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 125 - Hind Sight

As Pete anxiously awaits his glaucoma operation, he and MacGyver look back on many of their past adventures, as they try to figure out who has been sending him threatening message in hospital.

I know this episode was filmed to coincide with Dana's real life operation...

So.. Anyone know if the hospital scenes where done in Dana's real hospital room?

I think "Hind-Sight" was a great way to end Season Six. This is another one of those "flashback" episodes- and that's cool. It's kinda fun every now and then to have MacGyver and Pete review their adventures and offer some commentary on what they were thinking and feeling during it. And I've seen the flashback episode done of numerous sitcoms and other adventure shows and so forth- but one thing I've always loved about MacGyver is that even the flashback episodes always have a great framing storyline. In "Friends" we have MacGyver contemplating retirement from the Phoenix Foundation- and there's a lot of guest appearances from various friends and family. In "Unfinished Business" we have Mac, Pete and Jack start off looking at some of Jack's schemes and then get more serious trying to figure out who's after them. And it turns out we have a surprise return appearance from one of MacGyver's old foes- Deborah.
And then in "Hind-Sight", we basically have MacGyver offering Pete encouragement as he's about to undergo eye surgery. But at the same time there was an ominous note as Pete was getting these weird messages...and Pete and MacGyver try to figure out what's going on. I thought it was an interesting twist that it turns out to be Pete's ex-wife who comes to support him.
And of course, the great thing about these types of episodes is that it's fun to remember great MacGyverisms from "Children of Light", "Deep Cover", "Passages", "Easy Target", "Brainwashed", "On a Wing and a Prayer" and "Cleo Rocks". Especially for viewers in 1991 who didn't have tapes of previous episodes and didn't have any other way of remembering past episodes except through reruns.
And it was an interesting look at Pete and MacGyver's relationship as they review just how useful and important Pete is to the Phoenix Foundation. And they remember some of the times when Pete really saved the day- like in "Easy Target", when he figured out a way to save them from the grenades. I'm a bit surprised they didn't use clips from "The Survivors"- where Pete really came to MacGyver's rescue at the end and punched the guy out and stopped him from killing Mac.
Oh yeah- and Bruce Harwood makes his final appearance as Willis in this episode.
But my favorite part of this episode is at the end- when Pete asks MacGyver about his retirement papers- interesting twist that this time Pete is the one thinking of quitting. And MacGyver tells him that they're sitting on his desk because it's supposed to go through Pete first. "Ooh! MacGyver- I'm going to get you!"- Pete
"I'm counting on it."- MacGyver

I voted for excellent. This was also one of my very favourites when I was kid. This is actually the last real Mac-Pete episode. And out of all the flashbacks Passages was the one that made most hungry to watch. I had to live on years on those flashback until it was finally fully revealed in the rerun seven years ago. Also Brainwashed was one of them with all those mirror. On a Wing and a Prayer, just for that shot when Jack's plane takes off again and Cleo Rocks with Murdoc pulling of the mask as if he's pulling off his real face. Too bad they cutted a small piece out of the fight when Murdoc throws MacGyver off of him. But they survived... they both survived.
And I like the relaxing and peaceful ending.
'I'm counting on.'
The best way to end the sixth season.

'I made my peace. I was ready to let go. But something held me back.'
'What?'
'You, Pete. You wouldn't let me die.'

This episode just doesn't do anything for me, I know it shows how close Mac and Pete are, but theres just something about it that really doesn't work for me.

I think the flash backs are poorly chosen for the story line, there are scenes (like the afore mentioned Survivors scene) where Pete actually does save the day, which would have worked much better than the ones they did show.

*shrugs* maybe I just don't like slow soppy MacGyver.

I know this nitpick is listed in the NitPicks forum, but it's something that always stands out when I watch this episode.

Pete's wife writes that they divorced because of his devotion to the Phoenix foundation... but they divorced 20 years ago which means he was working for the DXS.. not the Phoenix Foundation.

