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MacGyver Online Forums > Episodes > 012 - Deathlock

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 2 November 2006 - 02:11 PM

012 - Deathlock

Airdate: Airdate: 22 January 1986
Writer: Stephen Kandel
Director: Alexander Singer
Opening Gambit Writer: Jerry Ludwig
Opening Gambit Director: Cliff Bole

Guest Cast: Wendy Schaal as Karen Blake, Christopher Neame as Quayle, Dana Elcar as Pete Thornton.

Opening Gambit: Funeral in Berlin
Posing as a corpse, Mac escapes East Berlin by turning his coffin into a jet-ski. (Includes clips from the 1966 film "Funeral in Berlin" starring Michael Caine)

Main story:
A safe-house turns out to be anything but, when MacGyver discovers it is jam-packed with deadly booby traps set by a vengeful enemy.

Posted by: Macs Lab Rat 8 November 2006 - 09:14 AM

votes on 21 Feb 2006
Poor [ 0 ] [0.00%]
Average [ 0 ] [0.00%]
OK [ 1 ] [8.33%]
Good [ 3 ] [25.00%]
Excellent [ 8 ] [66.67%]
Total Votes: 12

Archived posts

QUOTE (MacGyverGod Nov 8 2004 @ 07:25 AM)

Not as good as Nightmares but still very well found with all those booby traps.

QUOTE (MacGyver Nov 8 2004 @ 08:24 AM )

"Deathlock" is definitely a very cool episode!!! I though the "Funeral in Berlin" opening gambit was awesome too! Very James Bond-esque but that's cool though. This was the last episode to feature an opening gambit, although later on in Season 3, I feel that the opening bit of the "Blow Out" episode serves pretty well as an opening gambit of sorts.
We also get to see Pete show up again in this episode and hear his tale of how he and MacGyver met, later causing much confusion when a totally different tale is set forth in "Partners".
However, the booby traps were cool and watching MacGyver escape them was even cooler!

QUOTE (rockatteer Nov 8 2004 @ 10:10 AM )

That opening gambit had scenes from a german movie spliced into it.

Very nicely done it was.

QUOTE (sonyab Nov 9 2004 @ 05:11 AM )

Oh yeah this was an awesome episode. Casket turned jet ski! Very clever! The whole episode was great. Mac and Pete lied about when and where they first met because they don't want people knowing that the first time they met was with Murdoc.. Would you want to admit that? it's my theory and I am sticking to it. One thing I'm confused on is that lady who was working with the bad guy, Mac found out she was bad by 2 reasons and he told her. Well one reason is something about the bad guy not following her? Or something.. I just didn't get it. I don't understand. To make that lady calm down and relax he kisses her yuck! Another kissing scene.. He doesn't even know her!

QUOTE (MacGyverGod Nov 9 2004 @ 05:34 AM)

QUOTE

QUOTE
Mac and Pete lied about when and where they first met because they don't want people knowing that the first time they met was with Murdoc.. Would you want to admit that? it's my theory and I am sticking to it.

They didn't lie. By the time Deathlock showed there was no mention they would make the Partners episode and there was no mention of Murdoc at all and with the idea of the Murdoc character it sounded like a better way for the two to meet instead of meeting each other in a desert. The fact that Mac and Pete would've met each other in a desert with have been too much of a coincidence so I think it was better to set Mac at the wrong place at the wrong time for their meeting so that they would bump into each other.

QUOTE

QUOTE
One thing I'm confused on is that lady who was working with the bad guy, Mac found out she was bad by 2 reasons and he told her. Well one reason is something about the bad guy not following her? Or something.. I just didn't get it. I don't understand.

She was blackmailed to work with the Quayle. They had her brother. The idea was to get Quayle and trade him for her brother. If Mac failed in capturing Quayle he would go after her brother personally.

QUOTE

QUOTE
To make that lady calm down and relax he kisses her yuck! Another kissing scene.. He doesn't even know her!

Oh well, when you're young... If he doesn't know her, how did he know then that she was working for Quayle? Because she reacted to fast when Mac found Pete.

QUOTE (Macsrose Nov 9 2004 @ 07:20 PM )

Was GUD! episode...

I liked the whole booby trapped Mansion theme as well.

QUOTE (rockatteer Nov 10 2004 @ 09:03 AM )

yeah, it had a kind of "old adventure game" feel to it, buy which I refer to the old text adventures.

