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 135 – Split Decision

Ex-con Earl Dent desperately needs money to retain custody of his teenage daughter. SO he asks MacGyver to help him train for a boxing match, even though the bookies want Earl to take a dive in the match.

I love the opening scenes of this episode, with MacGyver trying to work out why his radio keeps switching itself on.

The only real problem I had with this episode is how mind numbingly obvious it was that none of the actors even looked like they knew how to box... which made the suspension of disbelief all that much harder.

But apart from that I found it an entertaining episode.

Really?! It looked good to me! But then again I fight by flailing my hands in front of me and closing my eyes...

I voted exellent because I LOVE this episode. This epi makes season 7 all seem worthwhile.The humor is great, and I also love the friendship between Mac and Dent.

Mac is a really steadfast friend, as evidenced by all he does to support Dent and Ronnie, but I really like how he also won't hold his tongue when he feels Dent is going to make the unethical descision to throw the fight. Mac shows being a friend isn't about being a "yes man" or a "hanger-on-er". He isn't afraid to stand up and call his friend out before he makes a huge mistake. This is the crux of what makes MacGyver MacGyver. Independance + Morals + Heart of gold. (Anyone else a sucker for a man with MORALS??? )

The humor level strikes just the right note - Mac's confusion entering the apartment about the music, and also when poor MacGyver gets klonked right in the nose at the boxing gym! Poor Mac, but what he won't do for a friend...

Could they have given this girl something else to wear besides overalls?

Sorry but I voted average on this maybe poor episode. I did not like this one at all. There's hardly any action or suspense in it and I like Dent much more when he's with his gangmembers. OK, he's going straight, that's the way to go. But this Rocky-ish episode isn't what it I think it should be.
I'm sorry to say it but Rocky is way better than this episode. It had almost everything a Rocky movie has. The majority of the episode a lot of talking, training and the fight at the end. In Rocky I liked that but not in MacGyver.

No!

No it doesn't! OK, MacGyver getting hit instead of Dent, that was funny. But most of this episode sucks. And everything seemed a little forced.

And what really *** me off is that MacGyver didn't get that last shot as he usually gets at the end of the episode.

If Lincoln Kibbee wrote this one, maybe it would've been better. Or maybe they better would've made a Jack Dalton episode of it. However Jack and boxing?

"Split Decision" is a good episode. I agree that this was one of the more humorous episodes of the 7th. season- but there was also an important storyline going on. It was nice to see Earl Dent back again- because there are very few recurring characters that truly show up in most every episode of MacGyver- obviously Jack Dalton has the most appearances, followed by Murdoc and Penny Parker and Nikki Carpenter. But there seem to be a lot of characters that show up once or twice throughout the show- and with MacGyver, if they show up in more than 1 episode and are portrayed by the same actor or actress, that's doing pretty good!
Anyway, I enjoyed the boxing storyline- certainly seemed plausible for Earl Dent. (And Dick Butkus was a great NFL linebacker, so he's at least had some athletic experience, albeit probably not in boxing...)
But the fight scenes were good enough for me. And once again we get to see MacGyver in his biker's jacket- AND his black jacket (the one with the American flag patch)- and on his motorcycle. And the scene with the crane at the end was pretty cool. It was good to see MacGyver helping Earl Dent develop a better relationship with his daughter. Overall it was a pretty fun episode. And I thought MacGyver's homemade boxing training devices were pretty cool. That's putting the Swiss Army Knife and duct tape to good use!

I thought this was a good episode. Not the best of the seventh season, but one I can watch more than once or twice.

I liked Ronnie: she was kind of a brat at the beginning, but she grew up a lot when she realized how much Earl needed her around. Also, when she got involved in helping him train, she really blossomed. She was a smart kid, and you all know by now how much I appreciate smart female characters.

I also liked Mac's many makeshift training devices; they looked like they would really work. The humor added just the right amount of levity, too.

Finally, the fact that Mac was challenging Earl to do the RIGHT thing, not just the easy thing, by refusing to throw the match, clinched this eppy as a good one for me. Mac is clearly not just a yes-man, as Devon pointed out. He has his moral standards, and expects everyone around him to do what's right, rather than just what's easy or convenient.

