MacGyver (1985–1992): Season 2, Episode 11 - Phoenix Under Siege - full transcript

( Theme music playing )

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

( Theme ends )

( Thunderclaps )

MacGyver: When I was about
ten, I got my first chemistry set.

I've been a beaker and
test tube nut ever since.

My mom said I was gonna
come up with a formula

That would either
improve the world...

Or blow up the house.

( Thunder rumbles )



I kind of felt like I
was in an old movie.

The sound of the
rain and thunder,

the flashes of lightning,

and me working alone
on a top secret project.

( Liquid gurgling )

I'm not sure why,
but I could sense

that this time everything
was gonna click,

and that I'd finally
complete the formula

I'd been working on
for such a long time.

But I also knew

that every drop I
added to the mixture

could mean the difference
between success and failure,

Between Jekyll...

And Hyde.



( Liquid gurgling )

( Thunder roaring )

MacGyver: Whenever they talk

about an overnight
scientific breakthrough,

you can bet it took
years of trial and error,

and when all those
experiments look like

they're about to pay off...

Well, you can get a
kind of tunnel vision.

All you see are
those glass tubes,

and the rest of the world
just sort of disappears.

Hi, Harry.

Raining out?

No, I took a walk in a car wash.

You've been gone
an awful long time.

Ain't you been workin'
on this long enough,

whatever it is?

Yes, I certainly have.

It's time for the test.

What kind of a test?

The ultimate test.

Well, hold it! What if you got

The wrong kind of
bromide in there?

Bud? You okay?

Speak to me.

It's great.

You got to have some.

Not till you tell me what it is.

It's eggnog...

Non-alcoholic eggnog.

Non-alcoholic eggnog?

- You're puttin' me on, bud.
- Nope.

You sure the world
needs a drink like this?

( Laughs )

What happened to your finger?

Oh, the perils of science.

Drink up.

Hope you didn't spend too
much time developin' this.

Another December 14.

Hard to believe
it's been 25 years.

I'm glad you're here, Harry.

Especially today.

Well, when you said

we were gonna see
gretzky and the oilers,

I figured, uh, it
was worth a trip.

Yeah.

Man: It's been two hours.

This operation againt
the Phoenix foundatin

is never gonna wor.

Woman: I don't remember
asking your opinion.

Man: How much longer
are we gonna wait?

As long as it takes for
Murphy to come out.

What makes you think
that the building's empty?

It's Sunday night.

Murphy's is the only car here.

Well, someone
else could show up.

Maybe Karl...

No names!

The liberation front hired me

to do this job.

They sent you to back me up.

We go inside, we
activate the device,

the building blows
up, and we walk away,

Never to see each other again.

Is that clear?

Yeah.

Good.

Jackson: I can't wait to see
gretzky and those oilers skate!

Our seats anywhere near the ice?

Close enough to hear some pretty

Outrageous language.

Ah, great! Never
seen gretzky in person.

Figured I never would, uh...

What's the matter?

The tickets.

- Where are they?
- I don't know.

You don't know?!

Did you lose 'em?

Come all the way from
Minnesota to see this game.

- Harry, will you let me...?
- Well, what...

- Let me think, let me think.
- Well...

- He gave 'em to me in his office.
- What? Uh...

We went down to the computer bay

to access the tompkins file;

back to his office...

I... oh...

They got to be at the
Phoenix foundation.

- Well...
- Come on, Harry. We can still make

Opening face-off.

( Thunder rumbling )

There's Murphy.

Murphy's a woman!

What sharp little eyes you have.

Let's go.

Ah, aren't you from
the eighth floor?

Uh, physics research
or something like that?

Fourth. Demographics.

Oh, yeah.

I thought I'd seen
you someplace before.

I'm Victoria James.

Susan Murphy.

Find her car key and put

the body in the
trunk of the car.

Wait!

James ( On tape ): I'd
seen you someplace before.

I'm Victoria James.

Murphy: Susan Murphy.

I love the fuzz, Harry.

