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 109 - The Wall

MacGyver helps reunite an elderly German man with his long-lost granddaughter not realizing she is an ex-Stasi agent involved in a plot to get a stash of gold in the old man's possession.

I'm confused...

This episode takes place in 1990. It's stated several times in the episode that the escape took place 15 years earlier, which would make it 1975.

What sort of prison camp where they escaping from in 1975?

To me it's implied that they where in a Nazi concentration camp of some sort, but there weren't any in 1975.. where there?

I don't think they were trying to escape from a prison camp, Rock. I think it was rather a barbed wire fence to keep people from crossing out of East Germany.

The Berlin Wall separated East Berlin and West Berlin from 1961 until 1989. During this period, according to my source, at least 133 people were confirmed killed trying to cross the Wall into West Berlin.

The Stasi (East German Secret Police) were founded in 1950 and operated through 1990.

The following sounds like what they might have based the story for 'The Wall' on.

Quote Wikipedia on 'Stasi':
The Stasi monitored political behavior among GDR (General Reconnaissance Administration) citizens, and is known to have used torture and intimidation to mute dissent. During the Peaceful Revolution of 1989, Stasi offices were overrun by enraged citizens, but not before the Stasi destroyed a number of documents (approximately 5%). When the remaining files were published for review, many people learned that their friends, colleagues, spouses, and relatives had regularly filed reports with the Stasi. These wounds on civil society have not yet entirely healed.

So, yes, actually... 1975 was certainly a time when the Stasi would have been active.

You know.. I never made that connection.

I always just assumed it was a nazi camp.

But now it all falls into place. There's even a line where Maria refers to her grandfather leaving them to be executed by the boarder guards.

Loth is absolutely right. If anybody has further questions, just ask me. I can tell from first hand experience - well, not first hand for fleeing, of course. But there are stories going around...

There was the wall around Berlin, and there was the border between Eastern and Western Germany. It was a several kilometers wide line, with watch towers, self exploding weapons if somebody stepped on them, and whatever you can think of. Still, people were succesful in crossing that border. Especially in the early years, when it wasn't fully completed, it was easy to find a place to leave. An uncle from me also did it in the fifties.

But saying that, you might understand now, why Mac's several crossings of borders from socialist countries to the free West sometimes looks a bit silly to me. He never would have come even near without being detected (or killed by a mine).

Some built a hot air baloon, others even build small planes, one was a locomotive driver and fled with the whole train - just didn't stop at the border and went through. Most people that were in the train by coincidence had to go back, though.

Others tried to swim through the Baltic sea, to get to Danmark or to get picked up by an international ship. They build mini submarines, or boats. All of these activities had to be made in secret, for nobody finding out. Just buying that much amount of things you needed for building could rose suspictions from the STASI. And many also died trying. For the same reason, sports sailing was not allowed at our beaches, for they never knew if people would come back or not.

In the sixties there also were quite a few that were digging tunnels from Western to Eastern Berlin, beyond the wall. They were digging for months. The end of the tunnel used to be in some basement of a house, and people went through on their knees, since they were so small. I have seen a very moving movie about this. Just to think how desperate people must be to try something like this? I'd feared it would collapse above me and bury me alive.

The Berlin wall was built since before then people could just go with the train from Eastern to Western Berlin. So many used this. Some even worked there and went back in the evening.

Later others asked somebody from Western Germany, to hide them in the trunk of the car. Some were found, some made it through.

Then there also was the opportunity just to leave officially. You could made an application for leaving, for example if a part of your family already was living at the other side. But you had to leave most of your possesions behind. A friend of mine just one day didn't come to school - they never knew when was the day, and if it came, they had to leave immediately. Not even time for saying good-bye.

As for our family, leaving never was a topic of conversation, since we just aren't this way. It's hard to leave your home, your family, your friends, with the prospect of never being able to come back. And it certainly was hard to start a new life in Western Germany as well. In the beginning they lived for months in camps, before they found work and an apartment.

Nowadays, it is usual for young people to go to Western Gemany, since there they can find work, our factories mostly got closed down shortly after the wall had come down. So they have to leave, and the parents and elderly people get left behind. Whole villages are dying this way, no school, no post office, no bank office, no doctor, no supermarket anymore... This is the sad part of all the good things the change brought. I wonder how it all will turn out.

As for the STASI, we were lucky not to have any among our friends or family, so I have no experience with that. We used to tell political jokes back then, also, which could have brought you to jail if the wrong person would hear it.



Maria's grandfather got killed at the border? I always thought, this old man with the toy shop was her grandfather? Or was it her other grandpa? You know, by this discussion, you made me wanting to watch that episode again. Haven't seen it in a long time.

I remember you saying that Maria speaks German in that - since I only know the dubbed version so far, I haven't heard that yet, either.

Will be back with more things to add after seeing it!

Maria's father was killed by the border guards... her grandfather was the one who escaped, then years later sent MacGyver to try to find her.

It is a good episode. I just wish I could get over my general dislike of Maria. On all points, she'd make a great girlfriend for our Mac--since she can clearly take care of herself-- but my mind rebels that he could be comfortable with someone who could be so coldblooded.

