Airdate: 07 May 1986 Writer: James Schmerer Director: Charles Correll. Guest Cast: Corrine Bohrer as Terry Ross , Anthony DeLongis as Piedra , Richard Yniguez as Emilio Dana Elcar as Pete Thornton.
MacGyver tries to prevent the assassination of an archbishop by a killer who's a master of disguise.
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How do you rate this episode? Poor [ 0 ] [0.00%] Average [ 0 ] [0.00%] OK [ 1 ] [9.09%] Good [ 4 ] [36.36%] Excellent [ 6 ] [54.55%] Total Votes: 11
QUOTE ( sonyab @ jan 17 2005, 07:08 am)
I voted excellent! This was an awesome episode. The bad guy reminds me of Murdoc. The bad guy in this episode had disguses and very sneaky.. MacGyver had to pretend he was a priest to get him! Job well done Mac!!!
QUOTE ( MacGyverGod @ jan 17 2005, 09:05 am)
Great final episode of the first season. Excellent! Five stars. Piedra was a good convincing bad guy. Nice fight in the clockstore, though. He was losing but it was good fight.
QUOTE ( Vina @ jan 19 2005, 01:18 am)
What about the scenes with Terri? He was awesome with her after the poor girl had lost her sister and was so distraught. I love his line..."If you need someone to talk to, I'll listen."
See, now that's what is so great about this show--it has the action and spy stuff the guys like and the gentle, caring stuff us girls like. Not that we don't like him in action stuff too, but we really melt over his "softer" side!
QUOTE ( MacGyverGod @ jan 19 2005, 04:04 am)
QUOTE
we really melt over his "softer" side!
Oh, please. We like this and this and this and that and that and those
QUOTE ( MacGyver @ jan 19 2005, 05:52 am)
QUOTE
We like this and this and this and that and that and those
Yeah!!!! I like all of that! Definitely! That's one of the main reasons I started watching the show. But I also like MacGyver's caring nature and the moral values he stands for. When a show can deliver both, then it's really an awesome thing. (and unfortunately, somewhat of a rare thing.)
Anyway, for this particular episode, I enjoyed it pretty well. There was a great fight scene with MacGyver and Piedra, although MacGyver seemed to be getting the worst of it. Kinda short on MacGyverisms though, except for the whole putting the boards across the spikes for the car to cross over.
But it made up for that with suspense. The hunt for the killer was pretty suspenseful. And yes, this guy did almost seem a match for Murdoc. I liked the poetic justice bit at the end, when Piedra dies by his own hand. Though I would have much rather seen him serve his time in prison, Piedra dies from his own poison and gets his just desserts. And it was very appropriate when MacGyver tells Pete what happened was "the wages of sin". That was very cool to see because MacGyver was quoting from the Bible - Romans 6:23 specifically, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Anyway, very good episode. And by the way, in the end, I do think MacGyver could have taken him.
QUOTE ( Vina @ jan 19 2005, 06:39 am)
QUOTE
Oh, please. We like this and this and this and that and that and those
Uhhh...isn't that what I said?
QUOTE ( MacGyverGod @ jan 19 2005, 06:57 am)
You said really melting over his softer side.
QUOTE ( Vina @ jan 19 2005, 07:45 am)
QUOTE
You said really melting over his softer side.
I said you guys like the action and spy stuff and us GIRLS really melt over his softer side!
QUOTE ( Alex-Wylie @ jan 20 2005, 11:46 am)
Yeah I thought that to that is was cool that he quoted from the Bible and I second everything else a
QUOTE ( Alex-Wylie @ jan 20 2005, 11:51 am)
Damn pushed the wrong botton!
I liked as well the tea
QUOTE ( Alex-Wylie @ jan 20 2005, 12:07 pm)
Double damn it! Nah, Macsrose can you fix this, please?
I liked as well the joking between Mac and Pete "Yes, Mom!" and then after Pete had saved him "What took you so long?"
"Well, I wanted to see who's gonna win."
"I had him right were I wanted him"
QUOTE ( MacGirl @ May 31 2005, 05:26 pm)
Yeah, I think maybe Piedra might have been a early inspiration for Murdoc. He was certainly every bit as sneaky.
Ha, ha, just thought of something. This is completely random, but...
Wouldn't it be fun to pit Piedra and Murdoc against each other?? I think it would be a hoot to see who would win!
< liked as well the joking between Mac and Pete "Yes, Mom!" and then after Pete had saved him "What took you so long?"
"Well, I wanted to see who's gonna win."
"I had him right were I wanted him">
That was such a stitch! It was a great early example of how well RDA and Dana Elcar played off each other.
And another one...
Pete: And Piedra's dead. Good enough. Mac: Yeah. It's just that now I'll never know. Teri: Know what? Pete: (laughing) Whether he could have taken him!
