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| MacGyver Online Forums > Episode Discussions > 1-5 Toothpick |
| Posted by: MacGyverOnline 8 October 2016 - 03:06 AM |
 1-5 Toothpick Airdate: 21 October 2016 Writer: Nancy Kiu Director: Bobby Roth Guest Cast: Sonia Rockwell (Blonde Woman/Sofia), Kasha Kropinski (Katarina Wagner), Rachel Kylian (German Assistant), Jarreth Merz (Eric Wexler), Alban Merdani (Gerhard), Olivia Welch (Little Girl) Jessica Roth (Woman), Josh Ventura (Dad), Tony McFarr (Big Man), Ian Gregg (Young Man) MacGyver must fix a sabotaged train in order to protect a whistle-blower who has proof that her boss is selling weapons to U.S. enemies. |
| Posted by: DXS 21 October 2016 - 10:58 PM |
| I'm first? WOWSIES! I enjoyed this episode. I felt it captured more of what MacGyver represented to us in the 1980's although it was updated to include 2010 decade technology. Did you all get a load of the paper clip shaped like a broken heart at the beginning? My only "nit pick" is when MacGyver was trying to uncouple the train cars with the homemade arc welder (that's what it looked like to me!), well, I mean.... arc welding without a face shield? His face was a bit too close. If anyone can comment on this, I want to know. Ok, one other nit pick. He rode the train underneath while trying to do something to put it in reverse..... Um..... he came out of that with no scrapes, bruises, or scratches? A bit unbelievable to me....... Other than my two nitpicks, the rest of the MacGyverisms were cool! Especially when he stuck a (was it some type of pin?) in the other guy's gun to prevent it from shooting? I'm getting used to George Eads version of Jack Dalton, although I still like Bruce McGill's version. And Patricia Thornton is WAY MORE "out and about" in the field than Pete Thornton ever was...... Interesting..... Keep the show at this level and I'll keep watching... PS. Oh, I did kind of wonder whether naming the woman Katarina was kind of a "nod" to when RDA dated ice skater Katarina Witt........ |
| Posted by: Miasma 22 October 2016 - 03:16 AM |
| This was easily the best episode of the season so far. It still doesn't quite feel like MacGyver to me, but if I ignored the fact that it was supposed to be MacGyver, and just watched it as a new action/adventure series, it was quite enjoyable. And there were a few moments that captured the classic MacGyver feel. I've complained about the music in the past, but in this episode, it was mostly fine. Forgettable, but fine. At least it was mainly appropriate action music, and not much of that annoying techno-pop synth stuff that they had throughout the previous episodes. I really liked the fact that the majority of this episode took place on the train. It gave it a sense of personality that was lacking from the previous episodes. On the negative side... 1. It's still following the exact same formula as every other episode: Opening gambit -> Pointless Bozer scene -> Phoenix briefing scene -> Adventure -> Epilogue. The writers really need to vary this. 2. It felt cheap at times. The special effects for the exterior shots of the train were distractingly bad. To be fair, maybe they're working with a low budget, and the original series had some distractingly bad special effects, too, but standards were lower back then. 3. Bozer. I almost feel bad for the actor at this point, as his scenes are just so bafflingly pointless. But overall, while it's still not quite at the level it should be, this was enjoyable, and an improvement over the past few episodes. |
| Posted by: DXS 22 October 2016 - 06:26 AM |
| I'm agreeing, Wilt Bozer is pointless fluff. Maybe it's comedic relief, I don't know. |
| Posted by: Frog 22 October 2016 - 10:12 AM | ||
Yes. The brightness of that could damage the eyes. And his hand would have been burnt to a crisp, because that steel tube would have gotten red hot. And the steel he was cutting through was really thick. I know he didn't cut all the way through it, but he wouldn't have cut through the amount of steel he managed too in that short amount of time. Otherwise it was an entertaining episode. And I'm finding there is a bit of cheesiness in the reboot just like the older MacGyver. |
| Posted by: InVader 22 October 2016 - 09:32 PM |
| This did seem like the most solid episode yet. I agree that the music was much better this time. I even heard the new theme used a few times which helped me verify that I wasn't just hearing free to use music, which is what a lot of the other stuff sounds like. The episode did have some campiness similar to the old series and it was a lot of fun to watch. |
| Posted by: denizen 22 October 2016 - 09:55 PM |
Too much killing. Mac throwing people off a moving train (very fast train), his usual team parasites attached to his every move. No.  |
| Posted by: KiwiTek 23 October 2016 - 12:37 AM |
| Well this is certainly the best episode so far, but MacGyver killed 2 people without even blinking. They've completely missed the whole point of MacGyver in my opinion. |