QUOTE (abitcrazy Nov 10 2004 @ 12:38 PM )

I really enjoyed this one. The opening bit was pretty neat. The girl working will the looney toon to save her brother was a good story line. The mansion was cool. Can you imagine someone actually living in a place like that? Then of course the best part was that Pete was in it I liked the kitchen scene where they turn on all the electric things and block Quayles view and sound. The rolling steel target was cool. But I have to admit the last 10 minutes or so of blondie got kinda old. I just wanted to tell her to shut up and go find the mirror. A bit like the scientist in the Human Factor. She got annoying at the end too. Oh, Mac I just can't go on....

QUOTE ( Jacksgirl Nov 12 2004 @ 02:20 AM )

I really loved this episode. I don't know why exactly, it just had a very good feel about it right from the beginning.

I loved the 'Funeral in Berlin' piece at the beginning. Oh if only they'd been looking for a new James Bond at the time - we would have had the perfect candidate

The ep its self Ive always loved. Whether its my penchant for old houses/estates like the one they use I just dont know, but there was so much for Mac to get to grips with for MacGyverisms.

QUOTE (phoenix Nov 13 2004 @ 12:04 PM )

wow, i really enjoyed the opening gambit. i didn't know that it was from another movie. i'll be on the look out for it. i guess every once-in-a-while paramount borrowed/edited material from other movies wisely.

ciao!

phoenix

QUOTE (rockatteer Nov 13 2004 @ 07:22 PM )

yeah I only found out recently myself about the german film clips in it.

In fact it was a guy who came into the MacGyver Cyber-meet that mentioned it, he then went off looking for the film and emailed me 2 days later with teh info.

QUOTE (Lothithil Sep 29 2006 @ 10:13 AM )

This was a really good episode. It spawned a lot of ideas for me, leading up to some of my favourite fanfic writings

I didn't know that the footage clipped for the gambit was from a Michael Caine movie... first 'The Italian Job' now this... I see a patter here, boys!

I just love the dynamic between Mac and Pete!

QUOTE (Hawki Sep 29 2006 @ 07:41 PM )

I was always wondering about this episode if you can make white noise by just connecting all electric machine into network? I'm studying electrotechnics and in can't figure that out. Otherwise i like that episode a lot

QUOTE (Lothithil Sep 30 2006 @ 02:31 AM)

Hawki said:

QUOTE

QUOTE
I was always wondering about this episode if you can make white noise by just connecting all electric machine into network? I'm studying electrotechnics and in can't figure that out. Otherwise i like that episode a lot

Considering how much interference I get on my radio and cell phone reception -- I'd say it doesn't take too much!

QUOTE (Hawki Sep 30 2006 @ 03:45 AM)

yeah, but he built some kind transmitter or something like that, don't now in what purpose.

QUOTE (rockatteer Sep 30 2006 @ 03:51 AM )

I don't think that would work these days, becasue there are regulations about eletrical equipment giving out interference.

Back in the days this episode was made... those regulations where a lot less strict and electrical equipment could create a lot of static.

QUOTE (Hawki Sep 30 2006 @ 06:16 AM )

I don't think it was static, I think it was something to do with frequency.

QUOTE (rockatteer Sep 30 2006 @ 10:09 AM )

electrical interference from the unshelded electric motors in the equipment... static interference.

if nothing else the noise of all the things going at once would have drowned out the voices in the room.

QUOTE (Hawki Sep 30 2006 @ 07:46 PM )

That makes sense, but i still don't know why he builted some kind of transmitter

QUOTE (rockatteer Sep 30 2006 @ 08:29 PM )

you mean the rotating dish thing he had going?

that beats the heck out of me too.

QUOTE (Hawki Sep 30 2006 @ 10:51 PM )

Yes, that rotating dish Maybe this dish was source of white noise i don't now really

QUOTE (Lothithil Oct 4 2006 @ 07:41 AM )

I think Mac said he was trying to heterodyne the frequency. Not being an engineer or an electrician, I had to look that one up:

het-er-o-dyne [het-er-uh-dahyn] adjective, verb, -dyned, -dyn-ing. Radio.

