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MacGyver Online Forums > House Boat > Bias towards guns

Posted by: IsabellaThomas80 19 March 2020 - 06:40 AM

Hi!

Could you please refresh my memory on two topics? One: why did MacGyver had such a strong feelings against using guns? I had a going discussion with my hubby, we have (remember?) different versions of the case and we would love to hear the real one. To finally end the dispute. Also if it could be supported by an episode number that would be FANTASTIC!

Second thing is just a musing. Was it ever explain why did he hate his name: Angus? I mean I know MacGyver sounds EPIC but c'mon, Angus ain't so bad!

Posted by: MacGyverGod 19 March 2020 - 08:42 AM

MacGyver hates guns because his childhood friend Jesse died from a bullet when MacGyver and his friends were doing target practice with his father's gun. Everything else is explained in Blood Brothers.

Posted by: Mac2Nite 22 March 2020 - 08:40 AM

As for the name Angus... back in the '80's it wasn't such a cool name... and certainly not in the 50's-60's when he was young...at least not in the US

Posted by: Slater 25 April 2020 - 07:48 AM

You would have to think that Mac's feelings towards guns was REALLY a tough situation when he was in the Army.

Posted by: Mac2Nite 25 April 2020 - 08:03 AM

QUOTE (Slater @ 26 April 2020 - 03:48 AM)

You would have to think that Mac's feelings towards guns was REALLY a tough situation when he was in the Army.

If I'm not mistaken, the ORIGINAL MacGyver was never in the US Military. He was working for a top secret organization not associated with the military itself, prior to working for the Phoenix Foundation. They kind of messed that up in the re-boot

Posted by: Slater 25 April 2020 - 09:12 AM

He was apparently in the US Army in Vietnam, in an EOD role (unless I'm reading too much into this):

https://www.macgyveronline.com/macgyververse/characters/macgyver/

Posted by: MacGyverGod 25 April 2020 - 10:31 AM

QUOTE (Mac2Nite @ 25 April 2020 - 05:03 PM)

QUOTE (Slater @ 26 April 2020 - 03:48 AM)

You would have to think that Mac's feelings towards guns was REALLY a tough situation when he was in the Army.

He was in the bombs disposal team in Vietnam where he met Charlie Robinson. They updated that in the reboot to Afghanistan.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 28 April 2020 - 04:13 PM

QUOTE (Mac2Nite @ 26 April 2020 - 04:03 AM)

QUOTE (Slater @ 26 April 2020 - 03:48 AM)

You would have to think that Mac's feelings towards guns was REALLY a tough situation when he was in the Army.

There's an entire episode from the original series built around his Bomb Disposal work where he met Charlie Robinson... the Countdown episode with the bomb on the boat.

Posted by: MacGirl 6 July 2020 - 04:22 PM

I'm guessing Mac was drafted to serve in Vietnam, as were most of the American soldiers there. I think it's also reasonable to assume that what he saw while there served to harden his anti-gun attitude.

Posted by: Mac2Nite 11 July 2020 - 01:08 PM

QUOTE (MacGirl @ 7 July 2020 - 12:22 PM)

Bingo! I forgot about the bomb disposal work he did in the military. Mac being required to carry a gun while in the military and prefering not to use one in his personal life/work seems to be how it went down. Think your way out of a situation rather than shoot your way out.

Posted by: Slater 11 July 2020 - 01:52 PM

Mac has, on occasion, handled firearms when the situation demanded it.

user posted image

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 12 July 2020 - 04:52 AM

QUOTE (Mac2Nite @ 12 July 2020 - 09:08 AM)

QUOTE (MacGirl @ 7 July 2020 - 12:22 PM)

Here's the full discussion we had a while ago about him being in the special forces. We talked about the gun aspect in detail as well.

www.macgyveronline.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2928

Posted by: BrakeFluid 22 August 2020 - 07:29 PM

QUOTE (MacGirl @ 7 July 2020 - 12:22 PM)

He graduated from college in 1973, the same year the draft ended. That suggests he probably wasn't drafted.

Posted by: Krug 23 August 2020 - 06:21 AM

QUOTE (BrakeFluid @ 22 August 2020 - 07:29 PM)

QUOTE (MacGirl @ 7 July 2020 - 12:22 PM)

He graduated from college in 1973, the same year the draft ended. That suggests he probably wasn't drafted.

This is where the timeline and continuity of a show can get you.

I believe early on ("Countdown?") it's mentioned he was in Vietnam circa 1971. Obviously, a lot of the character's backstory hadn't been fleshed out at that point, but you can kinda circumvent that by supposing that MacGyver simply took some time off from school to volunteer as a bomb disposal expert (say six months), and then finished when he returned.

You can also write off him finishing college "on time" by referencing his genius and hardworking nature which allowed him to get ahead of the game.

Posted by: Slater 23 August 2020 - 06:57 AM

Well, EOD school itself is anywhere from four to six months (depending on the era) plus Army basic training - although that was probably somewhat abbreviated during Vietnam. Just another nitpick that's probably unnecessary in the great scheme of things