| Last Stand | |
| Season 1, Episode 7 | |
 | |
| Airdate | 17th November 1985 |
| Written by | Judy Burns |
| Directed by | John Florea |
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Last Stand is the 7th episode of Season 1 in the original version of MacGyver.
Synopsis[]
Armed robbers make the mistake of accidentally taking Angus MacGyver hostage. Now, their inadvertent captive uses his extraordinary skills to thwart the gang and free the other hostages.
Act One[]
MacGyver is driving through the mountains in a Jeep Cherokee or similar SUV. He is looking for Sparrow Lake, a place where his father used to enjoy fishing. Noting that he never remembers the correct route to the out-of-the-way lake, MacGyver takes the wrong path at a fork in the road, heading toward Sparrow Ridge Airport. Upon realizing this, he pulls into a small diner at the airport, part of Nielsons's Flying School.
As MacGyver approaches the diner, he gives a friendly "How you doing?" to a man standing outside the diner, who unbeknownst to MacGyver, is holding a rifle behind his back. MacGyver enters the diner to ask for directions, and though a man standing at a pinball machine tells MacGyver that they're closed, the waitress behind the counter gives him directions while a man sitting near the register with a large contusion on his head looks on. Sensing something wrong, MacGyver asks if he can have a cup of coffee anyway. The man tries to refuse, but the waitress quickly answers yes, and MacGyver sits down at the counter as the man from outside enters the diner, propping himself on the end of the counter.
The second man sits down next to MacGyver and asks where his breakfast is. Taking his first sip of coffee, MacGyver sees the word "HELP" written on the inside of the mug. MacGyver confirms this with a look from the waitress, but the man from outside demands to see the cup. When MacGyver refuses, the man pulls out the gun from behind his back, and takes the cup from him. Seeing the message, the man from the pinball machine introduces himself as Terry Andrews and tells the cook, Al Tennyson, to make him breakfast while the armed man empties MacGyver's pockets, taking his Swiss Army Knife and money.
The armed man caresses the waitress, getting threatened by both Tennyson and the injured man, Dave. An 18-Wheeler from Trans-Allied Van Lines pulls into the parking lot, and the robbers demand that everyone go outside to meet them. Two more men emerge from the truck, 40 minutes late after driving overnight from Dallas. They open up the back of the truck to reveal a van. Bringing it down on ramps, we discover that it is an armored van with a guard still inside. An explosive charge is placed on the locked door of the van, which MacGyver claims will likely kill the guard as well as destroy the money, so MacGyver uses this idea to convince the robbers to let him make a thermite torch to open the lock.
Taking flammable filings from a magnesium bike frame and scraped off rust from an old paint can, MacGyver loads them into a thin metal pipe and uses an highway flare to ignite the materials, creating a torch that easily cuts the lock out of the van. The doors are opened, and the guard comes running out gasping for air. As he regains his breath and stands up holding his gun, he is shot and killed by the man MacGyver originally met outside the diner.
Act Two[]
MacGyver goes with Dave to dispose of the body and ask Dave about his history as a pilot. Dave says he was a pilot in Vietnam before he got shot down and forced to dig graves for his crew and him by the Vietcong. Dave was held for 13 months and when the Cong tried to shoot him over his own grave Dave resisted and tells MacGyver he and Kelly are the only ones who will not press judgement on him. Turk tells them to get back to digging before the body stinks.
Inside the diner the robbers are counting their take when MacGyver and Dave come in with Turk after disposing of the body. Turk tries to molest Kelly before Buddy tells him to stop. Kelly tells them nobody has a claim on her and to leave her alone. MacGyver tells Buddy to show some good taste before Buddy answers with a rifle to MacGyver's head. Andrews their boss tells Buddy to put the gun down just as a plane calls over the radio for permission to land. Andrews tells Kelly to pick up the mic and clear him to land. Kelly does this but the plane says he is having trouble with his trim control switch and Kelly tries to wave him off. Andrews tells Kelly to tell the pilot to land and Dave says he might not have the parts. Andrews tells them if that plane does not land all of them will be dead. MacGyver offers to fix the plane when he lands offering to jerry rig a control switch for the trim. Turk goes with Kelly and MacGyver and they look for the parts they need to fix the plane. Buddy does not want any witnesses and he plans to have MacGyver killed before he heads off to Mexico.
In the hanger Kelly and MacGyver go over the parts they need to repair the plane with Kelly telling MacGyver it is a simple fix all Dave has to do is trace the circuits but the thieves don't know that. MacGyver ask Kelly about the chopper is she can fly them out and she says no and only Dave can fly it and they keep it maintained. Kelly confronts MacGyver about talking to Dave MacGyver tells Kelly he is not here to press blame and that he needs their help. Before this incident happened Kelly was in love with Dave and they have been working together to keep the airport in shape until these thieves showed up and took it over. Turk tells them to get busy but instead of building a part MacGyver has something in store for the crooks another MacGyverism. First MacGyver uses a pedal to knock out Turk then he and Kelly set up our second MacGyverism. For this one MacGyver mixes starter fluid, cotton from the chair, fertilizer, and a newspaper to make nitromannite and holds all of it together with duct tape. MacGyver tells Kelly to go back and get the others while MacGyver finishes up.
