The Good

The Bad

MacGyver - The Complete Third Season sees our favorite hero back working for the Phoenix Foundation as he fights bad guys the world over. Getting in many adventures along the way, MacGyver lls, yet every so often has to call on the help of Pete (Dana Elcar) and Jack (Bruce McGill), two friends that may not always know the dire circumstances, but yet get their part of the job done. Sure, it gets a bit much seeing MacGyver always save the day or get out of a very tight situation, and since you know watching these shows retroactively that it ran for 7 years, you certainly know that the sense of imminent fatality is pretty nil. However, Richard Dean Anderson imbues this character with such a likable charm and saintliness, that I found I am more than able to get passed all that. This is just one of those shows that you put on and let the episodes play.

Lastly, I cannot strand Michael Des Barres in the role of Murdoc. It’s just too much seeing him on this show. I think he has got to play one of the least intimidating “bad guys” in the history of TV and movies. Whenever he comes on screen... whenever I hear his voice, I just cringe. Maybe I have a problem with his acting? Maybe I hate him for taking Robert Palmer’s place in the mid-80s group, “The Power Station”? Whatever it is, this guy seemed to be written off more times than a good tax shelter. That’s one thing I like about having these shows on DVD, I can just skip the episodes that he appears on.

Features

No extras came with this DVD.

Personally, I would have loved a “Making Of” or some sort in-depth look at the characters of Mac, Pete and Jack. These guys make a very interesting and fun team and if I could have had a hand in creating this show, I would have tried to emphasize their chemistry a great deal more than it was.

Here’s hoping they rerelease all the seasons of this show in a set with a bevy of extras!

Video

Full Frame - 1.33:1. As Angus MacGyver is someone who can use “natural elements” to get himself out of seemingly any situation, this show takes place in a myriad of locations. As such, it never seemed to not push itself in terms of subject matter and how this show looks. I know that a decent a mount of these locations were probably soundstages on a studio lot, but this show never failed to convince me that MacGyver was where they said he was and that he was doing the things that he was doing. Sure, this show “looks 80s,” because that is when it was created, but I think that good storytelling works in any decade and that is very apparent here.

Audio

Mono - English. While at times there is a hint of overacting on all the actor’s parts, at least they are acting. There is nothing stagey or self-serving about this show in anyway. The characters just deliver their lines, and while at times, the conviction might seem a little on the “overacting side”, on the whole I think that everyone comes out looking equally as good. The main characters are all likable, and there is a certain “can do” attitude in the dialogue that makes this show somewhat infectious. Some people might complain about the mono tracks on this DVD, but overall I found the sound just where it needed to be for the subject matter at hand.

Package

All 5 discs are neatly housed inside this economical packaging. MacGyver stares at us unflinchingly as explosions loom all around him. The back features some pictures from certain episodes, a description of the show and some technical specs. Inside this vinyl cardboard cover, all the discs are housed very neatly. On the back of each case is an episode index as well as a description of each episode. While the packaging may not be something MacGyver himself would marvel at, just owning these shows on DVDs is enough. For now. I look forward to a rerelease in which you have to know a code, or pick a lock in order to access all the discs of this show.

Final Word

I would like to dedicate this “Final Word” section to the late Dana Elcar. With such a rich career as an actor and TV director, it saddens me to think that he died and was not given a grand send off. He was truly magnificent in The Sting, and this carried over into other films such as The Champ, The Nude Bomb and “MacGyver” seemed to be a great swansong to his illustrious career. Some people might only look at him as a “bit” player, a character actor, or a “co-star” but I think everyone who has seen his work will agree that when he was on the screen, he was the star of that scene.

MacGyver - The Complete Third Season was great to watch. It really is a timepiece from the glorious 1980s. While I may not like Michael Des Barres that much, even he cannot ruin what a fun ride this show is.