A friend of mine is coming over, and has agreed to watch a couple of episodes of MacGyver with me as an introduction to the series, which she more or less remembers having been on the air, but never watched. I have to choose two episodes – three at the most, if I can get the hook well and truly planted from the start.

Which episodes would you show someone for a first time? In what order? And why?

The Widowmaker for sure. It's action packed, outdoorsy, it has Murdoc and it shows some real Mac emotion after Mike's death.

And maybe also The Invisble Killer. It's so adventurousy and also outdoorsy.

Jack in the Box is very cool and maybe Birthday as it has a sort of sompilation of his first missions.

Start at the start! I know there are bits they hadn’t ironed out in season one but it introduces MacGyver so well and has the gambits and voiceovers and is what drew me in to the show. It’s just a pity there is no Jack. Starting at the start worked for a lot of MacGyver fans when they first aired the show. I don’t think I’d change the order but if you can only show 3 to wet their appetite drop the thief of Budapest (because its not so good) and show the pilot, the golden triangle and the gauntlet. I know they are missing aspects that are developed later but they should do the job.
Or…you could look out one of the human interest stories, one of the adventure stories and one of the mission for phoenix type stories. Give them a range of what MacGyver gets himself into.
Or you could go with 3 of your favourites, after all, you will be watching them again too. If your friend doesn’t like them at least you will enjoy your evening.
Oh, I wouldn’t like to be the one making your decision!

I second The Widowmaker on the list!!!

Nightmares

Pilot, Nightmares and Partners.

Reasons: Pilot for starters and first episode ever.
Nightmares: Mac and Pete together for their first adventure.
Partners: How it all started, how Mac, Pete, Jack and Murdoc met.

maybe an episode eachs from the first 3 seasons.

so.. maybe.. the Pilot, Jack of lies...and...either Widowmaker or Endangered.

Or you could you show her the three worst episodes you can think of and then show her how ANY episode of MacGyver is STILL better than what's on TV today.

(But I can't help you think of any because I like them ALL! )

For seriously though, I'd probably go with some favorite episodes- definitely the "Pilot", and maybe "The Golden Triangle" and "Partners". I would also go along with an episode like "Friends", "Unfinished Business" or "Hind-Sight" just to give her a smattering of various episode scenes.
Good work on inducting a new MacGyver fan!

Why do some of you think the Widowmaker? That wouldn't be high on my list of episodes to show new people. It has some reoccurring characters in it that it would help to know the background of and without knowing MacGyver the journey he is going through wont feel the same. For example I was touched by how Nikki was there for Mac, people who haven’t seen their relationship change might not get that. I think this one works best for people who know the show and I wouldn’t choose it as one of the first ones to show to a new person.

Oh! Another one that I think would be good to show is the human factor.

Yeah I thought about human factor also.

I would actually go with endangered over widow maker. I initially thought widow maker because of the outdoors factor and Murdoc, but after some more thought.. I don't think Murdoc is that important in capturing a new fan.

SO.. my revised list...

Pilot, Jack of lies or human factor and Endangered.

I'm curious, Nymph -- why that one? And what would you choose for the second episode?

I'd go with the Pilot first. My favorite is Widowmaker, but I'd pick Passages for last.
Maybe GX-1... I just love his interactions with Nikki. And Jack. And... gee, it's hard to pick!

The Pilot is a must, because it introduces the MacGyver character and the MacGyver canon. After that, I'd probably show The Heist (to show the differences between Bond and Mac ), or The Gauntlet. I almost thought about showing Kill Zone to my mother (who used to watch the show with me but has forgotten about the episodes), because she likes 24 now , and the intensity of the pacing in it might interest her. Uh...what else? Maybe Nightmares, because it's a great episode highlighting the secret agent aspect of MacGyver, and Passages or any other episode featuring MacGyver's backstory would be helpful as well--and yes, Murdoc episodes (especially Strictly Business and The Widowmaker), Jack episodes (Jack in the Box is my personal favorite), Nikki episodes, and--yikes!--dare I mention Penny episodes? Actually, Secret of the Parker House would be an entertaining one to introduce your friend to if you were doing it on Halloween.

Well, there's my list. I hope that helps!

P.S.--Oh, and one more thing! I would try to show an early episode of MacGyver where he's brash and a little arrogant and compare it to a later episode where he's more subdued and introspective (The Pilot vs. Humanity, for instance). That would show your friend the development of his character.

And she's right!!

But there are plenty episodes where MacGyver has to race against time.

I'm thinking Death Lock could be a good episode to show.

I'm curious, Nymph -- why that one? And what would you choose for the second episode?

Nightmares because, other than excellent acting on RDA's part, it touched on both Mac's espionage dealings, and his social conscious. It shows Mac's major soft spot for kids and had a major "what goes around comes around" feel with his generousity/kindness to Lisa. And kewl MacGyverisms.

Probably other two picks would be Fire & Ice & Jack of Lies.

I've been thinking about this question since it appeared and have watched a boatload of Mac episodes trying to make up my mind.

First of all--you know your friend best. Does she have a strong empathy for characters in trouble? What kind of humor does she favor? Does she like mysteries or drama? Does she like stories where people help each other or does she favor darker themes?

If you can answer these questions, you can probably find an episode to fit your friends tastes.

Personally I would pick two episodes that would match your friend's tastes and then show her my favorite episode.

That said, these are the episodes I would show her:

Nightmares--RDA shows a wide range of acting ability in this episode, it contains darker themes, cool MacGyverisms and believable bad guys. It is one of the better written episodes from season one.


Jack of Lies or Jack in the Box--both of these episodes bring another dimension of Mac's personality into play. He cares for and helps his friends, even when they drag him into dangerous situations. There is a little more humor in Jack of Lies, so this might be a good lighter episode.

The Endangered, Invisible Killer, or The Survivors--these are all outdoor action/adventure and touch on environmental themes without being too preachy. The later episodes of MacGyver hit very heavily on social and environmental justice themes which when put in the context of their original air dates fit well with what was happening in the world. In today's world, some of them might come across as a little heavy handed. Environmental and social justice issues have been pushed to the back burner of the collective conscious, and unless they are important to your friend, may not be relatable for her.

If one of your favorites is from the later season, then show it and tell her up front that it is your fave and why. She should respect your honesty.

Good luck, and enjoy your Mac party.

Bitter Harvest. No other ep, imho, better shows who MacGyver is and what he will and won't stand for. You can check out the Bitter Harvest thread for my in depth thoughts about this ep.

Then follow up an ep like Partners, to show your friend the most important secondary characters in Mac's life, Murdoch and Jack.

M-A

Lemme see... *taps forehead to stimulate thought and bring order to chaos*

I'd show the 'Pilot' first, to make introductions. Then, I'd show them 'Eagles' to showcase Mac's love for children and animals, and excellent hang gliding footage. And if their appetite was not yet whetted fully, I'd chase it with 'GX-1', to throw in some international intregue and the wonderful conflict-filled relationship between Nikki and Mac.

Other ideas would be 'Black Rhino', 'The Assassin', or 'DOA MacGyver'.

But you must be careful when you lure people into the world of Mac... especially friends, because they may borrow your discs and not give them back for a looooong time!

WHOA! *throws bus in reverse* Show them The Coltons, The Walking Dead & Deadly Silents!

Nymphy!

Bet you could use that method to get rid of houseguests who have overstayed their welcome.

I like the suggestion of Bitter Harvest. For some reason Bitter Harvest seemed always like a new beginning.
Also the Invisible Killer with their campfire scene at night.

I'd choose
The Gauntlet ( it hooked me forever )
Jack in the Box
Invisible Killer