I'll also agree with everyone who talked about Mac's care for Teri. Such a neat scene! He gets her to drop the gun by use of the exploding toothpaste (now there's one special effect I'd love to know how they did!) and then talks her out of her mistaken thinking. And of course, love the hug (so sweet, I always loved it when Mac hugged anyone!) and his words to her: "Hey, I know you've had a tough time. If you need someone..." Wow, if I were Teri, I'd be thanking my lucky stars right about then that I'd run into such a sweet guy.
QUOTE ( Amy @ Jun 1 2005, 05:41 am)
I voted excellent! I love this episode for all those reasons already stated...mushy warm fuzzies AND adventure spy stuff!
QUOTE ( Nick Kismet @ Jul 26 2005, 09:19 am)
not much to add here--obviously Piedra was the inspiration for Murdoch, though from what I've seen, Murdoch is a poseur alongside Piedra-P is one evil, resourceful villain. Very much the anti-MacGyver.
and yes, this one was a little short on MacGyverisms...or rather MacGyver's MacGyverisms...Piedra used several. My favorite was the paper cup blowgun and using a pea with the curare needle to form a dart. great stuff
~ MacNymph ~
Sometimes the uncontrollable urge to mess with people outweighs the millstone of humility.
One of my favorite episodes of season 1. Fleshed out the Pete/Mac relationship, and I liked the last few lines about how "Mac will never know what would have happened".
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QUOTE (j12752 @ 11 September 2007 - 09:50 AM)
I liked at Mac dressed as the Bishop too
I dunno... that scene promotes some very disturbing feelings, considering my affection for the character MacGyver combined with memories of my past life as a Catholic
Let's just not go there!
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Old troubleshooters never die... They just wait til the last moment and then rescue themselves!
Watched this again last night and it never fails. I agree, this Piedra character could have been a spooky Nemesis. He lacks Murdoc's sense of "humor" so I guess, to me, he is kind of "more disturbing". Loved the "what took you so long?" bit.
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Hmm- I think I pretty much said everything I wanted to about this episode previously. I stand by it. "The Assassin"- great episode. MacGyver beats the bad guy and saves the day. 'Nuff said.
When you recently had this poll and talked about Piedra I did not even know who he was. I totally had forgotten about this episode.
At first I have to ask how the hell did they do the scene in the clock shop? Where Mac is holding this wooden hammer and Piedra throwing this sharp object? I always was under the impression that it already stuck into the hammer when they cut to Mac holding it, I know how TV tricks usually work, but yesterday I watched it for the first time in slow motion and it comes indeed flying from the right.
No wonder Mac was staring down at it somehow disbelievingly afterwards, don't want to know how often they had to rehearse this scene and what would have happened if it missed. But it was indeed Mac holding the hammer, no stunt man.
I also thought that the scene in the end, with Mac kneeling there and Piedra pointing the weapon onto him, was very suspensing. I caught myself holding my breath. And he still could have shot, why didn't he? Was this drug some that paralyzes and he couldn't move anymore?
I also love the simple MacGyver trick with the flying telephone. Very simple, but effective.
if you watch the frames after the knife is in the hammer you can see a thin line showing against the dark framed clock in the background...
That line seems to move in time and perspective with the knife as MacGyver ducks down...
That line could be a guide wire attached to the hammer so the knife slides along the wire and hits the hammer.
And if they didn't use a guide wire, you can be sure that they used some other simple and 200% safe technique. Theres no way they would risk throwing a real knife at an actor.. especially since the show was such a big hit at that time.
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Anyone know why Piedra used that kid in the beginning. Was he using him for cover? I mean if he thought anyone would be staking out the clock shop would he think that whoever was watching would notice the kid come out by himself? like pete did. Maybe he brought the kid along as insurance so he had a hostage if anything went wrong?
On another note I like the scene with Jennifer and Mac with the exploding tooth paste and macs line "it's just toothpaste" and the way he looks at it on his hand it hillarious. Good episode definitly one of my favorites
Now technically I'm driving a stolen car following a kidnapping... and I didn't even get to have my first cup of coffee. (Mac) Your burning hot MacGyver... And so is Pete! ! (Murdoc) Does anyone have a knife?? Yes...it has lots of different blades (Macgyver music plays while mac examines the knief) ...I know Why are you taking your pants off?? You got a better idea? I'm still trying to figure out what yours is!!
QUOTE (MACGYVERISMYDAD @ 13 March 2008 - 02:10 AM)
Anyone know why Piedra used that kid in the beginning. Was he using him for cover? I mean if he thought anyone would be staking out the clock shop would he think that whoever was watching would notice the kid come out by himself? like pete did. Maybe he brought the kid along as insurance so he had a hostage if anything went wrong?
Probably both cover and insurance.
Another purpose might have been to give him a way of checking out the store before doing the transaction.
Walk in with a kid and buy a watch would give him time to look around and assess things to make sure everything was safe.
I guess we'll never know for sure because it's not explored any further in the story.
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This episode is one of my very favorites. Piedra has some freaky good disguises and some awesome weapons that I don't even know what they are. But still it was quite good. I liked the scar thing Piedra used and the mustache AWESOME!!!!