I , totally , agree with that you Rocky on that opening scene with the radio - thing. And then when MacGyver finally catches up with Dent . And Dent is telling MacGyver that he needed someone to help him out. MacGyver told him that he hated boxing and that he thought " it's barbaric " I could hear Dent's words before he even said them about " That's what some people say about hockey ". I was thinking of Jack Dalton ( in another episode ) showing up with the batteries in MacGyver's fridge at this point when MacGyver looked in his fridge and was telling Dent that he was tired and hungry . Since Dent left MacGyver nothing to eat or drink . We saw MacGyver pouring the last of his milk . ( Aaaawwwwhhhh, poor MacGyver . )
And then MacGyver agrees to help ( or is in a forced situation that he is made to agree to help ) . At the boxing ring later when MacGyver and Dent and Ronnie ( a/k/a Veronica ) go and Dent gets caught up in a heated discussion about what went on before we knew . MacGyver came in the middle to stop those guys and got hurt his nose . As they were leaving, Dent asked " Is it broke ? " MacGyver: " Leave me , alone ! " That is funny .
Then MacGyver set up a machine so that Dent could work out . MacGyver seemed to be a bit sarcastic on that part. But that was so funny , too. Like when he told Dent it is a " punching machine " . Dent asked what do I use to work out the legs ? MacGyver in his infinite sarcasm said " A Jump Rope ! "
Then when there was the training session, with Dent and his daughter , Ronnie, I thought I was watching one of the Rocky ( Balboa ) movies . I could just see Sylvester Stallone running up the stairs of that building and across places, etc. Than I had to look closer to see that it is only Dent and Ronnie .
I was a bit upset to see that even tho' Dent won the fight that they had given the prize to the other guy , Crazy Eddie . Or was that so that MacGyver could show up at the end with this other guy to offer Dent a job as a wrestler. That means that if Dent got the prize for boxing, this other guy for the wrestling job would not have had a reason to show up ? Other than the fact that he is a famous wrestler just trying to show his face on a popular show like " MacGyver " ?
Anyway, I liked the episode . I voted it as good, not one of my favourites, but it did all right .
- Kate Mackay

He's not a wrestler.. he's an actor...

His names Don Gibb. :Here's his bio from IMDb.

This was a bad episode. I didn't like it when it first aired, and I watched it again a few nights ago, and still didn't like it. The humor didn't work, the characters weren't particularly enjoyable, the subpar Rocky rip-off wasn't very inspired... I don't know, I think it's good the series ended when it did if this is what they were reduced to.


One thing I wonder about, and it's not really related to this episode-- Why does Dana Elcar still get mentioned on the opening credits for Season 7? He's practically never there. What does he show up in... maybe 3 episodes? That's the same as Mama Lorraine, but she doesn't get put in the opening credits. Did they just keep him there out of respect? (I realize he couldn't be there much, due to his blindness, but it's just surprising that he's still considered a regular cast member.)

They probably didn't know how many episodes they would include him in when they started the season. I'm not sure if they have all the episodes written before the season starts or not. So as far as they knew he was still a co-star available to film any episode he was needed for.

As it turned out they only wrote him into 3. That may have been because of his blindness, or it may have been because they were trying to focus on MacGyver action.

Another possibility is that they knew they only had 12 episodes, so probably thought it wasn't worth the time and money to change the opening credits.

I voted good. It was nice seeing Earl Dent again, though the daughter bugged me at first. If I wanted to watch boxing, I'd watch Rocky. But this episode does a pretty good imitation. The training montage, with Ronnie and Earl, was very reminiscent of Rocky. I could just hear "Eye of the Tiger."

the whole premise of this episode is that dent needs to get a job to secure a place to live and to prove his stability to get custody of his daughter. But shortly before this episode at the end of High Control he was working as a partner to his Parole officer Ms Montana and since in High Control he was staying with Macgyver on his houseboat and in this episode it is clear he is not currently staying with macgyver he obviously has secured himself a place to live.

I voted average!!!
This episode, for me, is a bad imitation of Rocky!!!
Even for what concerns the direction and fight scenes: very bad!!!!
And Dent is no longer the original character of the episode "Harry's will"!!!

It is also very poor Macgyverisms!!!!

I'm a sucker for a sports story, especially a do-the-right-thing one, so I was always likely to enjoy this one.

It's not without it's faults, but I really like Mac's gym and I like the way he and Dent work together. I also liked the way Ronnie rose to the challenge, and I did feel sorry for Mac getting socked on the nose!

And, watching it straight after 'Deadly Silents', it seemed great!

That episode felt different than others, especially when Earl and his daughter were arguing in parking lot and the other guy was screaming at them, gave little humour to the scene

I love this episode. I agree with MacGyver on boxing though.

Is that so ? is that a Rocky imitation? first news...
Anything ... Very good episode, a treat of this season ... You vote very badly ...

Please remember we are not here to criticize each others opinions or votes.

Please remember we are not here to criticize each others opinions or votes.

Sorry

What is it with Macgyver's open door policy? Does he even lock his front door?

I am not a fan of the sport related episodes (hockey and racing episodes come to mind) and sadly this one is added to that small pile. No real Macgyverisms other than the training equipment and operation of warehouse equipment. Just another story focusing on yet another person's problems.

I much prefer the secret agent type storylines with the standard Macgyver locked in a room full of tools to aid in his escape (like The A-Team and a garage).

I can see what they were going for with the Rocky training montage. We don't really see those in shows these days.

[SPOILER]
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The best part was Macgyvers rescue of Veronica...sorry, Ronnie! Only real excitement in the whole episode.
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The worst part of the episode, Earl didn't even use Macgyver's cooling blue liquid after his fight! What a waste!

Unlikely to get a rewatch anytime soon.

Personal Score: 1/5