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MacGyver Online Forums > Episodes > 009 - The Prodigal


Posted by: MacGyverOnline 2 November 2006 - 01:26 PM
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009 - The Prodigal

Airdate: 08 December 1985
Teleplay: David Abramowitz
Story: Paul Savage & David Abramowitz
Director: Alexander Singer
Guest Cast: Robert Romanus as Frank Bennett, Richard Romanus as Joey Bennett, Carl Franklin as Wiley, Angela Clarke as Caterina Bennett.

A protected Federal witness wants to come out of hiding to visit his dying mother. Can MacGyver protect him from the mob and the feds?




Posted by: Macs Lab Rat 8 November 2006 - 08:34 AM
Votes from 15 Feb 2006

Poor [ 0 ] [0.00%]
Average [ 2 ] [20.00%]
OK [ 2 ] [20.00%]
Good [ 3 ] [30.00%]
Excellent [ 3 ] [30.00%]
Total Votes: 10

Archived posts

Posted by: MacGyverGod Oct 17 2004, 10:57 PM
QUOTE
This is one of the very few episodes I first didn't like but started to like after seeing it a few times. It's actually bit of a sad episode. With the dying mother and the problems with his brother. 


Posted by: sonyab Oct 18 2004, 03:19 AM
QUOTE
I rated this episode as excellent. This was another great episode. The two brothers look like they are brothers.. The brother who was going against his drug selling brother was very attractive.  Did anybody notice that when the mother died her head moved a little bit?  oh that could be in the nitpick section. I liked how they got out of the bad situation at the end with Mac's macgyverism.


Posted by: MacGyverGod Oct 18 2004, 05:57 AM
QUOTE

QUOTE
QUOTE 
The two brothers look like they are brothers.. 



That's because they ARE brothers in real life, Sonyab.


Posted by: MacGyver Oct 18 2004, 07:25 AM
QUOTE
This was a great episode. It was quite sad to see the mother dying and to see all the family problems Joey and his brother Frank had. The best part was definitely MacGyver's escape from the house by sliding on the rope over to the tree. That was totally cool. (Frank and Joey were cool names to use too. Were they named after The Hardy Boys, maybe?  ) 


Posted by: sonyab Oct 18 2004, 08:15 AM
QUOTE

QUOTE
QUOTE (MacGyverGod @ Oct 17 2004, 12:47 PM)
That's because they ARE brothers in real life, Sonyab. 



Doh!!! I fogot that they were brothers in real life.. I just checked tvtome yeah they are..


Posted by: rockatteer Oct 18 2004, 08:57 AM
QUOTE

QUOTE
QUOTE 
Did anybody notice that when the mother died her head moved a little bit? smile.gif oh that could be in the nitpick section



It's already in the nitpicks. http://www.macgyveronline.com/pages/nitpic.html


Posted by: sonyab Oct 18 2004, 09:09 AM

QUOTE
Wow there are alot more nitpicks on that website.. Was it all you rocky or other people did it too?   


Posted by: rockatteer Oct 18 2004, 12:24 PM
QUOTE
I did the site, but I got the nit-picks from all over the net



Posted by: Tomms247 Nov 17 2004, 09:59 AM
QUOTE
i liked it...i thought Mac was dead at the end when he got shot, but it was still good because i know Mac would neverr die cuz he knows how to beat the bad guys.... 


Posted by: I Love Penny Parker Apr 29 2005, 06:41 AM
QUOTE
From the lead singer of Nerf Herder, Parry Gripp :

MacGyver - The Prodigal

Mobsters + MacGyver = Mayhem...

Here is the synopsis: MacGyver must find a way for a Federal witness to visit his dying mother without his mobster brother finding out. Can MacGyver keep him alive...? Oh, yes he can! MacGyver did several questionable things in this episode. At one point he made a fake fire in the air shaft of a federal building with some dry ice, pop rocks, and what looked like Tab Cola. That just didn't seem right. Then he said, "Cars run on three things, Gas, Air, and Water". Do cars really run on water? And then when the car he sabotaged broke down, he showed up with a completely unexplained tow truck. Now how did he get that?

PROS: Guy who played Mike Damone from Fast Times At Ridgemont High driving a banana yellow Iroc. . Plenty of ***in' aviator glasses!
CONS: Worst theme song ever. Creating fake fire in federal building a bad example for children. Improbable that he could come up with a tow truck out of nowhere. Needless destruction of what looked to be an antique telescope by turning it into a cannon..


Posted by: Toni Apr 20 2006, 05:15 AM
QUOTE
Good episode, Shirtless Mac what could be better. 