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QUOTE (Rockatteer @ 12 March 2009 - 10:01 AM)
Yep I wish they'd made Murdoc like Piedra. that would have been awesome.
Yeah, I totally agree. In "Partners" Murdoc had those awesome disguises, but after that...not so much. Yeah, they should've have kept the disguise thing going, it was really cool.
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I think that Piedra and Murdoc be very similar characters! Both love to disguise them for kill their victims. Maybe Piedra could have ispired the Murdoc's character...
This post has been edited by cirubit on 31 March 2010 - 02:03 AM
Maybe Piedra could have ispired the Murdoc's character...
Yeah your not alone with that thought, quite a few people have talked about it in earlier in the thread at times. I think we had a topic all by itself at one point about Piedra vs. Murdoc too. Might still be around here somewhere.
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This is definitely one of my favorites from season one!
Piedra must be one of the creepiest (and most convincing) villains of the entire series! Well, Murdoc is an interesting character, but he's very passionate about what he's doing (which is also his weakness). Piedra is just totally cold!
"Piedra" means "stone" in Spanish, by the way. I wonder if the name was deliberate.
It's been quite a few years since I saw "Sleeping with the Enemy" with Julia Roberts and Patrick Bergin. But Patrick Bergin reminded me SO much of Piedra/Anthony De Longis that I was convinced it was the same actor! I was very surprised to find that they're two different people!
There are also many little details about the episode that I just love. I think it was an excellent choice to have Mac to pose as a watch maker, he's very convincing in the role. I was very touched when he showed how much he cared about Terry, and that hug felt so warm and genuine. Annnd... yet, there was no romance. (Yay? ) Another favorite was the "Give up?" comment. No wonder he'd wished to see whether he could really beat him in the end!
I also think this episode is an excellent example of the tolerance Mac has toward other people, despite their ethnicity, religion etc. A great way to end the first season, they're really starting to get a hang of the character and the feel of the series!
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I just watched this episode for the first time today. Definitely one of my favorite episodes from season one! Piedra is one of the more convincing villains of the whole series. While Murdoc is an interesting character and is passionate what he is doing, which is also his weakness. Piedra is a stone cold killer. He also had some very cool weapons and some of them I don't even know what they were. A excellent end to the first season. An "Excellent" episode in my opinion.
Overall Rating: 10/10
"You may not believe this, but there have been times when I've had a lot more fun in the back seat of a car." - MacGyver (Golden Triangle)
"Some may call it an obstacle course, others call it MacGyverLand." - MacGyver (The Survivors)
I watched this episode again recently and came here to say the same thing - he's perfect as the anti-MacGyver and, IMO, actually better than Murdoc that way. I don't remember ever seeing the same resourcefulness, the use of everyday items for a lethal purpose, etc, from Murdoc, not to the same degree at least. Murdoc makes up for it with a fantastically colorful personality, which Piedra could never have matched, but I wish they'd given him more scenes like Piedra's escape from the jail cell.
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QUOTE (Hannibal_Smith @ 18 May 2013 - 03:56 PM)
I watched this episode again recently and came here to say the same thing - he's perfect as the anti-MacGyver and, IMO, actually better than Murdoc that way. I don't remember ever seeing the same resourcefulness, the use of everyday items for a lethal purpose, etc, from Murdoc, not to the same degree at least. Murdoc makes up for it with a fantastically colorful personality, which Piedra could never have matched, but I wish they'd given him more scenes like Piedra's escape from the jail cell.
Yeah I would have loved to have seen more of Piedra. He did seem much more efficient than Murdoc.
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You know usually that's how fight goes. You have the upperhand at one moment and the next it's your opponent. In most cases for MacGyver he usually has the upperhand and if it's not it should be the bad guy first and than Mac's. Like in Easy Target for instance.
Piedra seemed to have great fighting skills as well, definitely trained in karate of some sort (as we were discussing martial arts in the other topic) and Ralph kicked Mac's butt in Back From The Dead, but Minton also was no picnic.
I think the poison that was used was applied to this knife, passed to the mutton when it was cut and then activated by the wine. - MacGyver. Sometimes you just have to die a little inside to be reborn and rise again as a stronger and wiser version of you. It's better to be a little sad than to be fake content.
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I also remember that big heavy guy on Bitter Harvest, he was one tough guy that was definitely a handful for Mac. Mac usually knocked most people out with a clean punch but it didn't even phase that guy.
He who is self taught is better off; yet on the otherhand, he does well when he listens to those who speak rightly. Aristotle Ethics
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QUOTE (MacGyverGod @ 1 February 2014 - 01:45 PM)
You know usually that's how fight goes. You have the upperhand at one moment and the next it's your opponent.
That's how movie fights go. Real life fights rarely go like that.
I think this has been discussed at length in one of the other threads, but it's not physically possible for a normal average human to get beaten and physically harmed and then suddenly stand up and whip the other guy. That's why boxers and other professional fighters have to be in such good physical condition. They need good muscle mass to absorb and stop the punches from damaging internal organs.