Then
Joseph and Lucy enter the family home of the last man who had the Darkhold…. before he killed his family. Lucy finds a slab buried in the floor, and they pull it aside to find the Darkhold beneath. They open the book but discover that the pages are blank. After a moment writing and symbols appear, and Lucy sees it as English while Joseph sees it as German. Lucy points out that German is his first language, and suggests that the Darkhold is reading them. Joseph lets go of Lucy's hand and reaches for the book..
Now
Joseph sees Coulson and Zack as demons, due to Lucy touching him. He says that they can have the Darkhold, and as he seizes up Joseph says that he buried the book where he found it.
At the family home, Lucy picks up the Darkhold.
With his dying breath, Joseph says that it's too late and Lucy knows where the Darkhold is.
Lucy opens the Darkhold but the writing doesn't appear for her and she turns intangible, unable to touch the book.
The next day on the Zephyr, Mack suggests that they tell Jeffrey about the book. Coulson points out that they don't know if they can trust him, and Melinda wonders why Robbie is there. He says that he helped them learn about the Darkhold, and even Fury was afraid of it. Mack suggests that they talk to Eli again, and Robbie warns that his uncle won't talk to them. Coulson says that they'll tell S.H.I.E.L.D. that they're taking a prisone into protective custody, and figures that they need Fitz's antidote. Robbie insists on going with them, but Coulson says that they're not taking him and Mack agrees. The younger man finally backs down and walks off.
Robbie finds Daisy in the cargo hold working on her laptop. He points out that he's never been caught until she showed up, and Daisy reminds him that he's been killing people while possessed. She figures that he's settling scores hoping Ghost Rider will go away, and says that if he wants answers then he has to trust S.H.I.E.L.D. When he wonders why she's hiding away in the cargo bay, Daisy says that it's best for everyone and Robbie says that he's starting to see why.
At the lab, Fitz and Jemma finish the antidote based on the mind scans of Melinda when she was inflicted. Jemma reminds him that she has her lie detection test later that day and doesn't want any more secrets. She complains that he didn't tell her about Aida, and says that it will get her sacked. Jemma warns that she's terrible at keeping secrets, but tells Fitz to get with Coulson and she'll work something out so she doesn't get fired. Fitz tries to cheer her up without success and leaves.
Coulson and Melinda enter the prison and as they go in, Coulson suggests that she talk about her near-death experience. He wonders what she saw, but Melinda doesn't want to discuss it. Warden Green calls them into his office and confirms that they're transferring Eli into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. Melinda notices that the guard is locking the door and the phone is disabled, and Green grabs a shotgun as he sees them as demons. The agents take cover as Green shoots at them, and then Melinda charges him when he runs out of ammo. She quickly knocks him out while Coulson takes out the other guard as he comes in.
More guards run up, similarly infected, and Coulson and Melinda barricade the office door. Coulson then calls Mack and tells him that the prison is compromised. On the Zephyr, Mack briefs Robbie and Daisy, pinpointing Eli's location. He'll get Eli while Daisy leads a team to extract Coulson and Melinda. Robbie insists on going with Mack, and Mack points out that all of the prisoners deserve justice. Daisy points out that they need Ghost Rider to deal with the ghosts, and Mack reluctantly agrees. He reminds everyone that they're only using Icers because the infected aren't responsible for their actions.
Fitz arrives via Quinjet and the teams prepare to infiltrate the prison. Daisy puts on the new gauntlets Jemma deigned for her, and assures Mack that she's not going to risk using her powers. Fitz comes in with the cases of the antidote, and Mack tells him that he needs him to run the op from the Zephyr. The scientist says that the serum has to be placed at the base of the skull and injected directly into the brainstem.
The two teams drop into the pr ison and discover that the guards are gone.
Jeffrey's man Harlan questions Jemma using the lie detector, and asks if she has ever been a member of Hydra. She insists that her allegiance has always been to S.H.I.E.L.D., and Harlan asks her if she ever acquired sensitive information that she's obligated to report. Jemma hesitates and then says that it's wide-ranging, and Jeffrey comes in and says that she has to come with him.
Mack's team enters the prison ward and Fitz says that Lucy and her people are searching cell by cell for Eli. He's lost track of them and figures that they've gone ghostly. Meanwhile, Robbie sees Santino Noguera, a prisoner he recognizes from the Fifth Street Locos, and starts to move on him. Mack stops him and says that Santino isn't the objective, and Robbie reluctantly moves on. He tells Mack that he's in control, but Mack says that he'll shoot him to stop Ghost Rider from coming out.
Daisy and her team reach the warden's office and take out the guards. Coulson says that they'll back up Mack and Robbie, and tells the team to inject Green and the guards with the antidote. Fitz directs them to Eli's cell, and Daisy realizes that many of the prisoners have the Watchdogs tattoo. She figures that the Watchdogs are recruiting prisoners. Lucy steps out and opens the prisoners' cell doors before disappearing. Coulson tells Fitz to open the main gate, and the team ges out as the prisoners chase after them.
Jeffrey takes Jemma to his office and says that there are things he needs to know even though she's close to Coulson. Jemma assures him that he can trust her, and Jeffrey explains that he's debating Senator Nadeer about the "Inhumans' War on Humans." He wants Jemma to give him scientific facts to back up their argument, and says that he wants what's in her head in his head. He gives her an earbud and tells her to listen in and advise him... and they're live in 15 minutes.