–adjective 1. noting or pertaining to a method of changing the frequency of an incoming radio signal by adding it to a signal generated within the receiver to produce fluctuations or beats of a frequency equal to the difference between the two signals.
–verb (used without object) 2. to produce a heterodyne effect.
–verb (used with object) 3. to mix (a frequency) with a different frequency so as to achieve a heterodyne effect.

QUOTE (Hawki Oct 8 2006 @ 12:50 AM )

And how did he found the right frequency by this rotating dish?

Posted by: Lothithil 12 September 2007 - 09:52 PM

Does anyone else think that Quail's mustache made him look like a catfish?

I do like this episode... I wonder if the Three Nameless Men are the forerunners of Homicide International Trust.

Posted by: j12752 13 September 2007 - 04:15 AM

I too liked this episode. Loved all the booby traps and how Mac methodically figured out the girl was working for the bad guy.
Quail did have a sneaky sort of mustache lol

Posted by: Lothithil 13 September 2007 - 04:22 AM

Yes... the 'Gypsy Lie-Detector Test'... he learned that one from Reena in Budapest, didn't he?

Posted by: j12752 13 September 2007 - 04:23 AM

Yep, that was one of my favorite scenes too!

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 23 September 2007 - 05:36 PM

This gets an excellent vote from me.

The main draw on this episode for me is that it feels very much like the old text adventure games I use to play on my C64 computer, one of which actually took place in a big old mansion, very similar to this episode.

I could probably say that about quite a few early MacGyver episodes actually, and its' probably one of the reasons I like MacGyver. I'm a text adventure nut from way back, and theres a number of early mac episodes which are like watching an adventure game being played out, but this episode in particular reminds me of http://c64s.com/game/2107/secret_of_bastow_manor/ game, which was my all time favourate.

Posted by: MacGyver 23 September 2007 - 05:53 PM

Ah yes! Text adventure games! Classic!

"You are in a locked room. There are no windows and no visible means of escape."

Player: Use item- Swiss Army Knife.

"That doesn't work".

Player: Punch door.

"That doesn't work".

Player: Use door

"You have escaped. The door was unlocked the whole time."

Yeah- I'm familiar with those- they can be a lot of fun. A MacGyver-themed text adventure game would be really cool!

(Of course, so would an actual MacGyver video game with 2D or 3D graphics!)

Posted by: MacNymph 23 September 2007 - 08:25 PM

I didn’t care for the opening gambit. I just kept wondering why the guards didn’t open and inspect the casket. Jet ski was kinda

too.

As for the episode, I hate this kind of episode. I really like it… but the villain is so utterly pathetic. A putz. A prissy little weasel. A can of spray on hair gone terribly wrong. Are you a killer or a poster child for GQ? And what’s up with the fish tank??

I thought the premise for the episode was kewl… but that Quayle!!! They should have written the character into the show differently or something.

Okay... outside the building where MacGyver flew in. Those three doofs. Standing their hands in their pockets. The words “Break up! You look like a cadet review.” popped into my head. What was the problem? 60 seconds earlier there were about to try something on a busy street corner but because the loud mouth blonde was there they couldn’t pull it off anymore?

There was someone working on the first season that had a habit of doing bad fill in splices. When Pete got shocked and fell out into the library, the next shot was of him on the floor with a pillow under his head. Cracked me up… oh look! How convenient he fell on a pillow.

MacGyver called Pete “Peter”

Oh! And did anybody else think the third shadowy figure sounded like the Emperor from Star Wars?

Posted by: MacGyverGrrl 23 September 2007 - 09:32 PM

QUOTE

Does anyone else think that Quail's mustache made him look like a catfish?

This episode is good. I liked the opening gambit well enough, but the jet ski coffin was kind of a stretch. Considering you have a six foot tall man in the box and the engine components for a jet ski would have to weigh about 500 pounds. Four people are carrying the coffin and they aren't even straining like its a little bit heavy?

The things I liked most about this episode are the MacGyverisms and Quayle's booby traps. Its an early look at how people were thinking technology could be used to revolutionize the way we run our homes. Mac's tinkering in the kitchen produced a gadget to jam Quayle's electronic spying and a motorized suit of armor on a modern day charger to distract the machine guns. Quayle's booby traps were clever and sneaky and a good test for MacGyver.

