As much as it seems easy to rid himself of romantic entanglements, however, he cannot seem to escape from the clutches of his longtime pal Jack Dalton (Bruce McGill) or his mentor/mother/other, Peter Thornton (Dana Elcar). Mac needs to figure out where these long-time co-conspirators in his life will fit. This seems to be the crux of Mac’s growth in Season Three: how far he lets folks into his emotionally insecure life. From starting out in Season One as a indefinable secret agent/master of all trades and graduating to a full time employee of a good guy organization in Season Two, Mac now comes into his own as a full fledged human being coping with those pesky elements around him: people. He learns and he fails, sometimes miserably---consequently, the buildup to his infamous skittish attitude to relating begins (as it does in Mac’s portrayer, RDA, in real time. Indeed, there are so many similarities between the two that you wonder where one begins and the other ends).

Mac fails with relating in that he cannot say no to either Pete or Jack, leading to some less than savory situations. Pete remains Mac’s staunchest ally and has come into his own as Head of Intelligence for the Phoenix Foundation. Mac returns Pete’s favor in supporting him when he seemingly gets busted for making a big mistake (“Early Retirement”). I’d like to say Pete grows as much as Mac, but while his character is definitely stronger, his tendency to whine gets greater. It seems as if the more Mac becomes involved with other people (i.e., women), the pitch level of Pete’s whine goes up. Still, Pete is a likable man (despite a possibly unhealthy interest in his friend) and the series would be much less classy without Dana Elcar’s presence.

Jack’s presence is very much felt in Season Three, as much if not more than the babes. While Jack provides comic relief and plot variations----usually not involving the Phoenix Foundation----I have never been drawn to the episodes in which he is featured. Thankfully, in Season Three, there are two episodes that serve to move Jack from a cardboard character to a man with many levels. In “Mask of the Wolf” he befriends an elder Native American and enlists Mac’s aid to find a sacred mask. The early scenes between Jack and the elder (Floyd Westerman) are charming in that Jack actually sits down and listens to the guy explain why the mask is so important. This is a new Jack, not looking for the deal. He and Mac relate in a very different way when Mac doesn’t have to continually watch Jack, fearing he will make “the touch” on someone. Similarly, their relationship in “Rock the Cradle” is unique because they are united in caring for an infant (purportedly Jack’s son). This episode is extremely entertaining, watching two avowed bachelors and free spirits figuring out how to deal with a dirty, crying baby (Mac sees it as a science experiment gone wrong and Jack tries to use his sweet talk on the child). This episode contains the funniest line of the whole seven-year series, in my opinion, spoken by Jack, to Mac----I won’t spoil it for you, but it does indicate the strong bond of trust between the two men and suggests some real affection. To add to the entertainment value of this episode, there is an utterly charming scene of Mac teaching the baby how to play hockey, with tiny sticks and tiny puck included.

Hockey leads me to my favorite episode of the season, “Thin Ice”. Mac does not get beaten up, nor imprisoned, nor does he have to take a bomb apart. He doesn’t get in a car chase or dodge bullets---he doesn’t have to de-whine Pete or babysit Jack (or even kiss a babe!). He does have to coach a high-school hockey team to State Championship and make sure the star player doesn’t implode. (Oh, and for the MacGyverism-minded, he does repair a compressor in a garage.) The excitement level is down, the Mac trick level is low, but the inner tension level is high. The focus is on the characters, and it makes for a very different type of MacGyver episode, marking a turn to dealing with social causes that is very apparent later in the series. RDA is forced to use the acting chops he has been developing and he does just fine. He draws upon his own history in hockey in one particular scene where he persuades the young hockey star to stick with what he loves, and it is extremely effective. But the episode is not to be missed for two reasons: Mac in some snappy suits (he dresses up nice!) and Mac on the ice, in uniform. The elation he feels when he is on the ice is vitally apparent. It lights up his face, and there is nothing more pleasurable than watching a man enjoy himself, whether it is Mac or whether it is RDA.

There is another moment where the boundaries between Mac and his portrayer seem to fade. In “The Negotiator” Mac is seen playing guitar, apparently inspired by a love interest. What we are hearing is actually RDA playing his own composition, “Eau de Leo” inspired by Leo Kottke, a personal guitar idol. For a guitarist like myself, it adds yet another admirable facet to an already cool character.

Season Three moves Mac along in his world, although he pretty much does what he has always been doing, using his brains and wit to overcome tremendous odds in saving plants, animals, kids, and yes, babes. It remains a charming series with an equally charming hero, and it deserves more than what this DVD collection represents. Very minimally packaged, with no information booklet, it contains five discs in three sleeves. There are no added bonus tracks, no blooper cuts, and no behind-the-scenes shots. The value of the package rests on the series itself. For enthusiastic fans like myself it is enough (but only just). Paramount should consider adding the extras to take advantage of the legion of those who remember the series fondly---no matter the babe quotient---but are not willing to shell out the bucks for this basic collection.

MacGuyver Complete Season 3 on DVD
Reviewed for Coffeerooms by Britophile
Talk about it here

Posted December 19, 2005 Permalink