[macgybl]

As the show got into the later seasons Mac pretty much went from stopping going on missions and the Phoenix Foundation to being in the wrong place at the right time. Which do you prefer and why do you think the writing changed that drastically?

[Myrtle Groggins]

I prefer the stumble upon something episodes. They can make mundane settings feel exciting, it's more about people, if there's mystery it's more compelling, they usually play quicker than regular 80s TV which has aged better.

But also a lot is about setting. I like Gauntlet style episodes just as much. And in the early seasons it was great to have an Agent be a completely different person than the ones people were used to.

As for why, well, probably a combination of many things. Zeitgeist (people wanted more relatable situations and characters in the late 80s, perhaps even because of the expansion of TV), the whole cold war thing, a lot of settings they had used up already, or they were too expensive.

And it's more difficult to have BC stand in for Central America or Africa or most of Asia. Though they did a good job with On A Wing, Second Chances and Black Rhino. Especially Black Rhino.

Most of it I think is the success of season 4. They really found something remarkable with episodes in the style of The Survivors, The Invisible Killer and Easy Target. They couldn't exactly repeat that formula either but then landed on what became season 6, which I really like and I can't even categorize that well.

[Barry Rowland]

I liked the earlier DXS theme. It's not that the later ones are any less exciting, but the whole Cold War vibe is my thing.

[macgybl]

I'm with Barry

But I also liked whenever MAC was involved with Phoenix Foundation, or phoneix esque episodes like Easy Target.