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 > Characters > Nikki Carpenter

Posted by: MacGyver 30 July 2007 - 01:10 PM

Well, it seems that most of the female characters on MacGyver have been fairly short-lived. I liked Nikki Carpenter pretty well and I'm not sure of why she left the show. Elyssa Davalos may just have had other projects to do. Anyway, it seems any time there was any attempt at romantic pairings for MacGyver, the female fans of the show complained

(particularly with "The Wall" episode, introducing Maria Romburg. 3 episodes later, "MacGyver's Women"- she was off on assignment for Phoenix in Brazil, never to be heard from again!)

The thing with MacGyver is that there are so few actual cast members. For the first season it was only Richard Dean Anderson. By the second season, we have Dana Elcar as Pete Thornton on a full time basis now, and Richard Dean Anderson as MacGyver. But no one was ever really introduced as a full time member of the cast. That's why we kind of have to cobble together the recurring guest stars that would form the MacGyver universe- which would definitely include Nikki Carpenter. It'd be cool if she had been kept on as a permanent cast member and that would have given the Phoenix Foundation a bigger agent base, at least one known to the viewers. I assume other agents are employed there and go on missions- but obviously the ones we focus on are MacGyver's.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 30 July 2007 - 01:19 PM

As I understand it Nikki was introduced with the idea of becoming a love interest to Mac...

And we all know what that means. *eyeballs all the women*

It's a pity they decided to cut the character all together instead of keeping her on as a co-worker and friend. They did have a good dynamic together and was fun to watch.

Posted by: Lothithil 30 July 2007 - 01:27 PM

I liked Nikki. She was sassy, savvy, and capable of being sweet. I think she should have been made a return character, like Jack Dalton.

Posted by: MacGyverGod 30 July 2007 - 03:01 PM

Since I bought the third season of MacGyver I developed a big interest in Nikki Carpenter. I actually like her. She had six episodes throughout the third season and had enough depth the use her as much as we want in the fanfic world.

Posted by: tandt14 30 July 2007 - 05:27 PM

I agree. Nikki was great! She should have been a recurring character. Come on...they kept bringing Penny Parker back as annoying as she was!!!

Posted by: MacsChick 30 July 2007 - 05:46 PM

I like Nikki too, and I try to use her in my fanfics as often as I can because I can develop her character a little more. As a female viewer of MacGyver, it's a joy to actually have a sharp, strong woman character instead of a weak, helpless, whining damsel in distress. I agree that she complements Mac well. It's a shame they don't have her as a recurring character far more often. I miss her.

Posted by: Macs Lab Rat 30 July 2007 - 09:49 PM

I would have liked more Nikki in the show. I liked the way she didn’t fawn all over MacGyver. She treated him as an equal. She seemed more real than Penny and I thought after the Widowmaker there should have been a lot more of MacGyver and Nikki together. She helped him through a rough time and that would have brought them closer together. I think they were great friends but I wouldn’t have liked the writers to have their relationship change too much. I quite liked their almost sibling like squabbles and if they were suddenly all lovey-dovey with each other that would have got lost.

Posted by: MacGyver 31 July 2007 - 09:04 AM

Well, I think MacGyver and Nikki's squabbling might have eased over time and slowly (like, over the course of a season or two) they could have started to fall in love. Then they would have a romantic element to build on in the show as well, and I would think that would draw in even more female viewers, like maybe fans of "Beauty and the Beast", for instance.

Of course, I wouldn't have cared, as long as MacGyver was still doing plenty of daring missions and crazy MacGyverisms throughout the show!

Posted by: MacNymph 31 July 2007 - 09:41 AM

I liked Nikki. Elyssa Davalos and RDA had great timing and she was probably the best female actress on the show.

QUOTE (Rocky @ 31 July 2007 - 09:54 AM)

And we all know what that means. *eyeballs all the women*

Knock it off, will ya?

Posted by: MacGyverGod 31 July 2007 - 10:17 AM

Nikki should've at least showed up in the fourth season again. Nikki would've actually been the perfect love interest. She has guts, she can obviously defend herself and is not afraid of saying something when she doesn't like something. As long there are dangerous missions and MacGyverisms, what's the problem?
Even if she was in it doesn't mean she has to be in it every episode. A recurring character like Jack.
Blow Out was a great episode to learn about her past.

