Did that dog story bother anyone else?
I liked this episode otherwise except for these parts: " All that puppy knew how to do was cower, cringe away from you, expecting to be hit. It's a real ugly thing to see in a dog. It's even worse in human being" and "get a close look at human beings treated like animals."
I just can't believe MacGyver would say something like that! Made me so angry I wanted to skip the whole episode. And still after 7 seasons just thinking about that makes me feel like i'm going to explode. With all that scientific knowledge and outdoor preference How could he put people in some godlike statue above the other animals and say it's less bad to hit a dog? Why would it be ok to treat other animals worse than people? It's not worse to see a beaten human than to see a beaten dog. It's equally as bad. Actually I think it's worse to beat a dog. If human hits human the other human can always hit back, go to doctor, go to police, tell his/her family and friends and get help. It might be hard but it is possible. Both being the same species the fight would be more equal, fair and understandable. Even though it would be wrong. But If human beats dog all the dog can do is bite or cover. It can't tell the damage the beating really made. And if it bites that human would most likely just kill the dog or abandon it or hit harder, because dogs aren't supposed to bite people. Even if it would be self- defense.
I just hate it how so many people think they are above nature instead of being part of it even though all living things are just as valuable and i thought MacGyver would have known it.

But it's OK to keep them as pets and make them do stupid tricks or force them to do jobs and work for us with bribes of food and play time?

I've never actually thought about that line from the angle you suggest, I don't think he is suggesting that it's "less bad" I think he's just reflecting the perfectly natural condition of feeling more empathy for your own species because you have a better understanding of how that treatment would affect them because you can easily put yourself in that situation and imagine how you would feel and as a result it has more of shock for you to see it. With other animals it tends to be an emotional response based on sight and sound, with humans there's a deeper connection.

It's also worth noting that humans being the top of the chain is a strong theme throughout nearly (if not all) of human history. It's certainly a strong theme in many religions, which even today have a strong influence over many societies.

Even you're own statement reflects that you perceive humans as above other animals when you say it's worse for a human to hit a dog; You're implying that the human is the superior animal beating the inferior dog. Which I guess just goes to show that no matter how much we try to better ourselves, somethings are so deeply rooted in our subconscious that we follow them without even realizing it.

Interesting point of view though and it raises some good philosophical questions.

Like the fox in little price said: " You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed."
As we have tamed our pets we're responsible for their wellbeing. And as the taming has already happened over 30 000 years ago there's not much we can do about it anynore except to take responsibility of their happiness. Those tames animal can't handle thenselves alone in wild nature the way they used to before taming. But people can look after themselves and get help with knowledge we have.
Human is more powerful by scientific knowledge and we're the only animal that can destroy the whole planet with our actions. It doesn't make us better or more valuable it just means that we have to think also other speaces and the impact our actions have.

That's a good point! I never thought it like that. Now I can like MacGyver again in good conscience

Mac drove in the junk yard a fork lift tractor which was also used in one Knight Rider episode called Blind Spot, it was filmed at same location, year before MacGyver. Elyssa Davalos acted in that episode Blind Spot too.

Attached Image

Hey, I remember that Knight Rider episode. Good work, MiracleMac!

I love the scene where the tree branch swipes above the jeep and all soldiers are jumping from it, yelling ooooohhhhh

Mac absolutely trouncing an evil drug lord and his minions? It doesn't get any better than this! On top of that, he empowers others to better their own piece of the world to boot. I sure do miss Mac!

It's possibly just me, but when I try to think of erotic moments in film and TV, everyone is fully clothed in the scenes my mind goes to. It's not that there's anything wrong with Mac's chest per se, you understand.

(I liked the interview that RDA did, where he said that we never see undressed because it would take the make-up artists too long to draw on all the scars from his various adventures. Apparently they couldn't use RDA's real scars because he and Mac have had different injuries or something.)

That said, I did quite like seeing his arms. I like seeing him fully dressed, which is most of the episodes, but I also like the episodes where we see his arms.

On behalf of my people, ie those whose first language is English, I apologise.

It's all the horrible, tricky spellings. Once we've tried to get the hang of English, which is a horrible, fiddly, difficult language, we're too worn out to try to learn other languages.

SG1 probably used the Universal Translator or Babel Fish.

I could take the line "Mac eats animals sometimes, but never eats humans, which is speciesist", which would be accurate. But there's another interpretation. I think.

He could have meant that he felt sad when he saw the dog cowering. But at least the dog was safe and might learn to trust his cousin. Whereas the people were cowering because of a situation that was existing at the time he was observing them. I accept that isn't what he said, but sometimes people don't manage to express their precise meaning the first time they try to do so.

This episode dates from around the time Rambo came out, if memory serves. Maybe the intention was to base Mac on Rambo. The location and even Mac's headband suggest this. Especially since there wasn't really a practical use for the headband, since his hair clearly wasn't getting in his way during the opening gambit and the first part of the episode.

Since they hadn't really established Mac's dislike of needless violence, they could have come up with a lot of ingenious, science-based ways to kill off the bad guys.