4K/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Reviews

DVD Review: “MacGyver: Season 2” Is Fun, Fun, Fun!

[yasr_overall_rating]
 

The thrilling reimagining of the classic series is back for Season 2! Join the adventures of Angus “Mac” MacGyver, a secret government operative who uses his extraordinary talent for unconventional problem-solving and vast scientific knowledge to save lives.

I loved “MacGyver” when it first premiered back in 1985 and starred Richard Dean Anderson. I especially loved the theme song. Flash forward to 2016 and when news came about that they were rebooting the series with Lucas Till in the titular role, a lot of people were skeptical. Honestly, I didn’t mind, like when a new actor takes over the role of James Bond, it will take a while for people to adapt but for the most part, that is usually what happens. And that is what happened with the new “MacGyver.” With season three premiering next Friday, September 28th on CBS, it has obviously found a fan base and I’m glad because with the original “MacGyver,” he pretty much went on adventure after adventure by himself whereas with the new iteration, MacGyver (Lucas Till) and his partner Jack Dalton (George Eads), do everything together. Bruce McGill played Jack Dalton in the original series but only made an occasional guest appearance. In the new show, Lucas Till and George Eads exude plenty of onscreen chemistry and that is what matters most if you are to care about these characters.

Season 1 introduced us to the new characters and while it took some getting used to, after years of watching Richard Dean Anderson doing his thing, about halfway through season 1, I was finally able to accept Lucas Till as the new MacGyver. He is charming, charismatic, and when it calls for it, courageous, at times, putting his own life over that of everyone around him. The guy has heart and believes in the power of family and friendship. George Eads’ Jack Dalton, on the other hand, is very much the opposite. He is brash, impulsive, and often refers to himself in the third person. He thinks very highly of himself but when it comes right down to it, he really is a big softie. He idolizes Mac and would do absolutely anything for him because most times, Mac’s brain over brawn way of thinking has saved them more times than he would care to admit. I liked George Eads on “CSI” but his character was always so serious. With “MacGyver,” he shows his goofy and eccentric side and has fun doing so.

Season 2 takes our protagonists all over the world, from Cuba to Azerbaijan to France, the Bermuda Triangle, Area 51, and beyond. While each episode stands on its own merits, there are recurring storylines and characters that appear from time to time. Murdoc (David Dastmalchian), a master assassin who MacGyver has crossed paths with before, shows up again this season. When it is discovered that Murdoc’s former mentor, Nicholas Helman (Michael Des Barres who played Murdoc in the original series), is trying to kill Murdoc, both Mac and Jack have to protect him so that they can bring him back to serve justice and in an unprecedented move, Murdoc actually saves MacGyver when he gets caught in the crosshairs between him and Helman. Murdoc then manages to escape so no doubt he’ll show up again in the upcoming season 3.

At the beginning of the season, a new character, Samantha Cage (Isabel Lucas), is introduced and becomes a member of the Phoenix Foundation family, comprised of Mac, Jack, Riley Davis (Tristin Mays), Jack’s step-daughter, Wilt Bozer (Justin Hires), Mac’s childhood friend, and Matty Webber (Meredith Eaton), the team’s boss. Samantha and Mac obviously care for each other and throughout a series of episodes, they get close but nothing happens. She is then shot and left for dead by Murdoc but manages to survive. She leaves the show as her character states she is heading back to her native Australia to be with her family to recover and is never seen again. She made for a welcome addition to the show and the intimation was hinted at, very heavily, that she and Mac would eventually hook up but that never materialized. I have no idea whether she will return to the show and according to her IMDb biography, she is currently working on other projects but at least they didn’t kill her off and left the door open for her to possibly return at a later stage.

The most consistent narrative throughout the show is Mac’s obsession with finding his father, who left him when he was 10-years-old after his mother died. It reaches peak levels when mysterious packages begin turning up on Mac’s doorstep, filled with clandestine clues which seemingly lead to nowhere, that is until Mac finally gets the chance to meet his father in the season’s final episode, “MacGyver + MacGyver.” Apparently, he is the boss of the Phoenix Foundation and when Mac first meets him, they are being chased by bad guys. Mac, his dad James (Tate Donovan), and Jack have to go on a mission to Mexico to stop James’ former partner from creating a drug that will turn soldiers into super soldiers and Mac hopes the time he spends with his dad will allow them to bond but James seems more intent with the mission at hand than opening up to his son. After all is said and done and everyone makes it back safely to the US, James tries to explain his absence to Mac but he is having none of it. He tenders his resignation and walks out of the Phoenix Foundation. Roll on season 3!

What I like about the new “MacGyver,” is that in this era of TV shows that are filled with over-the-top violence and gunplay, it pokes fun at itself and never takes itself too seriously. Similar to the 1980s TV show, “The A-Team,” in that series, not once did anybody die as a result of the team’s actions. If a car crashed, exploded, or rolled over 100 times, the occupants always emerged shaken, but not seriously wounded. The same goes for “MacGyver.” As a pacifist, he always manages to get out of sticky situations using his intellect and for the most part, the bad guys get beaten up by Jack but that is about the extent of their injuries. The chemistry between the entire main cast is obvious and everyone has their own individual idiosyncrasies and character traits but never is it more evident than when they’re all together. Over time, they have become a family as a result of their trials, tribulations, and missions and usually with the closing of each episode, they rendezvous at Mac and Bozer’s place in the Hollywood Hills, share a laugh, have a beer, and generally, try to keep a positive outlook on what is to come. Exactly what a family is supposed to do.

Now available on DVD

 

 

Loading…

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

James McDonald

Originally from Dublin, Ireland, James is a Movie Critic and Celebrity Interviewer with over 30 years of experience in the film industry as an Award-Winning Filmmaker.