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MacGyver Online Forums > Episodes > 024 - The Eraser

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 2 November 2006 - 06:30 PM

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 24 - The Eraser

Believing that he is helping a father find his son, MacGyver inadvertently leads a reluctant hit man to his target.

Posted by: Macs Lab Rat 8 November 2006 - 11:19 AM

votes from 21st Feb 2006

Poor [ 0 ] [0.00%]
Average [ 1 ] [8.33%]
OK [ 1 ] [8.33%]
Good [ 6 ] [50.00%]
Excellent [ 4 ] [33.33%]
Total Votes: 12

Archived comments

QUOTE (MacGyverGod Jan 30 2005 @ 12:59 AM )

Not a bad episode but I'm partial to Back from the Dead.

QUOTE (MacGyver Jan 30 2005 @ 03:52 PM )

I liked this episode. I think it was sort of a different storyline from other episodes. I liked the friendship building between Jimmy and MacGyver. And of course, there were neat MacGyverisms, like setting the doors on a car to lock when an incoming phone call was received. That was cool! And I liked how MacGyver found a baseball team for Jimmy to coach at the end. That was great. It was a good episode overall.

QUOTE (sonyab Jan 31 2005 @ 08:45 AM )

This was a really good episode. I loved the end when Mac and Pete protected Jimmy and went into the witness protection program.. Phoenix foundation works with the witness protection program that's so cool. I loved how Jimmy pretends he is dead.. I loved when Mac was playing hockey. He was all sweaty yum.. I voted this episode, good.

QUOTE (MacGyverGod Jan 31 2005 @ 09:02 AM )

It was his loft, the house boat didn't came until season 3 Back from the Dead. Funny that Jimmy didn't say that he could smell the ocean.

QUOTE (sonyab Jan 31 2005 @ 10:14 AM )

QUOTE

QUOTE (MacGyverGod @ Jan 30 2005, 03:02 PM)
It was his loft, the house boat didn't came until season 3 Back from the Dead. Funny that Jimmy didn't say that he could smell the ocean.

oops. You're right macgyvergod.. I must have been thinking of back from the dead.. I edited it out in my message.. I loved the loft..

QUOTE (Alex-Wylie Feb 1 2005 @ 12:48 PM )

Cool Episode! Great MacGyverimns! about the locked door. I liked that they become friends and played table hockey. The scene with the olive was cool and nice as well.

QUOTE (MacGyver Gal Feb 1 2005 @ 03:29 PM )

I liked this episode.

I think Mac got to show his sense of humor in this episode.

I liked when he was eating the alfalfa sandwich and it dropped out on his lap

And then he said "Linda and I had a date for lunch. She didn't know about it so, I started without her."

And then later, he told Linda "The car will go now. I suggest you go with it."

And it was funny when he pretended to have a gun under his jacket so that guy would go with him.

QUOTE (phoenix Feb 2 2005 @ 07:44 PM )

i SO agree. the beginnings of his delightful sense of humor!

and way that a minor league florida baseball team is within phoenix foundation's witness protection guidelines!

ciao!

phoenix

QUOTE (MacGyverGod Feb 3 2005 @ 01:14 AM)

Yeah, there were a few good jokes in them. With those olives..., wow.

QUOTE (lemmy357 Feb 4 2005 @ 07:11 AM )

I didn't really like the episode because I was not crazy over the Jimmy character.

QUOTE (MacGyverGod Feb 4 2005 @ 09:00 AM )

Why not? What's wrong with Jimmy Kendall? His relationship with MacGyver is indeed going up and down. It's like one second his asking for Mac's help and the other one he's pushing him away. But as I said before I like Back from the Dead better.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 5 January 2007 - 03:04 PM

Theres one thing in this episode that really bugs me.

The scene where the car phone locks the doors and the two idiots inside the car can't get out... have you even been in a car where you couldn't unlock the door from the inside?

Its just so un-realistic thats its beyond stupid.. I've seen it in other shows and movies as well.. and it makes me want to throw something at the TV.

Central locking doesn't hold the door locks in place.. it only triggers the bolt movement.. and even if it where wired to continuously hold the bolt in the locked position.. it's not strong enough to prevent a person from unlocking the door.

Its just absolutely stupid!!

Posted by: laarell4241 8 January 2007 - 09:47 AM

Hmm, I'd have to (partially) disagree on this one. I have a neighbor with an old Lexus GS300, something like 13-15 years old. The car has electric locks. The darned car one day decided to eat the key. Something shorted out and the key got firmly lodged in the door on the outside. The doors jammed. All of them. Fortunately at least the drivers side window was down. We tried opening the doors from the inside, no such luck! The handles were completely unoperative and I mean completely.

