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 099 - Jennys Chance

After a horse trainer is murdered, MacGyver devises a gambling sting operation in order to trap the killer.

This the first episode in which we see Dexter Fillmore. This is also one of my favorites. I love the opening part between Jack Dalton and Mac, when the plane lands, and Mac gets out and says "You are unbelieveable!" It's amazing that Mac seems surprised at this point that Jack brings disaster with his schemes. We also see that Jack is having heavy financial difficulty, yet again.
But when Jack plays the answering machine and they hear Jenny's distraught message, both Mac and Jack drop everything to rush to her. This episode is a great example of the good guy that Jack is. Like in Lost love and On a Wing and a Prayer, when Jack is needed he right there, no matter the danger. His loyalty is endearing, even when you want to join Mac at yelling at him.
Jack impersonating Lucky Charlie is really funny. Mac's impersonation is just--wow! The episode seemed like the other sting episode twice Stung. Dana Elcar who played Pete was in the movie The Sting with Paul Newman and Robert Redford, and it seemed great to have similar episodes.
I liked Jenny Larson as a character, she's one I would have liked to see more of.
I voted excellent.

this is definately one of my favourite episodes it is very awesome you never expect the last part

Yeah I love the twists and turns in this episode. It has a Mission Impossible feel to it, with people not who you think they are etc.

And it gives Bruce McGill a chance to show of his great character talents with voices etc.

Yeah Bruce McGill and RDA as Lucky Charlie--great stuff. The RDA scene in Jenny's Chance as Lucky Charlie in one of my favorites--very good.

This may be a stupid question, but was that really RDA playing Lucky Charlie? I only ask because when he pulls off the mask, there's a very noticeable jump in the shot, as if one actor starts pulling off the mask, then they stopped the camera, put RDA there, and had RDA finish pulling off the mask.

I guess that's because you can't just pull off a mask like that. Surely a make-up guy had to help to loosen it first.

Ed Trotta played MacGyver's Carlos Rodregez "Lucky Charlie". No matter how good your mask is, I don't think that it can make a man two inches taller! LOL!

We see this actor again in the episode 'Blind Faith' as Cardosa, one of the 'Death Squad' goons.

How did you measure that? But at least I don't need to feel dumb anymore, since I did not recognize Rick/Mac in there, either... he looked very unfamiliar, and I remember the shock when I first saw this episode. But it was his voice, yes?

But wouldn't that mean that for a large part of the episode RDA had nothing to do?

*shrugs* Ed just looks taller... a guess on my part as to the difference in their height.

I don't think it was RDA's voice... but I could be wrong. Still, I imagine that RDA didn't mind having a bit of a hiatus while the rest of the crew were shooting scenes with the 'real' Lucky Charlie.

What tickles me the most about this episode is having Mac's body double appearing as himself, Steve, appearing as Dexter's body double! I chortle heartily every time I see him!

Thanks for the clarification, guys!
When I saw the episode last night (first time since it originally aired), I thought, "Wow, RDA is REALLY a good actor," because Lucky Charlie just felt like a totally different person. Kind of disappointing to know that it really WAS a totally different person. I think it would have been much better to just put RDA in a disguise. You'd think an actor would welcome the opportunity to play someone different... seems like a bit of a cop-out to let someone else do it.

I don't think it was a cop-out at all. With Mac going under cover as Dexter, if he had shown up again as Lucky Charlie, we the audience would have had less of a shock when he unmasked himself. As it was, I was floored when he peeled that mask off, the first time I watched this ep! I thought he was the 'Real' Lucky Charlie.

By adding this element (using another actor) the suspence was increased, as we thought that the careful preparations that Mac and Pete had set up were crumbling down... they'd shot Jack Dalton, and breaking glass and angry criminals... it built up nicely as they carefully cornered the bad guy until he couldn't have gotten away--all the time making him believe that HE was the one holding all the cards!

A lovely sting!

Yeah I agree with Loth. If they had used RDA we would have lost the surprise of the twist at the end.

It is after all about telling the story, and in this case, creating a twist at the end to surprise the audience.

I still think it's a cop out. A good enough actor with a good enough make-up job could have maintained the surprise ending. But the way they did it (not using RDA) basically makes me think that they felt RDA wasn't talented enough as an actor to fool the audience.

Or it could be that budget and time didn't allow for it to be done that way.

You need to remember they only have 8 days to complete the entire show, and they usually have 2 units filming at once, unit 1 for the main actors scenes and a second unit for subsequent scenes.