I suppose I ought to cut her a break... she did have a rough life up to the point that MacGyver 'rescued' her... but in truth, she makes my skin crawl whenever I see her. I guess I'm hopeless!

As promised, I'm back with a review. So lets take this episode apart *rubs her hands gleefully*

Loth, just for the record, I don't like Maria either. It's not for the reason I don't want to see Mac with any girlfriend, I'd would have been happy if he was happy, but you're right, she has something on her that irks me. I think she also playes the dumbe blonde at the end a bit too obviously.


As for the episode - well, I highly appreciate the try of using recent history events for story telling. I think there was a bit much going on in here, though. So it feels cluttered. I think the thing with the gold (whenever the Germans said "gold" it sounded like "Goa'uld to me ) was a bit farfetched and made the whole thing unbelievable to me. They certainly went through a lot of trouble for this. I would have liked a more realistic approach better. Life has written so many moving stories - no need to spice them up.

What I really like in this episode is the performance of Reiner Schoene (the blonde Stasi-guy). He is a well-known face from several German movies and series, and it is nice to see him act in here. Because, it doesn't look like acting. I have to tell you, that he uses an accent in here - and this is the same accent I also have. So, Loth, you already can prepare yourself for when meeting me - this is how I will speak, not only with German accent, but with Saxonian as well

The city Leipzig, which was mentioned quite a few times, is almost around the corner to Dresden (only 1,5 hours by train) - and well, we just talk this way! I can't help it! Anybody is making fun of us for it *pouts*

This is even more important, since he is no Saxonian himself (was born in Western Germany), and it is very hard to talk that way if the accent is only made up and many have failed at it, but he sounds very "real" to me and it shows very convincing in both his German and also his English lines (is anybody interested in a translation of the things he said? "Ich kann keen Englisch... Mensch...Junge, Junge, Junge... Du blöde Kuh hast alles vermasselt..." *snicker*)

(But I really never will get why bad guys talk not in their native tongue when they are alone - other than for the reason the American TV watcher doesn't want to read subtitles But it just doesn't make sense. If they are agitated or it is a difficult topic, why struggling with a foreign language?)

But let's start at the beginning. The Stasi headquarter looks very good, if I look over the fact that the word "MÖRDER" which is sprayed at the back wall lacks the two dots above the O. The hotel, however, I think is a bit farfetched - both the ridiculous name and the kind of music played in there. This is music from Bavaria, and might get played in a beer tent at Oktoberfest, but not in a Hotel in Berlin, especially if this shall be Eastern Berlin (not sure about that, though). And then the dirndl - oh please. All is screaming "German!" all the time. I just waited for the waitress having the name Heidi (again ).

John Horn (Huber) is born in the USA, and for that his German accent is very convincing, I think! When he is showing Mac the file about Maria, he mumbles "fünfundsiebzig" which translates to "seventyfive" and confirms the year Rock was talking about. When he is thanking the waitress for the beer, however, it sounds more like "donke" than "danke" (which is pronounced like dunke, actually).

You were right, the German Brigitta Stenberg used when playing with the children sounded very convincing! But her overjoyed acting once she was in America looks a bit over the top to me, and Mac was right to get suspicious. The fact that she knew her way around a plane should not have made for that, however. She easily could have told him that she had flown before. We were not imprisioned, you know! Lots of people flew to vacation to several other socialistically countries. So, she easily could have told that she had been to Bulgaria or Sovjet Union or even Cuba. That would have not explained the thing with the quarter, though.

I think if she really was that highly trained as she said, she would have not slipped at such a profane thing. So, that doesn't fit together.

And while I'm at it - we did not have school uniforms, either, and I highly doubt that there was some kind of uniform in orphanys.


I giggled helplessly about Mac punching that other guy with the glove puppet. Totally had forgotten that scene! Especially that he was not punching immediately, but letting it snap a few times before *starts giggeling again*

Overall, not one of my favouritest episodes. For that there are just too many cringeworthy little things in there. But it was nice to hear some German in this - and to see Mac's smile in the end.

Oh, god... I love the hand puppet! Gets me rotfl every time!

This is an ok episode to me--not one of my favorites though. I like Maria in the first scene with her in the schoolyard--good scene, but then she seems too unbelievable when she runs to catch up with Mac the next day. I just am bugged by her flirting with Mac while working with the Stasi agents. Even though she changes sides (only after Mac confronts her about attacking the guy on the stairs) and she reunites with her grandfather (after a near death experience) she just seems too, maybe unreal is the word I am searching for. Then in the final scene she comes on to Mac in such a way that leaves little room to the imagination of what she meant by time alone. Mac's smile was amazing, but it confirms my point--he's a guy who is lonely and hasn't had a relationship in a while because his job is difficult and dangerous and he knows he's getting propositioned.

(I like the scene in Stargate SG-1 with Jack O'Neill and the Tokra Anise/Freya in the 4th season episode called Divide and Conquer where she comes on to him and he's uncomfortable and tells her it's wrong.)

