
Episode: 006
Production No.: 40191-005
Airdate: 10 November 1985
Director: Donald Petrie
Writer: Stephen Kandel
Gambit Director: Lee H. Katzin
Gambit Writer: Stephen Kandel
Nielsen Ratings: 15.6 rating / 22 share / 2nd (31st overall)
OPENING GAMBIT
“WHITE WATER”
In the Pyrenees Mountains, MacGyver sneaks into a camp where a US geologist is being held captive. Using an overheated shower as a distraction MacGyver and the scientist make their escape; however, they are spotted by the captures and chased over a cliff and onto white water, where they eventually escape thanks to a line of razor wire.
MAIN EPISODE
MacGyver heads into the Amazon jungle with his anthropologist friend on an expedition to find out what’s scaring all the animals out of their habitat. Unable to find a guide they seek help from Lucien Trumbo, a local Cocoa plantation owner, who offers to guide them himself. As they travel deeper into the jungle, they find the source of the animal disruptions to be an army of soldier ants cutting a path through the jungle directly toward Trumbo’s plantation. With Charlie’s death from the ants fresh in their minds, Trumbo and MacGyver set about trying to stop the ants from destroying the plantation.
CAST
MACGYVERISMS
TRIVIA
- This episode borrows its plot from the Carl Stephenson short story “Leningen vs. the Ants“
- Much of the killer ant, plantation, and flooding footage in this episode is from the movie The Naked Jungle, starring Charlton Heston.
- The filming location for Trumbo’s cocoa plantation was also used as the orphanage in the season 2 episode “The Road Not Taken”
- Although this episode only identifies it’s location as the Amazon jungle, the TV Guide specified the location as Brazil.
QUOTES
- My mom was one of the great kitchen experimenters. Japanese soup, Italian pasta, a terrific Basque stew. This one didn’t even come close. – MacGyver
- That’s usually when I get a call when somebody’s in trouble and needs rescuing. – MacGyver
- Here be tigers and unknown beasts – MacGyver
- You know you’re the only person in the world who calls me Charlie? – Charles Alden
- Last time I saw Trumbo, he took a shot at me. – Governor Santos
- You got that one Trumbo. Trouble is, a couple of billion of his relatives are coming to his funeral. – MacGyver
- Power of the American dollar; half dollar actually. – MacGyver
- I don’t know how good ants are at swimming, but I’d be willing to bet a good fire would get their attention. – MacGyver
- Personally I like a little variety and some good people to share it with – MacGyver
- It’s a shame to see a nice piece of machinery like that just ruin itself – MacGyver
NIT-PICKS
- When MacGyver starts using his makeshift flamethrower, his position on the wall changes back and fourth with the camera angles.
- In the opening gambit, MacGyver covers the rope with kerosene, splashing some on his hands. Then later he climbs down the kerosene-covered rope. At the bottom, he lights the rope on fire and the flames cover his left hand momentarily, and yet the kerosene doesn’t set him on fire.
FILMING LOCATIONS
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