Every week I will be posting a new topic titled "Episode Discussion". In this we will discuss an episode, what we liked about it, what we didn't like, etc.


Episode 61 - Mask of the Wolf

Jack Dalton talks MacGyver into accompanying an elderly Native American on a search for a legendary wolf mask, but two mercenaries have plans of their own for the artefact.

Votes from 22nd of March 2006
Poor [ 0 ] [0.00%]
Average [ 1 ] [8.33%]
OK [ 1 ] [8.33%]
Good [ 7 ] [58.33%]
Excellent [ 3 ] [25.00%]
Total Votes: 12

Archived votes

I liked the little homage they paid to Indy with Jack reaching under the door to grab his hat just before it crashed down. smile.gif

A good Jack episode, but it's played to death in reruns.

i like that in this episode, jack's money making scheme was not the cause of the trouble.

i like watching sled dogs. not much macgyverism, but the mystery of the wolf spirit is cool.

Yeah this is one of those episodes that gets along just fine without MacGyverisms because it has action/adventure in abundance AND MacGyver out in the woods. Gotta love that

Loved this one.

I too noticed that Mac had a different attitude than normal. He definetly wasn't his normal self. It did seem like he was in a less than happy mood throughout but especially in the beginning. It's a dark, dreary, and cold day so maybe that contributed to it. Notice how his clothing colors match his dark mood! Other than that I thought the ep was excellent.

Watched it for the first time today. It was one of those episodes where I actually got bored. There wasn't really enough there to hold my interest. Toward the end it started to get good but the first 30 minutes or so I could easily forget.

I voted average.

Yep that's right. Love the outdoors.

I thought this was a great episode!

I find it a bit amusing that in most "treasure hunting" episodes, Mac's dragged along (at least somewhat) against his will. OK, "Mask of the Wolf" may not meet all the definitions of a "treasure hunt" episode, but it does have some of the elements.

To be honest, I'm not such a big fan of MacGyver treasure hunt episodes either, but I do actually suspect those two things to be connected. I think Mac's often too easily persuaded for his own good, and sometimes it *is* rather painful to see him being dragged around. The ultimate example isn't actually one of Jack Dalton's expeditions, but "The Lost Treasure of Atlantis." I'll elaborate more once I get there, but in short terms, that movie made me cringe.

In "Mask of the Wolf" it's more understandable why Mac agrees to come along--out of respect for the old man.

I really felt for Two Eagles, he was a very emphatic and plausible character--at least from my knowledge of Native Americans. Then again--I don't want to say too much--I'm not even sure if the Native Americans would think that the myth presented in this story was believable at all, or just flimsy... but as someone already mentioned, it's a great improvement anyway compared with how Native Americans were usually treated in any 80's productions.

The booby trap underground system was a bit over the top, but it's always interesting to see Mac trying to solve the problem (and Jack screwing things up... "Use this one instead... oops!" )

I must say something about the filming conditions too. I really pity the team, having to shoot the outdoor scenes on that particular day. The climate seems to be very similar to where I grew up, and such weather; I'd imagine about two degrees above the freezing point, damp, and that kind of mist... it's truly awful. Worst kind of winter weather ever. Everything's getting damp; your shoes, your gloves, your face... Believe me, I'd take 25 degrees below the freezing point *any* day, as soon as it's dry!

And now for the rating... Hmm... "Good," I guess... but not one of my strongest "goods."

Good episode! Always love MacGyver/Jack episodes... but I have a question. As I'm watching this episode today, I notice that MacGyver is using an iron to melt an ice-cube on his skis (I think). What's the purpose of this? I don't know a lot about skiing, so I'm kinda baffled. lol

I tried looking it up online, but so far have gotten nothing.

As far as Mac's attitude, he seemed okay to me. I agree that it was probably just the weather. We get that kind of weather here a lot, and it can get to you after a while if you don't get enough sunshine... which is why I'm currently trying to move south because I hate the winters here. =P

Could he have been putting wax on them to make them run more smoothly? I'd have to watch the episode again to be sure (such a hardship!)

Yeah he was melting wax, hence Jacks comment about "isn't that gonna ruin your clothes later?"

My good friend Mr. Google tells me that it would have been Ski Wax, which is used to improve performance and protect the skis.