Posted by: MacGirl 31 July 2007 - 12:41 PM

Oh, I really wished they'd kept Nikki.

She was different from the other women in the series... rather than being a whiny damsel in distress, as MC so aptly put it, Nikki had a tendency to take charge and take the situation into her own hands... which was what often got her into trouble, ironically. She was a good example of what can happen when you don't ask for help when you need it.

Also, it was really fun to watch her and Mac bounce off each other. They could be arguing and insulting each other in one scene, and a few scenes later, would be working together.

This is why I've kept Nikki for my fanfics. Haven't done one with her yet, but will sometime.

Posted by: Lothithil 31 July 2007 - 01:25 PM

QUOTE (MacNymph @ 31 July 2007 - 01:16 PM)

QUOTE (Rocky @ 31 July 2007 - 09:54 AM)

And we all know what that means. *eyeballs all the women*

Knock it off, will ya?

Alas, Nymphy... we share the sins of our gender!

Posted by: MacGyverluver 1 August 2007 - 05:08 PM

I like the fact that Nikki was very fiery but, when she knew she was wrong, she could back off (after a while at least

Posted by: MacGyverluver 3 August 2007 - 12:55 PM

I say we should have a Nikki day. To celebrate a wonderful actress.

Posted by: MacNymph 3 August 2007 - 05:39 PM

QUOTE (Lothithil @ 1 August 2007 - 10:00 AM)

QUOTE (MacNymph @ 31 July 2007 - 01:16 PM)

QUOTE (Rocky @ 31 July 2007 - 09:54 AM)

And we all know what that means. *eyeballs all the women*

Knock it off, will ya?

Alas, Nymphy... we share the sins of our gender!

OH NO! I'm not taking the rap for what some of the wenches do.

Especially the ubber RDA nut jobs. *shakes head* Nun't uh!

Posted by: MacGyverGod 4 August 2007 - 03:10 AM

QUOTE (MacGyverluver @ 3 August 2007 - 10:30 PM)

I say we should have a Nikki day. To celebrate a wonderful actress.

Well we've got Nikki's birthday around here somewhere.

Posted by: j12752 4 August 2007 - 09:32 AM

The Nikki character was brought in to sort of have the same thing that the other ABC show "Moonlighting" had with Willis and Shepherd. At the time, it was very popular, and many shows tried to copy it.

I didn't care for Nikki, I preferred Penny

Posted by: Lothithil 4 August 2007 - 09:54 AM

QUOTE (MacNymph @ 3 August 2007 - 09:14 PM)

QUOTE (Lothithil @ 1 August 2007 - 10:00 AM)

QUOTE (MacNymph @ 31 July 2007 - 01:16 PM)

QUOTE (Rocky @ 31 July 2007 - 09:54 AM)

And we all know what that means. *eyeballs all the women*

Knock it off, will ya?

Alas, Nymphy... we share the sins of our gender!

OH NO! I'm not taking the rap for what some of the wenches do.

Especially the ubber RDA nut jobs. *shakes head* Nun't uh!

Actually, I share your feelings, Nymphy. I didn't like Maria, but I would never have written the studio and insisted on her being tossed out because I didn't want to see MacGyver with some woman who wasn't me!

Penny was an idiot, but she was sweet, and didn't she say once that Mac was like a big brother to her?

Nikki had other interests in men and proved it by dating that guy in 'Early Retirement'... she was ambitious, and she was attracted to that kind of man.

So, Rock... don't blame all the women! Some of us have at least two brain-cells to rub together!

Posted by: MacGyverGrrl 4 August 2007 - 10:05 PM

I liked Nikki, alot. I think she was the perfect counterpoint to Mac and she would have been a good love interest. Maria was too over the top, and Penny a little too flighty, but Nikki had the strength, character and intelligence to stand up to MacGyver, especially when he gets into overprotective male mode.

Yeah, Nikki added a really interesting dynamic to the show.

Posted by: MacGyverfan717 5 August 2007 - 06:53 PM

I think that Nikki was an awesome co-star. Even though her and Mac really diden't get along at first, she turned out to be really sweet. She is my favorite female character in the show! I really wish that she would have stayed in for the rest of the show!

