#126: Deadly Silents

Season: 7

Synopsis in 3 sentences or less:

MacGyver’s friend Pinky is an old silent film movie star who once had a falling out with Karl, his business partner, over a woman.  Karl’s son seeks revenge and steals Pinky’s old movie tapes and lead Pinky and MacGyver to an abandoned movie studio complete with booby traps.  Karl Jr. tries to kill them, but MacGyver and Pinky get the upper hand and retrieve the tapes. 

Memorable Quote: 

"Watch out Neil, it could be a trick."  ~Karl Jr.

"No way.  Let’s rock and roll."  ~Neil

Highlight: 
I like the scene where MacGyver and Pinky are tied on a train track because who doesn’t like escapes from train tracks.  There’s the sound of a train coming and Pinky starts to have a heart attack out of fear, but MacGyver uses his feet to feel the wooden floorboards and realizes that they’re on a soundstage and it’s a trick.  

Lowlight: 
Neil is Karl Jr.’s sidekick and possibly the dumbest, most incompetent MacGyver villain ever.  He constantly says things like "dude," "stud," and "awesome."  You know how much I dislike the slapstick criminals, and he’s as ridiculous as they come.  After one of MacGyver’s escape’s he says, "Whoa. Oh. Whoa.  This dude is like so fully awesome."  Yikes, dude.   

Best MacGyverism: 

MacGyver and Pinky are handcuffed in a pool tank and left to drown.  MacGyver boosts Pinky on his shoulders and Pinky grabs a fire-hose looking thing.  MacGyver takes off his shoe and ties it to the end of the hose, and then throws the hose over the side of the tank.  The shoe creates leverage against the rope ladder hanging over the other side by hooking onto one of the rungs, and MacGyver pulls on the hose which pulls the rope ladder over to their side of the tank.  One of many times in the series that MacGyver will use shoes to great effect.  

Other thoughts, observations, and questions I didn’t ask when I was in fourth grade:

• For this episode, we’re joined by Mom who's come to visit for Thanksgiving!  I’ve already mentioned Mom’s part in my MacGyver experience.  I’ll add some of her comments too.  
• Right in the beginning, MacGyver is eating a giant bowl of popcorn and watching old movies with Pinky.  A woman appears on screen and Pinky says, "You know she is?  Your Grandma Wood," and I thought, "That’s MacGyver’s grandmother?"  After rewatching this clip a few days later I see he was saying "Your grandma would [know who she is]."  Context!  
• "Where did MacGyver get that shirt?" – Mom
•  Not a huge Pinky fan.  He’s annoying and not too bright for continuing to fall for the same old tricks.  Mom recognized the actor, saying he was from "Laugh-In."  Toward the end of the episode, Dad came in and said, "He’s from Laugh-In."  You learn something new every day.
• "Most knives like that are hard to open unless they’re well oiled.  And hard to do with one hand."  - Mom on the scene where MacGyver opens his knife one-handed while hanging onto a swinging bar and then stabbing the wall and sliding down with Pinky hanging on to his legs.  You read that right. 
• Like Hellfire, they saved some money on casting with this one.  Only 4 characters, plus two more appearing for 5 seconds in the silent movie. 
• "Those little metal things on the side: he could at least hold on to those" – Mom on the pool scene
• Notice the Paramount Theater at the end – nice touch. 
• End credits music is a 1920’s style song rather than the standard MacGyver theme.  I wonder if there are any other episodes that have custom end credits like this.  I guess we’ll find out! 

Final Analysis:

A creative yet ridiculous plot.  There are some good moments and I like the 1920’s, Old Hollywood vibe, but Pinky is annoying, Neil is unwatchable, and it’s too slapstick-y for me.  Good news though – this is the last of the dredge which means we’re moving on to bigger and better episodes!