Somewhere I can understand that. The Survivors would've indeed been better. With Easy Target they just showed Pete coming up with an idea and MacGyver finishing the idea.
'You see, Pete? You saved us.'
Yeah, with MacGyver helping him.

For me the episode is a great ending for the sixth season. This is actually the last episode where in we see all the characters from the early years for almost the last time and for the last time in one episode. Penny Parker whom we haven't seen since Serenity and Jack Dalton since Jenny's Chance. Harry Jackson since Harry's Will and his last adventure with MacGyver in Passages. And Murdoc with whom we had our recent run in with.

This ep was good... for a clip show. I liked the interaction between Mac and Pete, but the clips were sewn together rather weakly. Still, there's enough good in this one to keep me watching it!

I actually found myself skipping through the clips... I've seen them already and would rather watch the episodes than the clips.

I think my main problem is that the clips don't actually tie into the story.

MacGyvers trying to think of a time when Pete saved the day, and not one of those clips really even comes close.. and why oh why didn't they take the blue pill and use the Survivors clip?? thats about the only time where Pete did save Macs life.

I think that mistake with the time line about The phoenix foundation being the reason Pete got divorced is a pretty major slip and annoys me as well.

I wonder if this episode was written in a hurry to cover Dana's operation?

Clip shows don't do much for me, either. I would have much preferred something deeper and more involved between the two of them, using original material. But, maybe it's as Rock said--Dana wasn't doing well, and they needed to operate soon, so they didn't have time to put something else together. Who knows?

That might actually be a good if not the reason for putting something quickly together.

Besides that I would like to add that this is Rick Mittleman's only episode not involving a kid in trouble like Lisa or Tony Milani.

I hate these clip episodes. Lazy writers with no good ideas = very bad episode. I feel cheated.

I like the idea of Mac visiting Pete just before Pete's surgery and Pete's struggle with blindness. It would have been better without clips though.

Remember this episode was made to coincide with Dana's real surgery, so the producers may well have gone with a clip show just to give him a break.

I'm sure work would have been the last think on his mind at the time they made this episode.

I don't have any background information about filming this episode, but they could still have made something better. When Lucy Lawless broke her hip, they worked around that problem and made second season of Xena work. There are always many options in situations like this, but clip episodes are cheating.

There are a few mistakes though, like when MacGyver and Pete are discussing the lady antagonist Santina from On a Wing and a Prayer, Mac mentions Pete being hurt badly when he and Jack flew in to get Pete and Sister Margaret out---well I am watching the eppy and it's not Sister Margaret, it's Sister Clara in that episode.

Also the note to Pete: Connie wrote the words "for better or for worse"--like in marriage vows--of course Pete and Connie had been divorced for about 20 years--and given the fact that Pete was lying in a hospital bed, he might be a little less astute, but still

I have to admit that clip shows are my least favorite. I understand that they are usually done for budgetary reasons but I have never liked watching them, they always seemed like a viewer rip off.

This was okay as far as clip shows go, but yeah, they should have chosen more relevant clips. "The Survivors" is an obvious choice, but there were other times when Pete saved Mac. What about "The Assassin", for example?

The thing that used to annoy me about clip shows was how they were advertised on tv: "Monday, on an all-new MacGyver...." Um, no, it's NOT all-new. It's about 30% new, 70% recycled.

Yeah. So true, but 30% new doesn't have quite the same appeal as all new.

Interesting bit of information there.

A sad one, you just sit back and cry for Pete.

I agree. The selected clips wasn´t the more representative. The scripters should be more research into old episodes more accurately.
Very sad (for Dana Elcar) the message of RDA before the final credits.

I just watched this episode again (after goodness knows how long) and it makes me sad for Pete and Dana. I wish I could have met him before he passed.

Not one of my favorites - and I agree there were many times Pete saved MacGyver they could have used - even helicopter picks ups, Assassins came to mind immediately too.

I like the little RDA psa at the end though :n)

Really sad for Dana, it's tragic what happens to her eyes. But still that does not excuse the fact that this "memory" episode is so slow and the main plot is useless.