MacGyver Online Forums [Powered by Invision Power Board]

Printable Version of Topic
Click here to view this topic in its original format

MacGyver Online Forums > Episode Discussions > 1-2 Metal Saw

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 26 September 2016 - 05:14 AM

1-2 Metal Saw

Airdate: 30 September 2016
Writer: Craig O'Neill
Director: Jerry Levine
Guest Cast: Amy Acker (Sarah Adler), Aina Dumlao (Andie Lee), Jocko Sims (Jimmy Green), Al Vincente (Julio),
G-Rod (Marco), Jonathan Ralph Fritschi (Sweaty Cashier), Billy Blair (Creepy Guy)
Andrew Yun (South Korean Leader), Preston James Hillier (Jeff), Carlos Guerrero (Alfredo Barrios)
Alan Richmond (Luis), Jorge Longoria (Hospital Guard # 1)

MacGyver and the team attempt to rescue Jack's former CIA partner and ex-girlfriend, Sarah, who went missing in Venezuela after she obtained evidence to take down an international arms dealer.

Posted by: Miasma 30 September 2016 - 06:00 PM

After the "trying too hard to be funny" scenes with Wilt, this episode eventually had some good moments. I'm not a fan of the soundtrack on this show, though. I know this isn't meant to be a serious show like Homeland, and that's fine, but the soundtrack sometimes makes the whole thing feel a bit TOO comical (also, I think something's odd with the sound mixing in this series. Last week and this week, I found there were times when the music is a bit too loud, to the point where it's a bit difficult to hear what's being said.)

On a positive note, there were plenty of moments that felt like classic MacGyver. The arc-welder, the elevator shaft descent, the night vision glasses, using the mirrors to ignite the boxes of ammo, and stopping the bad guy with the netting were all very MacGyver-ish.

I feel like there's potential for this to be a much better show than it is. For starters, they need to tweak the tone of the show, and write Wilt out. I'm also a bit unsure about Mac's aversion to guns, since he has no problem throwing exploding fireballs at pursuing bad guys.

Posted by: themacgyverproject 30 September 2016 - 07:50 PM

I agree on the comical music -- Five-0 is the same way and I don't mind it as much there, but here I'd rather it be more serious.

My other thoughts are here:
http://themacgyverproject.blogspot.com/2016/09/macgyver-reboot-episode-2-metal-saw.html
Overall I didn't think this episode was as good as the first one.

Posted by: MacsJeep 1 October 2016 - 12:09 AM

I haven't seen this episode yet - but I want to agree about there being a sound issue. I thought the problem was my end last week, because I had to keep turning the TV down on action scenes, and then up really loud to try and hear what they were saying.

This used to be a massive issue with Five O for me, and eventually it caused me to stop watching, so its obviously some process they're using that end. Maybe its only something that affects certain types of equipment/tv, as the majority don't seem to notice it?

Posted by: KiwiTek 1 October 2016 - 02:49 AM

I've noticed this on a number of shows and even movies. It seems to becoming a common way to setup the the volume levels.

I find it REALLY annoying.

Posted by: DashboardOnFire 1 October 2016 - 03:16 AM

Maybe they thought because so many OLD fans of the original show are watching, they need to crank up the volume... us being half death due to old age and all

It's really annoying on many shows and movies; especially if you're already at a disadvantage with English not being your mother tongue... but it happens on German dubbed movies as well nowadays. As long as they're talking it's too quiet and as soon as music starts playing your ears are shattering and you have to hurry to turn the volume down again. So annoying!

Posted by: Miasma 1 October 2016 - 03:17 AM

QUOTE (MacsJeep @ 1 October 2016 - 08:09 PM)

I have to admit that I'm just using the speakers built into my television, not some advanced sound system, so I don't have the greatest set-up for audio. But even so, I should be able to hear the dialogue. The opening gambit in this episode was particularly bad for that. I don't know why they felt the need to have loud music (with lyrics) playing while the actors were talking. It wasn't as if the scene took place in a dance club or at a concert.

Speaking of the opening scene: I guess I'll give them points for paying homage to a classic season 1 MacGyver situation, with Mac racing to cross the border to get away from his pursuers. But, somehow, I just didn't really care. I think it's because of the presentation. Again, the soundtrack is problematic. Some good, tense action music would have really helped the scene. Instead, we got rock music.

Posted by: Miasma 1 October 2016 - 03:24 AM

Random thought: Notice that in this reboot, Mac's dad left when Mac was 12 years old. They didn't mention anything about him dying. So I think it's safe to say there are plans to bring Mac's dad onto the show. I wonder if RDA was supposed to play that role (remember Lenkov said he had a role in mind for RDA?) Seems very possible.

Posted by: Walter 1 October 2016 - 03:59 AM

Yes I'm hating this reboot more and more!

- They have MacGyver working with a gun happy team.
- He doesn't seam the slightest bit worried about them shooting and killing people.

and now they're creating a new back story for the character!

Posted by: Miasma 1 October 2016 - 04:08 AM

QUOTE (Walter @ 1 October 2016 - 11:59 PM)

Yes I'm hating this reboot more and more!

- They have MacGyver working with a gun happy team.
- He doesn't seam the slightest bit worried about them shooting and killing people.

and now they're creating a new back story for the character!

I don't mind them altering the back-story. It is a reboot/reimagining, after all, not a retelling. And if the writers feel they can come up with something more interesting by not having both parents be dead, that's fine. Mac's dead parents weren't really a huge factor in the original series anyway.

