Jack Of Lies

Episode:  028 (S2.E06)

Production No.: 40192-029

Airdate: 03 November 1986

Writers: Kerry Lenhart & John J. Sakmar

Director: Charles Correll

Nielsen Ratings: 14.3 rating / 22 share / 3rd (47th for the week)

PLOT

MacGyver is asked by his adventurer friend, Jack Dalton, to help rescue a botanist being held in Central America. But once there, he finds out the botanist is really an old friend from the past.

CAST

MACGYVERISMS

• Used cardboard tube to reach and remove lightbulb from overhead lamp
• Hay bale hooks taped to an oxygen cylinder made explosive device
• Used bungy ropes to sling explosive device at bad guys
• Plugged fuel leak with stick
• Wore monks rob backwards to trick guard
• Used tinfoil packet to hotwire old truck
• Used red wine as make-shift battery fluid
• Used old spring and piece of board wired to battery as a switch.
• Rigged propeller rotor to tarpaulin as a trap

TRIVIA

• First appearance of Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton. He would reappear on the show 16 more times.
• Dalton says to MacGyver and Mike that the three of them are like, “The Monkees back together again.” This was a reference to the reunion of the 60’s pop band The Monkees who, at the time of the show, had reunited and released a new album for the first time in 15 years.
• We learn that Jack Dalton’s eye twitches when he lies.

QUOTES

• “Now tell me you’re not having just a little bit of fun!” ~ Jack Dalton
• “Tricks o’ me trade, Mac me boy-o, tricks o’ me trade!”  ~Jack Dalton
• “I know I said I was gonna slug him. But how do you hit a kid?” ~MacGyver talking about Jack
• “Dear Mac, if you ever want to see your fridge alive, meet me at the west end of the airport, hangar thirteen. Come alone or the fridge fries.”  ~MacGyver reading Jack’s letter
• Jack Dalton. Rogue. Adventurer. Liar. Thief.  ~MacGyver
• “The official airline for slugs, scum, and all manner of vermin.” ~Jack, quoting his company motto
• Jack: I was . . . shall we say, transporting some very valuable orchids.
  MacGyver: Shall we say, “smuggling”?
  Jack: That’s an ugly word, Mac . . . but hey, at a thousand bucks a plant, I can live with it.
• “Your eye. It still twitches when you’re lyin’.” ~MacGyver
• I could be wrong but Antunnez does not strike me as a flower lover. Wanna level with me? I’m kinda tired of bein’ jerked around like a big dog on a short leash.  ~MacGyver
• Jack: The way I figure it, we take off in that plane, one of two things will happen. One, we can fly about five miles and crash into the mountains. Or two, we can fly about five miles and crash into the ocean.
  MacGyver: Nice to have options.

NIT-PICKS

• The first external shots of the plane flying at night show no logos near the nose but on landing at the airstrip there are two circle logos, one on each side of the nose.
• When MacGyver spots the old truck they will use to escape, the headlights are clean and white. After the commercial break, they are much dirtier and the dirt is only on certain precise spots on the headlights.
• Mike has been held in a dungeon for at least a few days, but when Mac springs her and Jack, her clothes (bright red top and white pants) are clean.
• Phragmipedium besseae orchids have a red flower not purple.

FILMING LOCATIONS

Landing strip  Indian Dunes Airstrip Seasoned Road, Castaic, CA