Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: April 2nd, 1986 —
Bandits hijack a train seeking justice from MacGyver and other innocent bystanders [SPECIAL GUEST: Pamela Roylance!]
MISSION: On a train to India, a group have passengers see their plans derailed by a gang of bandits seeking vengeance on a pair of businessmen who sold their village bad medicine.
This week’s highlights include:
SPECIAL GUEST: PAMELA ROYLANCE!
Pamela Roylance chats with us this week about the set of MacGyver, working with Frances Bergen, an extra scene shot separately from the rest of the episode, and a theme park sign with an accidental cameo that caused problems behind the scenes. For more of Pamela’s work, please check out the Social Network clip and FunnyOrDie video “Previously On Point Dume” embedded below!
Check out The MacGyver Project’s Interview with Xahra Gilbert here.
Also, the TV Guide article written on this set can be found transcribed here.
Polygraph (Technology)
A polygraph (popularly referred to as a lie detector) measures and records several physiological indices such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while the subject is asked and answers a series of questions.
Check out the article on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygraph
Watch S1E19: “Slow Death” on CBS’s website or check the alternative streamability of this episode here.
Great interview with Pamela Roylance — really interesting to hear her explanation of how that extra scene was added in. One other piece of trivia about this episode that I learned from Kandel was that some of the footage was taken from the movie “Gandhi.”
They did a pretty good job matching in both situations. I didn’t even notice the Gandhi stuff. Maybe when a bluray transfer drops it’ll be more obvious.
From Andrea’s response it looks like MacGyver made the bit up about thwarting a war as something that sounds inflated enough to someone who doesn’t know that his missions could actually have this level of importance to let her know that she was overly inquisitive.
I liked the homemade “lie” detector, and it demonstrates why I wouldn’t consent to a test regardless if I’m guilty or not. It can only detect stress, not the reason for it, and knowing that of course I would set it off at the worst time!
Andy’s escape attempt in to the middle of nowhere reminds me of a funny scene from the second episode of Jonathan Creek, when Jonathan susses out that Maddy’s driving him down on a countryside lane to get him to solve a murder mystery, so he demands that she stops the car immediately. After he gets out and she drives off, he starts to look increasingly worried as there’s nothing but crops to see and nothing but birds’ chirping and cows’ mooing to hear. In the next scene, he’s back in the car with Maddy, grudgingly asking her where they should start the investigation…