Toni



Posted by: MACGYVERISMYDAD Apr 21 2006, 02:20 AM
QUOTE

QUOTE
QUOTE 
Then he said, "Cars run on three things, Gas, Air, and Water". Do cars really run on water?




cars need water to continue running or else they will overheat and lock up. Unless you have an oil/air cooled engine


Posted by: rockatteer Apr 21 2006, 10:00 AM
QUOTE
Yep...

- Water goes in radiator to keep engine from overheating.
- Gas goes in tank to provide explosion (or sudden burn) when pumped into engine.
- Air goes into engine to provide the oxygen for the explosion. (Gas wont ignite without oxygen)


I think that Parry Gripp person should stick to singing.



Posted by: Lothithil 31 August 2007 - 07:13 PM
This is a good ep. I like how Mac accepts Frank, and cares about him and his mother. Very early foreshadowing of Mac's backhistory concerning his own mother.

I love the Romanus brothers, too.

I remember watching this ep for the first time, and when Mac was trying to pick the lock and the dogs were coming, I thought of Magnum PI and his mantra:
"Look at the lock... don't look at the dogs... look at the lock.... YOU LOOKED AT THE DOGS!" laugh.gif laugh.gif

A fun episode. My only crick is the distraction that Mac sets up to help Frankie escape in the lumber yard. I realize we (as the audience) needed time to hear the things that Joey and Frank were saying to each other, but it too so long... Joey could have shot Frankie six times!

Why do the badguys always have to talk, talk, talk?

Because it's in the script! laugh.gif

Posted by: MacGyver 31 August 2007 - 07:59 PM
QUOTE
I remember watching this ep for the first time, and when Mac was trying to pick the lock and the dogs were coming, I thought of Magnum PI and his mantra:
"Look at the lock... don't look at the dogs... look at the lock.... YOU LOOKED AT THE DOGS!" 

Ha- that's a classic scene. In fact, it's the first scene from the pilot episode ("Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii") of Magnum, P.I.
smile.gif

And this is also one of my favorite episodes of MacGyver. The mother's death was very sad and it was also interesting to see the two brothers conflicting interests. Good point about the foreshadowing of MacGyver's back story for his own mother. I wonder if they even had that in place at that point.

Posted by: j12752 1 September 2007 - 02:59 AM
Love this episode, and especially the fast one Mac pulls on the FBI guys when he pretends to be a tow-truck driver.

Posted by: Lothithil 1 September 2007 - 03:28 AM
QUOTE (j12752 @ 1 September 2007 - 06:34 AM)
Love this episode, and especially the fast one Mac pulls on the FBI guys when he pretends to be a tow-truck driver.

"Excuse me Sir!" sez Mac in a defensive drawl, " I do what I do... the way I do it! "

laugh.gif laugh.gif laugh.gif

Posted by: Sheepy 1 September 2007 - 05:59 AM
Can't really remember how I'd rate this one.
*darts off to DVD player*


**Catch you later!** tongue.gif

Posted by: Lothithil 1 September 2007 - 08:57 AM
QUOTE (Sheepy @ 1 September 2007 - 09:34 AM)
Can't really remember how I'd rate this one.
*darts off to DVD player*


**Catch you later!** tongue.gif

Don't you just hate having an excuse to go and re-watch an episode of MacGyver? rolleyes.gif

tongue.gif

Posted by: trtlsoup 1 September 2007 - 04:32 PM
QUOTE (Sheepy @ 1 September 2007 - 10:34 AM)
Can't really remember how I'd rate this one.
*darts off to DVD player*

I'm going to have to do that too... tongue.gif

Posted by: Lothithil 1 September 2007 - 05:28 PM
Watch the scene where Mac and Frank are in Mac's apartment... don't be distracted by the handsome man pulling off his shirt... wub.gif ... and look carefully at Mac's decor--

you'll see Trumbo's "Go Away" sign against the wall! wink.gif

Posted by: MacGyverGrrl 1 September 2007 - 11:00 PM
I thought this was a good episode. Mac's involvement with Frank starts out as a business assignment but becomes more personal. This is a theme that is repeated throughout the series.

For a little comic relief we have Mac picking a lock that doesn't want to be picked. The "good dogs" comment as he slides throught the door is funny. It even cracked up my son.

The MacGYverisms were pretty cool. The only thing I find off is Mac's accent. It seems so exaggerated that it comes off almost cartoonish. The accent changed and was much less pronounced in later seasons and seemed more natural. Of course, this is to be expected as RDA imprinted the character with his own personality and interpretation.