The only way we managed to unlock his car was to disconnect the battery, then the doors unlocked, because the juice was cut. The key was still stuck though. Now the only way the guy managed to get the key removed from the door was to take his wife's keys and drive the car to the dealership where they took half of his electrical system apart. I don't know what exactly they did.

I take that it would be possible to sabotage something in the wiring to short out the doors like that. Don't know what though, as I make a point of having manual locks and windows on my cars.

Posted by: Lothithil 8 January 2007 - 10:40 AM

I had an old '88 Caddy with seriously bad eclectrikal problems. Sometimes the doors would lock and I couldn't get out! (That was shortly before I scrapped the POC!)

But you've got a point, Rock... it does come across as a little silly. But I love the way Mac bounces across the street to 'help them out' It makes me laugh a lot!

Posted by: Old Fan 8 January 2007 - 05:48 PM

"...hold the 'chovies!..."

Posted by: j12752 11 July 2007 - 05:15 AM

QUOTE (Rockatteer @ 6 January 2007 - 12:33 PM)

No, I've never been stuck in a car like that. BUT, I have seen someone that got stuck like that a few years ago. Some mechanism broke and he had to call for help on his cell phone for a mechanic to come down. The mechanic busted the window, and my bro-in-law got out, much to hysterical laughter from the crowd that had gathered around. We've never let him live this down either

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 2 October 2007 - 01:23 AM

Does anyone know what MacGyver yells to the ref whiles he's in the penalty box at the hockey rink?

It sounds like "Thats bull s***!!" accept it sounds like they fudged the sound to hide what was said.

Maybe someone could check the captions to see what they say.
(I would, but our DVD players don't use the US Closed Caption system)

After watching RDAs recent interviews and hearing his potty mouth.. I can't help wondering if RDA got a little carried away in the moment and actually hurled abuse at the ref, and for some reason they had to use that particular take, so the poor sound-man had to "blur" the words.

Posted by: Lothithil 2 October 2007 - 06:02 AM

He certainly is... um, passionate... about his hockey!

I don't have captions, but I've always thought what he hollered at the ref was some kind of player jargon--like when people cough and say 'Bolshoi'--knowing it is going to sound like the expletive they are REALLY wanting to say, but not exactly, so the don't get sent to the showers... or whatever it is they do to really really naughty hockey players.

Having never attended a hockey game in my life... I am reduced to guesswork.

OH, yes... and on the matter of electronic locks on cars... I had an old Caddy with some interesting mechanical human-traps, one of them being that the electronic windows and door locks would work or not work according to the mood of the Gods of Chaos... I have been locked into my car before, but nothing that a few well-placed kicks didn't solve eventually.

*passes Rock the salt*

Posted by: Nutsy 2 October 2007 - 12:05 PM

QUOTE (j12752 @ 12 July 2007 - 01:50 AM)

have you even been in a car where you couldn't unlock the door from the inside?

Actually I think there is some device that you can activate in certain cars that prevents the back doors (I don't think the font ones) from being open from the inside; and I think it is mainly to prevent kids from opening doors at dangerous (or inconvenient) times or places. Definitely a bit silly for the mob guys to have done

Posted by: MacBeth 2 October 2007 - 04:18 PM

QUOTE (Rockatteer @ 2 October 2007 - 02:58 AM)

After watching RDAs recent interviews and hearing his potty mouth..

Aw, c'mon, aren't you being a little hard on him? There are times and places where salty speech is the natural dialect and four-letter words are ignored as standard parts of speech -- I'm told this includes Irish pubs, locker rooms, and hockey rinks, but I know for a fact that it includes every backstage venue in continental North America with the possible exception of a few Catholic summer camp theatres (and I wouldn't lay bets on those).

I have never known a professional actor or theatre technician who couldn't peel paint off the walls. (When I was taking my theatre degree, I used to have to re-program myself every time I went home from college for a visit, because my much-respected father hated hearing women swear. I had never acquired the habit of swearing until after I started that degree programme!)

In a hockey game, I think you get sent to the penalty box if you refrain from swearing for more than five minutes. It puts the other players off and makes them wonder what you're doing there.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 2 October 2007 - 05:36 PM

QUOTE (MacBeth @ 3 October 2007 - 01:53 PM)

QUOTE (Rockatteer @ 2 October 2007 - 02:58 AM)

After watching RDAs recent interviews and hearing his potty mouth..

