[MacGirl]

I was reading through the episode threads, and in the one for The Road Not Taken, someone raised the question of why Mac repeatedly gets involved with women who use him or leave him. Rocky said it was an interesting question that deserved it's own discussion, but I haven't seen anyone start that discussion. So here goes...

I think maybe the reason Mac has so many issues in this direction is that so many people he's cared about have died or hurt him in some other way. Let's count it up: his mom, dad, and grandma all died by the time he was in his mid 20's (or thereabouts... I'm assuming Mac went to Afghanistan after college, so that would put him at maybe 23 or so when his mom died). Also, Harry just took off after Mac's dad and grandma died. Mac also lost a close friend (Jesse) at a young age. Then, over the course of the show, we see him lose a number of other friends, several by the time of The Road Not Taken. Those few things alone would give anyone the heebie-jeebies about relationships. In other words, he's used to people leaving him; you get the feeling after awhile that he almost expects it. In addition to all this, Mac really strikes me as a born wanderer: someone who can't stay in the same place for long, whether physically, intellectually, or emotionally. He has to keep moving; there's an inherent restlessness to his character. So perhaps it's this last trait, in particular, that leads him to get involved with women who won't stick around: it gives him a ready-made excuse when the relationship ends, something along the lines of, "Oh, well, I wasn't ready to settle down anyway." Then, of course, you have Deborah, who was a total sociopath, and he didn't see it until it was almost too late. I imagine that would *really* add to his paranoia about relationships.

This is just the beginning... I'm sure there are other factors that I'm missing. What do the rest of you think?

[MacGyverGod]

I think the timeline can pinpoint out a few things here.
http://www.macgyveronline.com/pages/timeline.html

Mac's dad and grandma died when he was like 10 years old. And Harry left when he was about seventeen.

There has been an amount of women who indeed used him or wanted to kill him or left him.

Let's not forget the beginning of the show was supposed to be James Bond-like. A new girl in almost each episode. Barbara Spencer, Kate Connolly, Chris Rhodes, Karen Blake, Carol Tanner and Sara Ashford. Just to name some and those are already six in season 1.

Mostly these were damsels in distress. Maybe with exception of Sara Ashford who actually did use him.

When it comes down to relationships with women for Mac. I don't think he's someone who sets up high expectations for it. He just takes things as they come but he also keeps in mind that he sometimes has a dangerous profession that might get innocent people killed in a crossfire.

In the beginning I wouldn't know. He rejected Mike Forrester. He thought Debra was still waiting on him after all those years. Same with Lisa. Deborah he found out almost too late. Her appearance during painting class sure was deceiving. She looked like the girl next door. Sweet, innocent and didn't have any thing to do with whatever he was involved with.

But I don't think that what happened with Deborah made him paranoia on relationships since she was hired. Might even say it was coincidence.

[Fellow Traveler]

Mac has to be single, because that's what the fans asked for. Aren't there some interviews with RDA around, where he says that the fans actually requested that "that woman (Nikki Carpenter) has to be killed off"? A guy like Mac can't have a woman waiting for him at home, darning his socks and preparing a nice dinner. He needs to be single, because in his line of business, you never know when you meet a beautiful woman.

[MacGyverGod]

Mac had to be single because women viewers wanted it like that. I don't think a housewife is something for Mac. I think he'll grow very nervous if he knows someone is cleaning his houseboat while he's overseas. Murdoc once said the houseboat lacked a formal touch. The lacking of that touch is part of the charm of his way of life.

I think Mac likes stronger women. Someone with sense of adventure. Kate Malloy, Kate Connolly, Nikki & Maria Romburg were women like that. They all had some things in common. They were all able to defend themselves or do things on their own. Kate Malloy resisted arrest, it got her killed though. But I think you need a couple of big ones to resist arrest by the Chinese army. Kate Connolly was able to get in the bus by herself though Mac offered help than later she threw her camera in the guard's face. Nikki kicked Murdoc's gun out of his hand with hesitation and later attacked Matt Webber at the station and Maria threw Weisse down a flight of stairs.

If he had a relationship or not during the show, it wouldn't have really mattered. Nothing points out that if he had one his relation should be brought forth in every episode.

But than again just as I said on his houseboat the lack of a formal touch or a relationship could be part of his charm. And who knows what Mac's darkest secrets are.

[KiwiTek]

I think we all know why the show made him single, the question is asking why the character is single within the show.

I' don't think he deliberately got involved with women who would leave him. I think they left because of the type of person he is and the kind of lifestyle he lives. Maria Romburg ,for example, didn't want to leave, in fact she wanted the opposite, but when she asked for a commitment from him it wasn't there. Same thing with Mike Forrester, she wanted a commitment and MacGyver didn't.

But lets be honest, he's the kind of person who never knows from one day to the next what he will be doing or where he will be doing it. That kind of life style doesn't really give itself to long term relationships.

[Makedde]

He was only single because he was waiting for me to grow up and meet him.

[MacGyverGod]

Right.