway as Tac Team Leader and David An as Zhi.
O'Mara, Luna, Jansen, Wraith, Henrie, Osinski, Cavanaugh, Zúñiga, and Miller reprise their roles from earlier in the series.
Release
"Deals with Our Devils" was first aired in the United States on
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
on November 29, 2016.
It began streaming on
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
, along with the rest of the fourth season, on June 15, 2017.
Reception
Ratings
In the United States the episode received a 0.8/3 percent share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49, meaning that it was seen by 0.8 percent of all households, and 3 percent of all of those watching television at the time of the broadcast. It was watched by 2.41 million viewers.
Within a week of its release, "Deals with Our Devils" had been watched by 4.63 million U.S. viewers,
above the season average of 4.22 million.
Accolades
The episode was nominated for
Best Sound Editing – Short Form Dialogue and ADR in Television at the
64th Golden Reel Awards but lost to the ''
Penny Dreadful
Penny dreadfuls were cheap popular Serial (literature), serial literature produced during the 19th century in the United Kingdom. The pejorative term is roughly interchangeable with penny horrible, penny awful, and penny blood. The term typical ...
'' episode "
Ebb Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravity, gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another.
Tide ...
".
References
External links
"Deals with Our Devils"at
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
*
{{Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
2016 American television episodes
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4 episodes
Television episodes directed by Jesse Bochco
Television episodes written by DJ Doyle
Television episodes set in the 2010s
Television episodes set in Los Angeles
Television episodes set in Washington, D.C.