MacGyver (1985–1992): Season 5, Episode 9 - The Ten Percent Solution - full transcript

Get her.

Hi, Pete.

MacGyver, you look terrific.

You should wear
a tux more often.

Strictly camouflage.

As long as I have to be
here, I might as well blend in.

well, this is why

the foundation launched
its art acquisition program.

Do you realize how
many great works of art like this

disappear into corporate
vaults every year?

It's criminal.



Well, how many are
you planning on gettin'?

Well, we've already
raised about $4 million.

Now when that runs out, we'll
start pounding the pavements again.

Here, I want to
show you something.

This is one of the paintings

That we're going to
be bidding on tonight.

Now you tell me,
would you rather see

a painting like this hidden away

in some private
collection, or out on display

in a public gallery where
everyone can enjoy it?

Pete, you don't
have to convince me.

Just make sure you
get your money's worth.

Well, that's covered. That's why
our art consultant is meeting us here.

In fact, I'm gonna look for
doctor sand. Excuse me.



Hi.

Quite a painting, huh?

Peter Paul rubens.

The hills north of
antwerp. About 1625.

1625? I wouldn't give
you $15 for it. Sorry.

I know where you can get a
great deal on a matador painting,

On black velvet.

Now you're talkin' art.

Ah, here you are.
So, you two have met.

Almost, not quite.

Oh, well,
then, let me formalize it.

MacGyver, this is doctor Laura
sand, our new fine arts expert.

She advises us on
all our purchases.

Mine, too.

Nice to meet you, doctor sand.

Likewise.

Sold for $670,000.
Congratulations, sir.

Next, catalogue item
52. A work by Peter Paul rubens.

Painted by the noted flemish
artist near antwerp in 1625.

We shall open the
bids at $300,000.

$300,000?

We have 300. Do we have 325?

Now would be a good
time to make your first bid.

325 for this fine
work, ladies and gentlemen?

Thank you, sir. We have 325.

Do we have 350, anybody?

Hey, pal, would you
mind paying your fare?

I have $400,000. 410. Anyone?

We have 410. Do I hear 415?

Thank you, sir.
$415,000 is the bid.

We're up to $415,000.

Do we have 420?

We have 420. Do I hear $425?

I'd go one more.

425, ladies and gentlemen, for
one of rubens' finest landscapes?

425, anyone?

We have $425. $430, anyone?

Going once, for $425,000.

$425,000 going
twice. Any other bids?

My god! It's true!

$425,000 going 3 times.

Sir!

Sold, to Mr. Peter
Thornton of the Phoenix.

Sir, excuse me, sir! No, no!

You cannot sell this
painting, it's my painting.

No, it's my painting, it
belongs to my family.

This is my painting!

Hey, wait a minute.

My god, oh, no! Oh, my god!

Hey, what are you doing?

Please, believe
me, I'm not insane!

Look at that. Why
did you do that?

Whoever is in
charge, this is my painting!

It was stolen from my family!

We have some trouble.

Please let go, you're
hurting me. Please!

Hey, come on guys,
take it easy, huh?

Sir, t-the e.R.R, they stole
this painting from my family.

Please believe me!

You do believe me, don't you?

It's the truth. It's... it's
the truth. It's my painting.

Get that man out of
here. Call the police.

The painting is
mine, I can prove it.

Please, I'm not insane!

I'm not trying to
make trouble here.

Please, it's my
family's painting!

But how can you
be so sure he's telling the truth?

The guy had numbers
tattooed on his arm, Pete.

This is not just some lunatic

- Looking for attention.

Well, having been in
a concentration camp

doesn't prove his
story, MacGyver.

Pete, the old guy

You see the look in his eyes?

Uh, Mr. Brand,

I'm bill Smith, channel 4.

In a congressional district plagued
with violence in our streets and our parks,

what do you intend to
do if elected, Mr. Brand?