| Posted by: MacDawn 24 October 2016 - 06:09 PM | ||
The thing Mac stuck into the guy's gun, is sort of like a toothpick thing that comes in the SAK. I don't know if all of them have it, but the SAK I used to have had that on one side and a small pincher on the other side, tucked in the side of the SAK. I rather like George Eades, I think he has some of the great lines in this episode.  He isn't the loveable rascal Bruce McGill's Dalton was, but he is still pretty lovable. |
| Posted by: MacDawn 24 October 2016 - 06:18 PM |
| If I didn't remember wrongly, MacGyver did throw a few baddies off a moving train in Slow Death, so it isn't that violent an episode. I liked what I saw in this episode, I think Lucas and Eades have pretty good chemistry. I really don't think the MacGyverism of the arc welder would work, because that is a HUGE block of metal to cut through. Still, I think there are some elements of the original in there. Particularly because it reminds me of Slow Death...because there is a.... train. I still don't like Riley being on the team, because her solutions are just way too simplistic. Like how 'good' are your hacking to be able to track people through a moving train just via their phone signal? The way she was saying, people were supposedly twitter-ing, facebook-ing, hence she could hack the signals AND the cameras. But looking at all the people on the train, most of them are sleeping! I assume your phones will be in your pockets while you are sleeping... I think there is a point to Bozer... but they are taking the scenic route about to it. |
| Posted by: Macgyver12186 25 October 2016 - 03:37 AM |
| I loved it and my wife loves it (again she isn't really a fan of these types of shows so for her to be interested is awesome) My only issue besides Bowzer is uh stop using Angus it's really like nails on a chalk board again I can forgive the more action I can forgive the more violence and sex and even love it but the use of Angus is like batman suddenly giving up crime fighting to do a dance competition it doesn't work it's awkward and annoying sigh Though as sacrelgious as this sounds there is s few things I like more then the original Namely the paperclip art I can always imagine Mac doing that if he were a real person and the lack of smart fidgeting in the original is noticed and appreciated that Mac does it now. Also I like that Mac is allowed to have fun with the opposite sex we all know he urban legend or story about the slew of letters abc got every time Mac kissed another woman forcing writers to remove them from the show and now with that not happening I am kind of happy. Oh one more thing after last nights episode seriously how is it we had to wait till 2016 for a plot like this sorry the writers by season 5 of the original just didn't have their heart in it because the die hard/under siege plot was so obvious and would of been really cool to see how the original Mac would of handled the situation but oh well. At least we dealt with such topics as teenage drinking and uh boxing being too brutal a sport (seriously I just... Never mind) Over all the show is fantastic is it the original no but honestly I don't want it to be the changes for the most part don't bother me sure Lenkov is confusing 5.0 and Macgyver a bit (again the use of the first name everyone knows from day one Mac hated his first name and when the German girl called him angus I swear I wanted to scream) but over all I am glad the show got picked up for a full season also 7.9 million viewers so same as last week. |
| Posted by: KiwiTek 25 October 2016 - 04:43 AM | ||
It's not an urban legend it's fact. Watch this interview from the 6 minute mark for details about them. They even read a few out. |
| Posted by: Miasma 25 October 2016 - 04:58 AM | ||
I know I'm in the minority, but him using the name Angus in this show really does not bother me even the tiniest bit. It's different, yes, but not in a way that I think detracts anything from the show. I guess other people really enjoyed him hating the name in the original series, but it never did much for me one way or another. And now that we all know what his first name is anyway, there's not even any fun in keeping it a secret, so they might as well use it. |
| Posted by: denizen 25 October 2016 - 05:17 AM |
Perhaps they should have changed his name for the 2016 reboot. First name Kosmo.  Just like Kramer in Seinfeld. |
| Posted by: Miasma 25 October 2016 - 06:22 AM | ||
Slightly related (since we're talking about characters' first names), what bothered me more than hearing "Angus MacGyver" in this reboot was when people kept calling Indiana Jones "Henry" in Crystal Skull. I get that it was meant to reflect the fact that he gained respect for his dad in the previous movie, but still, I would have preferred if they just stuck with Indiana all the time. Anyway, back on topic: I wonder if Murdoc will get a frist name in this. That might bother me. If he walks out and says, "Hello, Angus. I'm Stanley. Stanley Murdoc." Also, when Murdoc "dies" at the end of each episode, will he yell: "ANNNNNNGUSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!" as he plummets to his "death"? |
