In the creatively titled and 80s inspired next episode of “Agents of SHIELD,” “The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and the D” continues the time hopping narrative with much more comedy than the show has done in the past. With Mack and Deke stuck in the year 1982, Mack is still reeling from his family’s death while Deke adapts rather quickly. Meanwhile, the Chronicoms resurge in a surprising fashion.
Good Morning, Russell | In 1982, a lonely computer technician named Russell gets a fax from a mysterious source asking for help. When he asks who it is, he gets a picture of Sibyl, the Chronicoms’ leader. He ends up helping her build a crude, “Terminator”-esque robot body, which she of course multiplies before murdering Russell in graphic fashion. Poor nerd…
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After the Zephyr takes off from the 80s without Deke and Mack, Mack doesn’t seem to care about Deke or the mission anymore and leaves on his motorcycle, checking in on his younger self, but not interacting. He retreats to a house for several months, getting drunk and growing a beard- the new sign of loneliness- before Deke drops an invitation to a bar on his doorstep.
The Deke Squad | Mack shows up at the bar, only to find that it was a ruse to get him to see Deke butcher “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” in a band called “The Deke Squad.” And of course, he claims he wrote all the 80s hits we know and love. Deke tries to lure Mack back to SHIELD, revealing that his bandmates, with the exception of his coke-dealing drummer, are SHIELD recruits that he’s been training and he somehow saved Coulson’s mind on an 80s TV, but Mack won’t buy in and chastises Deke for his actions. As Mack is leaving, however, one of Deke’s recruits reveals to him that Deke has been financially supporting his younger self for the last few months.
Everywhere I Go, There’s Robots | Unfortunately, Sibyl and her army of robot cronies arrive to the Lighthouse, where the group is holed up, and murder the drummer and his hot girlfriend in very bloody fashion. Mack finally comes to his senses and mobilizes Deke and his squad, complete with shotgun axe, to take down the robots with one liners to spare, but one of them escapes with a power cell from the Lighthouse and delivers it to Nathaniel Malick. Days later, the Zephyr arrives from the future and Yo-Yo and May fly the Quinjet to the Lighthouse to rescue Mack and Deke and get Coulson’s mind off the hard drive and into a new body.
“Agents of SHIELD” airs Wednesdays on ABC.