tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post3408461150761643567..comments2024-03-27T00:26:22.316-05:00Comments on The MacGyver Project: MacGyver Reboot -- Episode 1: The RisingNicholas Sweedohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437092592253460266noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-16837602202140039842016-09-27T17:46:22.685-05:002016-09-27T17:46:22.685-05:00While I don't think the idea of the MacGyveris...While I don't think the idea of the MacGyverism itself was weak, the execution of it was. It happens so fast that you don't really get to enjoy it! Yes, the clock was ticking, but maybe they could have made that in a minute (or even two) instead of 30 seconds...DashboardOnFirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06415585943437200452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-83118605048203004482016-09-26T22:25:24.718-05:002016-09-26T22:25:24.718-05:00Haha good memory, Liney! This latest parachute Ma...Haha good memory, Liney! This latest parachute MacGyverism didn't seem very realistic to me -- it certainly wasn't as realistic as MacGyver the First building a flying parachute in 10 minutes from a tent canvas and a fan and then jetting off into the night while carrying a wounded old man between his legs.Nicholas Sweedohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00437092592253460266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-7134141151211130792016-09-26T20:20:32.351-05:002016-09-26T20:20:32.351-05:00As a generic, CBS action show, it does pretty well...As a generic, CBS action show, it does pretty well. As 'MacGyver' it is doing a pretty good job of failing spectacularly. It's missing a lot of the subtle elements that made 'MacGyver' what it was. And that's disappointing.Highlander_IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12390532917085374247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-17058555789871338662016-09-26T20:07:38.764-05:002016-09-26T20:07:38.764-05:00Oh, and MacGyver I (RDA) was wearing a helmet. Luc...Oh, and MacGyver I (RDA) was wearing a helmet. Lucas, take notes!lineyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09824333080147910176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-83049315079236966902016-09-26T20:05:13.938-05:002016-09-26T20:05:13.938-05:00OK, excellent review as usual... but I have a bone...OK, excellent review as usual... but I have a bone to pick with you, sir. Under "Other thoughts...", "The MacGyverisms in this episode were pretty weak (especially the parachute at the end)." Whoa there, MacGyver-boy. May I remind you (and other interested parties) that there was another "weak" MacGyver-ism in your cherished original series which also involved a parachute (#85 The Wasteland), in which you said in your Highlight section no less, and I quote, "The MacGyverism at the end of the episode [ed: where Mac constructs a parachute using an old tent, a fan, and cables] is either amazing or ridiculous depending on your point of view." Here you waxed philosophic on the brilliance of the scene, though you had hoped for a bit more realism. Was the newer version not real enough for you? You aren't primed to like this new series, and more's the pity because it's more than respectable, it's excellent! Here's an 80s reference for a child of the 80s/90s: Move over bacon, now there's something meatier!lineyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09824333080147910176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-19741414903018674252016-09-25T10:52:41.241-05:002016-09-25T10:52:41.241-05:00Yeah I agree with you. While it would have been n...Yeah I agree with you. While it would have been nice for the new show to pick up on the subtleties of the old character (like the lack of beer drinking), I never expected or got my hopes up for that. But the nonviolent aspect is more than a subtlety, it was the core of the show. Not only would Jack's use of weaponry potentially kill the suspense of the problem solving, but it makes it more like every other show. Hopefully they will emphasize and illustrate MacGyver's nonviolence over the course of the season even if he is unable or unwilling to control Jack.Nicholas Sweedohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00437092592253460266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-23992122562805742412016-09-25T04:52:59.044-05:002016-09-25T04:52:59.044-05:00So I've been thinking some more about the use ...So I've been thinking some more about the use of Jack Dalton. <br /><br />From a production standpoint, bringin in Jack as the character he is... it's kinda brilliant because it means more action. (And George is a delight to watch.) But it's also an easy and lazy way what they're using him for.<br /><br />Because bringing Jack in as a gun-wielding CIA- and military guy makes MacGyvers unique way of problem solving void. If Mac can't do it, there's always Jack who can get him out while shooting the bad guys. So in the end, Mac doesn't really manage to solve the problem without guns (and unnecessary violence). He just let Jack do it.<br /><br />Remember "Halloween Knights" - it would have been an easy and lazy way for the writers to let Murdoc bring his deadly tools. But MacGyver made it a deal - no guns or I don't help you. It was the core of the show to catch the bad guys without the help of guns and bombs (or only using them as distraction devices).<br /><br />The writers have to be very careful not to utilize the character of Jack Dalton to keep the bad guys away by pointing a gun at them or by shooting them...