You run out of shaving
cream back home

( laughing ): Or what?

Ah, I forgot to
do it this morning.

Harry Jackson, you've got
that sandpaper beard again.

Will you please
remember to shave?

You know, it's
got to be at least

20 years since we've
seen a game together.

Yeah.

I don't want to miss
a second of it, either.

Nah, don't worry.

I know all the shortcuts.

Remember, when you were a kid,

That winter I taught you
how to skate backwards?

Oh, I can't forget it.

Spent the whole
winter on my butt.

( Laughs )

( Water sloshing )

Do you ever think of
puttin' doors in this thing

Before somebody gets drowned?

Haven't lost a
passenger yet, Harry.

( Both laughing )

Hey, bud, where in the
Sam hill are you goin'?

Young MacGyver: Dad...

Who's Sam hill?

You been talkin' to your
grandpa Harry again?

Yeah.

Who's Sam hill?

I don't know why
the front's using her.

She doesn't believe in
what we're fighting for.

She's only in it for the money.

Look, we've used
outsiders before.

She designed and planted
the bomb at the airport.

She's supposed to be very good.

Huh? If she's so good,

how come the bomb didn't go off?

It didn't go off

because my support team
virtually invited the police

to the scene,

Not to mention the experts
from the Phoenix foundation.

Hey, we don't like
the Phoenix foundation

any more than you do.

And they're gonna pay the price

for interfering with our plans.

Well, I don't really care
about your reasons.

( Elevator bell dings )

I'm going to detonate the device

Because I don't want
it traced back to me.

( Elevator bell dings )

Leave the doors open
and watch for my signal.

Help you, miss?

( Whispers ): Excuse me,
I've lost my voice; I can't...

What's that again? ( Groans )

( Man choking and groaning )

Come on!

He'll be out for a
couple of hours.

Lock him in an elevator.

What floor are we going to?

Eight. That's where
the main computer is.

Release one of the elevators.

( Body thuds )

( Tires squealing )

MacGyver: You'll get a kick

out of seeing the
Phoenix foundation.

Jackson: I got no
time for sightseein'.

Not if we're goin' to a
hockey game... ahh...

Whew!

Come on, bud, we got to go.

Oh, keep your hat on, Harry.

There's 60 minutes of ice time.

There's plenty of time.

( Elevator bell dings )

Electronic voice: Card
key access verified.

Voice identification, please.

Murphy ( On tape
): Susan Murphy.

( Beep )

That was perfect!

That tape recorder
worked perfect!

It's a laser-assisted
digital recorder.

I built it.

Why do you need the computer?

Why don't we just set the bomb

and blow the building up?

In order for me to
activate the device,

I have to do one
very important thing.

Can you guess what that is?

Find it?

Very good.

( Elevator bell dings )

Hi. How are you doing tonight?

Where's Lou?

Ah, home sick.
Touch of the flu, I hear.

Ah, it's going around.

Name's MacGyver.

I'm on the clearance list.

I left some hockey
tickets upstairs.

He's with me.

I'll release the
elevator for you then.

- I'd appreciate it.
- Mm-hmm.

Use car number two.

( Clears throat )

How we doin'?

I'm doing fin.

Would you put
that cigarette out?

Surprised they'd let
you in without an I.D.

Well, you told
'em I was with you.

Yeah, but security's
usually a little more strict

about who they let in here.

Got a call from downstairs.

Two guys are coming up.

I haven't located
the device yet.

Uh, take the equipment
and get out of here.

I'll meet you in the stairwell.

( Elevator bell dings )

I'm telling you, we'll
never make the game.

Can't see the game
without tickets, Harry.

Electronic voice: Card
key access verified.

Voice identification, please.

MacGyver.

( Beep )

Sunday night? That's
what I call dedication.

Well, it's what I call fear.

My boss says he
wants these figures

by Monday morning,
or I am doomed.

My name's MacGyver.

This is my grandfather,

Harry Jackson.

Susan Murphy.

I've heard an
awful lot about you.

Anything good?

Some.