Kelly goes back inside and tells them Turk is thirsty and MacGyver is almost done. Kelly gets a can out of the cupboard and signals to Dave they are ready.
MacGyver finishes his bombs and lights a match and throws the bombs into the driveway to lure the crooks out. Kelly, Al, and Dave sneak out the back and meet MacGyver at the fire truck. MacGyver takes out Buddy with the firehose but runs out of water. Andrews and Lopez manage to catch up but MacGyver tosses a bomb at them and takes out their car. Buddy manages to catch up and shoots out the tires on the fire truck causing them to plow into a ditch and once again they are caught.
Act Three[]
Inside the dinner the crooks gloat over capturing MacGyver as the charter plane lands on the runway outside. Andrews takes Dave with him to fix the plane and Turk forces Al to make them sandwiches while Buddy and Lopez lock MacGyver and Kelly in the meat locker.
Outside Andrews lies to the pilot about him being their charter and Dave helps the pilot fix the plane while the crooks make plans to escape to Mexico.
Inside MacGyver needs to come up with a MacGyverism to get them out and fast or they will freeze in there. For this one MacGyver uses a meat hook as a screwdriver to open the lock and stuffs cardboard from a box into the opening.
While MacGyver finishes up Kelly opens up about how she ended up at the dinner. Dave use to work for her father and she was going to school in Chicago when Dave and her dad were shot down in Vietnam. Dave took her in and they have been pretending for a while and Kelly did not have the courage to tell Dave she loves him. MacGyver tells Kelly what Dave told him about what happened in Vietnam and what Dave did not tell her.
Outside Andrews tells his crew to hurry and load the cash because he wants to get out of Arizona soon to the Cartel in Mexico before the State Troopers arrive and find them.
To finish up MacGyver takes down the rail and sticks it in the light while he gets an ice cube. MacGyver melts the ice cube which quickly refreezes in the lock prying it open. To get out MacGyver smashes the lock with a side of beef and they get out of the meat locker.
Once outside the meat locker Kelly and MacGyver have another problem the crooks smashed the radio so they can't call for help. MacGyver has Kelly get down one of the drones hanging over the bar and MacGyver gets some olive oil he is going to sacrifice it in one final MacGyverism.
MacGyver takes the drone to the edge of the taxiway and starts it up. He duct tapes his final bomb onto the drone along with some olive oil and flies it over to the plane and detonates it. While the crooks are distracted Kelly takes Dave, Al, and the pilot and they hide in the hanger and wait for MacGyver. While the drone detonates Andrews tells Turk, Buddy, and Lopez to search the dinner or MacGyver could ambush them again.
Act Four[]
The crooks search for MacGyver who hide inside the ramp box under the truck. MacGyver takes out Turk for the last time and ties him up. Buddy and Lopez continue their search and Andrews tells them to find him.
Inside the hanger Kelly tells Dave to get the chopper in the air and help MacGyver. Dave tells her he can't do it and has a PTSD attack of Vietnam. Al and Kelly tell him he can do it and Dave heads to his chopper.
Dave still has a PTSD attack and MacGyver meets him at the chopper. MacGyver comforts Dave and Dave gets in the chopper and takes off. MacGyver hops on the rudder and disables the plane just as Buddy and Andrews taxi for takeoff keeping them on the airport apron. Lopez tries to back up Andrews and Buddy and Dave knocks him down with the skids.
With the plane circling Andrews gets out and tries to shoot MacGyver so they can get away MacGyver knocks Andrews down and tries to get into the cockpit to stop Buddy. Finally Buddy gets out and MacGyver knocks him down. Dave lands and rushes over to the plane and shuts it down before anyone gets hurt by to propellers.
With the robbers caught Al and Dave take them into the dinner and hold them for the police. Kelly give Dave a hug and MacGyver tells her wishes do come true.
MacGyverisms[]
- A complete list of problems solved by MacGyver is also available.
MacGyver uses a bike frame, magnesium, some pipes, rusty cans, and a flare to create a thermite lance to get inside the armored car when the robbers tried to blow it open with a bomb.
MacGyver uses a pedal to knock out Turk so he can make his bombs.
MacGyver makes several small bombs using fertilizer, starter fluid, foam padding, newspaper and duct tape.
MacGyver uses the hose on the fire truck to knock a bad guy off of a motorcycle.
To get him and Kelly out of the meat locker MacGyver uses ice, a lightbulb, a cardboard box, a meat hook used as a screwdriver, the meat rail, and a slab of beef to freeze and force the door open so they can get out.
MacGyver flies a remote control plane with a bomb as a distraction.
To prevent a plane from leaving, MacGyver jumps on the back and controls the rudder.
Bloopers[]
- Helicopter has blades spinning slowly when the pilot is preparing to get out, but in the very next shot, the blades are still going full speed.
Cast[]
Main CastOthersHarry Caesar as Al Tennyson
Steve Franken as Turk
Jackie Earle Haley as The Pilot
Art Hindle as Dave Redding
Kay Lenz as Kelly Nielson
Michael McGuire as Andrews
Anthony Penya as Hector Lopez
Lewis Van Bergen as Buddy