<br />DashboardOnFirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06415585943437200452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-64151506850799071142016-09-25T01:01:36.075-05:002016-09-25T01:01:36.075-05:00There weren't a lot of 'shippers' for ...There weren't a lot of 'shippers' for characters of the original show. Frequently, fans would insist the writers not give Mac a girlfriend, or take one away he had. Highlander_IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12390532917085374247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-28792802515506760612016-09-25T00:57:52.078-05:002016-09-25T00:57:52.078-05:00I'm about half a season behind, I think. I ma...I'm about half a season behind, I think. I may get to catching up on s6 at some point, but that show keeps doing sort of the opposite of what it should. That show *is* an ensemble, but often the 'team' isn't together and it borks the dynamic.Highlander_IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12390532917085374247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-82897136866095506952016-09-24T13:16:10.916-05:002016-09-24T13:16:10.916-05:00I hope the show makes it. It was definitely better...I hope the show makes it. It was definitely better than the worst of the reviews led us to believe. George Eads is stealing the show and not in a bad way. I think if CBS had attempted to just make new episodes of the old show, it would not have been commercially successful, so anyone wanting that will obviously be sorely disappointed.<br /><br />I'm enjoying your commentary, and behind the scenes information. Keep it coming. :)Matt Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00463786798017660308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-23565817859275165972016-09-24T11:48:25.526-05:002016-09-24T11:48:25.526-05:00Thanks for the comment! I also missed the Miss El...Thanks for the comment! I also missed the Miss Elcar reference. I think I'm going to rewatch it at some point this week to see what I missed the first time around.Nicholas Sweedohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00437092592253460266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-24081970963884454782016-09-24T11:16:11.341-05:002016-09-24T11:16:11.341-05:00I just saw that. Pretty good start. It'll be...I just saw that. Pretty good start. It'll be telling to see how it holds up next week. Total viewers was something like 10.9 million. Coincidentally, the pilot episode 31 years ago debuted with a 10.9 rating. The 10.9 rating is not the same as 10.9 million viewers as they've changed the way they've calculated ratings in the years since. Today's 10.9 million viewers is considered a strong debut but back in 1985 the original "MacGyver's" 10.9-rated debut was considered disastrously bad.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04953380288384883179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-39749182038872652522016-09-24T11:13:12.058-05:002016-09-24T11:13:12.058-05:00I missed the Miss Elcar bit. Nice catch.I missed the Miss Elcar bit. Nice catch.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04953380288384883179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-59786348493028369882016-09-24T10:25:51.952-05:002016-09-24T10:25:51.952-05:00I don't know much about trending stuff and did...I don't know much about trending stuff and didn't see it myself; but the MacGyver Writers and MacGyver Online mentioned it last night.<br /><br />The ratings are just coming in and MacGyver is on top for the Friday total viewers!DashboardOnFirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06415585943437200452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-13950167462932169882016-09-24T10:21:36.471-05:002016-09-24T10:21:36.471-05:00Did anyone catch when Lucas/Mac called Thornton &#...Did anyone catch when Lucas/Mac called Thornton 'Miss Elcar'? (I am assuming that was an alias that she was using at that moment). Nice homage.<br /><br />I, too, liked the Nikki character and actress. I think a lot of Nikki/Mac shippers would have preferred that the originals' relationship was similar to the rebooted ones' (especially that keyboard flashback, heehee!).<br /><br />Agreed with many other commenters here and elsewhere that the action was verrry fastpaced; no time to absorb stuff and admire the hero's handiwork. And shaky cameras. I ABHOR SHAKY CAMERAS!!!!<br /><br />The Wilt Bozer character, I just...I don't get it.<br /><br />All in all, an entertaining way to pass the hour, especially after a long hectic workday. Looking forward to next week and to Nick's review.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-34772294731082263182016-09-24T09:42:20.537-05:002016-09-24T09:42:20.537-05:00Oh I don't know, the Pilot of the original was...Oh I don't know, the Pilot of the original was pretty perfect! :)<br /><br />I anticipated the CGI was coming and trained myself not to let it be a dealbreaker. It was less awful CGI than Indiana Jones 4 so that's the metric I tend to use for acceptable usage of CGI. Low bar I know. I'm eager to see if there were any "MacGyver" fans who really loved this. Thus far, the sentiment seems to be consistent with the impressions of reviewers...a range from decent to weak sauce.