Well that's interesting. My season 7 box set has The Stringer as the final episode.

Do you have the full series box set or an individual season box set?

Well that's interesting. My season 7 box set has The Stringer as the final episode.

Do you have the full series box set or an individual season box set?

Individual. 4 separate DVD's so far, and I am *peeved* that MOY is shown as the last episode, probably because it was the last episode to air.

This was the last TV show Michele B. Chan (Mei Jan) ever appeared in.

She is now married to billionaire Medical genius Patrick Soon-Shiong who graduated Medical school at age 23.

Well she sure still looks good. And her husband seems to have a high position in medical practise. What did he came up with that makes him a medical genius?

Follow the link I put in my previous post to see everything.. but some of the highlights are...

He graduated from high school at age 16 and received his medical degree at age 23.

He performed the world’s first encapsulated human islet transplant and the first pig to man islet cell transplant in diabetic patients.

He invented the nation’s first FDA approved protein nanoparticle delivery technology for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, doubling the response rate in patients.

Is a co-inventor of over 50 issued U.S. patents.

Wow! That's impressive!

I don't think the writers ever kept a real timeline of Mac's life. There are just too many inconsistancies in his past. The first episode with Harry, Mac dad died first followed by the grandma and then Harry left. But later on dad and grandma died in the same car crash. Mac would have been dating the too many girls in college. I really don't think they ever wrote it down and I don't think they thought fans would be soooo dedicated to the show to nit pik these things.

That said I liked the character of Sam. But the episode really needed to be two hours to cover Mac and Sam talking about things. Mac making his decision to not renew his contract and travel with Sam. (I always imaged him going back after the Sam get to know you trip), and for Mac to say his goodbye Pete. It was just far to much to cover in one short episode.

As for Kate. She was an awful mother. Mac's not grown up enough to know he has a kid, but she can take a 9 year old to a dangerous county without at least a partner or someone to be with in case something happens. She never should have given Sam that excuse.

I never made the assumption that Mac was a virgin. One time he actually says "I have had more fun in a back seat"

It is not impossible to not know your parent. I am 40 and don't know my father. I have a name and a crappy photo that my grandma gave with the 'I think that my be your father'. I was born in Atlanta, so at one time I tried looking up that name in Atlanta and got more than one result, but if he has moved? What do I do, contact every guy with that name starting in Georgia and say "hey did you have sex with this lady in 1972." Then expand to other states, if they all say no. As for Mac, Kate and Sam, I always thought she left for assignment before she knew she was pregnant. They meet in college and Mac had no family. She left and Mac the adventurous spirit moved on, since she couldn't leave a message with his family. He probably didn't leave a forwarding address. She kept moving, he kept moving. She probably would have been able to find him for a few years but then the trail would have gone cold.

As for Mac hearing about her death and an orphan. Just because she was a photo journalist doesn't mean she was well known. Her death is something I would hardly think would have made the news.

I begin with my first statement, in that I don't think the writers really cared about these details. They just wanted to introduce junior and do so in hour.

Which episode did they say his father and grandmother died at different times?

For as far as I know the only inconsistency in his past is that Mac said that he was seven when his father and grandmother died in the car crash and in a later episode he said he hasn't seen his father since he was ten. This being in episodes Runners (7) and Passages (10). There is also no mention that his father and grandmother died in seperate cases. Not even in Target MacGyver. Phoenix Under Siege clearly states their demises of the car crash. Runners confirms this again. Runners just puts an age to it. Probably the writers of Passages didn't seem to care what a one-time writer said about Mac's past. May be of interest that John Sheppard wrote Passages as well as this one.

I do agree that The Stringer should've been a two-parter. It's been a quick-quick ending. Besides Mac's decision about resigning Phoenix to go on a trip with Sam is a little far fetched. I can understand you need some time to get to know each other but it seemed I don't know kind of weird that a man at Mac's age would just give up working. That's a very early retirement. It's seems more plausible that Sam would join the Phoenix Foundation to go on assignment with Mac or work as a connection with the press. And it's not because Mac quits in his line of work that there are no dangers out there that can get Sam hurt. It seemed like very likely to happen though Sam looks like he can really take care of himself. But hey, Murdoc is still out there.

I don't agree you saying Kate was an awful mother. How would you know? We know very little about her. She was also a photojournalist and constantly on the move. Travelling for her work. Maybe she had no other choice but to take him with her. Or she couldn't take it that she had to leave him behind all the time and decided to take him along. Besides Sam said friends of his mother continued to raise him after she died until he was old enough to be on his own.

I can understand it might be quite hard to believe that an American 9 year old kid walks around on his own in a country like China.

What makes you say Mac was a virgin when he was with Kate? Considering his number of high school sweethearts he sure must've had some fun.

