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 107 - The Gun

A gun used in an assassination 20 years ago resurfaces when a cop is shot, and MacGyvers friend from the youth center is accused of the crime..

Note: this episode was produced in reaction to the murder of actress Rebecca Schaeffer by a crazed fan.

I like the argument MacGyver gives regarding innocent people being shot in their own homes, beds, crossing the road etc.

I also like the argument he gives to Breeze when he's trying to get him to tell the police who shot the cop.. about the children of a mother who was shot thinking life isn't fair etc.

I think they put their "anti gun" perspective across quite well, leaving the viewer with something to think about.

Of coarse gun control is one of those topics where people don't try to see the others point of view, so the only viewers who will go away thinking about the messages of this episode are the ones who are all ready against guns.

I also like the quote from breeze in reference to what MacGyver was doing in the crate... "He's trying to get us out of here. Just relax, thats what he does."

I think that explains MacGyver so well

I live in a place where owning guns is a breach of law for civilians. It is easy for everyone to see the damages that guns can do but it's quite an argument in defining guns as self-defense tools or killing weapons for general public. I appreciate the message this episode brought out, especially to youngsters who are curious about guns, just like Mac when he was young, before it's too late.

I voted okay. I like the way MacGyver got his point across about guns. I remember my American Government teacher always talking about how the second amendment pertained to the militia, so it was interesting to hear Mac bring it up.

I always wonder what happened to the kid that was trying to trade the gun for drugs though. I just watched the episode and I can't remember his name. They only showed his sister at the end when they were destroying the guns but they never mentioned him.

Yeah, I was wondering about that too. They never mentioned what happened to him.
I liked this episode, they got the anti gun message across well...at least I think they did, but then again, I'm anti gun so of course I agreed with the whole episode!
I do think it might have been slightly preachy though especially at the end when MacGyver says there was 'a hundred million more to go' Does he mean that many guns were used in crime or the number of guns owned by people across the US? I couldn't work that one out.

I just saw The Godfather part III and upon looking for info on the movies, I found out it was Rebecca Schaeffer who was scheduled for an audition for the role of Mary Corleone on the day she got murdered. She was preparing for the audition when she got shot by Robert John Bardo. A 19-year old kid. Bullet went straight into her heart. He got life without parole. He was already stalking her for three years, wrote her letters and stuff at only the age of 16.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0769726/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bth_nm

The role of Mary Corleone eventually went to Sofia Coppola.

How interesting it would have been had she still been alive & got the part.

Very sad indeed.

I thought the anti-gun message was handled well here.
And I especially like Mac's tone of voice when he says, "Yes, I'm one of THEM". The tone is just right for someone who's had this conversation many, many times before!

'Babies. Cops. Housewives. Presidential candidates.' I actually do think Mac was on a roll. He didn't back down in any of the conversations in the episode. He got Breeze to say who the killer was. One of my favorite scenes. And also how he spoke to Laura when he first met her. 'You expect me to believe that the gun and you being at wrecking yard at the same time was just a coincidence?'

I think this is one of the few if not only episode where Mac didn't appreciate joking around or sarcasm or cynisism. It was all too touchy, too important.

Actually I just came here to point something out. Something I have never ever seen before in all the years I've been watching in this episode. It turns out Todd is an Iron Maiden fan. I never noticed the poster in his room before. I'm not a major fan myself but I know and like some of their songs.

I just watched this episode. It reminded me a bit of an episode of "Quincy" which was also about gun crime (good ole Quincy, always crusading against whatever had killed the most recent corpse to be autopsied by his team. And I'm not sure I bought the bit about a particular gun having massive symbolic importance.

On the other hand, the part where the police officers almost killed Breeze was sadly very topical. I don't think they would have waited and tried to persuade himself to give himself up had Mac not intervened.

Like many, although not all, of my compatriots, I frequently wonder when the USA is going to "do something about its gun problem". I appreciate that a lot of Americans don't consider that the USA does have a gun problem.

Just wanted to share this promo on The Gun which aired today 28 years ago.


Interesting, first a preview on the next episode before the end credits of the previous one?