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| Season 1, Episode 007 | |
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| Airdate | 17th November 1985 |
| Written by | Judy Burns |
| Guest Stars | Harry Caesar as Al Tennyson Steve Franken Jackie Earle Haley Art Hindle as Dave Redding Kay Lenz as Kelly Nelson Michael McGuire as Andrews Anthony Penya as Hector Lopez Lewis Van Bergen as Buddy |
| Directed by | John Florea |
| Episode Guide<font-family:Trajan Pro;font color="white"> | |
| Previous Episode Trumbo's World |
Next Episode Hellfire |
Armed robbers make the mistake of accidentally taking Angus MacGyver hostage. Now, their inadvertent captive uses his extraordinary skills to thwart the gang and free the other hostages.
Summary
Act One
MacGyver is driving through the mountains in a Jeep Cherokee or similar SUV. He is looking for Sparrow Lake, a place where his father used to enjoy fishing. Noting that he never remembers the correct route to the out-of-the-way lake, MacGyver takes the wrong path at a fork in the road, heading toward Sparrow Ridge Airport. Upon realising this, he pulls into a small diner at the airport, part of Nielsons's Flying School.
As MacGyver approaches the diner, he gives a friendly "How you doing?" to a man standing outside the diner, who unbeknownst to MacGyver, is holding a rifle behind his back. MacGyver enters the diner to ask for directions, and though a man standing at a pinball machine tells MacGyver that they're closed, the waitress behind the counter gives him directions while a man sitting near the register with a large contusion on his head looks on. Sensing something wrong, MacGyver asks if he can have a cup of coffee anyway. The man tries to refuse, but the waitress quickly answers yes, and MacGyver sits down at the counter as the man from outside enters the diner, propping himself on the end of the counter.
The second man sits down next to MacGyver and asks where his breakfast is. Taking his first sip of coffee, MacGyver sees the word "HELP" written on the inside of the mug. MacGyver confirms this with a look from the waitress, but the man from outside demands to see the cup. When MacGyver refuses, the man pulls out the gun from behind his back, and takes the cup from him. Seeing the message, the man from the pinball machine introduces himself as Terry Anderson and tells the cook, Tennyson, to make him breakfast while the armed man empties MacGyver's pockets, taking his Swiss Army Knife and money.
The armed man caresses the waitress, getting threatened by both Tennyson and the injured man, Dave. An 18-Wheeler from Trans-Allied Van Lines pulls into the parking lot, and the robbers demand that everyone go outside to meet them. Two more men emerge from the truck, 40 minutes late after driving overnight from Dallas. They open up the back of the truck to reveal a van. Bringing it down on ramps, we discover that it is an armored van with a guard still inside. An explosive charge is placed on the locked door of the van, which MacGyver claims will likely kill the guard as well as destroy the money, so MacGyver uses this idea to convince the robbers to let him make a thermite torch to open the lock.
Taking flammable filings from a magnesium bike frame and scraped off rust from an old paint can, MacGyver loads them into a thin metal pipe and uses an highway flare to ignite the materials, creating a torch that easily cuts the lock out of the van. The doors are opened, and the guard comes running out gasping for air. As he regains his breath and stands up holding his gun, he is shot and killed by the man MacGyver originally met outside the diner.
Act Two
Act Three
Act Four
Memorable Quotes
MacGyverisms
- A complete list of problems solved by MacGyver is also available.
Notes and Trivia
Bloopers
Helicopter has blades spinning slowly when the pilot is preparing to get out, but in the very next shot, the blades are still going full speed.
Cast & Credits
- A complete list of Cast & Credits is also available.
Starring
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Richard Dean Anderson | MacGyver |
Guest Stars
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| actor | character |
Special Guest Star
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| actor | character |
Co-Starring
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| actor | character |
Other Credited Crew
| Credited Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Judy Burns | Writer - Opening Gambit |
| Lee H. Katzin | Director - Opening Gambit |
| Stephen Downing | Supervising Producer |
| Jerry Ludwig | Executive Producer |
| Terry Nation | Producer |
| Vin Di Bona | Line Producer |
| Lee David Zlotoff | Creator |
| Stephen Kandel | Writer |
| Lee H. Katzin | Director |
| Henry Winkler John Rich |
Executive Producers |
| Judy Burns | Co-Producer |
| Steven Milkis | Associate Producer |
| Stephen Kandel | Executive Story Consultant |
| Randy Edelman | Music |
| Pam Polifroni | Casting |
| Joanne Koehler | Casting Associate |
| Jules Brenner | Director of Photography |
| Stan Jolley | Production Designer |
| Peter White | Editor |
| David Menteer Bob Schneider |
Unit Production Managers |
| Robin Chamberlin | First Assistant Director |
| Gary Law | Second Assistant Director |
| Bonnie Dermer | Set Decorator |
| Tommy Welsh | Wardrobe Supervisor |
| Rudolph Garcia | Men's Costumer |
| Shirlene Williams | Women's Costumer |
| Dee Manges | Make-Up Artist |
| Lynn Del Kail | Hair Stylist |
| Kathy Barrett | Script Supervisor |
| Billy Myatt | Special Effects |
| Dean Hodges | Sound Mixer |
| Steve Danforth | Music Editor |
| T.A.V. Sound | Sound Editing |
| Rosa Gonzalez | Assistant to Mr. Milkis |
| Buddy Joe Hooker | Stunt Coordinator |
| Michael Casey | Property Master |
| Modern Videofilm | Video Post-Production |
| Glen Glenn Sound | Recording |