The MacGyver F.A.Q.
Version 1.1
(last updated 08 February 1995)
1. Introduction
1.1) So what's it all about?
The television show "MacGyver" debuted on ABC-TV in September 1985 and ran
continuously until the middle of the 1991-1992 TV season. Since the
show's cancellation, there have also been two made-for-television movies. The
program follows the adventures of MacGyver, troubleshooter extraordinaire. He
carries no weapons, relying instead on his wits, his knowledge, and
objects at hand to get himself out of trouble.
1.2) Where can I watch MacGyver?
As of February 1995, reruns of "MacGyver" air regularly in the U.S. They
are broadcast each weekday at 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on
the USA Cable Network. Most, if not all, of the episodes USA shows have
been cut to allow for more advertising time by local cable operators.
"MacGyver" can also be seen on a multitude of international television
networks across the globe.
2. Characters
2.1) MacGyver (Richard Dean Anderson)
Born March 23, 1950 (or January 23, 1951), and raised in Mission
City, Minnesota, Angus MacGyver (who prefers to be called just MacGyver)
moved to California after graduating from Western Tech. He worked several
odd jobs before meeting Department of External Services (DXS) agent Pete
Thornton. Thornton was impressed with MacGyver's ingenuity - after all,
he'd used a paper clip, a wrench, and shoelaces to help them escape two
men armed with bazookas. MacGyver then went to work at the DXS for Pete.
Over the years, their friendship became so strong that he moved to the
Phoenix Foundation when Pete was appointed Director of Operations.
MacGyver, or "Mac," as his friends call him, is a master of
on-the-spot improvisation. He can use ordinary household objects to get
himself and his companions out of trouble. All he carries with him is a
Swiss Army knife and, occasionally, a roll of duct tape. He carries no gun,
having forsaken firearms after a traumatic childhood incident, and tries
to avoid violence. He is fiercely loyal to his friends; his enemies will
find him a clever, resourceful, and uncooperative opponent.
Mac's most unusual trait is his fear of romantic commitment. This
fear, which has stifled many a relationship, stems from his previous
experiences. His father and his grandmother were killed in a car accident
when he was twelve years old; his mother died of complications from a
stroke when MacGyver was on assignment overseas. He worries that whomever
he becomes close to will die, just like his parents and his grandmother did.
Despite his misgivings about commitment, MacGyver remains the
eternal optimist. He firmly believes that the world can and will change
for the better - one person at a time.
2.2) Pete Thornton (Dana Elcar)
MacGyver's boss and best friend, Pete Thornton worked for many years
as an operative of the Department of External Services (see section 3.2).
It was during this time that he met MacGyver while tracking the
international assassin Murdoc. Seven years later, Pete took the position
of Director of Operations at the Phoenix Foundation, which he now holds.
He has a son, Michael (see section 2.8), from a previous marriage.
In the sixth season of the show, Pete began to show symptoms of glaucoma, a
degenerative condition of the eyes that causes the victim to lose his sight.
He is now legally blind and needs special computer equipment to read printed
text.
2.3) Jack Dalton (Bruce McGill)
Whenever Jack Dalton enters MacGyver's life, things always seem
to get more complicated. He's always got something up his sleeve, and it's
usually a get-rich-quick plan that backfires. The son of a (posthumously)
decorated Air Force pilot, Jack was put up for adoption shortly after he
was born. He grew up with MacGyver in Mission City, Minnesota, and moved
to California, where he ran a short-lived taxi service before setting up a
private airline, Fly-By-Night. Subsequent enterprises include Jack-Be-
Quick Messenger Service and his current business, Dalton Air.
MacGyver has learned to avoid Jack Dalton like the plague, for
when Jack appears on the scene, trouble is sure to follow. He can tell
when Jack's lying when his left eye twitches. Despite his numerous
business failures, Jack remains optimistic that he'll someday make the big
score.
