When looking for spooky TV shows to watch during Halloween, Agents of SHIELD may not be the first to come to mind. But that doesn't mean that it lacks arcs that leave a lasting and often unsettling impression. In its seven seasons, there's a handful of stories that delve deep into various types of horror, from traditional scares to more existential ideas about existence.
With so many arcs in the series, it's hard to know where to start. This list will help sift through Agents of SHIELD's many episodes and offer up a collection of stories that fit the Halloween season.
Coulson's Resurrection Is a Shocking Twist
Phil Coulson's death in the first Avengers film left a lasting impression on the audience, and most fans have missed him being in the films since. Agents of SHIELD reveals that his death also left an impression on Phil due to the circumstances around his resurrection.
For most of the first season, Coulson would tell people who questioned him that he was in Tahiti and it was a magical place. In reality, that was a fabrication to spare him from reliving the trauma of being revived from an experimental alien drug. The effects forced Nick Fury to have his memories erased by exposing his brain and having a robot reprogram his mind. It's an unexpected twist that left many fans' jaws on the floor.
May's Bahrain Backstory Is Terrifying and Heartbreaking
Another mystery in the series revolves around why Melinda May is called the Calvary by so many agents. May would never discuss this, but the truth eventually comes out, and it's as terrifying as it is heartbreaking. Years ago, May and Coulson encountered an inhuman and placed her on an index of other people with abilities. The mother wished for her daughter, Katya, to go through the same Terrigenesis she did to awaken her abilities but wasn't permitted due to her deteriorating mental health. She did so anyway to her daughter and found she had the ability to control people's minds and feed off of them. This caused her mother to find more bodies, attracting SHIELD attention.
May convinced Coulson to let her go alone, and she kills some mercenaries and Katya's mother. Unfortunately, Katya killed some of those she was controlling just before she could control May. However, the agent fatally shot her. May's trauma forced her off the field for years and damaged her personal life. But to those she saved, she looked like a hero who killed dozens of guards, which earned her the nickname.
Ghost Rider Brings Supernatural Horror to Agents of SHIELD
The Ghost Rider arc wasn't Agents of SHIELD's first dive into the supernatural, but it was the most memorable. The first part of Season 4 follows Daisy Johnson as she tries to understand and help Robbie Reyes, who is dealing with being the Ghost Rider. The show perfectly captures what makes the character a spirit of vengeance and shows fans that there is still so much lore from Marvel that the series can explore. The arc is a mixture of a revenge story and a classic monster tale that makes fans root for the Rider but pity Robbie for what he has to go through.
Agents of SHIELD's LMD Arc Builds Fear and Paranoia
The LMD arc is the series' attempt at an Invasion of the Body Snatchers-style story. The story begins with Holden Radcliffe creating an AI known as AIDA. As she grows more intelligent, she even obtains a body. However, her desire to be real and recognized also grows. As a result, SHIELD's Life Model Decoys begin replacing real agents.
To add to the danger, the switch doesn't happen quickly, as agents are gradually switched, making the potential for anyone to be a robot even higher. The entire arc is about how fast fear and paranoia can spread as each character begins to question if they can trust their friends anymore.
Fitz's Mental Break in Season 5 Is Downright Scary
After the LMD incident, AIDA places the Agents in a Matrix-style program known as the Framework. Unfortunately, this is a world where Hydra has won, and Fitz is an evil doctor who experiments on Inhumans. The event left the real Fitz traumatized as he believed those who he hurt would never trust him again.
The resulting mental effects of such an experience eventually manifest in Season 5 with the Doctor persona returning and experimenting on Daisy. While he was ultimately trying to reactivate her Inhuman abilities, the means by which he does it is utterly terrifying. But the worst part of the arc is his gradual decline in sanity and realization that he has to separate himself from his friends.