The things I didn't like about this episode are Quayle and the blonde chick. Quayle is a pale shadow, literally, of Neilson from Nightmares. He had the potential to be a real bad guy, but just didn't pull it off. From his sleazy 'stache to his wimpy sounding name, he just doesn't come across as a bad guy. He has no substance, no backbone to give him credibility. Why does he hate MacGyver? And why doesn't he show it more vividly? There was a lot of potential here for Mac vs real baddy and it was wasted.

The blonde chick, what can I say? Another vapid, vacant blonde with minimal acting ability. I sometimes wonder if the producers didn't have a stack of them on the shelf that they pulled down and inflated whenever they needed a blonde female.

Overall, this is a good episode. Not great but not too disappointing. RDA is coming into his own as MacGyver and his confidence in the role is evident in the later episodes of Season 1.

Posted by: Macs Lab Rat 24 September 2007 - 10:55 AM

Quayle amused me and now I can liken him to a catfish (thanks for that!) I will be amused even more from now on. He was so terrible that he was funny. The way he was so easily goaded by MacGyver and the others. He was like a big kid.
That woman was annoying and unlike Quayle there wasn’t anything I found amusing about her to allow me to enjoy watching her. She was just pesky.
The whole idea of being stuck in a booby trapped house was cool but I would have liked more traps and more MacGyverisms to get them out of the traps…though that would have needed a longer episode.
I vote good for this one.

Posted by: SAK 24 September 2007 - 04:16 PM

QUOTE (MacNymph @ 24 September 2007 - 12:00 AM)

Okay... outside the building where MacGyver flew in. Those three doofs. Standing their hands in their pockets. The words “Break up! You look like a cadet review.” popped into my head.

Ah, another Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home fan!

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 24 September 2007 - 08:33 PM

QUOTE (Loth)

I wonder if the Three Nameless Men are the forerunners of Homicide International Trust

I'm wondering the some thing, because Crain from Silent world also reported to a "board" of 3 nameless people. So it does make you wonder if its the same organization?

Posted by: Nutsy 26 September 2007 - 11:05 AM

Nameless

Spooky

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 26 September 2007 - 08:00 PM

ok now that we have the http://www.macgyveronline.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3873...

Could Quayle's problem simply have been bad acting? didn't Christopher Neame do an equally bad job of playing Erich Von Leer later on? I haven't seen the episode for quite some time, but I have a vague memory of not thinking much of him.

Posted by: MacBeth 28 September 2007 - 04:39 PM

For me, this is one episode where it’s probably best not to think too hard about it, or it begins to fall apart at the seams.

One can enjoy the romp – the gadgeteer vs. the giggling lunatic – or not. Certainly, if the producers were test-driving Quayle as a potential nemesis, he didn’t take the corners at all well.

It was certainly hard to find Quayle threatening, but I didn’t have a major problem with Karen Blake; I think the actress did her best with a thinly written part. The confrontation scene with Mac in the kitchen was good. And I even liked the scene with Mac getting out of the ‘hit’ by behaving in an outrageous and ridiculous manner guaranteed to draw attention. (It’s Mac’s being a loudmouth that does it, not The Blonde – he wasn’t a blonde yet.) I mean, you can’t see James Bond doing that.

Other favourite bits:

An opening gambit that’s actually part of the main storyline (just before the gambits were dropped entirely); and it must have been cheap to film, since most of the footage was appropriated! I did think they did a good job of matching the “new” and “old” footage.

Quayle may have been a wimp, but I really liked Mac baiting him – eavesdropping as its own punishment. And I loved the line "His gears don't mesh" -- I've even found myself using it.

The MacGyverisms are plentiful and generous; the tinkering in the kitchen is classic.

Best of all: the establishment of Pete’s character (finishing up from Nightmares); watching them work together. (And I continue to be immensely grateful to Loth for patching the gaps between the two completely different backstories!)

Since the idea was to show them as an already solid team, they needed an easily-told story that didn’t show Pete in a light that pre-cast him as Mac’s Superior/Boss/High Muckity-Muck Who Would Only Appear in a Suit and Give Orders. He is a ‘suit’, but he’s also an operative who can and will move between a command position and active field work.

The two actors just shine together, and their interactions – whether they’re giving each other a hard time or dealing with a threat – are always a high point.

