Episode: 018
Production No.: 40191-018
Airdate: 12 March 1986
Writer: Larry Gross
Director: Charles Correll
Nielsen Ratings: 15.3 rating / 23 share / 2nd (35th overall)
EPISODE
MacGyver must rescue a teenage computer whiz who’s been kidnapped by weapons dealers to help arm their stolen missile.
CAST
MACGYVERISMS
TRIVIA
- Russell Johnson, who plays ODI agent Oslow, is best known for playing the professor on Gilligan’s Island.
- MacGyver’s DXS identification number is X-C 4479.
- MacGyver has run the South Bay Marathon twice.
- When Kate is listening to the satellite telemetry on her radio, a form of digital communication called RTTY can be heard. When decoded, the tones heard spell out “AT IS FOR.”
- John Milford, who plays the Missile buyer, is not listed in the credits for this episode.
- As he dies, Professor Willis says “‘Tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door, but ’tis enough, t’will serve,” these are Mercutio’s dying words from “Romeo and Juliet,” Act 3, Scene 1.
- The target for the missile demonstration is the fictional Clinton Narrows Bridge. The coordinates given of 37° 47′ N and 122° 30′ W actually point to a spot 365 feet south of the Legion of Honor museum which is located near the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
- The Twin Towers can be seen in the background of the footage of the New York Marathon.
- Professor Willis was one of MacGyver’s teachers for 2 years. The class/field he studied is not specified, but the class room appears to be an electrical engineering type science class, or maybe straight computer science.
- The unnamed college is located in the LA area indicating that MacGyver attended college in LA rather than Minnesota.
- RDA’s brother was used as a hand double in this episode. We can see his mustache in the shot where MacGyver pushes wires into a cactus.
- One of the posters seen on the wall of the audio room where MacGyver and Kate find the speakers, is for the HERO robots which was a series of several educational robot kits sold by Heathkit during the 1980s.
MEMORABLE QUOTES
- You have one of the finest minds I have ever encountered young man. I expect you to… – Prof. Willis (as he dies)
- So, best of luck. I’m a phone call away if you need me. Stay out of trouble. Keep expenses down. Come back alive… – MacGyver
Took the words right out of my mouth. – Pete Thornton - Look, everybody makes mistakes once in a while. The trick is learning to live with it. Like we all do. – MacGyver
- Friendship is something I don’t take lightly. It’s too hard to come by. – MacGyver
- And then there’s MacGyvers who have to have their brains rattled every now and then to make sure they’re still in tune. – Prof. Willis (talking about Mac as a student)
- Kate, why are you so rude to Mr. MacGyver? – Kate’s Mom
I think it has something to do with defense mechanisms Mrs. Lafferty – hers. -MacGyver - There is a password right? -MacGyver
- You’re trying to break in using these passwords? -Kate
Too easy? -MacGyver
Not my style. -Kate
What’s your style? -MacGyver
That’s your problem. -Kate
NIT-PICKS
- In the close up of MacGyver pushing wires into the cactus we can see the hand double’s mustache.
- When Kate is shutting down the power to the building she types ‘close all circuits’. A closed circuit is on, so she should have typed ‘open all circuits’
- In the opening scenes MacGyver catches the shotgun cartridge in his right hand. Then the angle changes and he’s holding it in his left hand.
- Shouldn’t the agents have been watching what Kate was doing at the computer with top secret government access?
FILMING LOCATIONS
In the MACGYVERISMS sections, #1 should be “rocking a parked car to trigger its alarm and bring attention”
Thanks for the suggestion, but using a car alarm for it’s intended purpose isn’t a MacGyverism.