HELLFIRE

01.08 Episode 8 (#40191-008)
Airdate: November 27, 1985

In Wyoming, MacGyver visits a couple of old friends from his hellcatting days, and turns "hellfighter" to cap an oil-well fire that's burning out of control.

Teleplay by: Stephen Kandel & James Schmerer and Douglas Brooks West
Story by: Douglas Brooks West
Directed by: Richard Colla

Guest Starring: Cooper Huckabee as Bill Farren, Nana Visitor as Laura Farren, Rudy Ramos as Pete Torgut

Nielsen Ratings: 13.1 rating / 21 share / 2nd (48th overall)

Reference: Bill Farren, Laura Farren, Tenstrike Mine, Pete Torgut, Wyoming

MACGYVERISMS

Fixed a fuse with a gum wrapper

Recited Curie's Law as a distraction before straightening and splinting a broken leg

Used a plank for support to walk across collapsing floorboards

Tested the viability of nitroglycerin by flinging a small sample against a metal drum

Built a cushion for nitroglycerin from plywood, wagon springs, wire, rope, and sand

Replaced the linkage spring of a truck with the spring from a ballpoint pen

Instructed Laura to use a thermos to keep nitroglycerin from becoming overheated

Recreated hellfighting equipment with pipes, a jeep, refrigerator, thermos, nitroglycerin, & a pulley

NOTES OF INTEREST

• The episode has no Opening Gambit.
• Although the episode does not identify the location of Bill and Laura's oil well, the TV Guide specifies the location as Wyoming.
• The episodes have clearly begun using a hand double for certain scenes.
• MacGyver recites Curie's Law: The magnetic susceptibility of a paramagnetic substance is inversely proportional to the absolute temperature.
• MacGyver and Bill Farren have known each other since they were kids. They used to do hellfighting together, usually with MacGyver backing up Bill. The last time they had seen each other was while hellfighting in Sumatra.
• MacGyver is skilled at juggling.
• MacGyver chews gum and drinks coffee.
• MacGyver specifically mentions that he is not married.
• As an additional MacGyverism, MacGyver likely created the homemade splint and crutch for Pete Torgut.
• Familiar Faces:
  • Nana Visitor, who portrays Laura Farren, also played Carol Varnay in the MacGyver episode "D.O.A.: MacGyver."

MEMORABLE REMARKS

• Man of many, many, many, many, many, many talents. [MacGyver]
• Well, naked dancing girls might have been a little better, but... you know. [MacGyver]
• Know-how, ingenuity... dynamite wouldn't hurt. [MacGyver]
• This road would definitely be an "E" ride at Disneyland. [MacGyver]
• Hey, you want to live forever? [Bill]
  Thinking about it. [MacGyver]
• He's thinking. I can hear the gears grinding away. [Bill]
• We're going to need a heat shield... we got our transportation... and the track for it... and we got our dynamite. There y'are! [MacGyver]

FOR THE RECORD

• Swiss Army Knife Count: (2)
  • Pried open a crate of dynamite
  • Scooped up a sample of nitroglycerin to test

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