| Posted by: Miasma 25 October 2016 - 07:53 AM |
| By the way, does Patricia Thornton have magical teleportation powers? In a previous episode, she teleported to Venezuela in practically no time at all, and managed to stop Riley from being gunned down. In this episode, she teleported to Germany. A flight from LA to Germany would take about 10 hours, but she got there while the train was still in transit, and the train ride would have only taken about three or four hours. |
| Posted by: DashboardOnFire 25 October 2016 - 08:35 AM | ||
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| Posted by: DashboardOnFire 25 October 2016 - 08:41 AM | ||
Well, the Phoenix Foundation Podcast decided that she does; and that her power will be revealed in the season finale *lol* It could have been a plot hole, but it's just her superpower. I'm so relieved! |
| Posted by: denizen 25 October 2016 - 08:02 PM |
| I suspect she is a mutant. Possibly one of Xavier's lost causes. |
| Posted by: Jediferret 26 October 2016 - 04:43 AM |
| I did watch this episode last Saturday and thought it was pretty good... certainly the best so far. Looks like they got the idea from Slow Death, for certain. I thought the ending was very sweet, but still a bit too forced. It's like they're trying to go for that same "lovable" MacGyver feel and it's still missing the mark. I know they're trying though... Other than that, I'm too busy watching Supernatural... Season 12 just started a couple of weeks ago. |
| Posted by: DashboardOnFire 27 May 2018 - 01:43 PM |
I've seen this episode in English and in German, but I still don't like it very much . I think this is actually the one I like the least in Season 1. Can't really say why. Maybe because it's set in Germany and the "German" train is not even 10% German?  Anyway, I never posted the final ratings of the premiere of this episode. Here you go (via Showbuzz): |
| Posted by: DashboardOnFire 19 September 2018 - 07:59 AM |
| Here's the blog post by Rhett Allain - Technical Consultant for the Reboot - about the "MacHacks" used in this episode: https://rhettallain.com/2018/09/19/macgyver-season-1-episode-5-hacks/ I have to admit I don't remember some of them. But that's maybe because Rhett uses his script instead of re-watching them. So we actually might get to know about some MacGyverisms that were initially in the first script but didn't make it on screen. |
| Posted by: MacGyverGod 4 October 2018 - 03:03 AM |
| An episode on train. That rings some bells. Clearly a nod to Slow Death, only this time the train keeps going which in my opinion was a nod to the ending of Speed. The episode was pretty much fun and yes, MacGyver did kill two guys without blinking apparently. But this actually brings me to something else. Do you think Webster in Slow Death died after being electrocuted? MacGyver rigged the controls so only he and the machinist could use it. You might wonder why Mac rigged it in such a way that the shock could kill someone? If he's dead MacGyver's kill count stands on 2 and I'm pretty sure he (even though unintentionally) killed Cleeve as well so that makes 3. Back to the episode. Despite this episode was fun, I think this was the silliest one yet. A train with 132 passengers and Mac, Jack and Riley are running through it, beating up bad guys, destroying parts of the train and no one, absolutely no one notices anything??? Are those people drunk, drugged or dead??? The fact that Patricia simply keeps showing up at places, where it's just impossible to be there on time, is downright hilarious. She reminded me of Hermione in The Prisoner of Azkaban where she had that device to seemingly travel through time and I was like: 'How did she get there so fast?' Or maybe she does have teleportation powers or is a mutant. These are definitely those elements that doesn't need to be explained. Just keep on guessing and make it whatever you want from it. About the scene when Mac is trying to weld through the train cars... I think that was supposed to be a nod to Last Stand when he made the Thermite torch. A scene where he also didn't use protective goggles, I might add. One more thing though, and this is actually a downside to it... Just curious though but I'm beginning to wonder what the budget is on these episodes. If I'm not mistaken the original show had about a million dollars budget per episode? And they always were like the newest of the newest and one of the most expensive shows at the time. While in this episode you clearly saw when it was CGI or blue screen. The train stopping for example kinda looked like a CGI-image from the 90's. Also that outer space shot in I think the previous episode, reminded me of that space-shot in Goldeneye. But depending on their budget perhaps, they gotta make do with what they got. In all an entertaining episode. |