Posted by: MacGyver 5 August 2007 - 09:44 PM

Just a random thing to throw in here, but I recently noticed Elyssa Davalos in an earlier role- about 10 years earlier or so!
She appears in "The Mystery of King Tut's Tomb" in the 2nd. Season of "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries" (you know, the 1970s show with Shaun Cassidy, Parker Stevenson and Pamela Sue Martin!

)
Just thought that was neat.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 5 August 2007 - 10:44 PM

Shes also in the new Nancy Drew as the Twin Palms Manager.

You can see what else she was in on our http://www.macgyveronline.com/pages/a4.html

Posted by: MacGyver 6 August 2007 - 10:35 AM

That's right!!!

I remember noticing that when I went to see the 2007 Nancy Drew movie! That's cool- Elyssa Davalos has 2 connections to The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew now- in 2 separate productions. That's pretty cool.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 30 July 2007 - 10:51 AM

Every week I will be posting a new topic titled "Character Discussion". In this, we will discuss a character, what we liked about them, what we didn't like, etc.

Nikki Carpenter

Known as Nikki to her friends, Nicole Anne Carpenter is an investigator with police training who met MacGyver while she was investigating her brother Danny Barrett?s murder.

Although Nikki and MacGyver didn't get along to start with, over time they have become very close friends and Nikki has come to respect MacGyver's experience and knowledge.

https://www.macgyveronline.com/macgyververse/characters/nikki-carpenter/

Posted by: stampsfan 10 October 2007 - 09:05 PM

I really like Nikki and I would've loved to see her and Mac fall in love! They're both strong willed and how much over time have you seen strong willed characters argue at first (the sparks fly!) and then fall in love? Happens all the time!

Posted by: jknnej 26 January 2008 - 05:11 PM

I really liked Nikki as well, although I didn't see her as love interest as much as the brother and sister relationship.
There's only one sort of contrary image I have: when Mac meets her, she's this tough chick who can kick butt and has no time disarming men with guns.
So why suddenly does she turn into a sort of damsel in distress when she meets Murdoc? I mean, she climed down that balcony with a hose in a short mini after she met Mac, but when Mac was leading her through the woods with Murdoc chasing her, she certainly wasn't as saavy. Or, in the GX-1 episode, they made her look the same way as she tried to find MacGyver to give him that message. It just doesn't really add up to me. When he kicks her out of the balloon that is pricelessly funny, but again, she's kind of a sissy about it!
Forgive me for not remembering episode names. I have seen every single scene of every MacGyver but I am terrible with ep names. I will have to look through my DVD's and fix that!!!

Posted by: lucky charley 14 August 2008 - 12:54 PM

wasn't the same actor MacGyvers lost love?

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 14 August 2008 - 01:22 PM

QUOTE (jknnej @ 27 January 2008 - 01:11 PM)

yeah. Your right. I'd never thought about that.. but your right.

They pulled that same stunt with the Murphy character too!

QUOTE (Lucky Charlie)

wasn't the same actor MacGyvers lost love?

yes she was.

You can see a list of all the re-cast actors and the characters they played http://www.macgyveronline.com/pages/reoccuring.html.

Theres also a list of characters who where played by different actors http://www.macgyveronline.com/pages/recast.html

Posted by: Liz1976 14 August 2008 - 01:22 PM

QUOTE (lucky charley @ 15 August 2008 - 08:54 AM)

wasn't the same actor MacGyvers lost love?

Yes, Elyssa Davalos played Lisa Kohler in Season 3's opener Lost Love and then only a few episodes later she was cast as Nikki Carpenter.

Posted by: dinoman 29 October 2008 - 09:09 PM

I like Nikki, and she is one of the reasons why I chose Season 3 as my favourite.
If Mac has to choose a girlfriend she would be a perfect candidate, much, much better than Maria in 'The Wall'. When Starkoss told Mac that he would come to love her in 'GX-1' I think there would be further development on their relationship. Therefore I was quite dissappointed to see Nikki 'vanished' from the show after 'The Negotiator'.

Posted by: Liz1976 1 November 2008 - 06:45 PM

I like Nikki. She's a complex woman with struggles and issues (obviously the loss of her husband in a car bombing creates a situation for her). Even if she's not a love intrest for Mac, she makes a good friend and coworker for Mac and Pete. Penny can be fun, but not much depth and complexity.