I did notice signs that the producers were still figuring out what the DXS was going to be, probably having reluctantly decided that Mac needed his assignments to come from a less shadowy and inconsistent source. Not that this episode was anything like consistent – sometimes they call it the “Department”, sometimes the “Company”, which is (or at least used to be) standard shorthand for the CIA. But I’m veering off into nitpick territory, and that isn’t the point here.

------------
'Beth

Posted by: The True MacGyver 10 March 2008 - 04:54 PM

Just a fantastic episode. Great action. Great MacGyverisms. The part when Mac first sees the girl is hilarious. "I love this girl! You love her too!"

Posted by: Lothithil 10 March 2008 - 05:36 PM

QUOTE (MacBeth @ 28 September 2007 - 08:05 PM)

Best of all: the establishment of Pete’s character (finishing up from Nightmares); watching them work together. (And I continue to be immensely grateful to Loth for patching the gaps between the two completely different backstories!)

thanks Beth!! I only just now read this... like what... 5 months later! LOL! Me=oblivious geek!

Love Mac and Pete together. They romp!

Posted by: Miasma 16 October 2008 - 07:42 AM

Just watched this the other night. It was merely ok for me. A bit TOO campy/hokey for my tastes. It felt more like a cartoon, with the "MWAHAHA!!! I'll GET YOU THIS TIME, MacGyver!" attitude of the villain. Would probably make a better Scooby Doo episode than a MacGyver episode.

Posted by: MacsChick 16 October 2008 - 05:23 PM

Quayle certainly didn't impress me or scare me as a villain. He was a bit over the top, more like a melodrama villain. I laugh at him usually when I watch that episode.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 16 October 2008 - 06:01 PM

QUOTE (MacsChick @ 17 October 2008 - 02:38 PM)

Quayle certainly didn't impress me or scare me as a villain. He was a bit over the top, more like a melodrama villain. I laugh at him usually when I watch that episode.

hmm... you mean like a Murdoc?

Posted by: MacsChick 17 October 2008 - 07:20 PM

Well, with Murdoc, you have to kind of expect him to be melodramatic and accept it--that's the fun of the character. I'm sure the writers knew he was over the top when they conceived of his character--I mean who realistically could die and revive so many times unless they were a vampire or something (hmmm...possible fanfic, anyone)?

He's entertaining, but he does have enough menace and creepiness about him to make you fear him as much as you laugh at him. When it's a one-time villain like Quayle, you kind of expect something more. A recurring villain like Murdoc can take more liberties because you get to know him.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 17 October 2008 - 08:19 PM

I always find myself wondering if Quayle was the first incarnation of what would later become Murdoc.

He seems ot have so many of Murdoc's traits

Posted by: MacsChick 18 October 2008 - 04:07 PM

Possibly...

Posted by: MacGirl 23 March 2009 - 09:22 PM

Yes, I've actually come to think of Murdoc as a combination of Quayle (the twisted humor) and Piedra from The Assassin (the smarts, the sneaky, inventive killing methods and the creepiness).

A very good early eppy, in my opinion. The cat-and-mouse element was what made it fun, with Mac trying to stay one step ahead of Quayle's traps. I agree with MacBeth that you can't think too hard about this one... you just have to go along for the ride and enjoy.

I also loved the line, "his gears don't mesh." I too have found myself using it on occasion!

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 24 March 2009 - 01:55 AM

at the very beginning we see Quayle standing before 3 unknown men who are mostly in shadow, they appear to be his boss, he is telling them that MacGyver is the only blemish on his record.

Sound familiar?

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 16 April 2009 - 05:19 PM

When MacGyver asked Karen.. "So, hows the General?"

And she replied.. "Generally good, except he's a Colonel."

Do you think that was one of those trick questions to see if Karen really did work for the DXS? Or did MacGyver really not know Pete's rank?

Posted by: Lothithil 16 April 2009 - 05:40 PM

I'm pretty sure it was a trick question... since Mac didn't know Karen, he needed some proof that she was with the DXS, beyond her ID card, which could have been forged.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 16 April 2009 - 07:08 PM

Yeah I got the impression that he wasn't expecting her and didn't trust her. Which is why I started wondering about the "How's the General?" remark.

Posted by: elavia 16 April 2009 - 07:47 PM

QUOTE (Rockatteer @ 24 March 2009 - 09:55 PM)

It´s true... seems to a Murdoc episode!