Aw, c'mon, aren't you being a little hard on him? There are times and places where salty speech is the natural dialect and four-letter words are ignored as standard parts of speech

Yeah but non of them include dropping the F bomb in a TV interview or calling Colm Meaney a Bastard (because he owes RDA money) on morning TV

"Colm Meaney? he's here? He owes me money! B*****!!"

Posted by: MACGYVERISMYDAD 3 October 2007 - 08:21 AM

I always found that scene unbelivable. Especially how he just casually reaches down pulls a harness out the bottom of the car and starts splicing wires. Most auto manufactorures are smart enough to hide wires that go to the cars alarm system atleast a little better than underneath the dash in an easy acess area. Hearing Mac say I want a large pizza, run it through the garden hold the chovies made it all the better though. I know what scene you are talking about rock when he is yelling at the ref. I am almost completey sure he doesnt say anything bad because I remember watching this episode in cc so I didn't miss anything. I will have to double check and get back at you but I only remember him saying oh come on

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 3 October 2007 - 02:24 PM

How did he know which wires did what without a schematic?

It interesting to hear MacGyver talking about a cars computer system as if it was some magical all powerful control unit.

Even todays cars don't have an "all powerful control unit". which controls everything in the car.

I do love the line after he's told them how to unlock the car though

"... honey, the car will go now.. I suggest you go with it."

Posted by: Macs Lab Rat 5 October 2007 - 09:48 AM

QUOTE (Rockatteer @ 2 October 2007 - 10:58 AM)

My subtitles say that he says "That's bush!"

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 5 October 2007 - 02:02 PM

Ahhh... yeah that would be right.....

why would he say that's bush.. whats it mean? I still think they cut the IT off the end of his sentence.

Posted by: Macs Lab Rat 6 October 2007 - 09:13 AM

Don’t know. I’ve certainly never heard that phrase used before. I thought it was maybe an American saying or something. If its not a real saying then you might be right about the sound blurring/cut out.

Posted by: MacNymph 6 October 2007 - 09:41 AM

I just watched the episode again, and all you do is hear it and can't see if he actually said something else and they dubbed it....

Quite clear on my copy. He says "That's bush!"

Might be referring to the referees' officiating skills as bush-league. The ref would get his meaning.

Posted by: Lothithil 6 October 2007 - 12:01 PM

QUOTE (MacNymph @ 6 October 2007 - 01:16 PM)

Might be referring to the referees' officiating skills as bush-league. The ref would get his meaning.

Now that makes perfect sense!

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 6 October 2007 - 09:13 PM

Anyone else find it kinda quirky the way MacGyver tells Pete to loosen his tie and grab a yogurt.

Posted by: Lothithil 6 October 2007 - 09:52 PM

That entire scene was great... Pete supping on Mac's whipped bean curd...LOL!... and Mac telling him to put it back in the 'fridge!

I always wondered if Mac came home later expecting to have supper only to find an empty bowl!

He would have had to call for a garden pizza --hold the 'chovies!-- for real!

Posted by: RamonCota 9 April 2009 - 03:24 PM

awesome episode! i really enjoyed it.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 30 April 2009 - 02:50 PM

QUOTE (MacNymph @ 7 October 2007 - 05:41 AM)

Yeah I was channel surfing last night and stopped on a channel just in time to hear someone say "that was bush league!".

I then had to look it up and find out what the term means because I've never heard it before.

For our non-US members it means "Below good standards, not good or incorrect. Pitiful, poor, terrible, awful, bad,Amateur performance"

So Nymphys assessment would be pretty accurate I reckon. It's a polite way of telling the Ref he made a crappy call.

Posted by: dinoman 30 April 2009 - 05:23 PM

QUOTE (Rockatteer @ 1 May 2009 - 06:50 AM)

For our non-US members it means "Below good standards, not good or incorrect. Pitiful, poor, terrible, awful, bad,Amateur performance"

Does the word mean the same as in 'Bush administration'?

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 1 June 2009 - 07:29 PM

Did anyone else notice the fire trucks way down the street in the scene where MacGyver locks Simmons and his girlfriend in the car?

I found myself highly distracted last night while watching this scene, wondering what was going on up the street behind them. There were 2 trucks with their lights flashing, so must have been a fire or something in that building. It's quite a way up the street from them and has nothing to do with the scene. So I assumed they didn't close the street down for filming, or had to let the fire trucks in for a real fire call.

