The Wish Child

Episode:  026 (S2.E04)

Production No.: 40192-026

Airdate: 20 October 1986

Teleplay: Stephen Kandel & Bill Froehlich

Story: Stephen Kandel, Brian Lane, & Stephen Kronish

Director: Charles Correll

Nielsen Ratings:  13.1 rating / 20 share / 3rd (44th for the week)

PLOT

In Chinatown, MacGyver tries to rescue a friend’s brother from a scam in which he’s being passed off as the reincarnation of an ancient Chinese legend.

CAST

MACGYVERISMS

• Radio-controlled toy used to distract guard
• Watch crystal, firecracker to burst crate
• Rope & umbrella used as grappling hook
• Used powder in 9mm cartridge to bust a lock open
• Filled room with CO2 from fire extinguisher for “smokescreen”

TRIVIA

• MacGyver has a yellow belt in Karate.
• This episode has both a character and an actor named Paul Chan.
• This is the first of 3 appearances in the show by James Hong.

QUOTES

• I grew up in northern Minnesota and I remember snow drifts that would bury whole parking lots, icicles longer than a hockey stick, and being stuck with three layers of clothing. My favorite, though, was when they announced exposed flesh warnings on the radio to prevent frostbite. When I came to California, I found out its really a small world. They had exposed flesh warnings, too, called Beach Parties.  ~MacGyver [voice-over]
• Old Minnesota wisdom – if you don’t want to be touched, look darn right untouchable.  ~MacGyver
• You know it took me a while to perfect the basket trick, but there is absolutely no defense.  ~MacGyver
• I remember that age when it was cool to be bad, dumb age!  ~MacGyver
• It’s funny, gunpowder smells the same no matter how you write it.  ~MacGyver

NIT-PICKS

• When MacGyver goes back to where he had first seen Paul, he narrates, “Whatever Paul was into had something to do with this Wish Child business”, but at this point MacGyver was not aware of anything to do with the Wish Child, only starting to find out in the next scene when Sam translates the symbol for him.
• When Dr. Shan shows the stamp with the sign of the Wish Child to Mr. Lee, one can see that the Chinese signs on the stamp are not mirror-inverted as they were before, when the stamp was shown the first time.

FILMING LOCATIONS

Chinatown Gin Ling Way Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA	Import Bazaar Import Bazaar Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA
Birthday Party Address 459 Gin Ling Way Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA	Foo Chow Restaurant Foo Chow Restaurant 949 N Hill St Chinatown,  LA
Golden Era Museum 959 Chung King Rd Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA	Back Alley Alley off Mei Ling Way Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA
Alleyway escape 945 Chung King Road Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA	Back Alley 934 Mei Ling Way Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA