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 79 - The Invisible Killer

MacGyver leads a backpacking expedition into the wilderness for a Phoenix Foundation stress-reducing program. But stress levels run high when some of the group turns out to be convicts from a local prison break.

Votes from May 2006
Poor [ 0 ] [0.00%]
Average [ 0 ] [0.00%]
OK [ 0 ] [0.00%]
Good [ 8 ] [61.54%]
Excellent [ 5 ] [38.46%]
Total Votes: 13

Archived Posts
Posted by: Sjaop Mar 12 2006, 10:32 PM

Posted by: Kim_K Mar 13 2006, 01:50 AM

Posted by: MacGyverGod Mar 13 2006, 02:28 AM

Posted by: MacGyver Mar 13 2006, 01:44 PM

Posted by: MacsChick Mar 13 2006, 02:10 PM

Posted by: Sjaop Mar 14 2006, 07:24 AM

Posted by: Pseodonym Mar 14 2006, 03:46 PM

Yeah...anytime I watch any show or a set of movies I have to watch them chronologically. I have gotten better, but I am still pretty neurotic about it...gotta love those quirks 460.gif

Actually, the guy with the glasses was my first suspect...I didn't suspect the other guy at all, but of course I was only expecting one convict not 2 so it threw me off a bit, as it should.

It is deffinately a good episode, lotsa suspense and watching mac in wilderness settings is always fun biggrin.gif

Posted by: MacGyverGod Mar 15 2006, 05:36 AM

Posted by: Sjaop Mar 16 2006, 07:41 AM

rockatteer Posted on Mar 23 2006, 05:13 PM

Pseodonym Posted on Mar 23 2006, 05:14 PM

MacsChick Posted on Mar 24 2006, 02:38 PM

thlayli87 Posted on May 6 2006, 06:20 AM

rockatteer Posted on May 6 2006, 12:29 PM

Speaking about dangerous stunts, I watched this yesterday and despite the harnesses or millions of security measures they surely took when shooting this, the stunt at the bridge scares your socks off; there are hundreds of things that may go wrong no matter how much security you put to it. This is one of the best, and definitely one of my favs (I did not know until I read this RDA had insisted in doing this himself.) Was it before this season that he had his back injury?

With the hope to grab one of those Gatecontickets tomorrow I pulled out that episode tonight since there was talking among people about maybe doing some hiking and walking over this particular suspension bridge while being in Vancouver.

Now that I watched it I'm not so sure anymore I want to take part in it, though I mean, yeah, it surely is safe, but it also is swinging a lot! And very high!

So, harness or not, it surely let some adrenalin rushing in this hanging scene. It definitely did in me, and I was only watching!
And I could not see any harness when Mac was climbing back over the hand rail. Wonder how they did that.

This is a very suspensing episode and I love how they don't show us in the beginning who the murderer was, and you keep suspecting everybody - for the wrong rucksack, for the too large boots, for the guy that doesn't want to hear the radio news...

And everytime I watch it I'm speculating again, since I always forget who it was! And I also like that it is not over after they found the bad guy and think they can relax. That is a surprising turn.

I also just today got the double meaning of the English title with the "Invisible killer".


I don't believe that the MacGyverism with the pepper in the face worked, though. This guy wore glasses, after all, so nothing or not much of it would have gotten into his eyes. At least not enough to make him stumble into the deep.

I wear glasses and I can't count how often they have protected me from getting somebody into my eyes that doesn't belong there.

This was a great episode, and every time I watch it I get pulled in with the suspense. Now after watching once you are pretty much aware of who the killers are, but I never getting tired of watching The Invisible Killer. It's really one of the great episodes of Season 4... it has the right amount of action/adventure and mystery.

I really like this episode. All the "who is the murderer" theme was pretty cool. I liked the holly berries in the coffee thing. Very cool. Yeah and the part at the end in that tower-thing was also very cool. I, naturally, voted EXCELLENT.

I've loved the stunt scene at the bridge.

Yep. this episode is high on my list of favorites.

I don't think there's anything about this episode I don't' like. For me it's classic, iconic MacGyver.

Yes this episode I love, can't fault it.

Except the sheriff...not checking out the base camp? When he probably took the guy who he murdered's car and ID? Isn't that bit...I just think would be bit obvious thing to check.

Excellent episode!

What about the story, that John Rich and Dana Elcar told on MacGyver Seminare, that it was RDA himself, who's hanging from the bridge? Dana Elcar directed this episode and John Rich panikced after seeing the dailies, "Hope there's a safety wire on him!" And there's pictures, too, in internet about filming this scene.

It's known RDA did most of his own stunts and especially there are some close-ups of him in that scene, so yeah it's him hanging there.

I'd answer John Rich: 'No, there isn't.'

LOL! RDA actually mentioned this in another Joan Rivers interview. He talks about the labyrinth of cables and how he would just release to dangle there over the river because it was "exciting".