We better get moving.

Yeah, Harry, we will.

Um, what kind of work you doing?

Oh, I just had to access
some demographic figures.

I'm almost through now.

- Bud...
- Yeah, okay, Harry.

We'll see you again.

I'm sure of it.

Well, I know I didn't
leave the tickets

in the computer bay.

They got to be here somewhere.

( Sighs )

There it is.

( Typing )

Nice to meet you!

Maybe the tickets aren't here.

Maybe your friend Pete took 'em.

No, he doesn't like hockey.

How can you work
for a guy like that?

Call the lobby.

Tell him to kill the elevators

and secure the stairwell door.

- What for?
- Have him cut the outside phone lines

But not the intercom system.

I don't see why
you're doing this.

You don't have to
see why I'm doing it.

Just do what I tell you.

Get on the cellular phone.

I want to talk to your people.

Are we going to
blow the building now?

Soon. We're going to
blow the building soon.

I don't think we're going
to make it to that game.

Come on, Harry, be positive.

I'm positive we ain't
gonna make it to that game.

The liberation front.

Yes, I've located the device,

But there's a man in the
building named MacGyver.

Wasn't he the one who stopped

your assassination
attempt in Kuwait?

Yes, I thought you might.

Of course I can, but he's
not part of our original deal.

I got it!

When Pete and I came
back from the computer bay,

we were talking
about the tompkins file.

What are you looking for?

The tompkins file.

There they are! Let's go!

Yes, but the point is,

how much is
MacGyver worth to you?

( Laughs )

Somehow I think you can do

A lot better than that.

Done.

Get MacGyver and the old man.

Why bother?

The building's locked down.

You're gonna set the bomb...

he's smart enough
to figure a way out

before I can arm the device.

MacGyver is the best man
that the Phoenix foundation has.

If he's dead, it'll
help your cause.

You don't know
anything about our cause.

No, but I know a
lot about $100,000,

Which is what the
front is willing to pay.

Find him. Kill him.

Kill 'em both.

Harry: Bud, I got
to hand it to you.

I never thought
we'd find 'em in time.

I knew these tickets
would show up

sooner or later.

At my age, they'd
better show up sooner.

Oh, come on, Harry.
You're going to go on forever.

That's what I used to think.

Oh, just for safekeeping,

I'll put these puppies

in my pocket.

I'm going to put these
puppies in my pocket.

How come you want
me to call you Harry?

That's my name.

But you're my grandpa.

Yep... but "grandpa"
is for an old man.

Name's Harry.

Your move.

Harry: What's
wrong with this thing?

Huh?

You don't suppose
they forgot we're in here,

shut down the whole building?

No. We haven't signed out yet.

Something's weird here.

Lipstick.

What?

That girl we just met... Susan?

She was wearing lipstick,

But there wasn't
any on her cigarette.

What cigarette?

You didn't smell the
smoke in the room?

There was a fresh cigarette

in the ashtray,
but no lipstick on it.

Plus, she said she was
working demographics.

The demographic
department's on the fourth floor.

This is the eighth.

A security guard I've
never seen before...

I don't like what's
going on here.

Let's check the stairway.

What are you doing?

Shh! Quiet.

( Whispers ): Look out, Harry...

What the hell's going on?

Why are they shooting at us?

I guess those tickets
are hotter than I thought.

What are you doin'?

Slowing down the
hydraulics on this door.

Come on.

( Whispering ): Let's go, Harry.

That's easy for you to say.

You're not running on my knees.

Put the equipment down.

Open the cases, but
don't take anything out.

D-Don't touch that.

That's the bomb?

Looks just like
a little suitcase.

Yes, well, I find it more
convenient than a brown paper bag.

What's your name, anyway?

Fred.

But you said you didn't
want to know our names.

Yours I want to remember.

Come on, let's get to work.

This is a fire door.

It's never supposed
to be locked.

There's a New York lock on it.

It's got a suction base...

The harder you push,
the stronger it gets.

Who put it there?