OHHHH! Wax! Well now... I learn something new everyday. XD It looked like an ice-cube. I was completely baffled... lol Thanks guys for the explanation. That makes a LOT more sense.

@Rocket - LOL! Hardship indeed! Anytime I get the urge to watch something MacGyver related, I'm just gonna start calling it a "Mac attack".

Any episode with Jack Dalton in it makes good entertainment.

I like this one a lot, despite the fact it's another classic example of stereotyping indians. Floyd Westerman was a cool dude and deserved more to work with, maybe even been a reoccurring character.

not a bad episode, I am a sucker for mac treasure hunting episodes.

I thought the episode was good but a little cliché. Such was the same with a lot of '80's entertainment but the villains were too conveniently placed & the legend was the kind of story told a thousand times before. Still with all its flaws made for a fun episode to watch.

This is one of the better episodes ... quite possibly a top-10er. Although, I must say that I was a bit surprised to discover Jack living in a sort of rundown, halfway house on the 'wrong' side of town. You'd think his buddy, Mac, would have put him up until he got back on his feet .... because that's what good friends do.

Judging how Jack conveniently shows up when he wants or needs something and then leaves kind of tells me that he is a drifter. Despite having a business involving flying, he still tends to veer from one place to another. It is possible that it might have been a temporary digs. Also, Jack does not come across as an rganised individual.

He's a bum! I think Mac tells him in the episode at one point ..... "Jack, ya gotta get out of this place". But you'd think a really close/compassionate friend would say something like "grab your stuff, you're coming to stay with me for awhile".

Maybe but judging by the way poor Mac gets treated by Jack every time, I suspect he would think twice before saying that to Jack. Also, it appears that Mac is always taken advantage of whenever he houses a friend. Be it for Penny, Pete with a broken leg or Jack of course.

He also says that it's Jacks own fault that he's living there.

Jack is constantly expecting MacGyver to save his butt. He takes little to no responsibility for... anything really and he's constantly lying and swindling MacGyver into helping him.

The guys supposed to be a grown adult and as such is responsible for his own day to day living.

I think if something out of the ordinary happened to Jack, MacGyver would be there in an instant to help, but not for stuff like Jack living in a dive through his own silly actions.

Well .... Jack was about as down and out as he'd every been with respect to his living accommodations, roommate, & diet (soup & bread). Plus the neighborhood was downright hostile with brazen daylight beatings. I could be wrong, but I think most true friends would consider those conditions to be somewhat of a 'tipping point' .... and thus offer a little more than some 'advice'.

We don't know what his normal diet was so can't use that as a comparison.

I would say the house was a lot better than the aircraft hanger we see him in in Murderers Sky with his phone cut off because he hadn't payed the bill or the underground basement in Partners and Jack of Spies.

In Ma Dalton we see him get "Final Notice" bills and a comment about moving again because they'd found him.

I don't think he was any more down and out than any other time to be honest.

I think MacGyver's comments at the start about how Jack was constantly trying to take short cuts to get higher up the ladder but kept landing him further down the ladder is a pretty good indication that Jack Dalton was always struggling from his own bad decisions. - there's that personal responsibility again.

We see MacGyver take Jack in and help him in Brainwashed so we know he is more than willing to do so when the situation warrants it.

The neighborhood cinematography and the fact that he was living with a Native American was meant to evoke a 'dire straits' situation. Soup is mentioned, and a soup kitchen comes to mind. Was their electricity even on? Jack was dressed well though and his appearance was not indicative of the meager living conditions that he was suffering. Just a set to spawn the script, I guess .... but not well thought out within the general philosophy of the series.

After having friends like Jack...

Mac is actually a really good friend... however, helping people like Jack just makes you their "enabler". They're still going to live in squalor without any food... but now they have someone they can drag down with them.

Been there, done that... rather not go through it again, thanks. =P

The continuity of it's a bit strange. He owns an airplane service which is not a light financial burden no matter how you cut the deck .... and yet lives in a halfway house on the wrong side of the tracks.

Bad spending habits most likely. I saw it all the time when I was a teller.

When Mac sent Jack to the store in Rock the Cradle for baby supplies, he came back with chips and beer. His excuse was also very lame.

What does that tell you? XD