Posted by: MacNymph 2 June 2009 - 01:26 PM

Little boys and fire trucks.

What's the fascination?

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 2 June 2009 - 01:47 PM

QUOTE (MacNymph @ 3 June 2009 - 09:26 AM)

Little boys and fire trucks.

What's the fascination?

They big and bright

.. with flashing lights and loud noise....

HEY!

I'm not a little boy!

Posted by: Dennman 18 March 2010 - 02:43 PM

Love the olive bit early in this ep. Also I'm a fan of Joe Santos, great to see him on MacGyver. I'll have to pop this one in again just to hear Ricky-Dean say "Bush".

Posted by: Dr Zito 11 July 2011 - 11:15 AM

Im in the minority as always but I really thought this episode was thoroughly poor. The editing was shocking, the directing clueless, the lack of tension, the ridiculous and corny script, even mac's character seemed a bit off balance. The way they put together all the different stories was incredibly clumsy and the acting subpar. I cant think of any redeeming quality and frankly Im amazed anyone could enjoy it, but thats taste

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 12 July 2011 - 12:22 AM

Your in a taste category all of your own aren't ya Zito.

Taste is in the eye of the beholder.. or something like that.

Posted by: Dr Zito 12 July 2011 - 05:48 PM

QUOTE (Rockatteer @ 12 July 2011 - 08:25 PM)

Your in a taste category all of your own aren't ya Zito.

Taste is in the eye of the beholder.. or something like that.

when it comes to this forum apparently I am!

I do tend to be overcritical, in the kind of work I do you have to be very critical of yourself and others so I cant switch off even when Im watching my favourite shows. Also Ive noticed that Ive changed a lot in some crucial ways from when I watched macgyver, the world has changed as well, and to me some episodes look a bit dated. This was definitely one of those cases.

Having said that, my excuse card if you want to call it that way, I still dont understand what was good or right about this episode, from any perspective. As a story it was incredibly uninteresting, macgyverisms were at an all time low, and the corny aspect, which sometimes rears its ugly head in macgyver, particularly early episodes, made a full apparition.

I do find it curious, and im not using the word "curious" in a derogatory manner like most people do when wondering why people disagree with them. I do find it interesting why so many people liked it and I didnt. My brother says Ive become the most cynical person in the world, I reckon hes far off, but perhaps to really enjoy some episodes of MG you need to keep those childish eyes, that naive vision of the world to enjoy them.

that sounded condescending enough so I guess my work is done

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 13 July 2011 - 03:02 PM

For me one of the more enjoyable aspects were the one-liners from from Jimmy. I enjoy that kind of quick-witted response humour, so it made the episode quite enjoyable.

I also liked the way Jimmy and MacGyver seemed to really hit it of, especially the scenes at Macs appartment were they play hockey to see who will wash the dishes and Jimmy comments he hasn't washed dishes for years. Also the more quiet moments where we learn about MacGyver's asperations for professional hockey and the scene where Pete turns up at Macs place and starts eating the whipped whatever it was and comments that he prefers it cold when Mac tells him it's suppose to be heated.

So I guess I enjoyed it because it has a lot of little moments throughout which give an inside glimse to MacGyvers life and interactions.

For me it's not always about the story.

Posted by: Dr Zito 13 July 2011 - 05:53 PM

that relationship between jimmy and mac seemed to me forced and over the top corny. I just couldnt believe any of their interactions, the ending also was so preachy. I'm finding harder and harder to believe in these kind of reformed-happy endings in the real world, and in MG they seem constantly hitting the sickly sweet note.

But I appreciate your explanation Rockateer, I know can undrstand why people liked it, even if it didnt quite make it for me.

BTW since I mentioned my work I'm a writer and editor so I probably pay too much attention to the stories and dialogues.

P.S: can you see my avatar? I can only see a frog and a imageshack error message

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 13 July 2011 - 09:56 PM

QUOTE (Dr Zito @ 14 July 2011 - 02:56 PM)

I'm finding harder and harder to believe in these kind of reformed-happy endings in the real world, and in MG they seem constantly hitting the sickly sweet note.

I can see your avatar as a picture of Zito

It's not real life though. That's the whole point. It's an 80-90's TV show so in order to enjoy it you have to switch back to that mode and appreciate it for what it is/was.