Posted by: MacSAK 5 June 2009 - 04:19 AM

Freaking great Episode!!! One of my favorites!

Excellent

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 28 September 2009 - 06:00 PM

In the episode Friends, Pete says that the opening gambit of this episode is the first mission he ever sent MacGyver on.

So I guess you could say this episodes is really the start of MacGyver 2.0 - that being MacGyver working for Pete with DXS and then Phoenix.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 21 February 2010 - 04:42 PM

Anyone ever pause the video to have a good look at what the program is that scrolls on the computers screen just before it blows up?

It looks like it's written in standard BASIC and shows the input routine to flash something on the screen at the requested speed, so it might actually be the program that flashes the word WELCOME! on the screen when the computer comes on by itself.

Posted by: deepfathom393 3 June 2010 - 11:12 AM

I couldn't help but notice when Mrs. Chung touched the doorknob with the needle in it, the background music turned into the Psycho theme...you know, the world-famous screechy violin bit? It made me laugh.

Posted by: macgyversgirl 5 June 2010 - 02:47 PM

Maybe Quail was the MacGyver version of Norman Bates.

Posted by: cirubit 6 June 2010 - 03:33 AM

For me, this episode, are a little bit naive, because many situations are not credible.
How can you destroy a telephone receiver in this way, for example ?
It's not believable!
With technologies of the '80s was not possible control the whole house from one place, as we see in the show!

However, it's a good episode!

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 9 October 2010 - 02:42 AM

Your worried about an 80's TV show not being credible or realistic?

Really?

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 9 October 2010 - 02:50 AM

In Pete's explanation of how he and MacGyver first met, that MacGyver saved him from quicksand in the "Wadi Nafud" desert. Interestingly there isn't a Wadi Nafud desert anywhere in the world. there is however the An-Nafud desert in Saudi Arabia and even more interestingly the Saudi refer to dry river beds as a Wadi. This is interesting because Pete talks about quicksand, which I would assume would be most likely to be found in a dried up river bed where it's most likely that underground water tables would be closest to the top layer of sand and able to turn it into quicksand.

Posted by: BrakeFluid 3 January 2011 - 08:05 PM

Excellent episode. Chock full of MacGyverisms and suspense, just the sort of episode I came to pine for later in the series when it turned more towards teaching lessons and morality plays. Even the plot holes turned into clues that the woman was a mole. Great early example of Mac and Pete having perfect chemistry as partners, too. Quite possibly one of my top ten favorite episodes, if I ever get around to writing down a list.

Posted by: Hannibal_Smith 25 February 2011 - 10:02 AM

QUOTE

Okay... outside the building where MacGyver flew in. Those three doofs. Standing their hands in their pockets. The words “Break up! You look like a cadet review.” popped into my head.

and well played, sir.

QUOTE

I wonder if the Three Nameless Men are the forerunners of Homicide International Trust

I'm wondering the some thing, because Crain from Silent world also reported to a "board" of 3 nameless people. So it does make you wonder if its the same organization?

I thought they mentioned they were from some East Bloc intelligence service or other, but I could be wrong. It's been a while since I've seen this episode.

QUOTE

Well, with Murdoc, you have to kind of expect him to be melodramatic and accept it--that's the fun of the character.

That, and frankly... some people can pull it off, some can't. I can't explain the "why" exactly. But Murdoc as an over-the-top-villain worked, Quayle, for whatever reason, didn't.

Ricardo Montalban's a good example of an actor who can pull it off effortlessly, especially when you see him in Star Trek TOS, Mission: Impossible, and The Wild Wild West, in between a bunch of other villains-of-the-week who're usually completely forgettable.

Posted by: NightTinkerer 4 August 2012 - 06:11 PM

I agree with many of the previous debaters here... Quayle comes off as a rather cheesy villain. I actually find him extra amusing because of the fact that he is a total lookalike to a famous talkshow host in my country!

I think you can see their likeness from the pictures alone, but they're even more alike "in action," and I can totally see that talkshow host play that part too... it's hysterical.

Anyway... talkshow host villains aside, I still thought this was too much of a James Bond-ish episode for my taste. Way too much kissing, for one thing... and though I thought the opening gambit was neat, I still prefer the more laid back, less of a show-off Mac.

The MacGyverisms in the kitchen were cool, though. True, back in the 80's it was probably possible to create that much interference; I still remember a blender that my parents had which always messed up the TV signal.