So it's highly likely that they had RDA filming at the same time as some of the Lucky Charlie scenes where being filmed, which would have been a scheduling nightmare for them.

And at the end of the day what would all that extra hassle have accomplished for them?

I absolutely love this episode! This is one of my top some-random-number favorites. I love all the impersonations, twists, sting operation, etc... It is a bit of a bummer that RDA didn't actually play Luckie Charlie, but I still love this ep.

Very good episode!!. Great tribute to THE STING (with Dana Elcar) and gorgeous Dexter. The end is impredictible in spite of that voice of Lucky Charlie is the MacGyver voice (in the latino-spanish dubbed).

Do you think Dextor's glasses are RDA's real glasses? They kinda look like the ones I've seen him wearing in interviews.

No, Dexter's glasses are definitely from the props department – or maybe Henry Winkler borrowed them from his granny. In any case, I find the effect astounding every time I watch Mac putting the glasses on for the first time. Instant Dexter.
Of course it's not just the glasses and the clothes. It's the actor, too.
And have you noticed his Dexter Walk?

Not sure that I have.. no

I have noticed the walk.. My what a good actor. You can tell he loced playing a geek. Not that was not a geek..But a differant kind.. Dex was so funny. I too love the glasses. They were great look.

Dexter was such a dork, haha. RDA is a really awesome actor. I wasn't expecting the end when he peeled off the mask, though! That was one heck of a shock!
Awesome episode, though!

The first episode in which we first meet Dexter Fillmore. This is also one of my favorites. I like the opening scene between Jack Dalton and Mac, when the plane lands, and Mac gets out and says "You are unbelievable!" It is amazing that Mac seems surprised at this point that Jack brings disaster with his schemes. But when Jack plays the answering machine and they hear Jenny's distraught message, both Mac and Jack drop everything to rush to help her. This episode is a great example of the good guy that Jack is. Like in Lost love Part 1 & 2 and On a Wing and a Prayer, when Jack is needed he right there, no matter the danger. His loyalty is endearing, even when you want to join Mac at yelling at him. Jack impersonating Lucky Charlie is really hilarious. Mac's impersonation is just amazing! The episode seemed like the other sting episodes Twice Stung or Fire and Ice. An "Excellent" episode.

Overall Rating: 10/10

Excellent!

Let's see: We have MacGyver (and also Steve!) as Dexter, channelling Leo Getz from the Lethal Weapon films, Jack impersonating Izzy from Miami Vice and Pete paying tribute to Boss Hogg from The Dukes of Hazzard.
We have the inspiration for the Mission Impossible masks and a whole slew of great big, juicy stings that I didn't see coming.

We also have the first appearance of Dexter here, which confirms (if confirmation were ever necessary) that RDA is a really good actor - his voice, manner, look and walk all change the minute he puts on the glasses. He even manages to look shorter!

What's not to like?

It's an episode I had to learn to like though. But I don't see a Leo Getz in Dexter. Leo Getz is guy who talks too much and is more in the way than anything else. Dexter is a guy who rants about things that actually don't exist. And that's where RDA's power as actor lies. Just like you said: voice, walk, manners, look. Dexter has good moments like the first meeting with Jenny and Pete in the Derby Grill, he was about to leave again with the document he was holding, or that he claims to have hay fever and sneezes and maybe the best thing near the end he wasn't paying attention at all when Pete called him.

And I think Pete really enjoyed slapping Jack in the face.

What's not to like? I actually never liked sting episodes. Twice Stung, Fire and Ice, Jenny's Chance. No, they were never high in my book. Especially not when I was younger. It really is a different kind of episode to me.

It's the "Ok! Ok!" thing that makes me think of Leo Getz, that and the whining tone of voice

Sting stories aren't everybody's thing, I know, I just like surprises and this one got me good and proper!

I really like the twists and turns this episode takes. It's a really well written story and I love how it gets to a point where you really don't know if anyone is who they say they are. Very Mission Impossible.

It's certainly not an episode you can switch your brain off for. You have to be wide awake and paying attention to keep track of all the twists and turns.

Oh my goodness wow!! I never saw the ending coming!! Even if they did have another actor play Lucky Charlie for a while. The 1st scene between Pete and Dexter in the Derby is great, and I think everyone did an awesome job playing their sting characters - Jack as Lucky Charlie, Pete's accent, and of course I absolutely love RDA's Dexter! What a great actor! "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow..."

...and I LOVE the way Mac pumps his fist at the end!!! Go Mac!

The Phoenix Foundation is really amazing, isn't it? Who knew that they had deliberately recruited an agent who would look similar to Mac, just in case?