We cannot let the punks
and criminals of this world

run free and control our lives.

We must make the
streets safe for our children.

That's what america's
about, freedom.

Freedom to take charge
and protect our loved ones.

It's time the leaders of this
great nation did just that. Lead.

I don't
know, it's a big job.

It's a
shame, it's so beautiful.

Doctor, what's the prognosis?

Well, I think,
we can restore it,

But it's gonna take some time.

Is there any possibility that that
old man has a claim on this picture?

Well, he did mention the e.R.R.

The e.R.R? What is that?

Einsatzstab Rosenberg
reichsminister.

Hitler's personal
band of art thieves.

His goons ransacked
Europe during world war ii.

Looting and stockpiling
tremendous works of art.

Nothing was safe.

So, it is possible this
painting belonged to his family.

He did say he could prove that.

Well, then why didn't he
prove it, instead of charging

Into that art auction like a
madman? Look what he did.

I don't know, Pete,
but don't you think

we should at least ask?

Yes, you're right, we should.

And he's still in custody
over at the police station.

I'm on it.

You know, if he's right, if
that old man is telling the truth,

Then I've just purchased
a stolen painting.

A damaged stolen painting.

Has the art gallery sent
over the provenance yet?

No.

I'd like to compare the history of
ownership with our research sources.

Hell, I'll go get it myself.

The, uh, sales receipt lists
Lyle Hoggart as the seller.

Mr. Hoggart, go right in, sir.

So, what have you found out?

His name is Sam Bolinski.

A Jew.

A survivor?

Possibly.

What is this proof
he claims to have?

I don't know.

It may just be talk.

Or, it is possible
he has something

That could prove damaging to us.

Don't worry.

There is no way anyone
can trace the rubens to you.

And the Van dycks we
sold in San Francisco?

They'll never connect any of
the sales to the campaign funds.

We cannot afford to
have questions raised.

The old Jew

must never be allowed to
produce this proof of his.

Have him killed.

All I want to do is talk to
Mr. Bolinski, ask him a few questions.

Look, everybody at that auction
saw him trying to steal that painting.

But the old guy still
insists it belongs to him.

Well, it could belong to him.

He says he can prove it.

I just want to give
him the chance.

Well, it's your painting. I guess
there's no harm in talkin' to him.

Yeah, Bolinski, Samuel.
He's in holding 3.

You want to bring him
up to the squad room?

Great, thanks.

Buy you a coffee?

No, thanks.

Knife!

Drop it! Freeze!

- Are you ok?
- I think so.

- You're from the auction.
- Is he dead?

I'm afraid so.

thought I could
make it to pension

without having to use
this thing on anybody.

I could have disarmed
him, you know?

Huh, it looks like he
was disarming you.

You'd better get that looked at.

Why? Why would he attack me?

Ever see this slime before?

No, never!

Forgive me, officer.

You saved my life. I don't
know how to thank you.

And thank you, my friend.

MacGyver.

My friend, MacGyver.

More trouble?

Everything is under
control, Wilhelm.

You said Bolinski was under
control. Now, he's on the street.

Who knows what he's told this
man from the Phoenix foundation.

One old man is
not going to destroy

- years of planning and preparation.
- Grandmother,

The election's only 2 days away.

One whiff of a scandal,
any scandal, could sink me.

And if I go down, we
all do, you know that.

That is why you must let me
handle this matter, Wilhelm.

You will be protected.

Your chamber of
commerce speech is at 4:00.

Wear your blue suit.

Now, Hoggart,
about this Bolinski...

He's with a man named MacGyver,

At the Phoenix foundation.

If the old man shows
proof of his claim to anyone,

I want them stopped, as well.

Do you understand me?

Yes, madame.

MacGyver, Pete told me about
what happened at the police station.

Oh, yeah. No permanent damage.

Uh, Sam?

This is Dr. Laura sand.
She's repairing the rubens.

A doctor and so beautiful.

