We've had discussions before about how MacGyver was on assignment in Afghanistan when his mother died and we've asked if this was suppose to be during the To be A Man episode, but in the episode Three for the Road MacGyver mentions that he met his friend (Tony Sullivan) who was killed by the mob at the start of the episode, while on assignment in Afghanistan.

Apparently Tony saved MacGyver's life twice in one week so we know this isn't referring to the To Be a Man episode, he also says they met years ago, so it must be an earlier assignment which doesn't relate to an episode.

All this makes me wonder if that assignment was the one he was on when his mother died?

What's everyone else think?

Hmm, well it wouldn't be the first time Mac would've been send to the same country for a diffirent assignment.

I think this can be something very debatable to verify if it's true or not. I haven't seen Three For The Road in quite some time. That can be at least four years.

But I think you gave your answer already.

It can be very debatable and I would always go down on the most recent happening when it comes to referring to the past or else it might be confusing. However in this case...

This is how I see it. Mac was always set during the present time. To be a Man was aired March 5th 1986. You can still debate about it in Mac's-verse. Let's say it happened about three months before. They're approximately around Christmas 1985 than.

In The Madonna Mac's having a bad time to be happy for Christmas because his mom died in that time of year. As far as we know we only saw Mac in Afghanistan in To Be A Man in 1985-1986. The Madonna is 1989. So there's at least four years in between. One person can get over one's death much sooner than the other.

Pete said he understood Mac in The Madonna because of his mother. They met in 1980. So there are another five years where in it could've happened. Three For the Road is stil 1986. Mac says they met years ago. What are 'years'? Five, ten? Years ago I was in high school but also in elementary school, years ago I also started working, but that's only two and half years.

I think the chances are bigger to assume since Mac mentions an earlier assignment in Afghanistan this is early 80's. Probably still DXS-era. I'd say 1980-1984. Plenty of time to have another assignment in Afghanistan, meeting Tony, saving his neck twice in one week while his mother is dying. Could add up the drama.

But when referring to "years" back I'd say at least four to five should've been passed. So that would make like 1981-1982 they would've met.

Maybe it could be that assignment when Mac's mother died when he met Tony. Because if Mac's mother was still alive during the first season until To Be A Man, why did he went to visit Harry instead of her in Target MacGyver? Maybe he went to Harry because he was the last one that was left to Mac as family at the time.

I think this can be taken as very likely. You can say, he didn't go to his mother, because he couldn't endanger her for Axminster but could he endanger Harry for Axminster? No. Still he did do it.

A son would likely go back to his mother if his life was in danger but if your mother ain't alive no more, I think you would go to the second closest person you got to family. In this case, Harry.

So the assignment in Afghanistan MacGyver refers to when Tony saved his life twice might be the one where his mother died. This being an assignment before To Be A Man and so being an assignment not related to an episode.

We've established that his mother died in 1971 (see the timeline)

Three for the Road aired in 1986 making his mothers death 15 years before the events in the episode. I'd say that qualifies as years before.

I always had just assumed it was in reference to "To Be a Man," however I remember once purposefully going back and watching To Be a Man as well as the episode chronologically after it, and nothing was said of his mother, which I found strange. This does shed some new light on it for me though.

Wait, I need to brush up on some Mac biography, but didn't both of his parents die in a car crash when he was younger, that whole flashback episode to the dark rainy night?

Than I got me self a hole in Mac history.

Besides Mac's dad and grandmother died in the car accident.

You sure do need to brush up.

That was his father and grandmother.