Posted by: Arafel 3 November 2008 - 10:05 AM

I never minded the character of Nikki but I do think they tried to force her into the show. She might have been more accepted if they had spaced out her apperances and made her more of a semi-recurring character like Jack Dalton.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 3 November 2008 - 05:12 PM

That's a good point. They certainly did cram her in as much as they could.

I'm not sure if that was really a bad thing, but it was may well have had the too much too soon effect.

Posted by: Murdoc12 15 March 2009 - 02:35 PM

Yeah Nikki was pretty good. Of all the females she was one of my two favorites (along with Mike, who didn't come in much). I thought she was good, especially in "Fire and Ice" when they meet.

Posted by: macsgirl1 3 May 2009 - 04:55 PM

I personally think that her and Mac would have made a good couple.

But it would have made me jealous.

Posted by: Beachbead 4 May 2009 - 11:16 AM

Happy B-day Nikki.

Posted by: aatgmac 5 May 2009 - 12:18 AM

It was Nikki's birthday? Cool! I been watching quite a few Nikki episodes, going for a marathon of season 3 at the moment, and I must say her character is even better than I remembered. Very comical and touching, they make great friends and partners.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 9 May 2009 - 02:48 PM

I just realized that Nikki's birthday is the same as Elyssa Davalos birthday.

They used her actual birthday for the character.

Posted by: macsgirl1 9 May 2009 - 03:13 PM

That is neat!

Happy birthday Nikki!

Posted by: Beachbead 30 May 2009 - 02:19 PM

happy birthday. ^^

Posted by: SMeeceymouse 31 May 2009 - 10:44 AM

QUOTE (Arafel @ 3 November 2008 - 02:05 PM)

I can see Nikki and Jack as a couple. They are both strong willed and have a common interest Mac. It would've been fun to see Mac trying to get both of them out of jams, because they've learned from Mac. But Nikki still rubbed me the wrong way.

I guess it was because she started out strong, then ended up weak.

Posted by: MacGyverGod 31 May 2009 - 11:15 AM

I don't think Nikki ended up weak. In Fire and Ice, The Widowmaker, Blow Out and Early Retirement she sure wasn't afraid of getting into a physical fight. The Negotiator was her last episode (unfortunately), I think she sure was strong in that episode especially when she called Mac about the dead dog. Upset no doubt, but weak? No way.

Posted by: dinoman 31 May 2009 - 04:22 PM

I don't think Nikki is weak either. If she was weak she could not handle her job so well. As I recalled she was a secret agent or something before she met Mac and joined the Phoenix, and she demonstrated her 'toughness' in 'Early Retirement'. She might be weak physically speaking but psychologically she is a strong woman.

Posted by: SMeeceymouse 1 June 2009 - 11:37 AM

The character of Nikki started strong, but the show weakend her character by cramming her down peoples throats. I liked Elyssa Davalos that played Nikki. I think Zoe could've made a better love interest for Mac. Just my thoughts, but that is compairing apples to oranges.

Posted by: Miasma 27 August 2009 - 06:55 AM

I liked Nikki, and wish they kept her on the show. I do think they weakened her a bit, and I would have liked to see her be a bit more proactive sometimes (as opposed to relying so much on Mac-- makes me wonder how successful she could have been as an agent when she doesn't have Mac around.)

One thing I wonder about-- Season 2 ended with an episode called "For Money Or Love", in which Mac teams up with a female agent he doesn't get along with. For years, I always remembered that character as being Nikki, but when I got the DVD set, I realized it was a different character (I forget her name now.) I wonder if that character was kind of a prototype for Nikki, though. If you think about it, "For Money Or Love" could have worked pretty much the same way with Nikki there.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 27 August 2009 - 01:52 PM

Yeah I've wondered the same thing myself and it wouldn't surprise me if Nikki was born of that character. We've seen the same thing with Quayle being an early Murdoc like character, also the 3 men who appeared to be both Quayle and Crane's (silent world) bosses appear to have been early versions of what would later become HIT.

Posted by: Beachbead 28 August 2009 - 05:22 PM

I liked Nikki enough to see her and MacGyver falling in love, they both are strong willed character's once she left the show, i don't know why it lefted me feeling that there could of been something between her and MacGyver. i also wondered why she left the show was it because the fangirls of that time and age didn't want her to get with MacGyver?