Yeah, you make your
parents proud, yes?

Are you sure you're ok?

Don't worry for
me, I am a survivor.

Well, I found something
strange on the rubens.

Here, take a look at this.

Some sort of odd residue.

What kind of residue?

We're not sure.

The lab's still breaking
down it's full analysis.

You know, rubens painted a lot of
antwerp landscapes, Mr. Bolinski.

Are you sure this one is yours?

Listen, doctor,

This painting used to
hang over our fireplace.

As a boy, I would
stare into it and wonder

what was behind that hill,

what was beyond those trees.

I grew up in this
painting, Dr. Sand.

It is part of me.

And you say the Nazis stole it?

Yes, they took everything.

My family had one of the
finest art collections in izbica

in all of Poland, I dare say.

Before the Nazis.

Well, what would Hitler
want with all this art work?

Let me show you something.

Hitler wanted to use
the e.R.R. To create

a museum of the master race.

Over 12 million pieces of art
and valuables were stolen...

17,000 objects
were labeled degenerate

and either sold
off or destroyed.

A lot more ended up in s.S.
Officers' private collections.

After the war, the allies
found thousands of paintings

Hidden in warehouses
and salt mines.

Oh.

I'm so sorry, I didn't
know that was on there.

For you, these
are only pictures.

For me, it's not just a,

a movie.

Now, Sam, do you remember
when the painting was stolen?

October 12,1948. It
was a Saturday morning.

It just happened
to be yom kippur.

I've been going through these e.R.R.
Records from Washington all day.

There's no record
of a Bolinski family.

The records are not
there because I have them.

You have the original
e.R.R. Records? But how?

Those of us the Nazis
could use, they kept alive.

I knew about art. So I volunteered
to be be a clerk for the e.R.R.

I was then sent to
Auschwitz for 4 years.

You actually worked for them?

My other choice
was the gas chamber.

One day, I found the pages where
my family's art was catalogued.

I ripped them from the ledger.

Where are the pages now, Sam?

At my home.

I'd like to take a look at those
documents, if you don't mind, Mr. Bolinski.

It would be my pleasure.
But, the name is Sam.

Ok, Sam.

Let's go get those
papers right now.

Yes. Is sand your real name?

Actually, it was Sandberg.

My grandfather changed it
when he arrived at Ellis island.

Changing your name, you can do.

But changing who you are,

this you can never do.

Here's the address.

The old man lives
out in San Tofino.

Take him straight to the mine.

Got it, Mr. Hoggart.

Laura, where's MacGyver?

He took Mr. Bolinski home
to get the e.R.R. Records.

Mister Bolinski says they
prove the painting was stolen

From his family in 1940.

Well, according to this
provenance from the auction house,

The painting was sold to the
Hoggart family 8 years earlier, in 1932.

Well, they can't both be right.

You know, I'm going to call the
national archives in Washington D.C.

See if they can shed
a little light on this.

They owe me one anyway.

Veronica, hold down the fort.

I'm going to see if Mr. Hoggart

- Can clear up a few of these questions himself.
- All right.

That was one bumpy
ride. But we made it.

Jackpot.

I know I should
have made copies

Of the documents years ago.

Hello, Mrs. Jackson.

But I thought the
painting was lost forever.

Uh, there is a box under the
counter, if you can help me.

My back has been bothering me

Since the night of the auction.

Yeah, over here
on the table, please.

Thank you.

Oh,

here, that's my family.

That's me. My father.

He was killed when
they first invaded.

What about your mother
and sister, and the baby?

That's my other sister. You
see, there came a pogrom.

They wanted all the
Jews out of izbica.

So we were sent to s-sobibor.

Within an hour,

my mother and my sisters...

I can still see the black smoke.

Mr. Hoggart?

Look, whatever it
is, it'll have to wait.

I'm with the Phoenix foundation.

It's about the rubens painting

you sold yesterday
at the auction.