Posted by: Dr Zito 14 July 2011 - 01:59 AM

yes but since it isnt a scifi show you need some kind of connection to reality, in this episode some of it seemed implausible to unusual degree, even for an american tv series of the 80s.

didnt you find the lack of macgyverisms troubling?

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 14 July 2011 - 11:05 PM

QUOTE

Driving cars, using phones, wearing normal clothes, eating drinking normal food and drink, getting hurt when you fall over or punched, bleeding or killed when shot.. these aren't connections to reality?

There have been other episodes with less macgyverisms than this one so that really didn't bother me and the few MacGyverisms it had were cool enough to make up for it anyway.

For some reason I really like the scene with MacGyver sitting at his computer looking up Jimmy's file. I have no idea why I like it, but I do. Maybe it's one of those rare glimpses of domestic normal every day life MacGyver *shrugs*

Posted by: NightTinkerer 21 August 2012 - 07:49 AM

Many of the things that I really liked about this episode have already been debated here, but there are some things worth mentioning.

For starters, I never cared too much about hockey, (even though I grew up in a highly profiled hockey city, hehe, the irony). But watching Mac/RDA on the ice is pure joy, since you can really see it's his element, he enjoys it so much!

As several of you have already mentioned, this episode provides an insight in Mac's daily life, and his "strange" food habits... though I remember alfalfa was the ultimate health food of the 80's.

Though I doubt it would be that easy to hook up the car phone to the car electronics system, and make it lock the doors like that, I did enjoy that MacGyverism (along with the priceless "The car will go now, I suggest you go with it" comment.

)

I can definitely understand why Mac would engage himself so much in Jimmy's case, considering his own family situation. And despite that Jimmy had been lying to him, Mac still did everything he could to help him out in the end!

The writers of this episode also remembered Mac's fear of heights--I just love the scene where he tries to calm himself down after climbing the elevator shaft.

With all these bits combined, "The Eraser" really shows what a human, warm hearted and caring person Mac really is. Though not one of my ultimate favorites, and not really an "excellent", I'll vote a strong "Good."

Posted by: MacGyverisms 27 February 2013 - 02:28 PM

Many of the things I really liked about "The Eraser" that have already been discussed here. But I have some things worth mentioning. I think this episode provides us with at least some insight into Mac's daily life. And I doubt it would be that easy to hook up a car phone to the car's security system. And to make the doors lock themselves. I did enjoy that MacGyverism as well as the priceless "The car will go now, I suggest you go with it".

I can understand why Mac would involve himself so much in Jimmy's case. And even though Jimmy lied to him, Mac did everything he could to help him out until the end. And I'm very happy the writers still remembered Mac's fear of heights. And I like the scene were Mac tries to calm himself down after climbing up the elevator shaft. I like how "The Eraser" shows the human side of Mac. And shows how Mac is a very warm hearted and caring person. Not my favorite, but still a good episode.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

Posted by: Joe SAKic 19 July 2013 - 06:02 PM

QUOTE (Rockatteer @ 30 April 2009 - 06:50 PM)

QUOTE (MacNymph @ 7 October 2007 - 05:41 AM)

Yes 'bush league' as in the bush or about as far as you can get from the refined officiating of the pro leagues that operate in the larger cities of the world. Was a common barb used in that era .... you don't hear much today, the kids now have much sharper, potty tongues ....

A very good episode that appeases we sport oriented fans as it starts with hockey and ends with baseball. Sandwiched in between there is decent plot of cold war business and underworld muscle.

Joe Santos was a strong and veteran character actor by the time this episode was produced and doesn't disappoint as a 'Jimmy the hitman', btw. Do check him out in 'The Rockford Files' as Sergeant Dennis Becker - an excellent TV series that ran through the mid to late 1970s. The Rockford and MacGyver characters have some strong similarities imo.

Posted by: KiwiTek 20 July 2013 - 12:33 AM

QUOTE (Joe SAKic @ 20 July 2013 - 02:02 PM)

Do check him out in 'The Rockford Files' as Sergeant Dennis Becker - an excellent TV series that ran through the mid to late 1970s. The Rockford and MacGyver characters have some strong similarities imo.

RDA agrees with you and even mentions the show in http://www.macgyveronline.com/pages/video1.html when talking about how MacGyver hurts his hand when he punches people.

Posted by: KiwiTek 26 July 2013 - 04:15 PM

I really love the scene where we see MacGyver sitting at home in front of his computer looking up details about Jimmy. I'm not really sure what it is, but the whole scene from when Pete turns up and we see Mac sitting in front of the computer just seems cool to me...I keep going back and watching it. Must be in a geeky mood lately.

