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 102 - Hearts of Steel

A young girl is kidnapped by disgruntled steel-mill workers who want revenge on her father for closing down the mill.

Ok, I liked the character of Lisa Woodman and the actress who played her (and I refuse to try to spell it), Mayim B. She was on Blossom, and in some movies namely Beaches. Great young actress.
In Cease Fire Lisa is at school and helps Mac when he is wounded by a gunman and framed for an assination attempt. it is a greta episode. But at the end, Lisa tells Mac that she and her parents are going to live at home all three together.
In this episode, Hearts of Steel, Lisa is kidnapped. Where is her mother?
As a parent of 2 kids, this doesn't make sense to me at all.
There is no mention of her at all! Even if I was away, I would have flown or driven back like a madwoman!
Lisa's dad comes off as a real jerk one minutes without regard for the people whose lives he impacts, and then he acts worried about his daughter. Then he intends to lie to Travers at the end to save Lisa, and intends to break his promise, until lisa convinces him. I always wondered what happened. Did he make good on his promise to Lisa?
I liked how Mac interacts with both Lisa and Ingrid. He tries to play peacemaker between Lisa and her dad, during the face composite scene which is great alltogether. I like the way he talks to Ingrid, after they rescue her, and Mac is exploring her shoes, and finds the steel shavings. I like that Mac holds his hand up when Eric Woodman snaps at Ingrid. Mac is gently but firmly telling Eric to shut up. It is interesting to me that given Eric's line of work that he accepted that. He was used to bulldozing over people in his line of work. But, obviously, Mac and Lisa and her family had some contact-Eric had Mac's phone number, maybe not. Maybe Lisa gave the number to Mac and then didn't see him again until this event months later. I like to think that Mac kept in touch with her.

Yeah I wonder where the mother was during all this as well.

We can make up all sorts of explanations of where she may have been, but the point is there is no explanation in the story, it's like she doesn't exist. Very weird.

I wondered that too where was hewr mother.

Is it possible that Lisa's parents had split up in this episode?

Yeah it is quite possible.

we have to assume that her parents are still together becuase they are all living together in the next seasons 20questions where lisas mother is prominently featured. weird that she wasnt even represented or mentioned in this episode

Oh, good point.

anybody else find it convienent or wierd that mac meets this little girl and her parents at a boarding school in switzerland and they just HAPPEN to live within short driving distance from macs house, halfway around the world. small world i guess

Yeah, now that you mention it, back in that time it would be fairly unlikely I would think.

Now days it's probably pretty likely with the amount of international travel and relocation etc that goes on, but back in the early 90's.. not so much.

I voted OK for this episode.

Lisa's father really isn't a likeable character and the story was OK but not spectacular.

For me the best bit was Mac sneaking around in the steel mill and working out how to use the (mysteriously still live) machinery to his advantage. I'd never have thought of sliding down the bannisters like that, though!

I actually love the fact he lands and then falls over, causing himself to have to roll back onto his feet... well... sorta. I haven't seen this episode in a while though. I also love that when he goes over the fence before he goes into the building, he falls on his butt. Graceful Mac... very graceful. XD But, I love that Mac is presented like that... just a regular guy that is sometimes a klutz.

I like this episode, but it's not one of my favorites. I think it's because the father got on my nerves after a while. =P The latter half of the episode is better then the beginning, I think. But, that's just me. It's okay... I'll have to rewatch it again soon.

What part is this at? I think I must have missed it somehow...

Isn't it possible that Lisa's parents were still separated in this episode, but not yet formally divorced? Then, in Twenty Questions, perhaps they were trying to live together again and reconcile with each other, though they (clearly) had a long way to go.

That is a plausible explanation.

Did Lisa say her parents were separated in Cease Fire? (I haven't seen any Lisa episodes for a while, might have to watch them tonight.)

If she did say they were separated then this would be a a pretty good explanation, a shame they didn't include it in the storyline though isn't it.

I wonder how many takes that took sliding down the stairs

Maybe just one, being the one that he falls. Or maybe he had many takes doing them all perfectly and than with the last one he falls. Or maybe they waited till he fell.

Is that RDA or the stunt man? It seems like something they would want a stuntman to do because if he falls during that he could get serious back damage and since he's already had back problems it does't seem like something he or the producers would risk.

The face in that screen shot doesn't really look like RDA's either.

He looks like RDA for me! I've read they took only view shots filming MacGyver, 'cause they didn't had time for over and over- shots. One on-camera rehearsal, two takes, and then on to the next scene.
The falling looks so real, that maybe it was just an accident, not written in script.

I'm same mind with kristiina that it might have been only a "little" accident, because maybe they didn't care about that fall and didn't wanted that little landing has to be just perfect, I mean if someone else would try that trick in "real life situation", it would be possible that he will stumble too.

RDA is a klutz in real life, or so he says. You'll notice through out the series that he does often trip over things, fall over, knock himself off his feel, etc, etc, etc.

I actually find that this made MacGyver a more realistic character. RDA's falls were most likely accidents. Somehow I doubt RDA would purposely falls on his butt, but Mac's fighting style is anything but graceful, so it works. lol

Same thought, not a word on Mama Lisa, it feels weird

We will say that it is "chance"

Mac and Lisa

Attached Image

Multiple Images

Attached Image

Attached Image

the only good points here are: the scene from the start at the mall, I like it, I find it firmer, the dynamism of Lisa, as in "cease fire" and the steelworks, she is magnificent, it is a place that I never tire of seeing, but that's all the rest is really not terrible, it's a bit of a weak point of the season more Eric, Grrr I don't like him, a real shark.

I wonder, how could Travers not see the love Mac is dropping onto the car, when Travers is only a few feet away?