I finally took the plunge and decided to try watching the reboot of MacGyver. I'd heard several conflicting opinions, and I wanted to decide for myself if it's worth watching. So far, I'm not entirely sure, but I'm willing to give it a chance. I don't, however, feel inclined to do a full Ranked! series on it, so I'm introducing a new format in which I list and discuss 10 things about each episode with a short summary review at the end and a starred review. I may, after I finish the first season, rank them, but as for now, I'm writing in order of watching.
Season One
1. The Rising
2. Metal Saw
3. Awl - COMING MAY 10!!!
4. Wire Cutter
5. Toothpick
6. Wrench
7. Can Opener
8. Corkscrew
9. Chisel
10. Pliers
11. Scissors
12. Screwdriver
13. Large Blade
14. Fish Scaler
15. Magnifying Glass
16. Hook
17. Ruler
18. Flashlight
19. Compass
20. Hole Puncher
21. Cigar Cutter
If you continue to watch, I'll be curious to hear what you think as the show proceeds. Having watched all 21 episodes from season 1, I can definitively say it's not working for me. There were a handful of episodes with minor rewards but none of them would even rate within the top 100 episodes of the original.
ReplyDeleteI think Lucas Till is decent as "MacGyver". He plays the character well with just enough of a youthful sparkle to differentiate himself from the original. But MacGyver is a character who needs to fly solo to stand out. When he's constantly surrounded by knuckleheads loudly delivering lines and acting foolish, the fundamentals of the "MacGyver" format are diluted to the point of not being recognizable.
And above all, that's my biggest problem with the reboot. If feels like a generic CBS procedural. It feels like NCIS 4....not "MacGyver". The cast is too big. The writing is too cookie-cutter. The special effects are too cheap. And even when his MacGyverisms are above-average, as a few have been over the course of the season, they are explained at such a lightning-fast speed that the audience doesn't have time to fully process what he's up to. The complete and utter lack of creative inspiration stands in depressing contrast from the original, where amazing risks were taken to tell some truly memorable, diverse, and outside-the-box stories.
Of the secondary players, the only one I like at all is Riley, who has her moments of genuine humanity and delivering for the team. She's the only character whose hits aren't overwhelmingly overshadowed by her misses. Jack has taken over the show in many ways and his bull-in-a-china-shop foolishness doesn't work for me. Bozer has had a couple of moments but his shtick is typically as annoying as Jack's. Patricia Thornton was just a cardboard cutout, reflective of a show put together on the fly without any creative inspiration.
The 3 out of 10 score you listed would be what I'd give it...if I was generous. When I start watching a given network show, I tend to stick with it if I have any interest at all. With this series, the only reason I'm still watching it is my long-standing loyalty to the "MacGyver" franchise, and to see the little clues and character/location name-drops carried over from the original. Otherwise, I'd have dropped this show after about six episodes. I'll probably continue to suffer through season 2, which the series has been renewed for, but given that it airs in a bad time slot for me, I expect at some point to just say enough is enough.
The ratings are strong enough that it's likely to stick around for awhile. I had hoped it would get a full season to find its sea legs, but a full season in, it just doesn't feel like this patient is worth saving. I'll be curious to see if you agree as you proceed with the reboot. Like you, I thought the premiere was passable....but I can't say it gets better from there.
Welcome back, by the way. I thought maybe you decided against proceeding with the project after a more than two-month vacation!