Every week I will be posting a new topic titled "Episode Discussion". In this we will discuss an episode, what we liked about it, what we didn't like, etc.


Episode 110 - Lesson in Evil

Dr. Zito escapes after a sanity hearing and leads MacGyver and the police on a deadly game of cat-and-mouse.

Sadly, the final Zito episode. A lot could've been done with this character. But an excellent villain.

Yeah, an excellent episode. I am watching it right now. I am at the beginning during Zito's sanity hearing and Mac's testimony.
I am one who likes Kate Murphy, despite her being high strung. I take more issue with Dr. Skinner the lady shrink in this one. She really bought Zito's act? Goes to show that even educated people do stupid things.
I like Pete's "this guys a walking cold front" after Zito's lesson in evil diatribe. Yeah, right on, utterly creepy. The funny thing is that I am a big fan of the movie Gettysburg and love Civil War stuff. The actor who plays Zito is in the movie Gettysburg, and plays a Confederate General. I cringe when I see it because I think of Dr.Zito (no disrespect to the movie or to the Civil war heros intended).
Murphy and Skinner's antagonistic relationship gets a little annoying, but adds to the overall tension.
To me one the creepiest parts is the whole balance/scales, thread, shears analogy. Of course the phone calls are just stomach churning. And the look on Mac's face when Kiley discovers Petes car, Mac runs out and Kiley opens the trunk. Mac is freaked as if Pete's body might be in there.
I read the Dr Zito discussion stuff and the comparison to Hannibal Lecter. I agree there are similiarities. Lecter is freakier in some ways because of his being a psychiatrist and his manipulation of Jodie Foster's character. Zito is pretty scary though. Doesn't it make you wonder how he got that way?
I may not be able to sleep. I still remember seeing Psycho for the first time in the dark at night. See educated people doing stupid things? But I like the psychological stuff. So sue me.

I watched it last night and I couldn't leave my sight off the screen for a while! I think Zito and Mac could make up a pair of good partner! Both of them were brilliant and smart, but of course Zito lacked a touch of humanity. The way he treated Dr. Skinner is cruel as she was the one who was at his side (that's also why she deserved the electrocution). Afterall an excellent episode.

Well, every time I watch this I find it veeery spooky. Dr Zito is definitely a nut case but I agree he was a great villain and, had this not been the last episode, his evil character could have been used in a couple of other episodes. I think in general terms when the hero's nemesis is nuts, things get much more interesting!

I watched this episode a few nights ago, and really liked it. If I have one complaint about it, it's simply the fact that the police seem a bit TOO inept (same problem in the first Zito episode.) I mean, the police are supposed to be trained to handle this sort of thing, and yet they're totally useless and just keep asking Mac what to do. How did Murphy ever get to be a lieutenant? She has no real police skills.

But yeah, nitpicks aside, it's a great episode.

Very good episode, but incredible the roller-pen lock picking.

excellent episode where it feels like a game.

At the end of the episode Dr. Zito is getting ready to escape and attempt a new mass murder. So why the heck was it the last Zito episode!?
MacGyver Rocks!!!

Good question.

Could have been any number of reasons I guess. From scheduling filming times with the actor through to just not getting around to writing any more Zito stories.

Maybe Zito was a back up villain in case of scheduling issues with Michael Des barres, but they found they were able to schedule him in for filming when required so Zito didn't need to get used again.

*shrugs*

I've just finished watching this episode and found it very enjoyable. Zito really is an evil psycho and quite creepy. I think he is much darker than Murdoc who, lets face it, is pretty cartoonish in his evilness.

I have to wonder why MacGyver took such a risky approach in yanking that heater out of the bath with an eruption of water all around it risking the Doctors life instead of just pulling the plug, which is what I had already figured he was going to do, but nooooo.... he rips the heater out with enough water around it to make the thing explode.

That scene reminded me of a Mythbusters episode where they tested dropping various electrical devices into a bath of water to see if they would deliver a terminal electric shock, I can't remember the outcome of heater. I know some of the devices would only give electrical burning while at least one produced a terminal shock, but can't remember which devices.

Maybe it had to go fast and be spectacular with the sparks and electric whirring. Anyway it's one of my favorites too. One of the darker episodes of the sixth season. Just love it when he runs down the stairs back to Skinner and saves her from being fried.

Saw the thread and just had to watch this (excellent) episode today. I can't remember watching this as a kid. Maybe it was so scary that I forgot all about it.

Very creepy when Dr. Zito got to Pete. I knew he wouldn't kill Pete of course but still. The number puzzles kept me in suspense. Like others have pointed out I saw the similarity with Hannibal Lecter, in the elevator killing and the mask that Dr. Zito put on Pete.

I got to wonder though if this isn't slightly too serious for a MacGyver episode? Dr. Zito may be scarier than Murdoc but I like Murdoc a lot better!

Too serious? Nah, we're dealing with psychopath here. Murdoc and Zito have their level of evilness. Zito kills because he wants to and I don't think he cares or why anymore. Though he will always add some sort of intention to clear his motives. Lt. Murphy said she saw his cellar and what he did to those peoples he murdered. I don't think he's a cannibal but just deranged. Murdoc is something else. He has a reason to kill. After all it was his job. He knows what he's doing and why he's doing it. That's what makes Murdoc dangerous.

But indeed after a very serious episode as this one, I don't think it's a coincidence this episode was followed by the lighthearted Harry's Will as explained in the interview sent in earlier today.

No. I don't think it was more serious or intense than Black Rhino, Twenty Questions, Blood Brothers or The Challenge.

I really like this episode.

I like Zito, he's a villain worthy of James Bond: All suavity and sneer on the outside and proper pants-on-head crazy within

I like the merry dance he leads Mac and the gang, and the way he does creepy so well. I actually thought he was going to just shoot Mac then and there, purely out of academic curiosity as to what Mac would do next...
I also like the way he ends up dangling from the bell rope and the way the bell tolls every time he bounces

It's all good!

I really like this episode and it's one I remember from watching on USA back when that channel had other shows on besides NCIS. It is a bit predictable and Mac is not on point when it takes so long to figure out that Pete is in danger and then the doctor, etc. Maybe he had not been getting enough sleep or something.

I do think the police were very inept and the actress playing Dr. Skinner seemed a bit off. I didn't find her believable in several scenes, which may be more the fault of the director than the actor, or maybe even the writer!

I wish they had a few more Zito episodes, but then again, that would show how incompetent the law enforcement officials were if here were to escape AGAIN!

As far as intensity, I would rather see a crazy murderer than watch another episode with a dog dying (Kill Zone and The Spoilers, both from Season 3),or rhinos being slaughtered. I get very upset when animals die.

I watched this one with my Mum again last night.
On going home, she actually shone the torch into the back seat of her car before getting in...

Just, you know...

In case...