I lived in Northern Wisconsin for 2.5 years while I was in college. The Midwestern accent was noticable when I first moved there, but it is nowhere near as pronounced as it appears in the first season of MacGyver.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 2 September 2007 - 02:40 AM
I just finished watching this episode for the first time in quite some while, and now I know why it's been so long... It seemed to drag on for ever.

Even the "action" scenes seemed drawn out and slow in this one. I can't place my finger on it, but something seemed off, it felt like a lazy Sunday afternoon.

MacGyver has an interesting dress style in this epi too... which also seemed a little off, compared to the other episodes. We go from a eye burning yellow shirt to a brain numbing black shirt with little colored bits splashed all over it. blink.gif

And lets not talk about having his pants tucked into his socks. doh.gif

I noticed a http://www.macgyveronline.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2534&view=findpost&p=24186 in the changing of Macs shirts too.

It's interesting to see the scene where MacGyver rings and orders the tow-truck. I don't recall ever seeing this scene before, but I have recently seen a comment in a blog asking where MacGyver got the tow truck from, so it seems kind of timely that I find this scene which explains where the truck came from.

Over all, this episode just doesn't work for me. Still better than anything on TV today, but compared to other episodes.. it's only an average.


Posted by: Daniel_sk 2 September 2007 - 10:38 AM
Rockatteer - I can only agree with you... It was only an average episode for me.

Posted by: SAK 2 September 2007 - 02:00 PM
I don't believe I've seen this episode yet. I'll have to watch it tonight when I get home.

As for the shirts, they all look grey or black to me. Our TV is black and white.

Posted by: trtlsoup 3 September 2007 - 07:24 AM
QUOTE (Lothithil @ 1 September 2007 - 10:03 PM)
... don't be distracted by the handsome man pulling off his shirt...  wub.gif ... and look carefully at Mac's decor--

you'll see Trumbo's "Go Away" sign against the wall!  wink.gif

Okay, just finished watching it. Didn't catch Trumbo's sign. I kept getting distracted! (...can't imagine why.) blush.gif biggrin.gif

Hmmm...

I voted good... Although I love the house boat of later seasons, I really like the apartment in Venice Beach. Spent a LOT of time at the beach (especially Muscle Beach...) and I always wanted to live there. (WAY too expensive) So it's always a treat to see it...

Mac's pants... all I can think of is they might have a prior scene where they had him cycling in... or just really bad fashion sense. rolleyes.gif Although it was the style then, it was usually with women and really tight pants or leggings. (Yeah, I was one of those fashion victims...)

The sweatshirt I think are the colors of University of Minnesota. I did notice the shirt switch. I never would have thought about it until ya'll mentioned it. I liked the gray striped shirt... that black pattered one was... ick!

I didn't see Mac calling for the tow truck. But I really loved the scene itself. The agents though were a bit over the top. But RDA shows his funny side in the exaggerated accent and performance. Same with the lock picking scene.

But otherwise it was an average episode. Not bad, just not extremely noteworthy. IMO, as usual.

Posted by: Lothithil 3 September 2007 - 09:38 AM
QUOTE (SAK @ 2 September 2007 - 05:35 PM)
As for the shirts, they all look grey or black to me. Our TV is black and white.

laugh.gif

Well, yeah... that would be a problem! happy.gif

Count yourself lucky, SAK... some of those shirt colour patters are eye-searingly bad! surprise.gif

Posted by: MacGyverGrrl 3 September 2007 - 02:35 PM
Lothi, nobody ever said college colors would be pleasing. But the yellow is not a color that looks good on RDA.

Trtl--I remember the socks over pants thing. It was mostly women that wore them that way though.

The uniform was very tight leg pants at the ankle with one or two pairs of thick socks in contrasting colors pulled up over the pants and scrunched so that both pairs of socks showed. The pants were usually baggy in the hip and thigh, and often really high waisted. They were worn with a close fit tee-shirt, or tutrlenect sweater and don't forget the skinny double wrap belt that went through the belt loop in back and hung free of the others.

Yikes! Can anybody say Breakfast Club?

Posted by: Macs Lab Rat 6 September 2007 - 11:20 AM
Overall I thought this episode was all right. It didn’t have any really especially note worthy bits. I think the way he flops down by the car so nonchalantly after the bit when he phones Acme auto tow rental is worth a small mention. biggrin.gif
Oh and I actually like the black shirt with the coloured bits on it. happy.gif I am with you all on the trousers tucked in the socks thing though. laugh.gif

QUOTE
and look carefully at Mac's decor--you'll see Trumbo's "Go Away" sign against the wall!

unsure.gif I really don’t see the sign and I looked carefully (or so I thought!). Where about is it exactly?

