TO BE A MAN
01.17 Episode 17 (#40191-017)
Airdate: March 5, 1986
Shot down and wounded by Soviets in Afghanistan while recovering a satellite, MacGyver is rescued, healed, and guided out by an Afghan woman and her son.
Written by: Don Mankiewicz
Directed by: Cliff Bole
Guest Starring: Persis Khambatta as Zia, Dana Elcar as Peter Thornton, Sid Haig as Khalil, Allan Kolman as Captain Osharansky, Ajay Naidu as Ahmed, Michael Shore as Sergeant Borsov, Ron Gilbert as Lieutenant, Teresa Bowman as Judy, Ted Pitsis as Technician, Richard Duran as Afghan Man
Nielsen Ratings: 12.6 rating / 19 share / 2nd (47th overall)
Reference: Afghanistan, Ahmed, Sergeant Borsov, Judy, Khalil, Captain Osharansky, Rogallo Satellite, Zia
MACGYVERISMS
Disarmed a booby-trapped mechanism on a satellite data capsule
Used pieces from a downed satellite to build a hang glider
Used a scarf and a rock as a slingshot
Propelled a tank of butane as a projectile by shattering the top with a ladle
Repaired a water pump by wrapping the plunger with material to make an airtight vacuum
Used a rope and a loosened post to bring a shed crashing down on the enemy
Knocked out the enemy by hitting him in the face with a shovel
Destroyed a jeep by making "artillery" using water, a wedge, and a fire extinguisher to fracture a large rock
NOTES OF INTEREST
- Richard Dean Anderson broke his right hand while shooting an action sequence during the earlier episode, "The Enemy Within." During this episode, the cast on his right arm is hidden by his flight suit and gloves, and is then explained as an injury from having been shot in the right shoulder and hand by Afghan militia.
- In the original script, MacGyver is wounded in both the thigh and the right hand. The injuries may have been adjusted to accommodate Richard Dean Anderson's real-life injury and the cast on his right arm.
- Ajay Naidu, who played Ahmed, is not actually listed in the episode credits.
- Zia's name is never used in the episode, but she is referred to by name in the script.
- MacGyver pilots a military jet and parachutes out of it.
- MacGyver specifically states, "Lord, I hate heights" as he is about to hang glide off the mesa.
- Familiar Faces:
- Sid Haig, who portrays Khalil, also played Khan in the MacGyver episode "Thief of Budapest."
MEMORABLE REMARKS
- It's very difficult to say good-bye to someone who means so much. [Zia]
- You're staring at me. [MacGyver]
I just want to remember. [Zia] - Why [didn't you kill him]? [Ahmed]
Because I didn't have to. That should be reason enough for anybody. [MacGyver]
FOR THE RECORD
- Swiss Army Knife Count: (1)
- Used the blade to disarm the booby-trapped mechanism on the satellite data capsule
- Duct Tape Count: (1)
- Used duct tape to help build a hang glider from parts of a downed satellite
- MacGyver Science:
- Water's funny stuff. When it gets cold enough, it expands.
- Injury Scorecard:
- MacGyver is shot in the right shoulder and right hand by Afghan militia.
- MacGyver's shoulder wound is infected, and Zia cauterizes it with a hot iron from the fireplace.
IMAGES