MacGyver: I'd be willing to
guess that guy at the desk.

You sayin' we're
trapped in here?

Yeah.

Why'd they wanna do that?

I don't know, Harry.

I really don't know.

Harry: Where are we goin'?

There's a lab
on the third floor.

Maybe we can find what
we need to open that door.

- ( Panting )
- You all right?

Whew! There was a
time I could run all day

Without breakin' a sweat.

I tell ya, it's
hell gettin' old.

Age is only in the mind, Harry.

Well, my mind tells
me I'm gettin' old.

I'd better call Pete.

He can get things moving.

Line's dead.

Let's get to that lab.

They gotta be around
here somewhere.

Wouldn't it have been easier
just to bring another bomb

and set it off in the basement?

I don't want anything
left of this one.

I built it.

The design is as
personal as a fingerprint.

The longer they
have to study it,

the closer they get to me.

I don't want anybody
closing in on me.

Whew! Ah!

There's gotta be a reason
those guys are after us.

You know some secrets
about this Phoenix place?

No, the foundation just
does research, Harry.

It's a think tank.

Well, we're goin' in the tank

if we don't think of
a way outta here.

If we can't push through
that New York lock,

Maybe we can
slide it out of the way.

What have ya got in mind?

Dry cell batteries and
copper wire and an iron bar.

Think I know what
you're goin' for.

Oughta work fine.

I hope so.

There's our 24 volts of juice.

This'll be our iron bar.

And that's where they
keep the good stuff, Harry.

( Beep )

I knew it.

Help me out here, Harry.

Remind you of that
magnet I built that summer?

You used it to pick up shoeing
nails out of the horse stalls.

Seems kinda strange not bein'
up at the farm this time of year.

Always wanted to be
alone about this time.

Yeah, I've asked
you down every year.

I was surprised
when you said yes.

Yeah.

This evenin', uh,
back at your place...

Reason I was gone so long...

Couldn't remember where I was.

Everything... Seemed the same.

Huh.

Well, you don't know
the neighborhood.

Oh... that ain't it.

Last month, I was plowin'...

I couldn't find my
way back to the barn.

Been workin' that same
piece of land for 20 years.

If you've been
feelin' like this,

Why didn't you
come down and talk?

That's what families are for.

I've been scared of
that damn bus ride.

I had this picture in my
mind of dyin' on that bus,

All by myself.

I'm scared of that, bud.

I never thought you'd
be scared of anything.

Never was till now.

You know, when I was a
kid, I used to have nightmares,

And you used to tell me...

"Being scared's a lot
worse when you're all alone."

I was right.

You're not alone, Harry.

Neither am I.

It's just taken us an awful
long time to figure that out.

( Quiet chuckle )

All right.

Why are you doing this?

Just for the money?

No, Fred, not
just for the money.

For the chance to
work with pros like you.

Some of these gizmos

Look like they're straight
out of flash Gordon.

Oh, we passed flash
Gordon a long time ago.

What's that, a Sonic blaster?

Electric razor.

The head guy of the lab gets
5:00 shadow around noon.

( Thunder crashing )

Harry: Well, as long as
you're going to the store,

would you pick up
some cigars for me?

I'm all out.

All right, but I'm going
to get you a new razor.

And when you get
back, I'm going to get you.

( Chuckles )

Ready?

You drive careful, Jim.

Cats and dogs out there.

See you in a bit.

Harry... Harry?

Hmm?

You with me?

Yeah. Yeah.

( Blowing )

( Beeps twice )

I'm not ready for that yet.

MacGyver: You've seen a lot

of the Phoenix
foundation, after all.

Harry: Yeah, but
if those guys think

I'm paying for the
tour, they're crazy.

Things like this
happen to you often?

MacGyver: Yeah, as a
matter of fact, they do.

Hold that bar steady.

Another wrap and
we're out of here.

( Electrical crackling )

( Hissing )

Shorted the system.

The lock is jammed.

Rotten eggs.

( Coughs )

That's hydrogen sulfide.

That stuff will kill us.