My problem with the gun thing is that I simply don't understand Mac's position on it. He doesn't seem to have any moral qualms about his friends using guns, nor does he mind tossing firebombs at people, so does he just not carry a gun because he enjoys the challenge of thinking of more creative ways to deal with the bad guys? If so, that's a bit silly.

Posted by: DashboardOnFire 1 October 2016 - 05:29 AM

QUOTE (Miasma @ 1 October 2016 - 02:08 PM)

My problem with the gun thing is that I simply don't understand Mac's position on it. He doesn't seem to have any moral qualms about his friends using guns, nor does he mind tossing firebombs at people, so does he just not carry a gun because he enjoys the challenge of thinking of more creative ways to deal with the bad guys? If so, that's a bit silly.

In this video by ET Online http://www.etonline.com/tv/199302_exclusive_macgyver_stars_lucas_till_and_george_eads_are_hollywood_newest_bromance/ , around the 1-minute-mark , Lucas Till says about Jack Dalton: "He uses the guns, because MacGyver famously doesn't use guns."

Yes, that's right. But the writers still didn't get the point, did they?

In every scene so far, MacGyver was covered by someone with a gun (usually Jack; this time also Sarah). So what's the point in keeping MacGyver not using a gun? What's the point using a MacGyverism instead of a gun if there's a gun (or two, maybe even three with Thornton on board) at hand anyway? Instead of throwing the net onto the bike, they could have kept shooting at the tires...

Back when Lenkov and Wan attended ComicCon, I was actually pleasantly surprised that they really intended to keep Mac not using guns. I thought they would never get away with this; that the network would be against it since they planned on still making it a modern action show. I never expected them being as strict anti-gun as the original; and I'm pretty sure we'll never see an episode like "Blood Brothers".

But what they're doing right now, they could just hand MacGyver a gun; it doesn't really matter. MacGyver doesn't just not use guns - he condones it. He hates them. And he insists on people leaving their gun at home if they want him to help. As soon as they made Jack an gun-wielding Ex-CIA-Agent, I knew that would be problematic storywise.

The story still has to work if there wasn't a gun involved. Let Jack's gun disappear (lost, taken by the bad guys, running out of ammo) and see what happens. Does the storyline hold up? Do the MacGyverism still work? If not, that's not a MacGyver story.

Posted by: DashboardOnFire 1 October 2016 - 06:21 AM

Also, the way they're "breezing" over the MacGyverisms is BAD.

I recently watched the "Birdlady-Episode" (Rush to Judgement, I think?) for the first time in years. It's one of those episodes I've only seen once or twice in my life. I didn't remember anything about it besides the MacGyverism with the soda machine. That's what most people will remember of the show; especially if they're not fans or overly interested in one of the actors.

I don't even remember the MacGyverisms from last week's pilot. Something about fingerprints and a parachute. And that's bad. I mean, the poster features the final MacGyverism of the pilot episode. The one they also used in the unaired pilot. Yet it's over in not even 10 seconds without creating a lasting image...

In this episode, MacGyver builds night-vision-goggles. How cool is that??? Well, I don't remember what and how he did it, just that he did it. And the part is so soulless and non-memorable, it would have been the same if he had brought a pair of ordinary ones with him... I don't really care where he got them.

Posted by: MiracleMac 1 October 2016 - 06:33 AM

QUOTE (KiwiTek @ 1 October 2016 - 02:49 AM)

I've noticed this on a number of shows and even movies. It seems to becoming a common way to setup the the volume levels.

I find it REALLY annoying.

Sounds like they have made theather release sound mixing for the episode, because the theater release movies which are shown in TV, usually have the sound problem that you have to change the volume all the time by remote or you don't hear dialogue under the music. That problem is fixed when they make own external sound mixing for the broadcasting release.

It's extra money, but if this is already TV release, it should't affect.

Posted by: Miasma 1 October 2016 - 06:34 AM

Totally agree with everything you wrote, Dashboard.

Regarding Mac not using a gun in this-- It sometimes ends up just making him look like the least efficient member of the team. Like you said, why bother doing the netting trap when it would have been easier to just shoot out the bike's tires?
And having Jack cover him all the time just puts Jack in more danger for no good reason. It would be like if two police officers were partners on duty, but one of them refused to carry a gun for no real reason, and just trusted that the other one would cover him.

And yes, the MacGyverisms are being done WAY too quickly. The main problem with doing it so quickly is that it builds no tension at all. In the original series, Mac would find himself in a situation, and there would be tension because we wouldn't know how he'd get out of it, and then we'd see him notice something, and we'd see an idea form in his head, the background music would kick in, and the audience felt a sense of satisfaction and anticipation as we watched him cobble together a clever solution. In the reboot, he sometimes has the MacGyverism almost finished before we even know what the problem is (for example, the arc-welder. As far as I can remember, the audience didn't even know the locked door existed, and he already had the solution to it. Same thing with the fireballs during the opening gambit. He had come up with that solution before the episode even started!)

Posted by: DXS 1 October 2016 - 07:11 AM

Ok, I do NOT like the way the MacGyverisms are done. The "ingredients" just "pop out of nowhere' Ok, where did the car battery come from when they blew off the door? Did they go to their car (that beat up thing? yeah right) and get it?