2.4) Murdoc (Michael Des Barres)
Little is known about the international assassin Murdoc. He is, and
has been, the best in his line of work; his methods are, in his own words,
"quick, neat, untraceable." His mastery of makeup and costuming have made
him difficult to identify, and he never leaves loose ends - except, of
course, in the case of MacGyver and his friends.
Murdoc had been known to the DXS for about five years prior to
1980, when he attempted to kill Peter Thornton and MacGyver. This 1980
encounter resulted in Murdoc's apparent death in a collapsing building.
He did not return until seven years later, when he nearly succeeded in
blowing Mac and Pete up. Murdoc "died" in this confrontation, too, after
being careless with dynamite. But somehow, he escaped the explosion, and
he reappeared about a year later, to the surprise of a grieving MacGyver and
Nikki Carpenter; again, he took a "fatal" dive off the mountain known as
the Widowmaker after cutting his own climbing rope. The next time he
tried to kill MacGyver, he staged an elaborate musical, "Cleo Rocks,"
using MacGyver's friend Penny Parker as a pawn. Posing as crippled
director Jacques La Rue, he came very close to realizing his goal - only
to be defeated, once again, by MacGyver's ingenuity. For his "death" this
time, he plunged into a fiery pool after being electrocuted. Murdoc
laid to rest his vendetta, albeit temporarily, against MacGyver when he
realized that MacGyver was the only one who could help him rescue his
sister, Ashton Cooke, from his vengeful ex-employer at HIT, Homicide
International Trust. This spirit of cooperation between the two, however,
did not last; after another of Murdoc's "deaths," he and MacGyver resumed
their deadly game of cat-and-mouse...with Murdoc, yet again, plummeting
into a flooded mine shaft. Murdoc's final regular-series appearance was
as the right-hand man of a deposed Central American dictator who intended
to regain power; Murdoc made his exit by driving a Jeep off of a cliff
after a failed attempt to run MacGyver down.
Despite his nasty homicidal tendencies and twisted sense of honor,
there are facets of Murdoc's personality that are quite likeable. The
assassin is a photography buff; to assure his employers of a successful
hit, he sends them a picture of the moment of the victim's death. He
showed his talent for musical composition when he wrote the score for
"Cleo Rocks," and he even fell in love with Penny Parker as he worked with
her on the production. He secretly supported his sister, Ashton, without
revealing to her his identity. If he hadn't become a hired killer, he
probably would have chosen a career as a photographer or a musician.
If Murdoc survived his last encounter with MacGyver (and it's very
likely that he did), then it is certain that he will try to kill MacGyver
again. MacGyver is, after all, the only blemish on Murdoc's otherwise
spotless record. He's the one man Murdoc has failed to kill.
2.5) Penny Parker (Teri Hatcher)
MacGyver's scatterbrained friend. An aspiring singer and actress,
Penny is one of those people, according to MacGyver, who needs "looking
after."
She met MacGyver at a Bulgarian airport, but not under the best of
circumstances; both were detained after police found Penny's jewels (which
were later revealed to be the stolen crown jewels) in MacGyver's pocket.
After a happy ending, Penny appeared again in Los Angeles, having
"borrowed" Mac's apartment while she earned a living as a singing
telegram. She enlisted MacGyver's help in solving the mystery of her aunt
Betty's house and, presumably, is still trying to make it as an actress.
2.6) Harry Jackson (John Anderson)
Mac's grandfather. He became MacGyver's father-figure after Mac's
father and grandmother were killed in a car accident December 14, 1962
(see the episode "Phoenix Under Siege"). Harry taught the young MacGyver
much about life, including the value of fair play (see "Harry's Will").
But seven years later he left the MacGyver household without saying
goodbye. Another sixteen years passed before he and MacGyver reconciled,
and Harry would show up in town occasionally for holidays and Mac's
birthday. In the fifth-season episode "Passages," he shared one final
adventure with his grandson before succumbing to complications from a
heart attack.