I don't know my father either and I also just have a couple of pictures of him, one from his parents and a name. I looked it up once now in the Facebook era and there are more than one with his name but I never found anything that made me say: that's my father. He never acknowledged me as his son either because I'm registered with my mother's maiden namen. But it did give some thoughts: did he found he someone else, did he ever mentioned me, maybe I have half brothers and sisters? Will I ever know? Do I want to know? Probably not.

The fact about Mac hearing about Kate's death is maybe not so far fetched. Maybe he was looking for her, trying to get back in touch and with Mac's skills I'm sure he could've tracked her down and found out she died there after Sam disappeared.

Which episode did they say his father and grandmother died at different times?

In Target MacGyver

When grandma's death is mentioned, Mac asks Harry is that (meaning her death) is why Harry left. Harry replies "I left cause it was time to leave"

Then a few sentences later Mac says "You where there when dad died"

This would imply that dad died and Harry hung around; then when grandma died Harry split.

I've never actually picked up on that before, but your right, they do talk about them as being two separate events.

Ah yes, The Stringer.
There seems to be no middle ground on this one - either people love the ending or they hate it, there's nothing in between.
Despite it's flaws, I'm in the 'loved it' camp.

Yes, the story is rushed and feels like a two-parter squashed into a one-parter, especially towards the end. From Mac falling off the deck onto the crates until they ride off into the sunset it seems like the story is on fast forward.
Yes, the jetpack MacGyverism and the disappearing gunshot wound may have done irreparable damage to my disbelief suspenders and yes, it's totally implausible that a man with a very recently broken arm could do all that stuff.

But I liked Sam as a character, no matter how sudden his appearance. MacGyver, a man completely without relatives, has family he never knew about? MacGyver has a son with whom he shares interests and outlook and his very particular, innovative way of thinking? MacGyver doesn't have to grow old with no family there for him?
I have no problem with any of this

Do you think they may have used the Barlow brand SAK in this episode because it's the same one used for the 100th episode celebration knife?

If you think about it, it is quite a nice little nod that they used a 100th episode knife in the final episode of the series.

Then again it may just have been the first knife they grabbed out of the pile too, but it would be nice to think they put some thought into it.

I find it hard to come to a definite vote on this one. For starters it just upsets me knowing it is the end of my favorite series. Just reading the dialogue a page or two back that is spoken between mac and pete tugs at my heartstrings. You see Pete as his vision is failing. Then mac finds out he has a son and rides into the sunset. You wonder about Pete. Over the years they have grown so close and now Pete needs Mac more then ever and he leaves.

But the riding in to the sunset part does sorta fit mac's character. Like he is just gonna leave with his son and go somewhere else new. He always did like to travel. I feel this wasn't the best way to end the series but also not the worst way they could have done it either. I just have to be in a certain type of mood to watch this episode or passages. I don't watch them that much because they are too emotional for me.

Judging by your nick, I assume you are Sam?

I agree with you. It felt a little abrupt. Yes, he had a son but to abandon his friend was not a Mac move. I guess the writers just needed a reason for Mac to retire and this, to them was it.

Yup, I am Sam lol. It was fun riding those motorcycles together. lol.

The way they did it was definitely better than killing him off. That would be way to emotional for me if they killed him off. Imagine, Pete standing over the casket with macgyver inside of it. He says something to the effect of "its too bad you couldn't have thought a way out of this one old pal" His eyes start to tear up. The casket starts to lower as Pete starts weeping uncontrollably. Pete's ex wife walks up behind him and consoles him as the camera pans to the audience and you see Jack, Penny Parker and various love interests and old friends from over the years standing there crying. You see all the people that Mac has touched in his life. Some of the kids from plane crash episode, the challenge and various others are there. They all appeared to have straightened their lives out.

The camera then cuts to a scene, it is all white and you see Mac walking onto that large cruise ship. He slowly walks up the ramp of the boat. About midway he pauses and looks back at what he is leaving behind (scenes flash of mac and pete laughing together, certain moments that macyver reflect on fondly) Mac as a youth ice skating while harry looks on, helping find the holy grail ect. There is a forlorn-ed look in macs eyes as a tear escapes his eyes. He turns around and continues his journey up the ramp and the series ends with Pete giving a voice over. "From all of us at Macgyver, Thanks for supporting us for these 7 wonderful seasons."

Heck I just upset myself now.

This episode upsets me too, I don't like to watch it often because it's the last

I don't like the idea of a son, I preferred him free and independent. With a son he obviously has to choose between work and family.

I would have preferred that the last episode was one like the others, I hate good-byes.

But I appreciated RDA's message to thank the audience, especially considered he did the hard work.

I suppose I'm one of the few that actually liked the final episode.