What about it?

The provenance you
gave the auction house,

there seems to be a problem.

You have a problem,
talk to my lawyer.

Well, if that's how
you want to handle it.

But I should warn
you, we found evidence

That directly
contradicts your claim.

What kind of evidence?

E.r.r. Documents that
prove the painting is stolen.

Somehow, I don't think anyone's
going to see those documents.

Do you?

From Auschwitz,

before they sent me back to
sobibor, one of the worst death camps.

Most new arrivers were gassed
within 2 hours when they got there.

Life had no place in sobibor.

Ah, here, here, here.

Here. You see?

Uh, my German's a little rusty.

Oh, right, "rubens,
antwerp landscape.

Year of confiscation: 1940."
You see? Just as I said.

Don't move.

Step aside, folks, please.

- Sergeant gray?
- Yes.

- Hi, I'm Pete Thornton.
- Oh, hi, Mr. Thornton. Nice to see you.

Thanks for calling.

So, uh, what have you found?

- You got anything to go on?
- Not much.

We do have a witness, but all
she saw was 4 guys in ski masks

hustling your
friends off into a Van.

So, what's next?
Where do we start?

Normally, you hang tough
and wait for a ransom demand.

Oh, I think there's more to
this than a simple ransom.

Our art expert, Dr. Laura
sand, is missing too.

- And I think it's related.
- How's that?

Well, she went to check on the painting's
provenance with the previous owner,

a man named Hoggart.

And she hasn't come
back. I can't find her.

And he's nowhere
to be found, either.

Well, look, I'll get an a.P.B.
Out on them right away.

Good. Thanks.

Listen, while you're at it,
will you have your people

check on any silver mines
operating in the area?

- Silver mines?
- Yeah.

Dr. Sand had our lab run
an analysis on some particles

That she found on the painting.

Well, the lab confirms
that those particles

are lead sulfide,

Which is a common
residue from silver mining.

- Well, it's worth a try.
- Oh, it's great, I'll get right on it.

Now, lookit, you keep me posted

if anything new
turns up, all right?

Don't worry, you'll
be the first to know.

And return the favor, ok?

Here's the e.R.R. Records.

What is this place?

I don't know, Sam.

Inside.

Take the Van around the back.

- Come on.
- Huh?

Let's go.

MacGyver! Sam!

Laura? What happened?
How'd you get here?

She made the same
mistake you did, young man.

She ask too many questions.

Jawohl, frau Brandenberg.

We have met?

No, we were never
formally introduced.

She... she would come to
sobibor, always first on line.

She, and the wives
of the other officers,

They would pick through the
dead's valuables like vultures.

You...

Oh, yes, frau
Brandenberg, I know you!

Here are the e.R.R. Documents.

Get me madame's office.

Hello.

What? How?

Uh-huh.

I see you're a brand supporter.

Yes, my grandson is about
to become a congressman.

Brand is your grandson?

Brand. Brandenberg.

You can change what you're
called, but not what you are.

I'll take care of it.

Trouble.

Someone named Thornton
from the Phoenix foundation

has asked police

To check out silver
mines in the area.

We have to evacuate
to another base.

Yes. Be sure
everything is moved.

Those are historic documents!

And now they are historic ashes.

You know, burning those
papers won't change the truth.

You want the truth,
Mr. MacGyver?

Here is the truth.

Our master plan.

The 10% solution.

California, Nevada,
Oregon, Washington, Idaho.

5 of your 50 states

will become the
new Aryan nation.

My god!

You can't be serious.

Oh, I am.

See, it is already happening.
We have churches, public officials,

school teachers, police chiefs.

People of influence.

All of them our people.

Looking out for our interests.

The purity of the white race.

Didn't a guy named
Adolph try that once before?

Hitler moved too fast.

We have learned Patience.

First infiltrate,

then we dominate.

It may take 10, 20 years,

but it will happen.