(Note: Sadly, John Anderson, owner of an impressive list of film
and television credits, passed away in 1992.)
2.7) Sean A. "SAM" Malloy (Dalton James)
Although SAM appeared in only one episode, the series finale "The
Stringer," his introduction had a profound effect on MacGyver's life. He
is the son of MacGyver and Kate Malloy, a photojournalist MacGyver was involved
with in his post-college years. After Kate was murdered by Chinese soldiers,
SAM vowed revenge on Chan, the general who executed her. His chance for
vengeance came when he and his father confronted Chan on a freighter, but
MacGyver talked SAM out of killing Chan. SAM and MacGyver set off on a
motorcycle journey together at the end of the series' seven-year run.
2.8) Other memorable characters
DEXTER FILLMORE (Richard Dean Anderson): MacGyver's favorite
alias. He used this computer-geek identity to help bring down a money
launderer, to stop a plot to steal top-secret Phoenix equipment, and to
shut down a counterfeit baseball memorabilia operation.
THE COLTONS (Cleavon Little, Richard Lawson, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Della
Reese): Frank, Jesse, and Billy Colton are brothers in the bounty-hunting
business. Their mother, affectionately known as Mama Colton, is the
brains behind the operation. A recent addition to the family has been
Frog, a dog who was left behind when his previous owner was forced to
assume a new identity.
NIKKI CARPENTER (Elyssa Davalos): Joined the Phoenix Foundation
in the third season of "MacGyver." She and MacGyver met when she was
investigating her brother's murder. Her husband was killed in a mafia
car-bombing that was meant for her; as a result, she's afraid of becoming
too involved with anyone (including MacGyver) for fear that she'll "jinx"
him like she "jinxed" her husband.
MAMA LORRAINE (Kimberly Scott): Owner of Haitian Creations
Botanical Shango, a shop down the street from MacGyver's seventh-season
apartment. She practices the Vodoun religion (more commonly known as
voodoo) and has quickly developed a friendship with MacGyver.
KATE MURPHY (Kim Zimmer): Head of the Los Angeles police
narcotics squad. She played an instrumental role in the initial arrest and
conviction of serial killer Dr. Zito (see next listing) and, as a result,
earned Zito's eternal hatred.
DR. ZITO (W. Morgan Sheppard): One of the truly memorable
villains of "MacGyver." He was a serial killer before Lt. Kate Murphy
stopped him and testified against him during his trial. From his cell at
the state mental hospital in Alameda, Zito carefully plotted his revenge,
using fellow prisoner Eric Cross as his weapon. MacGyver was able to stop
Cross after figuring out Zito's elaborate plan. Two years later, Zito
targeted MacGyver, attempting to teach him a "lesson in evil." Murphy was
seriously injured, but MacGyver bested Zito in a battle of wits.
MICHELLE "MIKE" FORESTER (Patricia McPherson/Lisa Bayliss): A
botanist who attended college with MacGyver and Jack Dalton. Jack, with
MacGyver's reluctant help, rescued her from a ruthless drug dealer in the
Central American country of Dinoto. Unfortunately, she was later killed on
the mountain known as "The Widowmaker" when her climbing equipment failed.
MacGyver, who had been climbing with her, mistakenly blamed himself for
her death; moments before she fell, he had hurt her by telling her that he
wasn't ready for commitment.
LISA WOODMAN (Mayim Bialik): The daughter of a wealthy
industrialist, Lisa came to MacGyver's aid after he was framed for the
attempted assassination of a nation's president. She was kidnapped by
one of her father's ex-employees and later developed a drinking problem,
for which she has sought counseling.
DEBORAH (Kristian Alfonso): Known as "The Negotiator," Deborah
was hired by Knapp, a land developer. Her goal: to get close to and
influence MacGyver, who was delaying one of Knapp's projects by voicing
his concerns over the impact the project would have on the local
environment. She failed to sway him, and she also failed to kill
MacGyver. Two years later, after serving a reduced sentence, Deborah
again tried to kill MacGyver. With his friends' help, MacGyver outwitted
her, but she fell to her death after one last attempt to kill him.
