It certainly is not uncommon for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to have multiple story-arcs, this was also the case in earlier seasons. The fourth season consists of 3 story-arcs, also apparently known as a three-pod format. I will stay with arcs because I am more familiar with that term. The first arc is about the Ghost Rider and the Darkhold (book). This covers the first 8 episodes of the fourth season. Arc two is about the LMD (Life Model Decoy), which focusses on artificial intelligence and Aida, this covers episodes 9 through 15 and finally, and in my opinion the best arc, is the Framework / Agents of Hydra storyline, which covers the last seven episodes. Regarding these three story-arcs, to me, it has the right sequence in quality and entertainment! I really like the Ghost Rider episodes, the LMD episodes are another step-up for me, but the Framework episodes are just an whole other ballgame altogether! These last 7 episodes are absolutely brilliant! With these episodes I don’t go lower than an 8.5 out of 10. What happens in those episodes is just mind blowing, what these characters are going through is just a roller coaster ride. As a viewer, you regularly get amazed, stunned, baffled and deeply emotional of what our heroes have to go through.

Season 4 Recurring Characters:

Besides our familiar lead characters, we have a number of recurring characters in season four which also made a massive impact in the season 4 storylines. Gabriel Luna is the Ghost Rider, Robbie Reyes, a strong and effective character who at first reluctantly begins to work with S.H.I.E.L.D. to stop his uncle Eli Morrow (José Zúñiga) with his evil plans. Robbie also was very protective of his younger brother Gabe Reyes (Lorenzo James Henrie), who was tied to a wheelchair. Starting with this new season Phil Coulson was no longer the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Jeffrey Mace (Jason O’Mara), supposedly inhuman who becomes the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D.. John Hannah is Holden Radcliffe, a bio-geneticist, obsessed with immortality, who is also there in season 3, is the one who created the Life Model Decoy, Aida. Malory Jansen is Aida and my god what can she act that women! She can act so good I really despise her throughout the better part of the 4^th season. Natalia Cordova-Buckley is Elena Rodrigues aka Yo-Yo, a nickname she got from Mack, because of her unique nature of her superspeed abilities. In later seasons she becomes a regular character. Zach McGowan is Anton Ivanov, aka the Superior, he is a villain who despises Inhumans and blames S.H.I.E.L.D. and especially Coulson for the fact that there are Inhumans. Aida also turns Ivanov into many LMD versions of himself.

Arc one: The Ghost Rider and the Darkhold:

A new S.H.I.E.L.D. director, Jeffrey Mace, putting Coulson back in the field. Jemma is “promoted” to Mace’s personal assistant and trustee. Daisy Johnson is acting as a rogue vigilante trying to atone for her past, which leads to early confrontations with Ghost Rider. Robbie Reyes, an LA mechanic who turns into the Ghost Rider, a fierce anti-hero. He hunts those of whom he thinks deserve to die, using a haunted 1969 Dodge Charger and a chain. Radcliffe has created an android and he pulls in Fitz in his secret and convinces him not to tell anyone about it yet. Our team discovers ghost-like people, created by the Darkhold, a dark magical book. Robbie’s uncle Eli Morrow turns out to be the main villain in this first arc. He aims to harness the Darkhold’s power to create matter from nothing. Together with S.H.I.E.L.D. the Ghost Rider defeats his uncle, but while doing that Robbie gets trapped in another dimension. Presumed missing, but he does return to help in the fight against Aida aka Ophelia, who has become human but with almost unlimited powers.

