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 41 - Bushmaster

When MacGyver is sent to Latin America to rescue a pilot on trial for being a spy, he learns too late that the pilot’s daughter has followed him there.

Votes from 26th March 2006
Poor [ 0 ] [0.00%]
Average [ 0 ] [0.00%]
OK [ 0 ] [0.00%]
Good [ 11 ] [73.33%]
Excellent [ 4 ] [26.67%]
Total Votes: 15

Archived comments

I remember being shocked the first time I saw this, when Pete and MacGyver get shot.

I also love the scene where Pete points out to MacGyver and says "There it is. There's your rescue team."

For me that really exemplifies what MacGyver is all about. He's the guy you turn to when there's no-one left to turn to.

I think that scene with the jeep racing along the train track is shot in the same place as the "Slow Death" episode.

I'm sure that's the same place.

I think you're right, I have also watched that scene.

I have somewhat mixed feelings regarding this episode.

On the one hand--I do agree that no one should pretend to be someone they are not, especially if Kelly just engaged in the bushmaster game (etc) just to please her father, thinking he'd rather have her act like a boy.

On the other hand, however, I found it confusing and not really knowing *what* to make of the fact that she chose to follow MacGyver on the rescue mission, only to make lots and lots of mistakes. Of course, she *is* confused, and she desperately wants to rescue her father, but what I *didn't* understand was whether the writers wanted to show us that she made all of these mistakes because she was a woman?

Maybe it wasn't their intentions, but sometimes, it sure felt that way, anyway. No, I'm not a feminist, but I thought the emphasis was that had she been a boy, she'd been way more rational, and it would have made sense that she tried rescuing her father. Now she just seemed very immature, and annoying.

The MacGyverisms were very cool though, especially the radiator thing, of course (and LOL, once again, all the jeeps look alike no matter where they are... )

Had it not been for the very doubtful reasoning regarding the role of a daughter/son, this would have been an "Excellent" episode for me. Now, it's just a "Good."

I must say, I have watched this episode a lot of times, and never, ever did I make the same connection you did. And I think I know why. Your reasoning is based on your perception of Kelly as a woman, whereas I in my view – and I think the writers' too – she is still a girl, a kid, who wants to play with the grown-ups. That's why Mac tells her: 'This is not a game.'
So this episode is not about a woman who makes the mistakes a man wouldn't, it's about a girl, a kid, who is as impulsive as we know kids are. She acts before she thinks, and doesn't see the dangers she puts herself and others in. She's a pretty dumb kid too, not even thinking about a passport or food. All she can think of is filling a bag with the stuff she used for the bush game, except for the gun, which probably belongs to her father. Apparently she learned how to sky dive, although I can even imagine she would just jump out of the plane without any preparation. She's a sweet dumb kid who desperately wants to please her daddy – girls tend to idolize their fathers. At the end of the episode we get a glimpse of the woman she is going to be.

Yes--I *hope* that's the way the writers were reasoning, and that might have been their intentions. The way Mac brought it up, though, (mentioning that she thought her dad had always wanted her to be a boy), just as they were discussing the reasons for her rescue attempt, made it a bit confusing. They could have been more clear on that issue, I think.

Something I noticed is the soldier Salazar shoots sounds like the radio voice we hear in multiple episodes like Bitter Harvest and Obsessed.

Charlie Sheen's sister was a cutie back then! Other than that headline, the episode is nothing to write home about. I was a big fan of 'McMillan & Wife' back in the 70s and John Schuck was hilarious in his supporting role on that TV movie series .... so I was expecting something better of this one. Not! Sorry to say - just your average Mac hour.

Thought I might add this image from AT&T uses Uverse description of this episode. Wow, can you say misleading? Some person who is not very familiar with this series is going to think MacGyver has a daughter now! I hope the guy that wrote this gets fired. Also, can you see the cast list for this episode? All of the staples are included, but almost a full THIRD of them are not featured in this episode at all!

Made me laugh.

Attached Image

How about making the picture a little smaller?

I think mistakes like that happen more than you think. I remember in the description I read about Serenity in magazine Mac escapes to the year 1867. Sure like the Civil War lasted from 1863 to 1867.

Wow, check out the airdate. And check Mac's resignation letter in Friends. While we were enjoying his latest adventure on his birthday, he was thinking about resigning.

I always liked these episodes when Mac is sent far and abroad to rescue someone.

This one had cool macgyverisms. (The radiator/egg stunt is a classic)

I think the set for the city was used in Extreme Prejudice, with Nick Nolte and Powers Boothe, at least it's very similar.

4/5

Yeah, the part about how her father had wanted a boy was a little bit confusing.

But I think in the end the message was that she should decide for herself whether bushcraft was something she enjoyed.

Nobody said, "Your dad should get over not having had a boy. Do you like knitting pink things?"

I think the message was that people aren't carbon copies of their parents. Somewhat similar to "Hell Week".

Although, now I've also watched "Ugly Duckling", they both end slightly awkwardly. "Yes, we showed that our young heroine is brave and resourceful. But do not worry. She is also capable of looking feminine." As if the audience needed reassuring. Then again, maybe they did.

Another great adventure
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