QUOTE

the night vision glasses, using the mirrors to ignite the boxes of ammo,

Now THOSE were good MacGyverisms! Especially the night vision glasses! But, when he said "Bad A** glasses," well, the A** part wasn't "MacGyver" to me...... Just 20 year old show off language.

And like Miasma said about "tweaking the show," it's so DARK to me. The original was a little more cheery!

I fell asleep half way through.

Posted by: paracelsus 1 October 2016 - 07:22 AM

Dashboard, I agree. That is what I have been saying. You can't have MacGyver not carry a gun or use them, but have everyone around him shooting people for him. That is not anti gun, that's just he doesn't have to carry one since everyone else does the dirty work for him. The scene where he is surrounded and Jack snipes the bad guys instead of MacGyver figuring out how to distract them while he runs was pretty bad and a wasted opportunity. He even seems happy about the situation. Also when he blew that other boat up, we would have seen the bad guys jumping and swimming to shore instead of assuming they are basically blown up.

I agree Wilt needs to be written out. He reminds me of back in day when everyone had to have goofy sidekick. Too many sidekicks on this show.

MacGyver is also a loner who uses the person he is helping as a surrogate for the audience as he explains what he is doing and why. It's hard to fit those moments in when you have 5 main characters around all the time.

If they are really listening to the audience, and I know old people over 49 don't count, then they will streamline the show and give it some heart. Even if it's not a serious drama, we have to care about the character and the message. And so far, that seems to be that if you don't want to do something, then have other people do it for you.

Posted by: MacsJeep 1 October 2016 - 07:23 AM

Okay, so here we go...That was just AWFUL!!!!! I have always been a bit negative of this reboot. Then I chided myself, gave it a chance, and last week I actually saw some potential for it to work with a few tweaks.

This week, I was SO bored within fifteen minutes I had to force myself to not switch off. Whatever this show is, it is NOT MacGyver.

The gun thing is terrible. It's like watching The A Team rather than Mac, because everyone bar him has a gun, and are constantly using them, and he doesn't give a hoot. He doesn't care that those around him are doing it, so um...he may as well have one as well. I'm not anti-violence in shows, and I love a good action movie, but that was not what the original show was about. Is this "Die Hard?" or is it "MacGyver?"

I'm not happy with the "team" element. It felt very "new Knight Rider" this week, and that didn't work for me, either. Wilt also gets on my nerves and is pointless.

The MacGyverisms are rushed, and he pulls stuff out of thin air to do them with, and those on screen prompts are ridiculous! I hate it that they split the screen in three and have to put visual "text" up there. I am sorry, but I really don't need to have it spelled out to me that Mac is about to cut up a "camoflage net", for heavens sake!

I was going to watch two or three before making a verdict, and had hoped and actually believed after last week things would improve, but to be honest, after this weeks, I think I'm done with it altogether.

I am off to wash the bad memory of it out of my mind with an original episode, methinks.

Sorry if this was really negative, but I really couldn't find one positive thing about it this week.

Oh, I still like the voiceovers. There, something positive, but certainly not enough for me to tune in again. Now I know why RDA said no thank you...

Posted by: DashboardOnFire 1 October 2016 - 07:36 AM

Interestingly, it still holds up via https://twitter.com/TVMoJoe/status/782237442275282944

Posted by: DashboardOnFire 1 October 2016 - 07:42 AM

Overall, ratings have dropped - but not as much as expected. Still 9 Mio viewers (compared to 11 Mio last week): http://www.spoilertv.com/2016/10/ratings-news-1st-october-2016.html

Posted by: Miasma 1 October 2016 - 09:03 AM

QUOTE (paracelsus @ 2 October 2016 - 03:22 AM)

I agree Wilt needs to be written out. He reminds me of back in day when everyone had to have goofy sidekick. Too many sidekicks on this show.

Wilt's even worse than a goofy sidekick because he's NOT a sidekick. He's nothing. He makes waffles and hits on women. What's the point? I really can't figure out why they thought adding him to the show was a good idea. He could have worked, possibly, as a guest star who shows up in one or two episodes per season for a few minutes, just to kind of flesh out Mac's home life, but it's totally unnecessary to have him as part of the regular cast, especially when Mac already has several other characters to interact with.

Posted by: MacDobromir 1 October 2016 - 10:05 AM

QUOTE (DashboardOnFire @ 1 October 2016 - 05:29 AM)

So what's the point in keeping MacGyver not using a gun? What's the point using a MacGyverism instead of a gun if there's a gun (or two, maybe even three with Thornton on board) at hand anyway? Instead of throwing the net onto the bike, they could have kept shooting at the tires...

hmmm...I don't know Dash. It's like asking why MacGyver in original series doesn't have a bag full of bombs or granates instead of making them out of chewing gum.

Maybe it will sounds like a heresy for some of You but since childhood I consider Mac as a lethal weapon, and a very DANGEROUS guy, in general. Using uncontrol explosions instead of a gun always seemed to something more messy in every way. This is something what producers of original were aware of, and that is why after the explosions there always was a scene of bad guys steping out of distroyed car or building.

It looks like for now that Mac in the team is this plan A, and Jack with a gun - plan B. Jack in pilot: " You've got 30 minutes, the I'll crush the party."
That's why scene with neeting the motocykle has sense to me. Using a gun in that situation was risky beacuse of possibility to shot the villian instead of catch him alive. Probably if this would not work, Jack or someone else from the car would use plan B - the gun.