Apart from that I don’t have much to say. It was ok.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 6 September 2007 - 12:27 PM
It's not a sign with words.. its a carved wooden face on a poll leaning against the wall.

Posted by: Macs Lab Rat 6 September 2007 - 12:39 PM
laugh.gif As you guessed I was looking for a little sign with "keep out" written on it. doh.gif I see now. thank you. biggrin.gif

Posted by: MacNymph 6 September 2007 - 01:11 PM
I don't know why, but I love this episode. I was laughing all the way through it. happy.gif

I love that they used actual brothers. It lends credibility to the story. When there’s so much about the story that’s wrong. LOL! The line by Wiley about how the Federal Marshal’s office will protect Frank up until the trial and then Mac can take over with the relocation and new identity??? Seems to me it should have been the other way around! laugh.gif

OMG! When Mac’s in the tow truck and the marshal steps out in front of the truck
“Okay stop! STOP! STAAAAP!laugh.gif And then Mac backs into the car. roller.gif

QUOTE (Lothithil @ 2 September 2007 - 12:03 AM)
"Excuse me Sir!" sez Mac in a defensive drawl, " I do what I do... the way I do it! "

No no no... laugh.gif It was "With all due respect. Sir." I half expected the pan back to be of bum visiting at the SGC! laugh.gif

QUOTE (MacGyverGrrl @ 2 September 2007 - 07:35 PM)

For a little comic relief we have Mac picking a lock that doesn't want to be picked. The "good dogs" comment as he slides throught the door is funny. It even cracked up my son.

There’s almost an implied, “Don’t eat me when I come out!” laugh.gif

QUOTE (MacGyverGrrl @ 4 September 2007 - 11:10 AM)

The uniform was very tight leg pants at the ankle with one or two pairs of thick socks in contrasting colors pulled up over the pants and scrunched so that both pairs of socks showed. The pants were usually baggy in the hip and thigh, and often really high waisted. They were worn with a close fit tee-shirt, or tutrlenect sweater and don't forget the skinny double wrap belt that went through the belt loop in back and hung free of the others.


You forgot the extra wide colored shoe laces. laugh.gif

The mother didn't make me sad. At the hospital, I was too busy trying to figure out why it sounded like her voice was taped. And on her death bed, it wasn't just that her head moved after she was "dead" it was the way it moved. huh.gif Creepy!

And when they’re sliding down the sip line, Frank is tucked up smooth descent and Mac comes down flailing and squirming all over. laugh.gif

And now for my nit pick: When Mac is rigging the trip on the staircase and he’s reaching through the rails tying the string, there’s a big glaring tan line where his watch should be and I though Ugh! They should definitely keep his watch on him. Then he squats back down behind the banister and low and behold, his watch is on. Tsk tsk tsk!

Oh! One more thing maybe someone knows the answer too. Is there a reason why a convenience store would have dry ice on hand? Was there something going on in the eighties we don't do today? Not that I can think of a reason, even if there's a good reason it was there, that it would be sold or given away.

Posted by: Beachbead 22 April 2009 - 12:31 PM
I loved the part where MacGyver uses drinks to make a fake smoke.

Posted by: lucsch 28 May 2009 - 07:52 PM
The watch thing is undeniable--very funny how the watch seems to be a constant source of goofs.

The dead mother did move. To me, it looked like a natural shift of her head from the pillow--gravity and not voluntary.

Great episode! Absolutely enjoyed the tow truck scene.

He did call for the tow truck--from a pay phone. LOL does anyone use those anymore?

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 28 October 2010 - 10:13 PM
OMG! MacGyver rang ACME tow truck rentals!


Posted by: Wheeljack 23 November 2010 - 02:53 PM
QUOTE (Rockatteer @ 29 October 2010 - 06:16 PM)
OMG!  MacGyver rang ACME tow truck rentals!

I'm rooting for some ACME acne medication in a show someday.


As for mother, she was turning into a zombie when she moved, and luckily Frank got the sheet over her just in time. biggrin.gif

Posted by: Hollywood 24 January 2011 - 02:10 PM
This is a somewhat random question about this episode, but does anyone know where they filmed the scenes of Mac's loft? Anything more specific than just "somewhere in LA"?

Thanks

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 24 January 2011 - 08:54 PM
Yep.

Take a look at our http://www.macgyveronline.com/pages/locations.html

Posted by: NightTinkerer 1 August 2012 - 05:03 PM
I think the most memorable thing about this episode is that the entire wardrobe staff must have been away on vacation... laugh.gif

No, but seriously--I never ever think I've seen such hideous clothes during the entire series. I know, we're talking about the 80's, but I can't help but wonder if it would have been considered fashion even back then... wink.gif

Well, clothing aside... The premise of this episode is so heartbreakingly sad. I know from first hand experience what it feels like having family members turning their backs on each other (not due to illegalities in this case, though, thanks God), so I found it particularly hard to watch.