As they continue on, Robbie tells Mack that Eli can't know about Ghost Rider so he'll keep it down. A ghost attacks them and Mack shoots it. It disappears and Robbie grabs a chain and attacks another ghost as it comes at Mack. He kills it, and another ghost passes through Mack. Mack tries to attack it without success, but Robbie grabs it from behind and burns it to death. Mack sees him as a demon and realizes that he's injected, and injects himself with the antidote.
Jeffrey enters the studio and Jemma confirms that the earbuds are working. The show begins and host George Stephanopoulis introduces Jeffrey. Nadeer asks why S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't prioritizing human lives above Inhuman lives. Jemma recites the facts on the similarity between the two, and Jeffrey easily says the same thing in his own words. He claims that the supposed sightings of Inhumans are tabloid stories, and Nadeer asks about S.H.I.E.L.D. has compromised a prison. Jeffrey refuses to comment on ongoing operations but insists that S.H.I.E.L.D. has thigns under control.
Coulson, Melinda, and daisy barricade themselves in a cafeteria, and Fitz directs them to the exit. The prisoners break in and come after them, and Daisy shoves Coulson and Melinda through the next door and locks it behind him. She tells Coulson that it's her fight and takes on the prisoners... without using her powers. Meanwhile, Coulson tells Fitz to find them another way into the cafeteria. Despite her fighting prowess, Daisy is soon forced to retreat as the prisoners move in.
Mack and Robbie go through the cell block and find Eli. Mack blows the lock on the cell door and Robbie tells his uncle that Lucy is coming for him. When Mack mentions the Darkhold, Eli agrees to go with them before Lucy and her people get there.
Daisy fights her way through the kitchen, and the prisoners finally take her down.
Jeffrey says that human fatalities have decreased since the signing of the Sakovia Accords, but Nadeer insists that the Inhumans don't respect treaties. The senator says that Jeffrey isn't the man for the job. Jemma tells him to stick to the facts, but Jeffrey turns off his earbud and says that he became the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. because he believes in their mission. He promises that he's the man for the job because he is an Inhuman. Everyone stares in shock, and Jeffrey says that his life changed when he went through Terragenesis and it's personal. He says that people like him shouldn't be hunted down.
Fitz directs Coulson and Melinda to a garbage chute. As they prepare to climb up, Coulson asks Melinda what she saw when she was dead. Melinda says that she saw him, and they climb up the chute.
A prisoner chokes Daisy, and Coulson and Melinda arrive and take him and the others out. Melinda tells daisy that what she did was suicidal and stupid, and Daisy disagrees. Coulson interrupts them and Fitz says that Mack has Eli.
Lucy finds Eli's empty cell and fades out.
Mack, Robbie, and Eli head for the Quinjet as the freed prisoners riot. When he finds two guards locked up, Mack tells Robbie to get Eli out while he frees them. Robbie takes Elli past the rioting prisoners, but then he sees Santino, sitting calmly in his cell reading. Fighting for control, Robbie tells Eli to go on and he has one more thing to take care of. Once Elli goes on, Robbie goes back to Santino's cell. Santino insists that he's reformed, and Robbie reminds him that he ordered drive-bys on a couple of kids a few years back. The convict points out that they lived, but Robbie says that one of them will never walk. Santino tells him that he didn't order the hit, and that his boys never told him and they all ended up dead... burned. Robbie says that there's still one left and transforms into Ghost Rider.
Flames erupt from the cell as Santino screams in agony. Ghost Rider walks out a few seconds later and all of the prisoners lock themselves in their cells as he walks past.
The police arrive outside the prison and move in. Mack gets out and meets with Coulson and the others, but there's no sign of Eli. Robbie arrives and Mack points out that he was supposed to stay with Eli.
Lucy orders Eli into an ambulance and drives off with him.
Jemma arrives at Jeffrey's office as Burrows tells the director that his approval numbers are through the roof. Once Burrows leaves, Jeffrey thanks Jemma for his help and then says that her polygraph that morning generated some alarming results so he wants her to give it another go. Jemma describes micro expressions and tells Jeffrey that Harlan might ask her about what Jeffrey said earlier. She says that she'd have to tell the truth and they both know that Jeffrey didn't. After a moment, Jeffrey tells Harlan that he's exempting Jemma from any further testing.
Melinda finds Daisy on the Zephyr and says that she knows Daisy is trying to distance herself from everyone so they don't get hurt. She warns that it doesn't work because Coulson won't give up on his friends. Melinda says that Lincoln wouldn't want her to kill herself because of him, and Daisy tells her that after the operation is over, she's gone.
When Melinda goes to Coulson's office, he says that they're going to need Daisy. Eli accessed the security cam footage of the prison showing Lucy forcing Eli to leave with her. They figure Lucy had a reason for taking him alive.
Lucy takes Eli to Momentum and tells him to read the Darkhold because she can't. Once he fixes her, they'll finish what he started. Eli opens the Darkhold and the writing appears.
Nadeer arranges a meeting with Jeffrey in her limo. She congratulates him on his poll numbers, and shows him footage from the prison of Daisy and Ghost Rider. The Senator says that Santino was looking at early release until Ghost Rider killed him, and Ghost Rider came in and left with S.H.I.E.L.D. She asks if his people know that they're harboring a murderer, and promises that the footage will go to ABC in two hours. Jeffrey smiles and asks what she wants.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 26, 2016