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04953380288384883179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-82073831860711064772016-09-24T09:28:12.554-05:002016-09-24T09:28:12.554-05:00Glad you got to watch it! What were the trending ...Glad you got to watch it! What were the trending numbers on twitter like (I didn't see)? And any word yet on the ratings or audience size?Nicholas Sweedohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00437092592253460266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-82037980378248544152016-09-24T09:25:39.973-05:002016-09-24T09:25:39.973-05:00I'll join you on your personal protest! As fo...I'll join you on your personal protest! As for Nikki Carpenter, I bet she's actually "good" but we probably won't find out for sure for a long time. Your "appendix" comment made me laugh.Nicholas Sweedohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00437092592253460266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-14038984907177103412016-09-24T09:22:50.347-05:002016-09-24T09:22:50.347-05:00Thanks Bradley! I agree on your commercially succ...Thanks Bradley! I agree on your commercially successful point -- much as I would enjoy an 80's style show, the original was never a ratings juggernaut even in the 80's, so it certainly wouldn't be today. Nicholas Sweedohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00437092592253460266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-17300973383545358182016-09-24T09:20:05.224-05:002016-09-24T09:20:05.224-05:00Are you still in on Five-0?Are you still in on Five-0?Nicholas Sweedohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00437092592253460266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-76696342362526188052016-09-24T08:40:33.500-05:002016-09-24T08:40:33.500-05:00The pilot has my feelings all over the place! It&#...The pilot has my feelings all over the place! It's like a love-hate-relationship - it's so bad and yet so, so good ;-)<br /><br />There is stuff I really didn't like; and it mostly has to do with the fast and shaky camera movements, the music, some bad CGI and the use of Jack Dalton (I might write some more about that later). So it isn't perfect, but the pilot of the original show wasn't either. And it's really not as bad as I feared after reading so many negative reviews. <br /><br />It definitely has potential! Also, it got so many people talking about it. When was the last time MacGyver trended on Twitter? Probably... never, I guess. But it trended last night and that's pretty cool!DashboardOnFirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06415585943437200452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-50889046812058978532016-09-24T08:00:54.144-05:002016-09-24T08:00:54.144-05:00My word is “potential.” As is, it has got potenti...My word is “potential.” As is, it has got potential. <br />Dad’s word is “promising.”<br />First, I was waiting for the MacGyver music. It never came! Even Hawaii Five O kept the original music. If the music was cut because the executives wanted more advertisements, then they were wrong. I don’t remember a single ad from last night. The majority of my TV watching is either streaming or recorded (run through the ads). I was so looking forward this show that I actually watched it in real time. Never again…I will record it next week and run through the ads. This will be my personal protest to the no music decision.<br />Second, why name the villain, Nikki Carpenter? It is just like the movie, Mission Impossible, when the villain was named Mr. Phelps. Why destroy the image? I have still not gotten that. Is Carpenter now going to be MacGyver’s new Murdoc? Lots of questions and so few answers.<br />I agree with the comment on how they located the ‘person of interest’ in San Francisco. Just like in the TV show, Person of Interest, or the new Jason Bourne movie, if locating people with CCTV and facial recognition was so easy, why couldn’t the authorities, who have legitimate access to the information, have found the most wanted fugitive?<br />I think the roommate is like an appendix. He is there but for no apparent reason. We will see how this develops.<br />So, I will keep on watching. The jury is still out as to how this will go. Give it more time. I hope it does not go like Hawaii Five O. I watched for four years. But then the plot became hard to follow and unnecessarily complicated. The wheels came off the wagon and it stopped moving forward. I hope this does not happen to MacGyver.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02342174424018623586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-85633802174959571382016-09-24T07:43:07.977-05:002016-09-24T07:43:07.977-05:00I hope the show makes it. It was definitely better...I hope the show makes it. It was definitely better than the worst of the reviews led us to believe. George Eads is stealing the show and not in a bad way. I think if CBS had attempted to just make new episodes of the old show, it would not have been commercially successful, so anyone wanting that will obviously be sorely disappointed.<br /><br />I'm enjoying your commentary, and behind the scenes information. Keep it coming. :)Matt Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00463786798017660308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-80696178832875275632016-09-24T00:47:42.945-05:002016-09-24T00:47:42.945-05:00I was decidedly unimpressed. I found Mac to be to...I was decidedly unimpressed. I found Mac to be too smarmy. I don't like Jack - he's far more 'Bauer' than 'Dalton'. Patricia was meh. Bozer wasn't there enough to form an opinion. Ditto Riley. Nikki was predictable character-wise. <br /><br />In the moments when Mac was written more Mac-like, Lucas did great. The rest of the time? Nope.<br /><br />Can't say I'll be going out of my way to watch future episodes.<br />Highlander_IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12390532917085374247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-56875206170100876032016-09-24T00:03:15.745-05:002016-09-24T00:03:15.745-05:00Yeah that's a good point.Yeah that's a good point.Nicholas Sweedohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00437092592253460266noreply@blogger.com