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 70 - The Survivors

While testing their survival skills out in the wilderness, Pete and MacGyver find a downed DEA plane, and must outwit the drug smugglers who sabotaged it.

Votes from October 2006
Poor [ 0 ] [0.00%]
Average [ 0 ] [0.00%]
OK [ 0 ] [0.00%]
Good [ 7 ] [50.00%]
Excellent [ 7 ] [50.00%]
Total Votes: 14

Archived comments

Posted by: MacGyverGod Jan 9 2006, 04:01 AM

Posted by: penny Jan 9 2006, 07:34 AM

Posted by: MacGyverGod Jan 9 2006, 09:03 AM

Posted by: MacNymph Jan 9 2006, 10:51 AM

Posted by: MacGyver Jan 9 2006, 11:20 AM

Posted by: Tomms247 Jan 9 2006, 11:22 AM

Posted by: rockatteer Jan 9 2006, 12:48 PM

I love those lines. They crack me up every time.


I sat down and watched this episode with my 6 and 9 year old sons the other night. They loved it!

The youngest thinks MacGyver is kewl !!

Posted by: Amy Jan 9 2006, 02:35 PM

Posted by: rockatteer Jan 9 2006, 03:34 PM

He didn't wash out because he broke his leg.

MacGyver tells Pete that Bill Foy "must have spent to many years behind a desk. He was out of it by the first day" He then goes on to say"...and he broke his leg"

I think the broken leg was a setup for a bit of humour leter on when Pete asks how BIll Foy did on the MacGyverland corse, Mac replies "actualy this is where he broke his leg."

There is a more important question which arrises from this episode. And that is why on earth would a research and development "think tank" need to have feild operatives who, to quote pete, "need to be ready for anything, otherwise they can't be trusted"?

Of corse, from that comes other questions like: Why would a think-tank be in charge of security for a Chinese national exhabition (lost love)? Or why would they be involved in setting up someone in a witness protection plan... isn't that the FBIs job? Or why would a think-tank be assigned to handle peace negotiations between two countries (cease fire)? Thats the domain of country leaders...isn't it?

Posted by: MacNymph Jan 10 2006, 09:23 AM

I think it's a cover. Not that they don't do environmental and experimental work but I think underneath is where Pete spends most of his time. When Pete first appeared on the scene the place he and Mac got assignments from was refered to as "The Company", which the CIA is commonly called. And the building was marked simply as "Federal Building".

Posted by: MacsChick Jan 31 2006, 05:48 PM

Posted by: MACGYVERISMYDAD Jan 31 2006, 11:54 PM

Posted by: Sjaop Feb 1 2006, 08:03 AM

Sounds like something I could've said too! Only thing is, it was broadcasted when I was about 7 or so

Posted by: NCBoy1089@aol.com Feb 22 2006, 02:58 PM

Toni Posted on Apr 3 2006, 12:39 AM

I've just re watched this episode and noticed that when Pete jumps out of the water to Save mac at the end we can clearly see its not Dana, but a stunt double....

Which leads me to ask why such a simple scene like that required a stunt double?

I guess it could be that Dana wasn't actually able to physically jump up out of the water as required for the scene.

MacGyverland!

"I was tired, I smelled like a monkey cage, and I felt like a prize fink..."
One of my all time favourite MacQuotes!

as well as:
"You saved the teacher's life... of course you passed!"

On my top 5 list... Wonderful Mac and Pete scenes.

I loved the scene where Mac and Pete have to make it to the very last ledge before they climb out of the cave. Pete has been dangling on the tree root - and after he makes it to the ledge, he and Mac sit down and catch their breath. Mac pats Pete's head and tummy - like a big dog who just done something good. Great Mac and Pete moment - a window into their relationship - how they care for each other and trust each other. And when they are climbing out, how Mac guides Pete's steps. And after as they plot to get to the plane - how they know each other's thoughts. A great episode.

One of my favorite episodes of Mac and Pete. they are always arguing with each other, it's so funny! love MacGyver land, to Mac looks simple, but to others, breaking legs...anyone want to go there? I'll join you when the exercise it's done.

I am sure everyone noticed that Dana Elcar's stunt double here (and in season 2 episode with the Saskwatch or whatever you spell it, for instance) was Don S Davis.

Yep! I love Don! He's a pretty cool artist from what I understand and sounds like a nice man. He was also in a couple of MacGyver episodes--in Blowout as the cement truck driver and in The Endangered as one of the poachers. Of course, we can't forget that he was General Hammond in SG-1!