Posted by: Scwilson 1 August 2013 - 08:13 PM

one of the best, jimmy portrayed by veteran actor Joe Santos was excellent. I liked the story line of a professional hitman wanting out. Jimmy sees his violent past as a bad choice morally and wants to make amends. The chemistry between Mac and Jimmy was great and Mac wants to help jimmy start a new life. Of course Jimmy's mob associates wish to retire him permanently. The Macgyverisms were pretty good.

Posted by: NewMacFan 15 August 2013 - 09:53 PM

QUOTE (KiwiTek @ 27 July 2013 - 12:15 PM)

I really love the scene where we see MacGyver sitting at home in front of his computer looking up details about Jimmy.

I agree there's something about that scene... Maybe because he's not rushing to fix a problematic situation or anything - it's a common thing that feels very normal and unscripted and relaxed that I can actually relate to for once

Posted by: John Litteral 28 January 2014 - 06:36 PM

I've always loved this episode, I always loved Jimmy the Eraser!

Posted by: MiracleMac 17 July 2014 - 02:24 AM

Larchmont Hardware in 1977

Posted by: MacGyverGod 15 October 2015 - 05:56 AM

Did you know that this episode airs exactly one year after the Pilot episode?

Posted by: Mr Duct Tape 12 January 2016 - 10:31 AM

the highlight of the episode is the new friendship between Mac and Jimmy.

also that scene with Pete eating that white stuff was funny.

mac's new flat is really cool

3/5

Posted by: RadiantRose 4 December 2016 - 02:30 AM

QUOTE (Rockatteer @ 2 October 2007 - 05:36 PM)

QUOTE (MacBeth @ 3 October 2007 - 01:53 PM)

QUOTE (Rockatteer @ 2 October 2007 - 02:58 AM)

After watching RDAs recent interviews and hearing his potty mouth..

Aw, c'mon, aren't you being a little hard on him? There are times and places where salty speech is the natural dialect and four-letter words are ignored as standard parts of speech

Yeah but non of them include dropping the F bomb in a TV interview or calling Colm Meaney a Bastard (because he owes RDA money) on morning TV

"Colm Meaney? he's here? He owes me money! B*****!!"

For real, or joking?

Posted by: RadiantRose 4 December 2016 - 02:39 AM

QUOTE (Dr Zito @ 13 July 2011 - 05:53 PM)

Jimmy showed that he no longer wished to be a cold-blooded killer.

He explained that he had been haunted (not literally) by at least one of his past killings.

He proved that he had changed and was thus rewarded. Mac believes in redemption.

Posted by: uniquelyjas 11 April 2017 - 05:23 AM

I really enjoyed this episode. I LOVED all the great quotes and one-liners from Mac and Jimmy! Too many to mention! I also like how the series, as a whole, varies the pace of the episodes. High-paced, exciting, full of Macgyverism shows are great, but I think I would tire of watching if all the episodes were like this. Just like in real life, we all need some "down time". It's nice seeing a different side of Mac and I think it adds a lot to character development which is what gets me hooked on a show. If I don't like the characters, I don't enjoy the show.

Posted by: sylvain1888 20 November 2020 - 03:54 PM

Posted by: Hannibal_Smith 29 May 2022 - 06:38 AM

If nothing else, I appreciate the contrast between Jimmy and the kind of hitmen we usually see on MacGyver. This is the show that gave us Piedra, Axminster, Deborah, and of course Murdoc. Compared to those guys, it's nice to see a guy in his fifties with a bum knee and not much to show for his career (not to mention the prison time) waiting around a kitchen table with three younger and dumber versions of himself wondering how the hell he ended up here and how far he's fallen from what he dreamed of as a kid.

I appreciate how simple but effective the tradecraft is, too. No elaborate disguises or sniper shots from three thousand miles away. He just hangs out at his target's known haunts pretending to be a different person until he finds somebody who'll bite, then follows him home.

Posted by: Barry Rowland 29 May 2022 - 04:34 PM

Exactly Hannibal!

Posted by: KiwiTek 30 May 2022 - 03:42 AM

QUOTE (Hannibal_Smith @ 30 May 2022 - 03:38 AM)

Yes. I think one of the shows strengths was that is showed the humanity in all (well most) of the characters.

It showed how everyone has a story, a journey which has made them the person we see in front of us.

The old "Walk a mile in another persons shoes before you judge them" kind of thing.