#85: The Wasteland

Season: 6

Synopsis in 3 sentences or less:

A developer plans to build a city on land that MacGyver believes may not be able to support it due to a long-term lack of water.  In order to try and convince the developer of this, MacGyver takes him on a tour of a nearby wasteland, an environmentally damaged and uninhabitable area. Meanwhile, the developer's son and daughter attempt to take over the company by getting their father out of the picture, permanently.  

Memorable Quote:

When MacGyver checked into his motel, I attached a bomb to his odometer.  When it hits 55, goodbye Daddy.  And MacGyver.   ~Scott

Highlight:

The MacGyverism at the end of the episode is either amazing or ridiculous depending on your point of view.  While I certainly acknowledge its sheer ridiculousness, I land firmly into the "amazing" camp - in fact, this is the best MacGyverism we've had so far and is going straight to the top of the list.  What other person in the world could construct a flying parachute by himself in less than 15 minutes using only a tent cutout, cables, and a heavy-duty fan?  No one that I know. Though it would have been nice if the parachute looked more worn and patchwork-like to give a greater sense of realism.  Wait, why am I talking about realism when MacGyver is flying through the night with a fan strapped to his back?

Lowlight:

I don't like seeing MacGyver get knocked out in the billiard room, but at least he gets in a few good blows with the pool cue.  

Best MacGyverism:

See highlight.  

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

• Strong opening segment with Willis almost drowning in a cesspool of quicksand-like mud.  I wondered where this episode was filmed and found this interview with Bruce Harwood (Willis)  which answers my question.  The relevant part from the article is pasted below, where Harwood reminisces about this episode:
• My favorite episode had me falling into boggy quicksand and being rescued by MacGyver. Most of this was shot on location at Burn’s Bog, a beautiful wetland area close to Vancouver. There I sank in freezing bog water up to my armpits. Two weeks later, we went inside the studio to shoot my close-ups, where I submerged myself completely in fake bog water, heated to a comfortable bathtub temperature. It’s always fun when you get to do the physical stuff on a TV show, though I was washing sphagnum out of my ears for a week.  
• Andrew Bartlett is a developer who wants to build Bartlett City from the ground up. Now he has a nice office, and his son Scott drives a Porsche, but does he have enough money to build a city?  I'd think you'd need like a trillion dollars to start a city from scratch.  Actually, the internet says it's only 45 billion.
• Conversation at the 9:21 mark:
• "That's why you have to convince Bartlett to stop building and have his environmental studies reevaluated."  ~Willis
• I don't think he's gonna like the sound of that."  ~MacGyver
• "I'd do it myself, but I have to catch a flight to Washington to present my findings at the environment conference."  ~Willis
• "What you talkin' about, Willis?"  ~MacGyver
• Yes, I know I used that joke before.  But c'mon Willis, your environmental conference is more important than convincing Bartlett not to build a city in the wrong place?  And you're making MacGyver go solo on the hard work after he just pulled your @#$ from the quicksand bog?
• Good scene with all the Bartletts which lays out the tension between them, and knowing more about them creates a sense of anticipation when MacGyver comes into their world.  Clever use of the phone on Scott's part to call Laura and ask if MacGyver is going to be a problem.  Speaking of Scott, a great performance by John Pyper-Ferguson and the rest of the cast in this episode.  
• This episode could also be called, "And You Thought Your Family Was Dysfunctional." Makes the father-son tension in Hell Week look like the end of Field of Dreams.   
• After getting knocked out in the billiard room, why is MacGyver not a little more outraged with Laura and the weasely restaurant attendant?  In addition to suing them I would demand a free meal.  
• 30:30 - "I think you're like a lot of people.  You can't see the trees because you're too busy cutting the forest."  Get off your high horse, MacGyver, the man is dying!    
• When MacGyver swoops in on his flying parachute, somehow Scott doesn't hear him until he is practically right on top of him.  And even still, it looks like Scott has a few seconds with which to try and shoot MacGyver, but instead he just stands there like a statue waiting to be kicked.  
• This is followed by MacGyver carrying Bartlett away between his legs as they fly away into the night.  I showed this clip to my wife and asked her if this was possible (I tell her to just focus on Bartlett and ignore the giant fan on MacGyver's back).   She says that it would take incredible strength on the part of the person being carried to hold on. I tell her that he's 60 years old and is about to die any second from being blown up and shot.    
• I like Bartlett's plan to donate money for a local family counseling center.  I've never heard of anything like that which is free and open to the public, and it's a great idea.  

Final Analysis:

A dark episode in a depressing locale, but for whatever reason, I dig it.  Good acting, a creative story, awesome MacGyverism, and a dark element that works all around.  Next up, we're staying in season 6 for some more drama!