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 28 August 2009 - 07:39 PM

That's exactly why. The same reason every girl in MacGyver's life didn't last very long.

You gotta wonder if StarGate received the same kind of response whenever they hinted at Jack and Sam having a thing

Posted by: Pepino1309 29 August 2009 - 09:50 AM

QUOTE (Beachbead @ 28 August 2009 - 07:22 PM)

I agree that they wanted to keep the fans happy and a vast majority of the fans didn't want Mac to have an intimate relationship with any woman.

Posted by: Beachbead 1 September 2009 - 12:28 PM

QUOTE (Pepino1309 @ 30 August 2009 - 05:50 AM)

QUOTE (Beachbead @ 28 August 2009 - 07:22 PM)

I agree that they wanted to keep the fans happy and a vast majority of the fans didn't want Mac to have an intimate relationship with any woman.

It would of been interesting to see MacGyver with a woman that was more like him I think if they found that right match with MacGyver then the fans of been more willing to see themselves as that girl.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 1 September 2009 - 01:53 PM

Wasn't Nikki more like him at the start?

Posted by: Beachbead 1 September 2009 - 03:04 PM

Now I think about she was, but some how down the road each writer changed her, a little hear and there.

Posted by: Miasma 2 September 2009 - 11:51 AM

QUOTE (Beachbead @ 2 September 2009 - 11:04 AM)

Now I think about she was, but some how down the road each writer changed her, a little hear and there.

To me, she changed very quickly. In "Fire & Ice", she struck me as a take-charge kind of woman. In "GX-1," she whined a lot. In "Blow-Out," she was basically just a damsel in distress who couldn't look out for herself. It's a shame they took her in that direction-- the series really had a shortage of strong female characters, and I would have liked Nikki to be Mac's equal in terms of being self-sufficient. Turning her into yet another woman who needs Mac to save her was too cliche.

And I also think it's a shame they got rid of her just because some fans didn't want her to be a love-interest. Why wouldn't it be possible to have a strong female character in the show WITHOUT her being a love interest? She could have just been another agent.

Posted by: Shiloh 28 September 2009 - 01:57 AM

QUOTE (lucky charley @ 15 August 2008 - 08:54 AM)

wasn't the same actor MacGyvers lost love?

That's why I could never take to her.

Now, if they'd cast another actress in the role, maybe it would've been different.
But all she did was annoy me!

I recently watched the episode in which Mike died,
and I know Nikki went to find Mac to help him,
but there were times when I just wanted to

her!

(Mind you, I did like Elyssa Davalos as Lisa)

Posted by: MacLovin 6 February 2010 - 03:49 PM

I really liked Nikki's character. She wasn't weak and annoying like a lot of the female character's seemed to be and Elyssa is a good actress. I wish they would've kept her around. I wonder why they didn't ever speak of her again? That was kinda weird, don't ya think?

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 6 February 2010 - 04:07 PM

Well they dropped her character because of all the negative feedback they got from fans, but that doesn't mean that they couldn't have still mentioned her in passing I suppose.

Posted by: MacGyverGod 12 February 2010 - 10:52 AM

Well Nikki is mentioned in Unfinished Business and shown in the flasbacks of The Widowmaker and Early Retirement. That was the last time she was seen and heard of. Though it would've been great if she actually did had some episodes in season 4, 5 and 6.

Posted by: masterltlt 2 May 2010 - 02:42 PM

My brother and I just finished watching season four, I turned to him and asked: "whatever happened to Nikki?"

When I saw under all the episodes that she was in and realized they were all in the third season, it struck me as very odd and sad.
Did they give any sort of explanation of what she went off to? I didn't think they had. She did get a little flashback moment in "unfinished business" but I think that's hardly fair.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 2 May 2010 - 10:26 PM

no they didn't give any explanation. They ditched her because of fan pressure against MacGyver having any female companions. They had the same problem with Maria Romburg in later seasons which eventually lead to her dumping as well.

He talks about the Nikki & Maria resonses from fans http://www.macgyveronline.com/pages/video25.html with Joan Rivers.