But Maria did just tell Mac that Pete had told her that there was a good possibility of her having a job at the Phoenix Foundation--when we see her again--she is working for Phoenix. To be fair for a moment he's not dating a woman who's still a Stasi agent. And maybe he looks at what they have in common and thinks it could work. I am not sure.

It's a good episode if you take out the relationship stuff between Mac and Maria--and the ending of MacGyver's Women just confirms what I thought--she used him.

I liked the relationship between Mac and Maria but i don't see thoses two getting past that point. i think MacGyver needed to find a girl that was in many ways like him.

I don't like Maria in any of the episodes I see her in. She always looks untrustworthy and scheming and seems very controlling,self-centered and just not a very nice person.

I do however quite like this episode. Really like the laser eves dropper, that was kewl, and Mac using the smoke to see the laser beam. Those kinds of tricks always score extra points with me.

Writer Rick Drew used research from a New York Times' magazine article about Stasi agents after the fall of the Berlin Wall and contact with G. Gordon Liddy to help create this episode.

Though credited, Dana Elcar does not appear in this episode.

Astra: I think we're supposed to believe that foreign characters are talking to each other in their native language, even though, to us watching, they're speaking English. I believe it's a dramatic device that gives us the equivalent of a Babel fish for TV and movies.

yeah I was thinking this the other night while watching an episode I can't recall at the moment. But it had a couple of people talking with accents and the thought popped into my head about everyone speaks English etc, and I reasoned that it could well be a babel fish thing going on, where the accent tells us which language they are speaking but the English lets us understand them so we know whats going on.

I actually hate subtitles, so this method suits me just fine. When I watch a show I want to WATCH it. If I want to read I'll get a book.

Yeah he does.

yep he sure does. Where-ever that information came from is wrong.

I just read what Astra wrote about the Wall, good history lesson...By the way, we are neighbours, I use to live in Poland
One more question: How is it possible that Maria was allowed to stay in the US? Do they let former Stasi agents stay here just like that? When filling any immigration documents, you can find a question about political past, organizations you belonged to, so I think IT IS a sort of problem?

How do you think they get double agents?

Remember the Phoenix Foundation has highest level security contacts with all national security organizations so I would think that Pete wouldn't have too much problem getting her the required clearance, especially considering that the idea was probably that she could use her knowledge and skills in their favor, kinda like a double agent type scenario.

Also consider that this was in the 90's before we had all the post 9/11 security paranoia.


I really like this episode, although Maria always seems like more of a "bad guy" than a good guy.. even in later episodes, she still seems more evil than good.

You are right whit this security paranoia Two months ago we were visiting the museum under this big Famous arch in St. Louis. Before entering the museum we had to undergo thorough security check, like at the airport, together with taking off the shoes! My camera was checked too. I understand that The Arch is famous, it can be a good place for any kind of suspicious activity, but I had to pass my pseudo-SAK to my friend who has already visited the place. It is funny a bit, because in my opinion small SAK doesn't pose any danger, but they would confiscate it for sure:)))

I had a similar experience in Washington DC which you can read about here.

I don't like Maria at all. She actually reminds me too much of Elsa Schnider from Indy 3 "The Last Crusade" and that was a big turnoff. I mean look at the similarities: Both tall, blond, drop-dead gorgeous, both are sneaky and experts at what they do, and they're both agents of some kind. Granted, you just love hating Elsa in the end because she's such a smooth traitor, but Maria is just plain whiney and annoying. And I don't think she fit well with Mac as a girlfriend. Just my opinion.

Nicely said. I think your opinion was shared with the majority of other viewers, judging by the response the show got from fans.

I think Nikki was a better match.

I actually don't have much of an opinion on this episode. It's one of the so-so ones that I only watch for certain scenes. I LOVE the end scene with Mac playing the hockey video game.

Which brings me to my post. lol I found out what game he is playing. It's a game called Slap Shot for Sega. It came out in 1990.

I dug around YouTube, didn't find much... but I was able to find some gameplay with sound from the game (HERE), but there's a guy talking over it. You can hear the familiar music in the backround, enough to confirm it's the same game.

Poor MacGyver! Between being slung head-first into the bins and being propositioned by an ex-STASI agent, he's just not having a good time

I love the way he's clearly horrified by the idea of spending more time with Maria and having her working at Phoenix, but gallantly tries to remain polite and seem pleased for her. He's picturing HIS larynx getting crushed in a dark stairwell some time soon...

I was a bit suspicious of the fact Maria asked for "three quarters" rather than "75 cents". I was going to put it down to slightly flawed scripting so I was pleased that it turned out to be a clue that Mac picked up on.

Of course, there's a difference between understanding Americanisms and actually using them when speaking.

I was quite pleased that they didn't feel the need to subtitle every single thing that was said in German. I could work out that Maria-aged-8 was calling on her Grandpa (Opa) to help her and that Maria-aged-23 was talking about having found a child (with her blindfold on), but I think that would have been clear to anyone who had never learned German.

I think we had reached the stage where Mac was sort of terrified of being propositioned by anyone.

And one more trip for Mac. Germany is great especially where Maria works and the action is well run. On the other hand, I'm not a fan of Maria, it works ... hardly