The mother's death scene was very moving, with some really good acting from Robert Romanus/"Frank."

There were some really humorous moments thrown in though, to lighten up the mood! I *love* the Acme Rental Truck thing!! roller.gif
(If people ever were to complain about cartoonish drivers... laugh.gif )

Two nitpicks--wouldn't anyone spot MacGyver while he was messing with a federal car in a busy street, in broad daylight? And the escape rig was mighty cool, but how did they get the handles back for Mac? hmm.bmp

"Good" rating from me.

Posted by: KiwiTek 1 August 2012 - 10:33 PM
QUOTE (NightTinkerer @ 2 August 2012 - 01:06 PM)
wouldn't anyone spot MacGyver while he was messing with a federal car in a busy street, in broad daylight?

Wasn't it an unmarked car?


Posted by: NightTinkerer 2 August 2012 - 09:19 AM
QUOTE (KiwiTek @ 2 August 2012 - 08:36 AM)
QUOTE (NightTinkerer @ 2 August 2012 - 01:06 PM)
wouldn't anyone spot MacGyver while he was messing with a federal car in a busy street, in broad daylight?

Wasn't it an unmarked car?

Well, it was technically unmarked but there was a big note inside the window (and the parking lot sign). I still thought it was a little strange that it was left totally unguarded. smile.gif

Posted by: Scwilson 4 August 2013 - 09:28 PM
sak.gif the episode was not bad but not one of my favorites. A positive is the story of the two bothers and a dying mother. Liked the Macgyverisms.

Posted by: John Litteral 28 January 2014 - 06:28 PM
I always loved this episode, I thought the acting was really good with the brothers. I love when Joey tells his brother to end the family drug business and the brother replies, "Its not like shutting down a hotdog stand." haha!

Posted by: KiwiTek 19 April 2014 - 06:04 PM
I just found out that the lady who played the mother in this episode died in 2010 at the impressive age of 101 years old

Her role in this episode of MacGyver was her last ever appearance in a TV show and her second to last acting job she ever did; her last job was a role in a made for TV movie in 1986 called http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091340/



Posted by: RadiantRose 8 November 2016 - 02:30 PM
QUOTE (Macs Lab Rat @ 8 November 2006 - 08:34 AM)

Posted by: I Love Penny Parker Apr 29 2005, 06:41 AM
QUOTE
From the lead singer of Nerf Herder, Parry Gripp :

MacGyver - The Prodigal

Mobsters + MacGyver = Mayhem...

Here is the synopsis: MacGyver must find a way for a Federal witness to visit his dying mother without his mobster brother finding out. Can MacGyver keep him alive...? Oh, yes he can! MacGyver did several questionable things in this episode. At one point he made a fake fire in the air shaft of a federal building with some dry ice, pop rocks, and what looked like Tab Cola. That just didn't seem right. Then he said, "Cars run on three things, Gas, Air, and Water". Do cars really run on water? And then when the car he sabotaged broke down, he showed up with a completely unexplained tow truck. Now how did he get that?

PROS: Guy who played Mike Damone from Fast Times At Ridgemont High driving a banana yellow Iroc. . Plenty of ***in' aviator glasses!
CONS: Worst theme song ever. Creating fake fire in federal building a bad example for children. Improbable that he could come up with a tow truck out of nowhere. Needless destruction of what looked to be an antique telescope by turning it into a cannon..



Nerf Herder as in the people who did the theme music for Buffy?

Also ... "needless destruction"?

Posted by: RadiantRose 8 November 2016 - 02:36 PM
Also, I wonder if RDA was paying attention to the name of the characters and thought, "Wylie! That would be such a cool name for my first-born son. Or daughter! Equal opportunities! Female-Americans deserve the whole surname-as-first-name thing also."

Posted by: RadiantRose 10 November 2016 - 04:08 AM
I note that MacG.gif enjoys vaulting over barriers even before his first coffee.

Posted by: AmigaDeVenezuela 24 October 2018 - 03:15 PM
My favorite scene was the escape from the attic. MacGyver looking through the attic to find things to help them escape reminded of the hours of fun looking through the things stored in attic of my childhood house. I like reading. I watched the scene where the bookcase, that was used to block the door, was shot up and noticed the book called "Strange Gifts" before it fell off the shelf. I found it online. It's a sci-fi book. It came in the mail today. Sure to he an interesting read.

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