Episode: 013
Production No.: 40191-014
Airdate: 29 January 1986
Teleplay: Stephen Kandel
Story: Hannah Louise Shearer
Director: Bruce Seth Green
Nielsen Ratings: 16.0 rating / 23 share / 2nd (40th overall)
EPISODE
A phone call from a distressed ex-girlfriend sets MacGyver on a hunt for stolen uranium and a race against time to stop a nuclear meltdown.
CAST
MACGYVERISMS
TRIVIA
- The two songs we hear playing in the flashback scenes are “Crocodile Rock” by Elton John and “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croche.
- Although this is the first appearance of Susan “the land-lady” we don’t get introduced to her until the next episode because these two episodes were aired in reverse order.
- The car license plates indicate that Westport Beach is in California. There a real township of Westport 170 miles north of San Francisco. Although too small for the episode to be set in, it may have inspired the names-sake of the location of this episode.
- It is implied that MacGyver graduated from a college in or near Westport Beach. This could tie in with the “Western Tech” we see in the Hell Week episode.
- MacGyver has a new answering machine message: “Hello. This is not MacGyver. So, obviously, you’ve reached the wrong number. But if you need to leave a message… [unintelligible] …if he happens by.”
- MacGyver specifically states that he hates heights and despises guns.
- MacGyver has a new Panasonic answer machine in this episode.
MEMORABLE QUOTES
- Are you gonna play fair, or do I spread the word about how totally dishonest you are? – Susan the land-lady
- “Hello. This is not MacGyver. So, obviously, you’ve reached the wrong number. But if you need to leave a message… [unintelligible] …if he happens by.” – MacGvyers answer machine
- I took physics because it was interesting, and it excited me – not to buy myself a job.. – MacGyver
- You always carried a pocketful of junk. And you always fixed everything – Amy
- This film badge reacts to radiation. If you’re near anything hot, it starts to turn black. – Amy
When it’s all black, they give you a new one? – MacGyver
When it’s all black, they give you a body bag. – Amy - So, if I can open it manually, we’re home free, right? – MacGyver
Mac, no – it’ll kill you! – Amy
No way . . . I haven’t paid my taxes yet – MacGyver
- You can’t run forever, MacGyver. – Trane
Trane, are you crazy? We’ve got a runaway reactor to worry about here! – MacGyver
That’s what I’m trying to help you with. Stop all that worryin’! – Trane
- “I hate heights, and I despise guns. So how the hell did I get myself up here? – MacGyver
- Just how well do you read people? – Amy
I’m taking the final exam right now. – MacGyver
NIT-PICKS
- When Ed Train is pursuing MacGyver at the nuclear plant (at 0:40 into the episode) there is a scene where you can see one of the crew’s head in the background of the shot.
- Despite the dozens of fail-safes and backups that any nuclear plant in the U.S. has, a couple of bullet shots not only cause the reactor to go into meltdown but damage the safety controls intended to stop the meltdown.
- Amy explains that they’ll die several minutes before the sludge get to the waste disposal chamber, because of the extreme heat that proceeds it. However, they exit from the chamber and the sludge pours in immediately as soon as they leave.
- when Mac and Amy are in the chamber and the door closes Amy rushes over to the door and pounds on it. If you watch carefully the door shakes when Amy pushes on it.
- When Tim is looking through his yearbook in the control room, he, Amy, and MacGyver all look the same in the pictures as they do in the episode. They should be considerably younger in the collage photos.
FILMING LOCATIONS
Cemetery
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