Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s seventh episode of its farewell season, “The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and The D,” hinges on two things: How much do you care about Deke Shaw’s progression into the character he is now and ’80s silliness. If you love both, then consider “The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and The D” gnarly, my dudes. If not, don’t have a cow man.
“The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and The D” hinges on Deke, and for the most part it succeeds. For all the silly singing and goofiness, Deke tries everything possible to help Mack throughout the episode. Deke knows the pain of losing your parents and can relate to Mack’s pain. So that Deke tries to help Mack through his pain in different ways is a great sign of how much his character has grown. Those moments add a touch of warmth to a otherwise really silly episode.
Okay now onto the positives and negatives of “The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and The D!”
POSITIVES
- The A-Team introduction of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team Deke forms in the 80s was excellent.
- Who was your favorite member of “The Deke Squad?” For me, it was definitely Olga and Roxy.
- Mack gives Deke crap for stealing a song from the future to pretend that he created it. However, let’s be honest. How many of us wouldn’t do the same exact thing??? That’s what I thought.
- “He told me he had a steady job.” “Doing what?” “Selling Coke…..Though I never see him drinking any.”
- Deke made Mack a shotgun axe. If that isn’t the sign of a true friend, I don’t know what is.
- Deke standing up for his team when Mack calls them “losers” but also trying to still be a caring friend.
- Coulson as a Max Headroom-type. (Look up Max Headroom on Wikipedia or Google for those reading this born past 1986.)
- Sibyl being turned into a 80’s robot was amazing.
- May and Yo-Yo meeting “The Deke Squad” was a lovely moment that I wish we could have had more of.
NEGATIVES
- No Fitz. ( But also the majority of the team wasn’t on there for the majority of “The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and The D” so less angry about it this time)
- Mack turning into a drunken hermit when stuck in 1982. Even in complete defeat, feels like Mack would have done something constructive. Instead they had him drinking his days away in some dingy hotel. Alphonso Mackenzie deserves better dammit — he would be fighting still not wallowing in self-pity.
- Going from silly 80’s fun to slasher robot film was quite a jolt and a very different shift of tone.
- Coulson as a Max Headroom-type. (It’s possible to love and hate something at the same time)
- Sybil ends up bringing her time-stream thingy to Nathaniel Malick. Oh great, still with the Malicks.
What did you think of “The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and The D’? Let us know in the comments below!
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on ABC.
