(Credit: www.amazon.com)
Creator
Lee David Zlotoff
The Cast
Richard Dean Anderson……….Angus MacGyver
Dana Elcar……….Pete Thornton
Bruce McGill……….Jack Dalton
Teri Hatcher……….Penny Parker
Murdoc……….Michael Des Barres
The Season
What a long strange trip it has been. MacGyver and me have had some history. He’s built explosives out of shoes, gum, and gasoline. I’ve gotten a few laughs out of it. Mac and me
have been a team. Over the past few seasons though, we’re less of a team and more of awkward friends who keep running into each other at the same party. The uncomfortable chit chat. The talk about “how bout them Whalers” and the equally uncomfortable realization that Hartford hasn’t had a hockey team in years. Ah, the memories.
MacGyver has come back for a 4th season and this time the uncomfortable silence has been filled with pleasurable talk of yesteryear. MacGyver as a show addresses one of its big problems this season, a lack of reoccurring, meaningful characters. The biggest addition to the MacGyverse is Murdoc. Murdoc is essentially evil MacGyver. Rather then using devices though, Murdoc uses idodic disguises with poor accents. It’s incredibly cheesy, but this is MacGyver we’re talking about.
Beyond this addition, season 4 features much of the same MacGyver goodness that you’ve come to expect from Angus. MacGyver battles his way through international terrorism plots, kidnappings, and protecting various women of the week. His gadgetry is inventive and often times hysterical. Simply put, MacGyver Season 4 offers what every other MacGyver season has offered. A great time bundled in a nice fluffy package.
Season 4 is a definite improvement on the MacGyver formula. MacGyver still is an incredibly episodic series that offers practically nothing beyond a good fun time. The series manages to switch it up just a bit this season to give it a new car smell even if it is the same old car. MacGyver’s 4th season won’t blow your mind even if the sheer absurdity of MacGyver’s inventions do. It’s just good clean fun. Canadian fun that is.
Score: 7 out of 10
The Video
The video is presented in a full screen 4×3 format. The video quality is pretty much the same as Season 2 which is a slight step up from Season 3. Still it’s an 80s TV show. If you’re expecting something beyond color then… well… yeah.
The Audio
MacGyver Season 4 is presented in a 2.0 Dolby Digital stereo track. It is much better then the video. It sounds excellent for what it is. The ambiance music comes across clear and crisp. All of the explosions are also crisp sounding and dialogue is clear and intelligible (and crisp). The audio couldn’t get any better or crisper unless they re-recorded all of the dialogue for maximum crispiness.
The Extras
Blah. Not a darn thing beyond the same six or seven trailers for other extraless TV shows on DVD we’ve been getting every season. A single point for you this time MacGyver. Next time, bring something, anything, please!
Score: 1 out of 10