Don't get me wrong I love this allergy for guns in original and I don't like that this "new" Mac accept using them without even a blink of the eye

And that is why I hope P. Lenkov has an explanation for Mac's behaviour towards guns.

Posted by: Jediferret 1 October 2016 - 11:25 AM

Definitely better than the pilot. Some of the emotional scenes were a tad cringe inducing, and felt pretty forced. I do miss RDA's sincerity when it came to caring about his friends.

I still like Riley the best, and the Nikki story line is now getting interesting. It was also nice to see a Jeep Wrangler being used... hopefully homage to Mac's Jeep.

Still a little concerned, like you guys, about Mac's lack of aversion to guns. He seems far too okay with all the violence and death going on. The original Mac was always against that.

I thought the makeshift night-vison goggles was clever.

I haven't paid much attention to the music, and have to agree that this seems to be an ongoing problem with most shows. I know this happens with Supernatural a lot too... usually with dialogue I have to turn it up until there's an action sequence, and it's too loud.

I certainly hope if RDA decides to come about and they make him Mac's father that they don't make him some sort of dead-beat dad or something. =P

I think they really need to address the gun aversion, and fix that. Mac's disdain for guns is a big part of his character.

I do believe the timing for the emotional scenes and comedic scenes are a bit off. I'm spoiled on Supernatural, which has it down to a science. The show feels like it's trying WAY too hard to be something it's not.

Also, the song they play in the beginning sounds like "Taking Care of Business" but in a different language.

All in all, not a bad episode! Still needs some tweaking, but looking forward to the next episode... I give it a 3.5/5

Posted by: Macgyver12186 1 October 2016 - 01:58 PM

ok so let's talk about episode 2

I loved it. but there are still some weak points

lets get the negatives out of the way first

1. Everyone keeps discussing about the gun situation which doesn't bother me nearly as much as the first name thing STOP SAYING ANGUS it's seriously pissing me off!!!!!! Young Macgyver (2003) had a lot of faults and manged to get that at least right!

2. the 5 minute scene at the Parole office was painful. absolutely painful. Bowzer needs to go make his movie and get offf of macgyver

Postives

1. Till and eads continue to shine

2. Paticia thorton made a complete turnaround I love her as a bad ass i love her as a field agent and I LOVED how she reacted at the end "unofficially I would of done same thing" I could picture Pete saying the same thing.

3. More references to Mac's grandfather and Mac being afraid of the dark which I kind of like and makes sense honestly

4. FINALLY NEW macgyverisms the Bar thing and the Night vision goggles were never in the old show (the first episode kind of let me down as all the macgyverisms are from the original show)

5. I like the twist on Nikki does this mean this Ann chick stole the name from someone else will me meet the really Nikki?

6. and Mac is still doing good with ratings so I am happy

7. Also the CGI looked much better

so over all the second episode was a bit better then the first looking forward to next week

Posted by: InVader 1 October 2016 - 02:16 PM

I really don't think this episode was that bad. The previous qualms I had with the pilot are there, but given that they are already 6 shows into filming, i'm not expecting to see if any fan input has been taken into account yet if they take it.

I think the aversion to violence complaint is kind of silly. When I watched the original with my dad growing up we always used to joke about how Mac doesn't like to shoot the bad guys and that his preferred style was to only blow them up. The no guns deal was always just a gimmick to give him a reason to think up a solution. So far, he's been able to do that in this series, and i've actually enjoyed a lot of his MacGyverisms. I just wish they'd give more screentime to his thought process and the execution. I agree he pulls the items he needs out of nowhere. I want him to work with what he's given. The fact that the others are using guns around him makes it actually a bit more realistic for me, and to be honest I think I prefer it because it shows a Mac that is working things out even with all of the commotion going on around him. In that aspec t it shows a Mac that can think on his feet. Plus, It's not like Pete and others from the foundation never returned fire in the original series, it just wasn't as spectacular as in this version.

Posted by: Joe SAKic 1 October 2016 - 06:40 PM

Basketball? Basketball???

Please tell me that this won't be his new sports obsession, and since we've learned that his Grandfather used to take him to hoop games and all. Oh well, they're just tying to cover their backsides and maximize the viewing audience, I guess . They're starting to slowly but surely veer off course - as much as I'd like to cut them some slack and back off the nitpicky critique stuff for a few months. But really, hockey is the ultimate sport for a MacGyver character because it's the fastest game in the world, you have to deal with bullies, physical adversity, and only seconds to react and implement your plans to triumph.

Posted by: denizen 1 October 2016 - 08:55 PM

Uh, no. It didn't work for me. Saw the episode with a lost look on my face. There is an imbalance here focusing on all the characters yet emphasis is placed on the main characters voice overs. I'm just not feeling it. MacGyver keeps on being held on a leash while chaos happens around him. Wilt Bozer is about as interesting as watching paint dry and Dalton is no Dalton I know. Sorry guys, disliked this episode immensely.

Posted by: Mr Duct Tape 2 October 2016 - 01:40 AM

Well about episode 2, what to say ? It's slightly better, just a little bit better and that's all really.

Just like the pilot, it just doesn't feel like MacGyver sorry. The vibe I keep getting is a strange cross between a-team and mission impossible. Mac works alone end of story. They need to drop the "team" element ASAP (Unfortunately, I know they won't), and what the hell is with everybody calling Thornton, instead of Miss Thornton or Patricia, give the boss some respect.

Basketball is lame also! At least hockey gave Mac some character traits and personality.

