After much hype, Ghost Rider made his debut on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on Tuesday night. Fans everywhere have been talking about the character’s arrival on the show, and it’s been said that it could be a game changer for the series- which has really been hurting for the presence of a notable Marvel hero. The character was introduced in Tuesday’s season premiere and, by and large, the response has been very positive. Fans seem to feel he looked great, and that the Robbie Reyes incarnation of Ghost Rider is a very, very welcome addition to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The question now becomes: Did Ghost Rider’s arrival help the show’s ratings?

Turns out the answer to that question is: Eh.

The season premiere scored 3.58 million live viewers, with a 1.1 rating in the show’s key 18-34 demographic. Believe it or not, that’s actually down from last season’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiere- which scored a 1.7 in the key demo. 

Ouch!

But hey, it’s not all bad. The rating provided an upswing for the new 10PM time slot ABC has put Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in, and the it’s about average for where the series left off last season. And some slack should be cut here because 10PM is pretty late, so some of the school-age kids that would typically check a show like this out probably had to miss out on the live broadcast.

Something else to consider is the strength of good old fashioned word-of-mouth. Regardless of Tuesday night’s ratings, the fact remains: People are talking about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and they’re talking about Gabriel Luna’s turn as Ghost Rider. The more telling number will come when next week’s ratings come in, because by then we’ll know if all that positive buzz was enough to reel in more viewers. 

Do you think the season premiere deserved a better outcome? Is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. beyond saving at this point? Can Ghost Rider move the needle? Stay tuned, and while you’re at it…discuss below!

SOURCE: Comic Book