Synopsis in 3 sentences or less:
Tensions are heating up between two rival street gangs. In the background, a former disgraced police officer known as The Gunman has been selling guns to the gangs and playing them off each other. The Gunman orchestrates a showdown between the gangs, but MacGyver and the gang members' parents show up just in time.
Memorable Quote:
"Put the damn guns down and think! Think!" ~Stumpy
Highlight:
I like where the moms and grandmas show up at the gang showdown and everyone puts their guns down. Not sure it would happen like this in real life but who says everything on MacGyver has to be realistic?
Lowlight:
I guess I'll go with the mom getting shot in the drive-by shooting, though fortunately she survives.
Best MacGyverism:
Ignites alcohol-soaked wood to burst a bung on a steel keg, which causes the keg to shoot like a cannon and break down the locked door.
Other thoughts, observations, and questions I didn’t ask when I was in fourth grade:
- In the suspenseful scene where MacGyver is alone in The Gunman's liquor shipping office, for some reason I was remembering that MacGyver just nosed around and left. So I was a bit surprised when he got whacked upside the head by The Gunman.
- I like "Stumpy" as a nickname.
- 28:57 mark. MacGyver has a list of 3 people in a particular white neighborhood who are subscribers to a magazine called Black City Beat, and he knows one of them is The Gunman. The first name is crossed off, as if to suggest MacGyver checked that house first, and now he's on to the second one. But we can clearly see the 2nd name says Koby Minton, and MacGyver knows that the guy's name is Minton from earlier. I should be a tv show quality and control editor.
- And why does MacGyver just go to his house by himself? He's just going to knock on his door and sell girl scout cookies? Sometimes MacGyver doesn't always think things through like he should.
- The Gunman has a Nick Nolte/Gary Busey look to him.
- At the end after The Gunman is hanging out the window and MacGyver pulls him back in, The Gunman just surrenders and allows MacGyver to take him downstairs and display him in front of the gang members. Not tied up with handcuffs or rope. Maybe he didn't want to get shot by the gang members, but I would think he'd put up a little more of a fight.
Final Analysis:
Didn't have too much to say about this one. It's hard sometimes during the more serious ones for the thoughts to flow. Not a bad episode, but not much fun to be had, either. The gang-related episodes often feel a little dated and contrived, and this one is no exception. Next up it's time to go treasure hunting!
While I didn't think this show needed another gang-banger plotline by this point in its run, I must say the first half of this episode was very well done in capturing the LA gang culture of the episodes, complete with drive-by shootings and revenge slayings. I was pleasantly surprised through the first half about this episode's execution and loved the MacGyverism where he turned a beer keg and a conveniently round furnace casing into a cannon. But oh how things went wrong in the second half as Minton suddenly decided he was gonna stage a gang war himself (and kill off his entire weapons-buying customer base????) and got his hands on a van full of dynamite to blow up the entire street! And then the gang-bangers collectively decide to stop hating when their mamas show up to scold them followed by a goofy, nonsensical sanctimonious speech by Stumpy. And lest we forget the epilogue when the gang war is over and everyone is planting trees, while Brian and Calvin's mom muses about the "bad habits" in the community that have been resolved by the new "role models" of whom I had no idea what she was talking about. This was another 7th season outing that reinforced what just about everybody knew at the time....that it was time for MacGyver (the series) to be put to sleep. As for the "Nick Nolte/Gary Busey"-looking cop, the actor played the blond motorcycle cop on "CHiPs" 10 years earlier.
ReplyDeleteOops, all that and I forgot to give my ranking....it was my #116. Almost wish I could divide that episode in half as I'd give the first half much better than 116 and the second half must worse.
DeleteI actually found the ending scene pretty powerful. I think it’s a pretty unusual way to end a gang war and I guess it was supposed to appeal to existing parents to not stay passive.
DeleteThis was on CBS Action in the UK this week so I gave it another go.
ReplyDeleteThe Gunman was suitably creepy but his motives were unlikely. And why did he just lock MacGyver in the store room the first time? Well spotted Nick, about the name on the magazine list; it doesn't make sense that is was Minton as they'd already decided that was an alias.
There was lots to like; I also preferred the first half, enjoyed MacGyver's detective work and him kicking off the air conditioning unit to unlock the door. Had to look up about Cosmoline which I'd never heard of and thought the, unusually for the series, extended fight scene was quite exciting (although MacGyver comes off worse in the actual hand-to-hand; a common outcome throughout the show).
It was my 104 and I'd maybe move it up a few places if it wasn't for the ridiculous ending so aptly described by Mark. The boys dropping their guns when they told was bad enough but to end with a plant sale...?
Just rewatched this episode and I'll give you my "not 4th grade" observation. The keg scene is completely unnecessary. While I appreciate the MacGyverism of it, he's on the inside of the door. I really can't believe he wouldn't also know/notice that and just push the pin up where the knuckles meet and it would open up.
ReplyDeleteOn the hinges***
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