MacGyver this week brings us an oddly bloodless Embassy siege. “Chisel” also sees Bozer, Mac’s bestie still upset over being lied to about Phoenix and Mac’s real job. Walt is given a lengthy interrogation by Thornton now that he knows that Mac is a spy.
Bozer actually ties with Jack for the best line of the episode. Dalton, continually calls Latvian terrorist Janis everything but his name. At one point the bad guy threatens the group and Jack, in typical fashion reacts physically.
He smacks Janis and says, “Shut up Jar Jar.” Dalton has never been more insulting that this. Calling anyone Jar Jar, as in Binks, as in the most hated character in Star Wars history is pretty darned funny.
However, Bozer’s smart arsed reply to Thornton while in interrogation is a close tie to Dalton’s insult laden crack at Janis. Thornton shows Boze pictures of his prosthetics lab and he notices that his things are marked as evidence.
Bozer: “…Now you know the truth. I go briefs. Never boxers. Sometimes commando, but only when it’s laundry day.”
Thornton (dryly): “Thank you… for that imagery.”
In Latvia the bank manager tips off Jar Jar Janis, and he almost escapes. The team grab him and find that he sent out an SOS to every contact on his mobile phone.
Mack and his team then try to keep ahead of the terrorists and get to the airfield. They get cut off and instead head to the Latvian American Embassy. At first things are a bit dodgy as the four Marines on duty at the gate throw down on the group.
A quick call to Thornton sorts out the problem and Mac’s team get into the Embassy one step ahead of the terrorists. Mac and Dalton, come up with several plans to fortify the building and to hold off the terrorists who want to bet in.
Riley explains to Janis that his buddies out there are not going to save him. They believe he is now a snitch and they will kill him if they get the chance.
While holding off the bad guys, Mac makes up bullet proofing by using sheets of paper (possibly the coolest bit of the episode), uses kevlar vests to bullet proof a couple of doors and makes explosive with sugar and some other “household supplies.”
Meanwhile, Bozer gets a ringside seat and watches the mission play itself out. Dalton manages to get off a couple of good lines through the attack on the Embassy.
They draw the terrorist group into the building as the bad guys have reinforcements coming and the trapped party have to wait for their cavalry to arrive. Once they trap the villains, the group grab a humvee and a few cars and evacuate the building.
Bozer learns that his interrogation is over and that Thornton has arranged for him to work at the Phoenix Organization in the lab; making prosthetics. Boze is happy to be spy but he is not too keen on going out into the field.
MacGyver “Chisel” feels like an episode of the 1980’s adventure series The A Team. There are more rounds fired in this episode than all the other episodes of this season added together. Yet no one gets so much as a single scratch.
There is one somber moment that elevates things in this episode. As the terrorist begin to storm the building the ambassador calls home. She tells her other half to keep the kids away from the television. She does not want them to see what happens to her.
For all the nonsensical fluffiness of this series so far, the writers managed to work in one touching and honest scene. Well done chaps.
Although the amount of supplies to be found in the embassy closets is laughable, when compared to the limited amount of staff who work in the building. One other questionable moment was the amount of gunpowder to be found in one nine millimeter cartridge.
Overall, not a bad storyline but the show still feels like a Saturday morning kid’s show. To be fair though, Jack does call Janis a son-of-a-b*tch. Not quite the stuff of children’s television but everything else was petty much ‘G’ rated…
MacGyver airs Fridays on CBS. Tune in for some light entertainment and mindless escapism. Fans of the original MacGyver may want to give this one a miss. So far, it does not quite measure up.
Cast:
- Lucas Till – Angus MacGyver
- George Eads – Jack Dalton
- Sandrine Holt – Patricia Thornton
- Tristin Mays – Riley Davis
- Justin Hires – Wilt Bozer
- Tracy Spiridakos – Nikki
Guest starring Tobias Jelinek as Janis, Alicia Coppola as Ambassador Roberts and Andrew Ayala as Admiral Rodriguez.
Mikes Film Talk 