You would do that again?

You would unleash
your horror on the world?

Take them to the mine.

We will see each other again.

Not in your lifetime, old man.

Move.

Come on, let's go. Load 'em.

That's a renoir! That painting
was listed destroyed in 1940.

Monet? Rembrandt?

MacGyver, these
paintings are priceless.

Congressional
elections are expensive.

So is buying cops. Hello, gray.

They didn't have to
buy me, MacGyver.

I was sold on 'em years ago.

Now, if you'd have
left well enough alone,

the old man would be dead

And I wouldn't have had to
gun down one of our own people.

Come on, let's go.

Bring that welding rig.

Keep going.
Through that door.

Come on.
Come on, move it.

This is where we say goodbye.

This isn't sobibor, but we'll
try to make you feel at home.

Hey, come on, take...

Make sure the line feeding
the acetylene is airtight.

This is nuts. Why don't
we just shoot them?

Madame is feeling nostalgic.

Gas.

The animals! They're gassing us!

You can't do this! You
animals! You can't do this to us!

Let's go.

You can't do this.

You cannot leave us here to die!

Please! You can't
do this! Please!

Please!

MacGyver. MacGyver!

Please, come out of it.

Y-you've gotta help us.

MacGyver!

They're gassing us, MacGyver.

It smells like garlic.

That
must be acetylene.

It'll fill from the top of the
room first, so get down.

Stay down.

We're going to die.

No!

We will not die.

We will get out of this place.

It's only a matter of
how, is it not, MacGyver?

Uh, yeah, right.

But this is impossible.

Sobibor was impossible.

500 stormed the gates.

200 died. But 300 of us lived.

We must escape to make sure
this horror does not happen again.

Right. I think I got it.

What?

Well, this is a fire
door. It's hollow.

Metal on 2 sides,
air in the middle.

But, how's that
going to help us?

Let him work.

Laura, give me
one of your earrings.

What for?

Go on, go on, he has an idea.

- Here's the last of it, Mr. Thornton.
- Well, never mind, I've got it.

Bonaventure silver mine.
Hoggart is a shareholder.

He's got some
prominent partners.

Judge turpin,

Dean Smithers of
Saint Anne's university.

Hoggart keeps
pretty good company.

Get sergeant gray on the line.

I want to see if
he can tie this in

With anything else he's
picked up on Hoggart.

Hello, police? I'd like to
speak with sergeant gray.

Mr. Thornton, what's wrong?

Look who's a share holder.

Harold gray?

Yeah. As in sergeant gray.

My god, he's part of it.

He sure is.

All right,

now I need a spark to ignite it.

Take cover, back here.

Some idea, huh, doctor?

Should be over for them.
Get a gas mask from storage.

Dump the bodies down the shaft.

- I'll fill up the truck.
- Yes, sir.

Ow!

I should be able to get as
far as the art truck in this outfit.

Then I'll swing around
and pick you up.

But the Nazis. We can't
just let them walk away.

One step at a time, Sam.

Well?

Gray.

How long till we're
ready to pull out?

About 10 minutes, maybe less.

Sam.

Ok, let's go.

Oh, now, come on, man,
let's get this thing out of here!

Come on, let's go!

Ow!

- Where's Sam?
- Over there.

He knocked out
Hoggart and went inside.

Oh, man. Come on. Come on.

Hold it, hold it!

Move! Move! Move!

Hurry up!

Come on!

Well, Mr. Brand. Looks like your
popularity has taken a nosedive.

Get him out of here.

It ends here, frau Brandenberg.

Revenge? Is that it?

Some would call it justice.

You will not kill me.
You Jews are weak.

No, we are not.

In fact, your hate has
made us even stronger.

- Sam!
- No, don't stop me.

You deserve to die.

The world would be a better
place without you and your kind.

The feeling is mutual.

Perhaps we are not so different,

You and I.

No.

We are very different.

Outside, now!