Give me your scarf.

Harry, take off your coat.

Put it over your nose
and breathe through it.

Stand on these boxes.

This gas is a lot more
concentrated on the floor.

I'm going to need
an electric current

to open that door.

Lightbulb.

- ( Coughing )
- No, it'd take too long.

There's too much rigging.

( Coughing )

( Zipping )

Normally I wouldn't
have to tell anybody this...

But stand very still.

You mean it could go off?

I'm a statue.

( Beep )

Is it armed now?

And I thought you
were new at this.

I got 'em...

MacGyver and the old man.

Locked 'em in a room,
turned on the gas,

And they should be dead by now.

They were alive
when you left them?

Yeah, but, uh...

I want you to make
sure they're dead.

What about the bomb?

Don't worry about it.

I won't set it until after
you confirm the kill

on MacGyver and the old man.

I have to set the timer now.

Hand me that roll of cable.

( Harry coughing )

What're you doing?

Did you ever... Rub
your feet on a carpet

And then zap somebody?

That's about what I'm doing.

That's all we need,
just one little spark.

( Harry coughing )

( Hissing stops )

Come on, Harry.

I can't make it.

Come on, Harry,
wait for me in here.

Now, why there?

Because you can't wait
out here in the hallway.

Hopefully, they won't
look for you in here.

( Coughing )

I'll be back in a minute.

There were two obstacles keeping

Harry and me from
getting out of the building:

The lock on the door and
the guard who put it there.

Moving that New York
lock from my side of the door

meant I had to make
an electrical device,

one that had enough power

to slide the lock
out of position...

A pretty mechanical operation.

As for getting rid of the guard,

I figured that'd require
a more personal touch.

( Harry coughing )

when Ben Franklin
stood out in the storm

with his kite and key,
he probably didn't know

How much electricity was going
to mean to future generations.

( Electrical hum )

I hoped Mr. Franklin's discovery

Was going to give me
another shot at my future.

By running a current

from the batteries through
the piece of stainless steel,

I wanted to rearrange
the electrons

Into neat little rows.

If the voltage was
strong enough,

I'd have just what I
needed to move the lock...

An electromagnet.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

( Groans )

Look what I found.

Where's MacGyver?

He's getting out of here.

Going for the police.

Harry, isn't it?

Nice to see you again. Sit down.

You mean you're the
one behind all this?

I thought you worked here.

Just for tonight.

Tie him up.

Harry?

Harry?!

Where's the kid?

Don't worry about him.

What're you talking about?

Hey, what's the idea?

My agreement with
the liberation front

Is that you're all expendable.

Besides that,

you annoy me.

( Intercom beeps )

Mr. MacGyver...

( Over speaker ): It
seems that everything

I've heard about you is true.

You are a very resourceful man.

I admire that.

However...

I am going to activate

the liberation front's
explosive device.

It will detonate in 15 minutes.

I'm going to leave
the building now.

You're perfectly
free to leave, too.

But I don't think you will...

because I have your grandfather

sitting on top of the bomb.

Say hello to him, Harry.

Get out of here, bud!

See?

I really do have him.

And if I'm any judge
of human nature,

you're going to spend
the last 15 minutes

of your life looking for him.

Good-bye, Mr. MacGyver.

You must be out of your mind.

You're just plain crazy.

Good-bye to you, too, Harry.

( Steady beeping )

Front row seat, Harry.

- Electronic voice: Card key access verified.
- Come on!

- Voice identification please.
- MacGyver.

I knew if Harry and I were
gonna live long enough

to see Wayne
gretzky play hockey,

I had to diffuse that bomb.

But first I had to find it.

That didn't strike me
as too big a problem

because the Phoenix
foundation has an inventory file

so detailed, it can tell
you how many paper clips

are in the eighth
floor supply room.

( Keyboard clicking )

( Beeping )

( Typing )

( Door sliding )

I knew you'd try to
access the inventory file.

That's because i'm a
very resourceful man.

I thought you were leaving.

Couldn't run the risk that you'd
find the device and disarm it.