Maybe Lenkov would've been more suited for a A-Team revival.

Posted by: MacsJeep 2 October 2016 - 05:27 AM

Ah..I knew there was something else that annoyed me that I'd forgotten to mention...

Thank you for reminding me MacGyver12186 - The Mac I know would never keep using Angus, we all know dang well he hated it that much it was a no go area for him, and yet "this" Mac seems to flaunt it. A very small nitpick, I know, but its just another little thing they have gotten wrong that ads to the whole mess.

I am just not feeling it. Sorry guys.

Posted by: Miasma 2 October 2016 - 06:15 AM

QUOTE (MacsJeep @ 3 October 2016 - 01:27 AM)

I didn't think he flaunted it. When he's with his friends, he always just goes by "Mac" or "MacGyver." He used "Angus MacGyver" when identifying himself to the border patrol guards in Korea, which makes sense. To be honest, it was a bit silly in the original series that he was able to get away with never properly identifying himself to anyone just because he had a childish dislike of his first name. I think they even make a joke about that when he was in the lawyer's office in "Harry's Will."

So as long as he goes by "Mac" or "MacGyver" when he's in a casual setting, I don't mind if he uses "Angus MacGyver" to officially identify himself. Besides, we all know his first name by now, so there's really no point in keeping it as some kind of contrived secret.

Posted by: Joe SAKic 2 October 2016 - 06:46 AM

QUOTE (Jediferret @ 1 October 2016 - 03:25 PM)

Some of the emotional scenes were a tad cringe inducing, and felt pretty forced.

Yes. As it is in much of TV these days. You have young actors trying to convey sophisticated emotions that are often above their own personal experiences. How do you act out something so deep that you've rarely/barely experienced yourself? Why, you copy off somebody else, of course. It marginally works, but comes across as more mechanical. cookie-cutter, than genuinely sincere.

Posted by: Macgyver12186 2 October 2016 - 07:29 AM

QUOTE (MacsJeep @ 2 October 2016 - 09:27 AM)

I think the issue for a lot of and myself included is we are comparing this to seasons 1-7 of the original and kind of cherry picking to be honest. has either Episode 1 or 2 beaten the likes of such classic episodes as Partners Dalton Master of spies Obsesssed Halloween Knights Cleo Rocks etc... No but it does if we are going to be honest does it beat out the worst episodes like Honest Abe (I'm a spy your a spy we're all spies...) Tough Boys etc... I'd say yes. Like i said if i was to some how rank all of the episodes and the 2 tvmovies and the young macgyver pilot The Rising and Metal Saw would hardly be anywhere near the bottom or the top to be honest. I would put them some where in the middle so better then say twenty questions (or as i call it tonight Macgyver makes a special guest star appearens in a very special episode of Blossom) but not as good as Strictly Business (the worst of the murdoc episodes) if that makes any sense.

I think in stead of cherry picking our favorite episodes from Seasons 1-7 and comparing it to that we should look at the seasons as a whole and compare it some of our least favorite episodes and see how we feel then.

Posted by: MacsJeep 2 October 2016 - 08:04 AM

The thing is, I just don't like it, there is absolutely no heart and soul to it like there was the original. I can't explain it beyond that, but when the actors talk, its just that - acting. I don't believe a word of it. The Wilt scenes at the parole office were pointless and boring, and the emotional stuff made me want to turn away from the TV.

There was some terrible original episodes, some dodgy effects, and some really bad writing, but it never lost that "something" that this version just hasn't had, and I really don't think will get now. To me, its just "another" action show.

I can really see Five-O in the way its all done as well, and I wasn't a fan of that, either. Too fast, too violent, too much shaky camerawork to supposedly add to the action scenes etc etc.

This show is what we Brits call "Marmite" I can see it is going to be something you either like, ,or you hate. And I'm afraid I have decided I am one of the latter.

To each his own, and I really hope those that like it get what they want from it. But after this week's I'm not going to bother with it anymore.

Posted by: shadowrider 2 October 2016 - 01:20 PM

I agree with who said that this episode was better than the pilot, but still far from good. And that is, even if not compared to the original.
The black kid parts in particular were extremely annoying, and the cgi (like when bullets hit the car) are awful.
The good thing is that there were some nifty mecguyverisms: the night vision goggles, in particular, were cool.
But I don't quite like how they're filmed - I mean, Mecguyverisms were 99% of the cool factor in MacGuyver. Here it seems like they skim over them, they're too fast, too split-sceened, too not indulging. I don't mind the words-over, but take your time to show and explain Mac's "magic".
For now, I'm still on board, hoping for improvement.

Posted by: Joe SAKic 2 October 2016 - 05:52 PM

You can't compare the two series/eras. And, more importantly, you can't compare the target audiences of then and now nor the products paying the big advert bucks to support the airing of the show. Totally separate, more screening, more reins in this day and age. Accordingly, the new MacGyver has to adapt to the times and all the corporate politics that comes with it.

So, if I'm in bed with the NRA and paying megabucks for advertising space and Mac disses guns, then I'm pulling the plug in a heartbeat. A very touchy-feely topic these days and a massive political football as we head into the election. So they will walk a fine line with that issue - FOREVER.

