#72: The Ten Percent Solution

Season: 5

Synopsis in 3 sentences or less:

At an art auction, Pete and the Phoenix Foundation bid over 400K for a 17th century Rubens painting, but the painting is then claimed by a Holocaust survivor, Sam, who says that it was stolen by the Nazis during World War II.  MacGyver, Sam, and Dr. Sands (Phoenix's art expert) are kidnapped by Neo-Nazis and taken to an abandoned silver mine.  The Nazis reveal their plan to take over 5 U.S. states (10% of the country) and attempt to execute MacGyver and company in a gas chamber. 

Memorable Quote:

Listen, Doctor.  This painting used to hang over our fireplace.  As a boy, I would stare into it and wonder what was behind that hill, what was beyond those trees.  I grew up in this painting, Dr. Sands!  It is part of me.   ~Sam Bolinski

Highlight:

Powerful scene in Frau Brandenberg's office when Sam recognizes her and they have an impassioned exchange, and then the Frau reveals the master plan.  

Lowlight:

The opening scene where a female runner is kidnapped on a secluded jogging trail.  It's out of place and doesn't have anything to do with the rest of the episode.  

Best MacGyverism:

To escape the gas chamber, cuts a hole with pocketknife in hollowed metal door and releases the gas into it.  Then ignites the door and creates an explosion by swinging some light bulbs against it.

I wonder if one day the writers thought, what if MacGyver had to escape from a Nazi gas chamber, and then the rest of the episode was written around that premise?

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

• Poor MacGyver has to wear a tux again, just as he did a few reviews ago in The Enemy Within.  
• Pete talks about the Phoenix Foundation's art acquisition program and how it helps to keep paintings out of corporate vaults, but it's not clear what he's going to do with the paintings that he is planning on buying with the 4 million dollars that he's raised. Maybe donate them?  Seems like a strange program.  
• Great scene during the auction as MacGyver continually has a look of disbelief as Pete keeps bidding the price of the Rubens painting higher.  And then a dramatic moment as Sam crashes the auction and damages the painting. 
• If the Nazis wanted to take out Sam, why do it in a crowded police station?  And it's a little goofy how the perpetrator is shot and then things immediately settle down and it's business as usual in the station.  
• There's a minor character named Veronica who is Dr. Sands' art assistant at Phoenix. I didn't recognize her, but according to IMDB, the actress appeared in Renegade as Veronica also.  I popped in the Renegade DVD and scanned through it really quickly to see if I could spot her.  After Morrison sets off the alarms in the Phoenix Foundation, a woman appears in a hazmat suit and says that there's a vial of anthrax missing.  I'm not sure this is her but I don't know who else it would be. 
• As a 12 year-old viewer of this episode, I was captivated by the gravity and direness of the whole situation.  Losing 5 U.S. states to the Nazis!  Normally MacGyver's efforts are more localized, like saving a particular person here and there, but in this episode he saves the United States as we know it!  But now that I'm older (and wiser?), it's hard to not to raise a few questions, such as:
• If the Nazis are planning on publicly taking over 5 states, why do they need to be so secretive about everything?  Perhaps they are taking the long view and will only reveal themselves when they are ready ("Hitler moved too fast," the Frau says at one point). 
• If you want to take over 5 U.S. states, I suppose it's all well and good to have some judges, teachers, and journalists in your pocket.  But do you know what would be more important?  Having about 50 million troops and about a trillion dollars worth of weaponry.  Somehow I don't think the United States and its people (let alone the world community) would easily submit to the idea of a Nazi republic on its soil, so it's gonna take a little more than 12 people in a silver mine and a few teachers in Idaho.
• The silver mine is a cool setting.  Today it is the site of the Britannia Mine Museum and is a Canadian National Historic Site.  According to their website, the distinctive white, tiered structure is called Mill 3 and was built in 1923.  
• Outstanding performance by Nehemiah Persoff as Sam Bolinski, who is at once likable, vulnerable, determined, and proud.  I'm always impressed with actors who have the ability to cry on screen, and you can see a tear rolling down his face at the 31:30 mark. 
• I reached out to Mr. Persoff, who is also an accomplished painter, and asked if he remembered anything about his experience filming this episode, and he said he got a hip replacement two months earlier and that running from place to place was very painful.  
• Our first episode with 2 shakes!  One at 39:48 when he knocks out the guy with the gas mask, and one at 42:55 when he throws a southpaw punch at the corrupt police officer, played by frequent guest star Garry Chalk.  

Final Analysis:

Really good episode that is compelling and exciting.  Obviously the premise is ridiculous, but if you can forget about that and just enjoy the show, then it's well worth it.  I've said before how I made these rankings over a year ago and have been revealing them to myself one at a time as I get ready to watch the next one.  I must admit, I was a little surprised to see this one where I did (thought it was too low).  And then I confess that I took a peek at the next 5 coming up because I'll be spending New Year's with Mom and I was curious to see which ones we could watch together.  And there are some really good ones coming up!  My point is that with this one, we've officially moved into some really strong episodes, so don't let the "low" ranking fool you.  Coming up next, MacGyver's season 1 swagger gets put to a serious test!