I love Don S Davis too, great father figure

I love Don S. Davis but there's this thing he does in everything I've seen him in.

Might be he's a hand talker (waves his arms around) or a nervous thing but if you watch him on screen... his left hand is always in motion when he's speaking. It distracts the heck out of me.

I think he must be left handed from what I have seen in Stargate SG-1 (and wears his watch on his right wrist, not that this has anything to do with being lefthanded but anyway).

Yes, he is lefthanded. I met him at a convention and let something sign, and he had to slightly turn it so that he could write better with his left hand and he said "Because I'm left handed". Only thing I thought to reply to that was "Well, I'm not!"

I understand that many artists and creative people are lefthanded.

This is one of my favorite episodes - I love how you can see the strong bonds between Mac and Pete.

I love this episode too The strength of the bond between Mac and Pete is clearly felt. And I just love the lines "you just saved the teacher's life, of course you passed" and "I think I may strat dating again"..."Oh Nurse"

I saw him in an interview about SG-1 and he was waving his hands around a lot during that too.

So I reckon he's a hand talker.

Confucious say "never stand too close to a hand talker"

While watching this episode last night somethign occurred to me...

When Mac and Pete are hiding in the cave... wouldn't the bad guys hear Macs voice echoing as he tells Pete to "suck it up"?

Even after they get trapped... their voices and other sounds they where making would probably have echoed around that cave amplifying and been heard through that hole they climbed out through.

You know, I thought about that too when I watched it. You would think that everyone in the cave could have heard him.

I love the expression on Pete's face when he saw Mac was climbing those ropes and ladders so easily. He looked puzzled and thought it was unbelievable ...

Episodes that have Pete on bigger role and nature episodes are among my biggest favourites of this show. This episode has both and there is also scene where Pete saves Macs life. I have no complaints. This is a perfect episode.

excellent episode! i always enjoy mac and nature episodes. plus this ep is about mac and pete friendship. i kinda don't buy the rule for people like pete having to need to be re-certified for field operations. i don't get it, but its part of the plot, so...

while i was watching this ep, i was wondering what rda would be thinking if he were to see this ep now. he'd probably relate to pete.

I rewatched this episode last night and still touched by the trust between Mac & Pete. It was so sweet that when Pete said something like "if I had to be washed out by someone I want that person being you." The "suck it up!" scene was funny, Pete tried so hard but still couldn't make it, not to mention his bright red jacket!

Isn't it a little weird that Pete would offer MacGyver meat stew when he knows MacGyver doesn't normally eat meat?

Actually ever weirder is that he would offer MacGyver canned food (full of preservatives etc) when he knows what health nut MacGyver is.

My favorite part is at the end when Mac told Pete it was a payment on the debt to him, for all the years he looked up to him. A real touching moment.

Is anyone else disturbed by the "fatso" comment Pete mumbles about himself as he's sliding along the rope.

Every time I hear that I start wondering if he ab-libed it or if it was a written line? And if it was a written line, I wonder how Dana felt when he read it. It seems pretty damn mean and quite disrespectful to me. Then again maybe Dana had a thick skin and didn't take any notice of such things. Who knows.

I'd like to think that RDA and others in the crew wouldn't allow some snot-nose little upstart writer to get away with something like that. But I always spend a few minutes pondering that comment when I hear it.

He was just trying to motivate himself to get across the rope, albeit in a negative way. Remember, he spends much of this episode frustrated with himself, and he was just letting his anger show by disparaging himself. Who hasn't made a negative comment about themselves before, especially under stress?

My post was about how the line came to be, not what it meant in the story.

I understand--I just wanted to bring new dimension to it, to try to explain the motive for using such a line. I honestly just think he was in character when he said that, that's all. Pete is known for his occasional gruffness.

hmmm

I suspect the line was ad-libbed, but either way, I think actors have to have a thick skin when it comes to stuff like that. There are plenty of times in TV shows or movies when a character might get made fun of for being short, or fat, or anything else, and naturally, those comments reflect not just the character, but the actor playing that character as well.

Also, even if the "fatso" line was adlibbed, we know for sure that the entire scene wasn't ad-libbed, and really, the entire scene was there to point out how out-of-shape Pete was, in a somewhat comical way. So even if the word "fatso" wasn't written into the script, the scene emphasizing Pete's lack of physical fitness was in the script.
I think Dana was well-aware that he wasn't exactly trim, and he was prepared to laugh at himself a bit. As an actor, I think he needed that attitude.