Posted by: lostsouls 3 May 2010 - 01:30 AM

I was thinking the same thing...I thought I missed the episode she's gone.That's too bad because I really loved Nikki

Posted by: MacLovin 3 May 2010 - 12:45 PM

It would make a nice fan fiction--What happened to Nikki Carpenter?

I would read that.

Posted by: MacGyverGod 3 May 2010 - 02:07 PM

At least she has six good episodes. Over the years I learned to except her more and more and she would be the ideal love interest for Mac. Opposites attracted, you know. That's why I'm going keep using her in my stories and let Mac and Nikki be the couple they were supposed to be or could've/should've become.

Posted by: lostsouls 4 May 2010 - 01:28 AM

QUOTE (MacGyverGod @ 4 May 2010 - 10:07 AM)

she would be the ideal love interest for Mac. Opposites attracted, you know.

Exactly...among the others, she takes my vote

Posted by: macgyversgirl 20 May 2010 - 03:22 PM

I agree, she would have been the best match for Mac of all.

Posted by: Makedde 5 March 2011 - 11:34 PM

I was hoping she and Mac would become an item. After reading the comments here, it appears that isn't going to happen! She would have been perfect for him.

Posted by: MacsLegacyLiveForever 3 October 2011 - 04:12 AM

Nikki's great character.

Posted by: AussieMacFan 14 May 2013 - 02:55 AM

I don't think her and MacGyver would work.
I'm not sure what I think of her either. I don't mind her in the episodes but when I think of her I say I don't like her… maybe I'll have a marathon in which I just watch episodes with her in them, maybe I'll like her.

Posted by: MDBfan 14 May 2013 - 09:51 AM

QUOTE (AussieMacFan @ 14 May 2013 - 10:55 PM)

I will have a Nikki marathon! I remember I didn't like her when I first watched MacGyver. I'm not sure why. I want to like her!

She's a lot better than Maria Romburg.

Posted by: YopeGyver 14 May 2013 - 09:57 AM

I thought she was haughty when I first watched her, but I got to know the character a little bit more later and grew to like her.

She showed she really cared about MacGyver shen she tried to help him out of hole of depression and guilt he was in (The Widowmaker). Actually "The Widowmaker", was when I decided I liked her xD. I voted good.

Posted by: AussieMacFan 14 May 2013 - 10:40 PM

QUOTE (MDBfan @ 15 May 2013 - 03:51 AM)

QUOTE (AussieMacFan @ 14 May 2013 - 10:55 PM)

I will have a Nikki marathon! I remember I didn't like her when I first watched MacGyver. I'm not sure why. I want to like her!

She's a lot better than Maria Romburg.

Agreed, I don't like Maria at all.

Posted by: MacGirl 21 June 2013 - 12:11 PM

Interesting fact: Elyssa played a somewhat-similar character to Nikki in an episode of Knight Rider ("Blind Spot"). The KR character didn't have Nikki's rough edges, but was just as fiercely independent and intelligent.

Posted by: Scwilson 31 July 2013 - 05:46 PM

she was somewhat of an equal to Mac.

Posted by: MacGyverGod 16 May 2014 - 11:47 AM

God, I love this woman. I really do. Think I'm going to watch a few Nikki episodes.

I read my latest fanfic story again. I so have to get back to writing. It's itching lately. Going to put my focus on Mac-Nikki stories.

I did some checking on Elyssa Davalos and apparently she has a younger sister called Dominique Davalos.

Not bad looking.

user posted image

Not much of an acting career, she's more into singing.

Posted by: denizen 16 May 2014 - 12:05 PM

Elyssa was great. Wish she starred in more stuff.

Posted by: KiwiTek 16 May 2014 - 02:29 PM

Her daughter is an actor as well. She's had staring roles in The Chronicles of Riddick and Clash of the Titans.

user posted image

Posted by: denizen 17 May 2014 - 07:56 AM

Yup. Seen her daughter in a few things. Weird how Elyssa just vanished from the public eye though.

Posted by: MacGyverGod 17 May 2014 - 09:49 AM

I think she has other things on her mind like being a mom to Alexa. Further it was always guest roles here and there. Haven't found a recent picture of Elyssa though, I had one about eight years ago and she's still very good looking. The years have been kind to her.

