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Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD: Deke Shaw’s evolution

By Christina Roberts

MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. - "The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and The D" - After being unexpectedly stranded in 1982, Mack retreats to his childhood home to process the death of his parents, while Deke gets to work scouting a chart-topping group of new agents. With no idea if or when the team is coming back for them, time seems to finally be on their side . at least until the killer robots show up, on "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," WEDNESDAY, JULY 8 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC. - (ABC/Mitch Haaseth)JEFF WARD
MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. - "The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and The D" - After being unexpectedly stranded in 1982, Mack retreats to his childhood home to process the death of his parents, while Deke gets to work scouting a chart-topping group of new agents. With no idea if or when the team is coming back for them, time seems to finally be on their side . at least until the killer robots show up, on "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," WEDNESDAY, JULY 8 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC. - (ABC/Mitch Haaseth)JEFF WARD /
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Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD introduced Deke Shaw in season five. Since his first appearance, he’s made some tremendous leaps in character

Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD always seems to have at least one character in the ensemble that fans almost unanimously seem to dislike.

At the beginning, it was Skye, as the whole show seemed to just cater to how “special” she was, but since then she’s evolved so much (pun intended) that she’s one of the best characters on the show.

Then it was Grant Ward, who really only finally became interesting once the Hydra reveal came about. And even then, it still took some time for fans to enjoy him.

In the last few seasons, it’s been Deke Shaw, a later addition to the team. Introduced in season five aboard the Lighthouse in 2091, he was a loaner on the outskirts of an already maligned society. He turned out SHIELD team into Kasius and had a wicked crush on Daisy (something that still really needs to be dropped).

He did finally turn himself around a bit and fought to save everyone and repair the Earth before it gets shattered to pieces. And since he’s out of time, he’s still hanging around as a SHIELD agent. (Plus being FitzSimmons’ grandson is also a thing.)

Deke did get a little more tolerable in season six, breaking off from SHIELD and starting his own legacy at a tech company, but he falls back into his old trappings of looking out for his best interests and stealing others ideas to benefit himself. And it’s not always a good look.

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. – “The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and The D” – After being unexpectedly stranded in 1982, Mack retreats to his childhood home to process the death of his parents, while Deke gets to work scouting a chart-topping group of new agents. With no idea if or when the team is coming back for them, time seems to finally be on their side . at least until the killer robots show up, on “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” WEDNESDAY, JULY 8 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC. – (ABC/Jessica Brooks)JEFF WARD
MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. – “The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and The D” – After being unexpectedly stranded in 1982, Mack retreats to his childhood home to process the death of his parents, while Deke gets to work scouting a chart-topping group of new agents. With no idea if or when the team is coming back for them, time seems to finally be on their side . at least until the killer robots show up, on “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” WEDNESDAY, JULY 8 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC. – (ABC/Jessica Brooks)JEFF WARD /

In the latest Agents of SHIELD episode, it’s more of the same. We get a heartbreaking scene between him and Mack as Mack calls him out for basically doing the same thing all over again. He’s created his own “SHIELD” team (or SHIELD “team”), but it’s for his own benefit, stealing someone else’s creation — “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” — and benefiting.

It’s not until Roxy Glass calls Mack out for his stubbornness that we realize just how much Deke has matured.

Because in all the time Mack spent alone, shielding himself from the world and grieving in private, Deke was looking out for the young Mack and his brother in 1982/83, bringing them school supplies and becoming a bit of a secondary guardian. He never stopped checking in on older Mack either, trying to bring him back into the fold.

He created the whole SHIELD team as a way to show Mack that he really cares, that he’s still loyal to SHIELD and the new life he’s started. Deke has become much less of a one-note character for comic relief and more of the comic relief with a heart behind him.

Next. Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: How long will Sousa stick around?. dark

And while for some fans that may feel “too little, too late” as we’re halfway through this final season of Agents of SHIELD. But it’s better late than never, especially when the world needs saving … again.

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