Pirates

Episode:  036 (S2.E15)

Production  No.: 40192-037

Airdate: 09 February 1987

Writer: Stephen Kandel

Director: Bruce Kessler

Nielsen Ratings:  16.3 rating / 23 share / 3rd (31st for the week)

PLOT

Modern-day pirates, using Navy SEAL tactics, steal an 18th-century Spanish captain’s log that could lead them to a sunken treasure fleet.

CAST

MACGYVERISMS

• Blew polystyrene balls with vacuum cleaner set to blow
• Bilge pumped water into boat bumper. (didn’t work!)
• Used cylinder of compressed gas under water to burst boat hatch open.
• Kept mine trip wire taught with piece of string.
• Used nail to wedge trigger button down on land mine.

TRIVIA

• This is the only episode we see MacGyver wear this brown suede bomber jacket.

QUOTES

• Barbara: Yes, I know the Phoenix Foundation, of course, but I don’t know exactly what you do, Mr. MacGyver.
  MacGyver: Just MacGyver. I just kind of fix things around the place, that’s all.
• Barbara: I’m not much help, am I.
  MacGyver: Yeah, sure you are. You’re eliminating possibilities – that’s progress.
• MacGyver: You know, you guys are missin’ out on a great deal, if you kill me. I can help you. See, I’m kind of an expert with just about everything.
• Pete: Now don’t be a hero; just get the girl if you can and come on back.
  MacGyver: Pete, you know me. Soon as I get the girl, I run like crazy.
• MacGyver: Interesting thing about explosives: they decay, become real touchy – unless you get lucky.
• MacGyver: Anti-personnel mine. First click armed it . . . Not many people ever get to hear the second click.
• MacGyver: The first click is a simple “hello.” The second is a serious “goodbye.”

NIT-PICKS

• Commander Nelson states that the bad guys’ ketch can only reach “nine knots per hour”. A navy commander would know that a knot is a measure of speed, one nautical mile (1.15 land miles) per hour and would quote the speed as “nine knots” and never refer to “knots per hour”.
• Commander Nelson is wearing an 8-sided Marine Corps cover(hat)rather than a navy one.
• When MacGyver meets Barbara Ortega at the beginning of the episode, he takes off his sunglasses and puts it his pocket twice.

FILMING LOCATIONS

Pacific Rim Marine Museum Los Angeles Maritime Museum 600 Sampson Way (Berth 84) San Pedro, CA	Arne’s Boat Yard Old Wharf Building 210 Whalers Walk, San Pedro, CA
Phoenix Foundation ARCO Center 200 Oceangate Long Beach, CA