Hockey - today's Mac can't possibly have an interest in hockey because it's a sport that's very low in TV ratings in the USA. You need to appease (not pee off) as many viewers as possible within the first several episodes ... or the series will be toast. Also better (for ratings) to have a team theme and so that if a viewer is more apt to get hooked on at least one regular, if the star(in any given viewer's mind) flunks out. I think the producers can please the old audience to a certain extent but there are also characteristics totally out of their control in this day & age. And they're in a very, very, deep hole to begin with in being given the Friday night death slot.

Having said all that, I tend to agree with the general consensus in that it's lacking the main character features and style that endeared him so much to us. That may improve slightly if the series gets some longevity, but don't count on it, & only slightly so if any .... and prepare for much more of the same in the generic/team schlock department.

Posted by: MacDobromir 3 October 2016 - 12:01 AM

QUOTE (Joe SAKic @ 2 October 2016 - 05:52 PM)

Hockey - today's Mac can't possibly have an interest in hockey because it's a sport that's very low in TV ratings in the USA.

I think Joe that there is no hockey in reboot simply because Lucas doesn't play hockey.

I don't mind lack of this sport in the show, but for sure it was part of Mac's personality.
And that is a problem with this reboot for me from the beginnig- producers shouldn't search for the main role someone who is RDA look- alike but more someone with similar personality.

Posted by: KiwiTek 3 October 2016 - 01:04 AM

I haven't seen the episode (the show isn't airing here yet) so I can't comment on the individual episode but what I will say is making too many changes is only going to alienate the current fans.

Things like changing the backstory of MacGyver's childhood is unnecessary and disconnects the character further from the original.

It's things like that which really makes me wonder just how much these guys actually understand what they're working with.

Posted by: denizen 3 October 2016 - 03:22 AM

When you see a show you either connect to it from its characters or you dont. So far, i havent connected to anyone. It just seems lifeless to me. It uses the same formula as H50 but its imbalanced because its supposed to be about one person. And yet there is not enough attention brought to the character.

Posted by: Joe SAKic 3 October 2016 - 04:30 AM

QUOTE (MacDobromir @ 3 October 2016 - 04:01 AM)

QUOTE (Joe SAKic @ 2 October 2016 - 05:52 PM)

Hockey - today's Mac can't possibly have an interest in hockey because it's a sport that's very low in TV ratings in the USA.

No, it's true - they can't possibly work it now and have it come across as sincere/authentic. They would have needed to script that into the casting and have hired an actor from either Minnesota, Massachusetts, Michigan (US Hockey Hotbeds) ... or Canada. Wearing my fan hat I say it's an essentially part of the Mac character, make-up. But if I put on my producer's hat, there's no way in heck that this Mac reboot will have an interest in hockey because it's too much work and doesn't pay back nearly as much in the ratings department.

So .. squeak, squeak, squish, squish, swish (sounds of basketball when you close your eyes and listen) - it is!!!!!

Posted by: Miasma 3 October 2016 - 05:04 AM

QUOTE (KiwiTek @ 3 October 2016 - 09:04 PM)

Things like changing the backstory of MacGyver's childhood is unnecessary and disconnects the character further from the original.

I'm giving the writers the benefit of the doubt on this one, for now.

For example, Mac's parents: In the original series, both his parents were dead, but that didn't really factor into the show too much. Sure, it got mentioned in a small handful of episodes, but that's about it. For the most part, it wasn't something the audience thought about.

In the reboot, his mother died, and his father abandoned him. So it's still the same basic idea (Mac spent a large portion of his life without his parents), but I'm assuming that the writers had a reason for keeping his father alive in this version. I doubt it's just a random change for no purpose. Presumably, Mac's father will end up playing a role at some point, and that will possibly add some interesting dynamics to Mac's character. If that can lead to more interesting stories and characters, great.

I think one of the goals of a reboot is not to just do the exact same thing again with a different cast, but to take aspects of the original, and rework them into something that the writers think can be more interesting. We'll see if it pays off or not.

Posted by: Viriato 3 October 2016 - 05:48 AM

I stopped watching 10 minutes in to the episode... despite all the references to the original show it just doesn't do it for me, it just looks like one more tv series like we see nowadays, there is a new one every month. Sorry.

Posted by: Joe SAKic 3 October 2016 - 06:31 AM

Yeah, it's got that Indie Music feel. I like a lot of that music but much of it is so similar and the musicians all have the same expression and body language - so much so that if you took a few band members from one group and swapped them with another - nobody would ever notice.

Probably didn't articulate that very well, but that's the analogy that came to mind. Very generic, and machine made with fewer, and fewer brash and distinctive characteristics. Go out on a limb and show us some 'character' for C----t sake!

Posted by: angus20 3 October 2016 - 09:28 AM

Seems some ppl haven't being able to watch the new show as they are located in some parts of the globe outside US, but well I'm lucky enough that my cable company provides CBS, anyway last friday I couldn't watch the show so I watched the 2nd episode online (yes anyone can find it online, outside CBS)

however, I got to support "MacsJeep" the show lacks of heart, it's just difficult to describe and also some of the stuff that is being shown, I don't know, it doesn't fit with my perception of Macgyver. Too many guns and can someone explain to me how Patricia T. is able to teleport form LA to Venezuela, I'm losing interest in this new show!

Posted by: MACGYVERISMYDAD 3 October 2016 - 09:32 AM

One of my main gripes with the new show is that it seams more like team macgyver. Jack almost seemed like the main character for most of the episode with mac playing as his side kick. I don't mind him having company here and there, but I don't want mac to always have a team of help.