Oh, yeah, you
think I could do that?

Don't be modest.

Everybody knows
MacGyver's MacGyver.

Yeah. So, uh, who are you?

Victoria James... This week.

You're probably aware
of some of my work.

We're cut from the same cloth,
you and I, both professionals.

( Chuckling ): Yeah, right.

Well, this professional
doesn't take hostages.

I needed Harry to make sure
you wouldn't leave the building.

Well, I didn't, so now
you can let him go. Right?

Sorry. Nothing personal.

Good-bye, MacGyver.

( Groans )

( Muffled ): Give up?

This is going to be a test.

May the best person win.

( Grunts )

( Groans )

( Panting )

I really expected much
more of a fight, MacGyver.

Sorry to disappoint you.

That's all right.

I still enjoyed
every minute of it.

But I really have to go now.

( Yelling )

( Wind blowing )

( Panting )

( Typing )

it's funny how when you
want time to move along,

it never does.

But when you're
running out of time,

It disappears much too soon.

I know, bud.

( Grunting with effort )

( Beeping )

( Knocking on door )

( Clock ticking )

Mr. Harry Jackson?

Yes.

Your wife Celia Jackson?

Son-in-law James MacGyver?

Harry: What happened?

I'm sorry to tell you, sir,
but there's been an accident.

Car went off the road,
down into Miller's creek.

They both drowned.

I'm real sorry.

I'm not gonna lose
you, too, Harry.

( Beeps )

MacGyver ( Over speakers ):
Harry... I hope you can hear me.

If you can, listen
real carefully.

We're gonna make it outta here.

I'm on the eighth floor.

I need you to give me
some kind of signal.

We can still make the third
period of that hockey game...

but I need a signal.

Something, Harry.
Anything. Please.

( Beeping )

My chances of finding
Harry in this building

were about as good as
sneaking into fort Knox

Through the back door.

Unless there was a back
door into that inventory file

that Victoria hadn't erased.

( Straining )

( Beeping )

( Feet knocking against chair )

all the computers at Phoenix
have backup memories

In case the primary
data's erased.

I had to find that
backup inventory file.

You really have to know the
foundation's computer system

In order to access
a backup file.

I was pretty sure
Victoria didn't.

I was wrong.

( Telephone tones
play five times )

( Five tones play again )

( Five tones play again )

Fifth floor. Gotcha, Harry.

Harry?

Harry?!

Harry!

( Muffled talking )

The bomb's set to go off in
a couple of minutes. Let's go!

We'd never get out
of the building in time.

I gotta disarm it.

Harry: Shot him
without blinkin' an eye.

Yeah, well, she's dead now.

Now, there are three
microcircuit boards...

They prime the bomb.

Can you take 'em out?

Nah, they're integrated into
the triggering mechanism.

If I try to disconnect them
or even move this case,

we are history.

Tools. I need tools.

We got a minute to
go, bud. Willya hurry?

I gotta cut these wires.

Break the connection between
the trigger and the timer.

I can't reach them.

Just pry the top
off. It's only plastic.

Harry, there's a
Mercury switch in there.

Any sudden move'll set it off.

Harry: 20 seconds.

Oh... yeah.

Did you do it?

I don't know.

( Beeping )

Oh... oh!

All right!

( Laughing )

You know, I figured

if I can make it
through a night like this,

Then I must be in
pretty good shape.

Like I told you, Harry,
you're gonna go on forever.

Oh... I don't think so.

But, uh, I'm gonna
make that hockey game.

Harry!

MacGyver: Are you sure
you can't stay a little longer?

I gotta get back home.

What's the rush?

I have a lot of things to do.

I'm gonna fix that
leak in the roof.

It's gotta last me
another 20 years.

( Sighs ) Well...

( Sighs )

Another day.

I still miss 'em.

We always will.

Well... here we go.

Where are you goin'?

With you.

Wha...?

Well, first of all, you
packed half my stuff

In your suitcase.

And I want to spend
some time with my grandpa.