Posted by: tvero 17 May 2014 - 09:15 PM

Actually I don't think it was her choice.I remember reading something where Alexa , her daughter, said she saw her mother struggling to get a part when she was a child and felt sorry for her. Elyssa Davalos probably thought she would have a regular role in MacGyver but disappeared because female fans wanted Mac to remain alone and available...
Too bad, she was a good actress I think and it's frightening to see how a career may evolve (for the better or for the worse ) because of fans. Others got lucky and they were not particularly good acting skills.

Posted by: KiwiTek 17 May 2014 - 04:24 PM

I just found this news article, which I've never seen before, about Nikki become a regular character in the show.

QUOTE (Elyssa Davalos Joins 'MacGyver' Team)

Now in its third season, the ABC adventure series welcomes a new regular in Monday's episode -- and if she looks familiar, that's for a good reason. Lively, attractive Elyssa Davalos has worked quite steadily in made-for-TV movies and series guest roles for the past 13 years, and she appeared in the two-part episode that opened MacGyver's current season. She played a Soviet agent who was killed at the end of the story. Because this is TV, though, not to worry: The show's creative forces -- including co-executive producer Henry Winkler -- were impressed and asked her back on a continuing basis.

Davalos will be seen as a new character named Nikki Carpenter, whose brother's murder sets Monday's plot in motion. The victim happens to have been a close friend of MacGyver, who enters into a reluctant alliance with Nikki -- who is determined to solve the slaying herself.

http://www.macgyveronline.com/pages/article37.html#.U3f6JFeYyUk

Posted by: MacGyverGod 17 May 2014 - 04:53 PM

It explains her showing every two episodes. Nikki should've showed up more often.

Posted by: KiwiTek 17 May 2014 - 09:28 PM

That's a good point tvero. I wonder how many other actors have had their careers destroyed because of selfish fans.

Posted by: tvero 18 May 2014 - 02:33 AM

KiwiTek,

Thanks for sharing the article about Nikki/ Elyssa Davalos.

I remember reading it.She was full of hope at the time. And I don't want to go into details but she divorced the year after ... it makes you think ,doesn't it?

I'm glad I'm 'nobody' when I read all the appalling things written on RDA (and other stars). They are famous but they pay the price (dearly ,sometimes too dearly ,I think).

Posted by: Mike D 19 May 2014 - 03:27 AM

They really didn't let Nikki find her feet at all. Is she strong? Does she need rescuing? The writers couldn't seem to figure it out. However, she wasn't around long enough to really get established. As we all know, Mac fired a rifle in the pilot because his character had not been fully fleshed out. These things can take a little time.

Posted by: jackie547 29 November 2015 - 05:55 PM

she was on lost love part 1 and 2 she was mac's girlfriend lisa

Posted by: Widowmaker 29 June 2016 - 06:50 PM

I wish she had stuck around, even if they didn't actually become lovers. For me, more regular characters made the show more interesting. I read that RDA was opposed to the character because he didn't like the show being made to mimic Moonlighting. He didn't like Murdoc either, did he? It makes me wonder what other characters and plot decisions he didn't care for.

Posted by: denizen 29 June 2016 - 07:58 PM

Nikki's lack of development was due to the fans uproar to have the MacGyver character stay single. Each time they introduced someone, they wrote fuming letters to the production team demanding that they get rid of them.

This is probably why poor Nikki never had much purpose and at times felt like a third wheel. She could have been cast as a supporting character working for the Phoenix Foundation but they probably abandoned all future developments upon the negative criticism.

Posted by: KiwiTek 29 June 2016 - 10:26 PM

QUOTE (Widowmaker @ 30 June 2016 - 02:50 PM)

I believe you've been grossly misinformed.

I've heard him talk about how hard it was being the single lead of the show and that he enjoyed having other people to bounce energy off in scenes.

Posted by: MacGyverGod 30 June 2016 - 01:39 AM

QUOTE (Widowmaker @ 30 June 2016 - 03:50 AM)

Sounds not like him at all. I think the Mac-Jack-Pete-Nikki foursome could've been a solid core for the rest of the show. That's what it should've been from the start.

Posted by: Widowmaker 30 June 2016 - 10:25 AM

QUOTE (KiwiTek @ 29 June 2016 - 10:26 PM)

QUOTE (Widowmaker @ 30 June 2016 - 02:50 PM)

I believe you've been grossly misinformed.