I liked it because Sam was a living blood relative for Mac. He also shared Mac's genius and natural empathy. This is just me, but sometimes when people don't have any living family, they tend to feel rather alone in the world. With Sam, it would have filled that "family" void.

To me, it was a nice and fitting way to end the series. It was also open ended, so he could have come back to Phoenix and Pete. In fact, the "Young MacGyver" series pointed to this that he came back to Phoenix and trained Clay.

The movies don't show Sam, so I'm guessing after their road trip they went their separate ways. There's also no indication that Mac got rid of his loft or his things. He may have come back after the road trip... or did his own thing for a short while before returning.

Ya never know.

I like this idea too

I love it!

Fans usually get frustrated when they watch the final episode of a show.First ,obviously ,because it's the END,and also because they have their own idea of a proper ENDING.Writers force a scenario and 'wrap it up' hastily ,here with an ex girlfriend and a grown-up son (very convenient for an adventurer like Mac ,far more interesting to bike than change a nappy ) coming out of the blue.
But the last scene with Pete was very emotional ,I think .
Well,nothing lasts forever and we must be happy with what we had (and I am).

You are very right Nero, we must be happy with the wonderful 7 seasons that we have. To think that this whole show may never have happened is even more saddening

Many thanks for agreeing Sam(?) but my name is Vero (not Nero)

Well...Sam...looks like you're branded.

I am in the minority here. I liked the episode. It was a little convenient for the writers in some ways sure. However, like it or not, it made Mac have a more human (fallible) side. I mean how could you not get through the series run that Mac had flings with women?(Heidi anyone?) What's the old saying?
"Everyone has a skeleton in his/her closet?" The "long lost son" scenario was cliche, true. Anyone remember through the series the idea of Mac proposing at least twice? His work and the fact he was constantly on the move;not to mention the women he wanted to get serious with bolted out of his life.
In this case it makes sense that he would eventually father a child with someone. One of the main ideas of the episode was played out to death. Oh, he's going to rescue someone being held hostage.
There could have been better ways to introduce Sam to the show, and maybe a better assignment for Mac to go do. Anyway, the interaction between the two characters was alright. The speeches, middle name reasons etc. One last point about Mac seemingly dismissing Pete. Has anyone been to a point in their lives where you are tired? I mean not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well? This is my idea about Mac. If I found out that I had a son I didn't know about for almost 20 years, I would be re-thinking my life too. I think he just got to the point where he had enough of constantly putting his life into jeopardy and he was just finished. I think that's what the sudden "brush-off" was all about. It's almost to say "nothing personal and all, but see-ya." I did like RDA's voice-over at the end too. Despite the "rush" to end the show, it got the point across to me. It was hard to comprehend when the episode originally aired. I had to watch it a couple of more times to grasp the idea. And as for Nikki and Mac being a good couple, I agree. They could have brought her back in season 7. Or at least have them being romantically involved for a while without the son scenario. I would have been cool with that move too. Perhaps Mac saving Nikki or vice verse,in the final episode. Then having the both of them ride off into the sunset together...

This just came up in a Google image search while looking for something else...

That's really nice!

This is my favorite episode! I love it! SAM is a wonderful character!

Well, I finally got to it, and boy, after reading this thread, didn't this episode cause some controversy!?

Personally, I'm one of the crowd who liked it. I have no issue with him having a kid. Come on, after all the ladies he had in the early seasons, it was bound to have happened lol! He's not perfect, the show has always said that, so I wasn't shocked when Sam appeared.

I think Sam and Mac worked well, and the only couple of issues I had with the whole thing was it felt too short - this should have been a two-parter for sure. And the whole getting shot and falling in the hold thing.

I may have missed something, but did the bullet break his arm, or the fall? And if it was the fall, what happened to the bullet wound? And how come last time he fell that far he almost died, and this time he's only out a few seconds?

Other than that, I really enjoyed it, and didn't think it was out of character at all. I loved the end, because it was obvious he might be quitting his job, but he wasn't going to just vanish. He was going on a road trip with his newly found son, but he made it quite clear to Pete he'd be back, it wasn't the end of their friendship.

And then the wee voiceover thanking the audience for the seven years - so cute!

Loved the episode, sad its the last one, but hey, my TV movies arrived this morning, and then its back to season one to do it all over again...as well as reading the VS, writing my own stuff, and buying some fanzines!

Not sure how deep that hold was but I'd be surprised if it was three floors. I think the bullet grazed him because he reaches for his arm but didn't go in. The fall caused his arm to break on those boxes. Don't know what was in it but I always thought something that lands softer than a car anyway. But can't always do the same to him. Besides that, it's just a very cool stunt.

I also take the ending as it is and to me Sam is his son. But indeed it wouldn't have hurt if it was a two parter. Just as so many other episodes could've been.