What happens when SHIELD’s boss and its top tech guy are stuck in 1982?
It creates a parade of ’80s memories and cliches that happen at the wrong time, but it also includes a bid by the Chromicons to rebuild themselves including one apparent success.
And…someone is back.

SPOILERS BELOW

After last week’s tragic end where Mack’s parents were killed by the Chromicons, the show was due to take a pause before the inevitable final battle. Actually, the episode shows that Deke Shaw could be a future SHIELD boss given enough time. Only he can create a cover band (with songs from the future) that also doubles as a clandestine team of agents. Sure, it was the premise of a cartoon show, but it sure works here. He has the whole package, including experts in disguise, demolitions, and espionage. The drummer…is just a drummer.

Mack is not impressed with this new group residing at the Lighthouse, but he’s also having problems dealing with what happened. He spends more than a year in the 80s, looking at his old house while his ten year old self is there. He later finds out Deke has also been checking up on young Mack.
It’s a long road, but Mack slowly becomes the boss again. That includes a new version of the Axe Gun that Deke designed with a dash of KISS and Motley Crue. Of course, the process is done by a montage.

Not only that, Phil Coulson is now Phil Headroom (five years before Max shows up), kept in a digital form. He’s able to tell tell Mack that Sibyl is also somewhere, in some form, hoping to rebuild her Chromicon army. She’s already busy, downloading herself into the life of a computer nerd called Russell (Austin Basis). He’s able to rebuild her, but only as a robot similar to the ones in Chopping Mall and just as deadly. It’s basically Weird Science gone horribly wrong.

While the Deke Squad practice battles that look like Extreme Paintball, Sibyl has made more bots, now with lasers. One of them even thinks he’s a Dalek, and is just as dangerous.

The crew does a good job beating the Sibyl-bots, but it looks like it’s just a distraction. One of them manages to get a glowing blue cube that looks very important.

Back at the Zephyr, they’re recovered from the jump, and are headed to Mack and Deke. Elena and May get there, and there’s a nice reunion, followed by May not surprised Coulson still exists. He’ll get a new body soon.
Sadly, so will Nathaniel Malick. He was suddenly rebuilt (maybe a Chromicon), and is now working with Sibyl Headroom with that blue Time Crystal. They think they’ll be parents of a new form of Chromicons, and control the timeline.

Again, this was a good breather after the first half. It’ll be interesting how much of the Deke Squad will stick around.
If there was a flaw, it was the show’s decision to start with May asking Deke where he and Mack have been. That wasn’t necessary because fans knew they’d be back on the ship. It would have been fun to figure out how.
Also, seeing Deke throw in Daisy’s name in “Don’t You Forget About Me” might be a hint she’ll be in a triangle with Sousa. Let’s hope it’s brief, though. They have enough problems.
Oh, and anyone remember Leopold Fitz?

Next week, Elena takes drastic steps to restore her super-speed, even facing part of her past she’d rather forget.