It seems RDA doesn't have Mac's fear of heights. heehee

Here's the interview for those who haven't seen it.



I did like this episode a lot. I'm a bit partial to Season 4, so I love most of the episodes. But they certainly had me guessing until the end.

I like RDA was very physical. His movements, even when just running from point A to point B, were very smooth and light. All those climbings and jumpings and hangings from something (like in Wish Child, too) or even fallings and rollingsover are great pleasure to watch. And all those escaping from under the water scenes - love them! And this escaping from the hangingrope noose in MacGyver's Women should be classic! It was amazing! Sadly, this episode (MacGyver's Women) is so underrated.

MacGyver out in the woods. What's not to like?

Totally agree. This was a great episode.

Asked Stephen Downing a few questions about this episode. Here's the full post, but I pasted his comments below.

NS: The episode was directed by Dana Elcar (he also directed "The Challenge" earlier that season). I was wondering why he chose to direct this episode (or direct in general). He does a great job - the entire episode is extremely well done with great attention to detail.

SD: Part of Dana’s deal for the season was to direct two episodes that season. He did not choose which ones to direct but was scheduled according to which episode worked best for his schedule and that of the production company. The deal was made at the top of the season, and this was the script that was ready when all else fell in place.

NS: The scene on the suspension bridge is very well filmed and it looks like they're actually on a bridge that is quite high, even when MacGyver is hanging off of it. I was curious if you remember anything about how that was filmed.

SD: That is the Capilano suspension bridge, just outside of Vancouver. It was a very difficult job to film the sequence - - as it was done on the actual bridge. Lots of safety concerns, but our stunt coordinator pulled it off with many hidden wires, safety procedures and multiple camera set ups.

NS: One of the actresses in this episode is Julie Downing (she also appeared in a later episode), and I was curious if she's any relation to you.

SD: Julie is my daughter and was an aspiring actress at the time. She had done a great deal of voice over work. This episode was her first acting job.

More behind the scenes photos in our photo gallery

Thanks for the link - just browsed the photos and there's some great stuff there! That photo of RDA hanging off the bridge with 10 people crowded around him is priceless.

Fascinating!

That camp fire scene is indeed a great moment. Nobody seems to trust each other but Mac just sits there trying to keep a good atmosphere and smiles.

Of course this episode deserved his place in the series intro when Mac falls and grabs the suspension bridge.

I always thought Chuck wasn't putting up an act. The bridge seemed like really an unexpected obstacle for him.

I also just found out that park Ranger Liz is played by Jean Bruce Scott who appeared as Maggie Poole in Magnum PI in several episodes.

Oh, good grief! So she does!
Well spotted

One of my blog readers who lives in Vancouver commented that he's pretty sure that the bridge is actually the Lynn Valley/Lynn Canyon bridge contrary to what Downing (and Wikipedia) say. (Not that Wikipedia would ever be wrong. ) I see Lynn Valley on the filming locations page on this site too, and the google images of that bridge certainly look just like the one in the episode. The reader said lots of people get them confused.

Awesome just awesome episode. This is one of those iconic episodes that you show to a friend who never has seen Macgyver before to try and get them to fall in love with the show. Macgver and the woods just goes so well together. Love the mystery about who is the killer. I remembered thinking the killer was the italian guy the first time I saw this episode. Everytime you think you know who the killer is, something happens to make you change your mind. Has a good number of macyverisms from the pepper gun, to the trap door snare, just using the whistle to get the park ranger womens attention, to the mysterious pile of brush that the bad guy can't seem to help but investigate. I always laugh at that part. If you are on the run and have taken a hostage, would you really stop to investigate a smoking pile of brush and sticks? Perhaps even though he was a cold blooded killer he was afraid it would cause a forest fire and he didn't want to burn down the forest.

Even despite the funny pile of brush, I love the action scenes from the near bridge fall, to the berries in the drink, the one con punching the other out "look at me" Pete really once again does what only he can do in showing great acting towards the worrying and caring of his friend who is out there with convicts. All in all, this is one of my go to comfort episodes that no matter how many times I watch it, I never get tired of it.

Yes, you're reader is correct. It was the Lynn Canyon Bridge.

We had it incorrectly marked as being the Capilano bridge for a while until we took a closer look at it and, I think, one of our members posted some pictures of the area to show it was the same as what we see in the episode.

Just watched this one back to back with Final Approach. Great episode. I wonder how high that bridge was?

According to Wikipedia it's 50 metres (160 ft) (about 15 stories) high from the bottom of the canyon.

So you'd be in pretty bad shape if you fell off it.

Great episode.
One of my favourites of this season.

But the story is similar to Shoot to Kill movie.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096098/

Who copied who?

Well this episode came out a year after that movie, plus the MacGyver writers have a bit of a track record with basing episodes from movies... so....

I'm asking because in my country (Italy) the episodes were been broadcasted 2-3 years later.

Ironic that South Africa was actually synonymous with airing seasons about a year or so later yet MacGyver was always on time.