Posted by: Macgyver1985 3 October 2016 - 11:02 AM

We do have the channel CBS. However, the original MacGyver series was supplanted by a series named "Tropical Heat."

I wonder whether they will air the series in South Africa, besides, with all the negative commentary and terrible ratings, why would it be a good idea for me to consider watching it at all? Go read the remarks on the IMDB site. Poorly scripted, and many have stated again and again that this is not MacGyver.

Posted by: Miasma 3 October 2016 - 11:43 AM

QUOTE (Macgyver1985 @ 4 October 2016 - 07:02 AM)

We do have the channel CBS. However, the original MacGyver series was replaced by a series named "Tropical Heat." I wonder whether they will air the series in South Africa, furthermore, with all the negative commentary and bad ratings, why should I even consider watching it at all? Go read the comments on the IMDB website. Poorly scripted, and as many have stated over and over that this is not MacGyver!

Yeah, don't be too upset if you're not able to watch it. I haven't been as harsh on this show as some people have been, and I keep trying to give it the benefit of the doubt, assuming that it might improve over time, but I have to admit that you're not missing much. At best, this show is a mildly entertaining (but forgettable) way to pass an hour. I can't honestly say I'd miss it if they announce that it's being cancelled.

Posted by: Macgyver1985 3 October 2016 - 01:46 PM

QUOTE

I did a quick search on YouTube and came across "The Rising" episode, not the best quality but viewable, considering it will most presumably never air in South Africa.

I have to agree with you; it was certainly entertaining. The site from which I download most of my series and movies were recently shut down. Therefore I will have to go in search for an alternative site soon!

Posted by: shadowrider 3 October 2016 - 06:50 PM

Macgyver1985, I downloaded both episodes via torrent, the day after they aired, and the quality was good (I'm not in the US).

Anyway, I think what is going to turn most fans off is that the original MacGuyver was a role model, a person that we looked up to yet were able to connect to.
And of course, for obvious reasons, it's not going to feel the same with the new Mac. But that was probably to be expected.

Also, this is the 3rd incarnation of MacGuyver. I wonder if the one from Fugitive Gauntlet felt more similar to RDA's Mac than this.

Posted by: Walter 3 October 2016 - 07:30 PM

QUOTE (shadowrider @ 3 October 2016 - 10:50 PM)

Also, this is the 3rd incarnation of MacGuyver. I wonder if the one from Fugitive Gauntlet felt more similar to RDA's Mac than this.

I think it did ShadowRider.

Reading the comic felt much more like an episode of MacGyver. But then the guy who wrote it was a hugh MacGyver fan and understood the character better then this lot.

Posted by: denizen 3 October 2016 - 10:10 PM

QUOTE (shadowrider @ 4 October 2016 - 02:50 PM)

Shadowrider, i'm sure you know that is not legal. Most are trying to find a legal means of streaming / viewing these shows. Unfortunately every country has its own laws which prohibit certain shows from being aired

Posted by: shadowrider 4 October 2016 - 07:38 AM

QUOTE (denizen @ 3 October 2016 - 10:10 PM)

But then isn't it also any streaming outside of CBS?
Anyway, did I brake any of the forum laws? If so, I apologize.

Posted by: denizen 4 October 2016 - 08:28 PM

Not necessarily. It depends what shows are licensed in what country. Since it is not being aired in your country, there is a possibility that a network might be able to stream this in your area since nobody has technically bought the license to air it exclusively.

Unfortunately i am not certain of your countries laws so you might need to look it up.

You haven't broken any forum laws so no need to apologise

However you view your entertainment is entirely your prerogative but we try not to emphasize the particulars of what we "download from this torrent" or "illegally stream that show" There are thousands of guests that read our posts and the last thing we need to to make anyone think we are doing illegal activities.

Posted by: Danjo1 5 October 2016 - 11:03 AM

I really dislike the tone and direction of the new show. I miss the way the original show was done. RDA was 35 when the show started (in other words a grown-up), and he had a maturity about him that's completely missing here. I think they have brought in Wilt to try to replicate the chemistry that Mac had with Jack in the original series, since they completely revamped Jack's character in this one. None of it works very well. As others have mentioned, there are too many characters in the show at the same time. It all feels shallow/superficial. The original show wasn't King Lear, but it was true to itself and treated the characters as real people; this one has everyone seeming like caricatures. It's very cartoonish and tries too hard to be hip.

Posted by: Macgyver1985 6 October 2016 - 05:38 AM

I agree with you; I too don't admire the whole ''team'' involvement. Furthermore, I haven't seen episode two, so I can't generally comment on how great or terrible it was.

Welcome to the forums!

Posted by: DashboardOnFire 6 October 2016 - 09:32 AM

I wouldn't mind the team aspect so much - if it wasn't a gun-wielding back-up team. Original MacGyver didn't need one and New MacGyver shouldn't need a gun-wielding back-up team; but apparently he does as in Episode 2 he actually had 3!! gun-wielding team-members (Jack, Sarah Adler, Thornton) protecting him. All he had to do was hide behind them.

With the fast-paced storytelling and the breezing over the MacGyverisms, I can't really "feel" Mac. It's like he's only in the background and not the most important member of the team. Sure, the others can be interesting characters, too and I don't mind if they get their own time to shine - but HE should be the most important member since the show is named after him and all that...

I felt this episode was Jack's episode - I wouldn't mind it so much later in the season, but this felt wrong; like they're trying to force this new Jack Dalton onto us and make us like him.