JIMMY KENDALL (Joe Santos): Formerly known as "The Eraser," Jimmy
Kendall gave up his life as a professional hitman (with MacGyver's help)
and assumed a new identity as the coach of a minor-league baseball team.
MICHAEL THORNTON (T. Scott Coffey/Hank Stratton): Pete Thornton's
son. Pete came to his and his mother's aid when a former DXS agent
kidnapped them, seeking revenge on Pete. Michael later became involved in
a plot to steal top-secret blueprints from the Phoenix Foundation. After
being caught, Michael cooperated with federal agents to expose the rest of
the theft ring.
CONNIE THORNTON (Penelope Windust/Linda Darlow): Pete Thornton's
ex-wife. She divorced Pete twenty years ago when she realized that his
work was taking up more of his time than she was. Connie returned to
help Pete through his eye operation.
JENNIFER REINER (Holly Fields/Traci Lords): Jennifer, whose
street name was Crystal, became a prostitute after years of abuse by her
father, a policeman. MacGyver, Cynthia Wilson, and Kate Murphy helped to
reform her.
MARIA ROMBURG (Brigitte Sternberg): A prospective love interest
for MacGyver, Maria was reunited with her grandfather when the Berlin Wall
fell. She joined the Phoenix Foundation, became romantically involved
with MacGyver, and then left for Brazil on assignment. (***Note: She
actually left the show after the producers received loads of angry mail
from female viewers, who wanted Mac to remain single and uncommitted.)
CYNTHIA WILSON (Roxanne Reese): Head of the Challengers Club.
Her husband, Booker, was murdered when he angered a member of the city
council who was a white supremacist. She performed a moving tribute to
her husband in "The Madonna."
BREEZE (Charles Andrew Payne): A former gang member, Breeze has
become a valued member of the Challengers Club.
MEI JAN (Michele B. Chan): A member of the Chinese student
movement. She arrived in the States as Sue Ling, MacGyver's Chinese
"foster daughter," and later revealed that the real Sue Ling had been
killed at the Tiananmen Square uprising in 1989. MacGyver helped her to
complete her mission in the U.S.
WILT BOZER (Robin Mossley): MacGyver's neighbor at the marina.
MILT BOZER (Robert Donner): Brother of Wilt Bozer. Curiously, he
appears only in the two Western "dream" episodes, but not in regular
"MacGyver" continuity.
EARL DENT (Dick Butkus): An ex-convict, Dent has since gone
straight. Dent has tried to support his daughter, Veronica, with winnings
from prize-fights.
WILLIS (Bruce Harwood): A Phoenix Foundation scientist whose work
appears to deal mainly with environmental studies.
The VON LEER BROTHERS, ERICH (Christopher Neame) and NICOLAS (Kai
Wulff): Two wealthy, dastardly treasure-hunting brothers. Erich used
MacGyver and his friend Zoe Ryan in a plot to recover the Holy Grail and
met his end instead. Nicolas, seeking revenge on MacGyver for his
brother's death, met his own demise in the search for the Eye of Osiris.
MIKE KILEY (Jackson Davies): If Mac needed to deal with the
police, Kiley was his man. Kiley apparently (either through script
inconsistencies or just plain hard work on his part) advanced quickly
through the ranks of the police department, going from Detective (in
"Twenty Questions") to Lieutenant (in "The Wall") to Captain (in "Lesson
in Evil").
The MacGyver F.A.Q. > Part 1 > Part 2 > Part 3 > Part 4
 Main Index
Note: The MacGyver FAQ previously appeared at www.uplinktech.net/macgyver/ which has closed: many thanks to Mel for giving me permission to re-post it here. Many, many thanks also to the people who wrote the information in this FAQ and put it together.
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