Arc two: The "LMD" (Life-Model Decoy):

Radcliffe is seeking the Darkhold, he uses his AI assistant Aida to kidnap real S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and replace them with LMD’s. Goal is to get the Darkhold and eliminate threats to their operations, especially Inhumans. Agent Melinda May is the first one, she is so perfect that even Coulson does not see, does not feel a difference and they grow close together. At first, the LMD May isn’t even aware that she is artificial. Meanwhile the real May, in captivity by Radcliffe and Aida, living in a looped, tranquil, virtual reality simulation that later transforms into a recurring, distressing memory of the incident in Bahrain. LMD versions of Coulson, Mack, Mace and Fitz are activated to destroy S.H.I.E.L.D. from within, while the real Fitz is captured. At one point Daisy and Jemma are the only ones who haven’t been replaced and they have no idea who is and who hasn’t been replaced. This leads to an exciting showdown where the LMD May sacrifices herself by blowing up the base, fleeing into the Framework, leading directly into arc four. Key moments for me was LMD Fitz trying, but failing to manipulate Jemma Simmons and LMD May, while unaware that she was an robot, falling in love with Coulson. Also how devious Radcliffe actually becomes, yes ultimately he is overshadowed by his creation, but the Darkhold also has a dark influence on him.

Arc three: The Framework and the Agents of Hydra:

So, the most of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents have been forcibly put in the Framework by Aida, Daisy and Jemma are the only agents who go into the Framework by choice to try and save their friends. They arrive in an opposite world of the real world, a world where Hydra rules, a harsh and injustice world. Coulson, a teacher and a conspiracy theorist, Mack is living with his daughter Hope, who died in the real world. May did not kill the girl in Bahrain, leading to her being a loyal Hydra operative. Fitz is the Doctor, his father never left him, turning him into a ruthless scientist. Aida is Madam Hydra, the head of Hydra and she and Fitz are in a relationship. Ward, a loyal S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, posing as a Hydra agent, working with the resistance. Daisy and Jemma lead a small, underground S.H.I.E.L.D. resistance against Hydra, along with the Inhuman Jeffrey Mace.

About the Framework Arc:

As I already mentioned, these last 7 episodes, where the team is living in the Framework, is just perfect television, think of Fitz, who is brutal in the Framework, doesn’t know Jemma, he kills the original Aida, Agnes, in front of her (Jemma), he uses torture to get Daisy to talk, he adores Madam Hydra, he is a clone of his father, who is harsh, ruthless, no empathy. For Jemma this is incomprehensible, that she cannot get through to him in the Framework. Ward (Brett Dalton) is back as the Ward we know from season one, this was a nice surprise, from the start I was disappointed that Ward turned out to be the bad guy, really liked his character on the team and yes, he played the villainous Ward to perfection, still, I’d rather would have seen it differently. Also nice to see Agent Triplett (B.J. Britt) back, he died in season two and I was really disappointed because too was such a fun spirited character, even in these dark surroundings he often was the one who tried to be chipper. In the Framework, Mack’s daughter Hope did not die, so naturally, he didn’t want to go back to the real world, even knowing the consequences. Even Yo-Yo initially could not convince him to leave his digital daughter behind. Only when she disappeared before his eyes, he came back. Director Mace made me choak-up when he was a total bad-ass hero, saving Hydra indoctrinated children and his team. These episodes where one big rollercoaster ride where you as a viewer laughed, cried, got angry, got ecstatic and watched the episodes with growing amazement. I kid you not, this was some of the best TV I’ve ever seen!

Final World:

The bizarre thing was that beforehand I thought this was my least favorite season! I am wondering how the hell are seasons 5,6 and 7 going to top season 4. I hope they do! Till now I only saw the 5^th season twice and seasons 6 & 7 one time, so, at this point I can only remember the broad strokes of these seasons but I really hope these 3 seasons top season 4! But what would that mean for the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? On many occasions I already said that this show is so underrated, and if the coming seasons top season 4, why does no one talk about S.H.I.E.L.D. It seems it is already a forgotten show, which wasn’t even been allowed to be completely released on Blu-ray in Europe and the UK after the first five seasons where already released on Blu-ray. Yes, I get very passionate about this show, because it is just so f*cking good!

screencaps taken from: Kissthemgoodbye.net