Posted by: tvero 6 October 2016 - 10:24 AM

I agree.I think that it's too early to focus on another character, I mean Jack.
We aren't even used to the 'new' Mac yet.

Posted by: Macgyver1985 7 October 2016 - 03:06 AM

This episode was not to my liking since it was to some degree confusing, and throughout a few scenes, I found that it was hard to comprehend what was being said due to the background music being so loud.

I can particularly recall Jack Dalton not consistently being by MacGyvers side in the original series, nevertheless, in this reboot, Jack is given more prominence, rather than the main character "MacGyver." I also disliked the way the MacGyverisms were done; that said I trust they can better this series, and I firmly believe it can turn out to be very successful!

Voted this episode 2/5. Much improvement is needed!

Posted by: DashboardOnFire 22 June 2017 - 02:04 PM

There will be another rerun of this episode on July 14: http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Scoop-MACGYVER-on-CBS-Friday-July-14-2017-20170622

Posted by: DashboardOnFire 5 September 2018 - 09:13 AM

Here's the blog post by Rhett Allain - Technical Consultant for the Reboot - about the "MacHacks" used in this episode: https://rhettallain.com/2018/08/06/macgyver-season-1-episode-2-hacks/

Posted by: MacGyverGod 2 October 2018 - 07:58 AM

This episode also didn't disappoint. The boat blowing up reminded me of A Prisoner of Conscience but indeed, they killed those guys. That one made me go like: 'in the original they would've gotten off the boat first.'

Again, the MacGyverism moments roared over my screen like a tornado. I don't mind the onscreen texts of the material he uses at all, but I'm not hot on the split-screens of the material. I hardly have time to see everything and whoops a couple of seconds later the ism is done. He made a frigging night goggles, a totally new ism, how cool is that? When it comes to MacGyver thinking ahead in his plans even before he goes in somewhere all I can think of is season's 4 tagline: "He acts fast, he thinks faster."

I also have to agree that Jack is really present and pretty much shadows over MacGyver's presence. But this is still early and this was more of Jack-centric episode. Something we had to wait for till season 2.

The gun-wielding team... I like it that Jack is the muscle and provides back up. Don't forget this is something totally different from the original. Don't compare it with that, because it's not that. The reboot is clearly more military and it didn't seem that long ago. MacGyver was send to Vietnam, yes, so he did his military service at the time. Of Jack, we don't know but probably too but that war was long over before the show started.

Maybe this Mac has less of a problem with guns than the original. He still not using them which I think is good. How, why is as far as I know not revealed yet. But I think they also want to be careful not to make it preachy. Which I think is a valid pitfall. In MacsJeep story Fight Club, I read that Mac had his doubts about children performing karate because basically it's kids fighting... if we start like that everything is a problem. And I don't think it's up to him to tell people what to do simply because he doesn't like it. On the gun use, I can agree but that might have a reason that can be explained later on. I think if Reboot Mac said: 'No guns,' they would laugh their asses off as if he had anything to say in the matter. Mac's the brains, Jack is the muscle. Just don't forget that this Mac doesn't have to have same problem our Mac has.

And when it comes to the things this Mac does: those bombs he threw, the fact he seems to be into basketball... there are lot of things the original did as well.

MacGyver drank wine in The Heist.

MacGyver has a basketball and hoop in season 2 which is seen again in season 7. So he must've had some sort of
interest in the sport or else he wouldn't have had one. MacGyver plays hockey... that guy stands on knives when he does.

MacGyver caused many explosions mainly for distractions but did he ever consider that people might get hurt in the process? So the argument that he throws bombs here is not exactly a valid point. You do know MacGyver threw the bomb out the window in Off The Wall and it took out the bad guys and the car? I was also thinking about the mortar he made in Three For The Road. He didn't seem to be aiming for the hood but straight at the car. The mortar could've gone right through the windshield. If it ended in the driver's face, it could've ended much worse.

And I thought we pretty much agreed that MacGyver actually killed Glass in Log Jam. He deliberately waited long enough to jump off the conveyor belt before Glass had the chance to jump off.

Don't make our original Mac a saint because he did things too the new one is doing.

The score is alright but indeed updated to today's standards. It wouldn't hurt to hear bits of the theme song in it or any other memorable MacGyverism tunes in it. Remember Mac taking out the rocket in the Pilot episode or Strictly Business with getting through the wires?

Anyway this was another good one in my opinion.

Posted by: Miasma 2 October 2018 - 09:48 AM

@MacGyverGod-- Thanks for posting these reviews! It's interesting to read your comments about these early episodes now, and to kind of re-watch the series through your eyes. And it's refreshing to read such positive comments. A lot of us were pretty negative about the series, especially at the beginning.

I'm sure there will be some episodes you won't like (as with any show), but overall, I think the series got stronger towards the end of season 1 and throughout season 2. And season 3 is off to a good start. So since you're already liking it now, you're in for a treat.

Posted by: MacGyverGod 2 October 2018 - 11:23 AM

No doubt. In the original I disliked Thief Of Budapest and it's still one my least favorites and that was only the third episode, not to mention plenty of others like Ugly Ducking, To Be Man, Twice Stung, Jenny's Chance, MacGyver's Women, Split Decision...

Besides I would rename this episode: Hurry Home Sarah.

Posted by: sylvain1888 31 October 2020 - 04:42 PM

I like the role of Sarah here and the trip to Venezuela is prolific, not a fan either, but without a spell.