I've heard him talk about how hard it was being the single lead of the show and that he enjoyed having other people to bounce energy off in scenes.

This is what I'm referring to: http://www.macgyveronline.com/pages/article16.html#.V3Xwefl96Uk

Posted by: KiwiTek 30 June 2016 - 08:34 PM

Not hating the character, just hating the way the show was handled and not being allowed to thrive on it's own merits, which I can understand.

Posted by: Widowmaker 2 July 2016 - 04:29 PM

I'm not really familiar at all with Moonlighting other than who's in it and what it's about, but giving MacGyver a steady love interest(even one that's a love-hate relationship) wouldn't necessarily have to be a copy of that show.

Posted by: KiwiTek 2 July 2016 - 06:08 PM

QUOTE (Widowmaker @ 3 July 2016 - 12:29 PM)

That's exactly what Moonlighting was. Two people working together who had a love-hate relationship.

That argument scene in GX-1 between Mac and Nikki was a straight copy of moonlighting. That's about all I can really remember of the Moonlighting show, just 2 people constantly at each other.

Posted by: Miasma 13 July 2016 - 09:36 AM

If Nikki was really written out of the show because the writers didn't want Mac to have a love interest, then that's really an example of how differently people's minds worked back in the 1980s. Why couldn't she just be another agent and a friend? Was the mentality at that time really, "If we have a female in the show, she MUST be a love interest, otherwise she serves no purpose"?
Thankfully, I think we've come a long way from that. Look how well the Jack Bauer & Chloe O'Brien relationship worked in "24." They got on each others nerves at times, but they had great respect for each other, worked fantastically together, cared about each other, and yet the show never once even hinted at her being his love interest. Mac & Nikki could have easily had something like that (in fact, that's pretty much what they DID have.)

Posted by: denizen 13 July 2016 - 08:00 PM

Actually it was the writers that wanted Nikki to be a potential love interest. It was the fan base at the time that didn't want him to have a love interest. I think they liked Alyssa's character but ultimately decided to drop her after they realized that nothing would develop had she stayed.

Posted by: MacGyverGod 14 July 2016 - 01:51 AM

Jack and Chloe is something different. Besides they could never have a relationship. Jack's in the field all day and Chloe is behind her desk all day. And when the day is over, Jack usually has to run. They just worked together really well and yes they bonded in a way Jack maybe never could with anyone else. I think Chloe was created to give Jack some counterweight. Someone who works together with him, don't always agree with him but understands why he has to do it.

Mac and Nikki are indeed the same. That's why I think they would she would be his best match. She can understand him and give him the counterweight he needs. She can take care of herself, she can disagree with him and I think that's also a big part out of the respect and understanding thing. Someone who dares to say 'no' or think otherwise and tell him so without breaking someone down.

Thank God for fanfiction in which we can explore their relationship as much as we want, huh?

Posted by: Barry Rowland 14 July 2016 - 08:01 AM

Right on MacGod! I loved Mac's reaction to Starkos when he told him that he would grow to love her. I think they would have made an awesome couple!

Posted by: Miasma 14 July 2016 - 12:04 PM

QUOTE (MacGyverGod @ 14 July 2016 - 09:51 PM)

But my point wasn't really whether or not they COULD be in a relationship. My point was that it was a bit narrow-minded of the writers to say, "Well, the fans don't want her to be his love interest, therefore she serves no purpose." You described both Chloe and Nikki as being counterweights to the protagonists, and I agree. So Nikki still could have served a purpose in the show, even without being a love interest, just as Chloe served a purpose in 24, without being Jack's love interest.
(and, personally, I never saw Nikki as "love interest" material for Mac anyway. There never seemed to be a hint of chemistry between them.)

Posted by: MacGyverGod 14 July 2016 - 02:41 PM

If Nikki was given the chance, she would've. Maybe even stayed the rest of the show. It wouldn't have meant that she had to be in every episode either. Just like Pete. Showing up throughout the season and the occasional one or two episodes without her.

Posted by: Widowmaker 1 August 2016 - 12:20 AM

I agree that they shouldn't have dropped her just because the fans didn't want her to get with MacGyver. It would have been nice to have another regular character working at the Phoenix Foundation and occasionally going on missions with MacGyver throughout the rest of the show's run.