I voted "Good" on this one, though, because of the entertainment value.

Posted by: Macap311 7 August 2012 - 06:28 PM

This is a great early episode! I find it very interesting, and notice many agree, that the producers latched onto the Quale villain and most likely morphed him and his organaization into Murdoc and HIT. It was chessey, but come on! Most of us where kids st the time this aired!! (Well, I was! Lol) and it was great fun! It really showcased MacGyver's ability to act under pressure and his loyalty to his friends.
As we all know, the continuity from the first season really didn't carry over much into the second, but it is interesting to see how the show developed!
I can only imagine how interesting and different the show would be if it aired today! The story lines would probably carry over through the whole season and the cast dynamic would be do much richer!
I always wonder how MacGyver would play out in a '24' type format or even be more like NCIS...oh the possibilities....

Posted by: MacGyverisms 15 February 2013 - 07:01 PM

Once again another one of my favorite episodes from season 1. A great early episode. I find it interesting, and most people agree, that Quale and his organization were inspirations for Murdoc and HIT. The opening gambit was OK but kind of cheesy, the coffin jet ski was kind of stupid, its a shame they didn't do more opening gambits. That would've been very nice. Quale is a very cheesy villain. A lot of MacGyverisms and suspense. Kind of a James Bond type episode. This episode showcases the chemistry between Pete and Mac. Probably one of my top ten favorite episodes. If I ever get around to writing such a list.

Overall Rating: 9/10

Posted by: Scwilson 4 August 2013 - 09:32 PM

very cool episode, one of the best in the season. Had a Indiana Jones feel where Mac had to escape the booby traps. We learn something of how Mac and Pete met and became friends.

Posted by: denizen 2 July 2014 - 09:11 PM

I agree. Enjoyed this episode myself. Felt very MacGyver early days which it obviously was.

Looking at it now, it is rather cheesy and questionable regarding the logic of those guns that never ran out of ammunition or even the scene with the armour. But being trapped inside a house with traps all around made it quite exciting.

Posted by: RadiantRose 11 November 2016 - 04:16 PM

QUOTE (MacNymph @ 23 September 2007 - 08:25 PM)

Okay... outside the building where MacGyver flew in. Those three doofs. Standing their hands in their pockets. The words “Break up! You look like a cadet review.” popped into my head. What was the problem? 60 seconds earlier there were about to try something on a busy street corner but because the loud mouth blonde was there they couldn’t pull it off anymore?

I thought that, after Mac established that Pete was breathing (he should have checked for danger, eg from electrocution, checked for a response and opened Pete's airway first), "loud mouth blonde" (Karen) pointlessly put a pillow under Pete's head instead of something sensible. Eg checking for injuries and probably putting Pete in the recovery position (since they were going to leave him alone).

Posted by: RadiantRose 11 November 2016 - 05:12 PM

I appreciate that some of the kissing bits were for plot purposes (getting Mac away from bad guys; getting tape away from Karen). And I do appreciate that people react in all sorts of ways to stress.

But I think the writers were getting a little bit anxious about Mac. Surely he should get more kissing scenes? James Bond would have kissed more women by Episode 12! Bond would have kissed at least 20 women by now! Mac needs more manly heterosexual testosterone-fuelled masculine snogging scenes!! Let us just throw in some rather random kissing scenes with someone he doesn't know very well and isn't involved with.

Posted by: beth 30 December 2017 - 09:38 PM

Mac = 175 lbs (revealed in "Human Factor")
Jetski = 500 lbs (average)
coffin = 200 lbs (average)
Total = 875 lbs...pretty heavy for 4 people to carry with ease.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 22 November 2018 - 05:01 AM

The program that appears on the computer screen just before it blows up is written in BASIC

BASIC is a beginners language which was designed for use on home computers.

The name, while being an accurate description of the code is also an Acronym....

Beginners

All-purpose

Symbolic

Instruction

Code

Posted by: macgybl 4 February 2021 - 06:14 PM

Why does the knight in the garden explode at the end? Doesn’t seem possible

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 24 November 2021 - 05:42 AM

QUOTE (macgybl @ 4 February 2021 == 07:14 PM)

Why does the knight in the garden explode at the end? Doesn’t seem possible

Weird stuff happened in the 80's man!