MacGyver (1985–1992): Season 7, Episode 12 - Off the Wall - full transcript
Dempsey & Magruta: Law Offices - some picks their way in there, does some vandalism and foes through the drawers and file cabinets until he finds the file he's looking for. MacGyver pays the bail on a young "graffiti artist". A Rich Businessman in a limo is upset at his underling because he has bought the entire slum area and wants to tear it down but can't because an old lady is contesting the eviction notice served by the underling. The underling claims him down by saying that the judge threw the case out because the old lady did not have a solid case. It's MacGyver to the rescue again...
Hello, lobo.
Let me guess.
You boys are on a crack
bust, and you can't stop to talk.
Right?
Thanks for bailing
me out, MacGyver.
You violated your
probation, lobo.
You promised the judge
You'd keep your
art on the canvas!
That wasn't art,
it was a message.
Hey, what was I supposed to do?
Stand around and wait for the
man to evict my grandmother?
He did it anyway.
Right after you left.
Come on, I borrowed a truck.
We can move her
stuff to my place.
Hold it, kasanti.
I thought there were
no legal encumbrances
Holding up the
sale of this building.
I paid you a
fortune for this slum.
Now my lawyers tell me I can't
take title and start demolition
because a Gloria Diaz
is contesting your
eviction notice.
Was contesting
the eviction notice.
The judge threw her
case out this morning
Because her lawyers couldn't
come up with the so-called evidence.
Come here.
Take a look.
Please, put the
table over there by the boxes
And be careful you
do not bang the legs.
Easy! That's my
wedding day China.
I lived my married life
and raised five
children in this building.
They might as well
cut my heart out.
We'll get your things
in the truck, grandma.
I never had trouble
with the old landlord.
He was no angel.
But he treated us
like human beings.
Not like kasanti.
Kasanti has no heart.
Trust me. She's history.
You better be right.
I'm not about to delay
a $200 million
urban renewal project
because you couldn't
handle one little old lady.
The quilt, Antonio. Put the
quilt over that rocking chair.
Mrs. Diaz, you don't have
to worry about your stuff.
We'll take care of it just fine.
Thank you, MacGyver.
I only know you a little while,
but you are like family.
Hey, how about that, MacGyver?
We're related.
Great.
My lawyers.
Oh, Gloria, I'm
sorry. I'm so very sorry.
That's what happens
when you don't pay the rent.
I don't have to pay the rent!
Not until your boss
fixes up this place
like the law says, stroud!
You had your day in court.
I thought you two weren't gonna
let them evict my grandmother.
Lobo, all the evidence
we had against kasanti
was stolen from
our office last night.
The photographs, the documentation,
the affidavits, everything.
There was no way we could stop
them from getting an eviction notice.
So much for the
law, eh, MacGyver?
This is Mr. MacGyver,
Antonio's savior last August,
when the police caught him
redecorating the freeway overpass.
Ah, the man who
recognized his talent
and gave him his own art studio.
Actually, it's just a
corner in my garage.
Helen dempsey and Rose magruta.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Uh, this evidence
that was stolen, uh,
what was it all about?
Proof that this
building was a fire trap.
And proof that the
plumbing didn't work.
Not to mention evidence
That three families were
living in one little apartment.
And the fact that kasanti lied
when he said this place met
the city building regulations.
Kasanti.
That's the guy you
were advertising, right?
Yeah.
My grandma told him to stuff it when
he came around for this month's rent.
It was their legal strategy.
We thought we finally
had a case against him.
It's not your fault, Rose.
Uh, ladies,
What if I could get
this evidence back?
- We'd go to court in a flash.
- Oh.
Okay.
Um, you're
gonna need a camera.
My grandson is having
his sixth birthday today,
But, uh, snapshots can wait.
Could you ladies give my
grandma a ride to my place?
Oh, of course.
Okay.
Well, let's get moving.
- I know, darling...
- There are things to do.
Everything is gonna be fine.
I think this young
fellow can help us.
You need to relax. We'll
make you a nice cup of tea.
This is where I
grew up, MacGyver.
My mama was a hair stylist.
Her dream was to move
to a house of our own.
Problem is, she died a
year later when I was three.
Goodbye, dream.
Oh, what about your dad?
Just a name on a wall.
The Vietnam memorial.
Yeah. My grandma made this
place a home in spite of kasanti.
She was the only
tenant left, right?
Everybody else gave
up and moved out.
Here, check this out.
This was my room till last year.
I decided I was independent
enough to find my own level of poverty.
Thank you very much.
Yeah, welcome to club dread.
Southern exposure overlooking
an airshaft full of garbage,
hot and cold running rats.
No heat in winter.
Who could ask for anything more?
"Vegetables suck"?
Pretty nice, huh?
Oh, yeah.
That's when I
knew art was my life.
I was seven.
Well, you like expressing
yourself so much,
grab something to write
with and take some notes.
Oh! Gee!
I think we got a problem.
Yeah? What's that?
That guy, MacGyver?
Helped move the old lady out?
He's in there snooping around
with the kid taking pictures.
Mmm. Not for long.
Smoke alarm's
not even connected.
Figures.
Hey, you two!
What the hell do you
think you're doing?
This is private property.
And you're in luck, MacGyver. It's
kasanti, the blood-sucker himself.
Yeah, well, you guys
are trespassing. Out!
Out, before I call the cops.
Well, you do what you got to do.
I'm not quite finished here yet.
What's that supposed to mean?
That means this
place is a deathtrap,
and I'm gonna prove it.
Yeah. I got a city inspection
report that says otherwise.
All right. We'll
sort it out in court.
Fine, we will. Fine. Clear.
Look at them.
Ain't they something?
On a rainy day, I'd hold
the cockroach Olympics.
Fastest cockroach got to live.
- Yeah, yeah.
- Hey, I'm writing. I'm writing.
Uh-oh, MacGyver, I don't
think kasanti called the cops.
It's that idiot, stroud,
the building manager.
Hey, guys. We
got a problem here?
No problem. Just a warning.
We don't like strangers.
Ain't gonna get
away with it, man.
Hey, pal, you're trespassin'.
We're just here
defendin' ourselves.
Hey, lobo,
is there another
way out of here?
Yeah, straight up.
Great.
Gentlemen, uh, what do you
say we just leave peacefully?
It's too late.
Over there, there's
a fire escape.
Lobo,
We got to jump.
What, are you kidding?
Nope.
Stop 'em!
Go after 'em!
This way!
Keep going. Follow me.
Grab that pipe.
Oh, Mrs. Magruta,
I don't know what to do.
Kim soo, your ex-husband
Cannot come and
take your children away.
Now, I promise.
Here, drink some tea.
Yo, Helen, got the evidence.
Oh, thank god you're okay.
Gloria just called and said you
two guys are lucky to be alive.
Well, uh, can I get
you some tea? Cookies.
Rose, they're not
your grandchildren.
Everything you need
should be right in there.
Way to go.
Man, kasanti's gonna wish
he never laid eyes on us.
You think kasanti
was behind the attack?
Oh, it had to be
him. He owns stroud.
Perhaps we can explain.
Hamilton Plaza.
Is an urban
redevelopment project.
If it gets city
council approval,
it's gonna drive downtown
real estate values sky high.
And let kasanti
sell his buildings
for a huge profit, right?
To lawton enterprises.
Andrew lawton's company?
That's right. He's
the prime contractor.
If you ask me,
he and kasanti
are two of a kind.
Anything for a buck.
Have you talked to lawton?
Huh, tried to. We couldn't
get an appointment.
Oh, nobody can
get in to see him.
Phoenix
foundation? Send him right in.
Normally I don't take
unscheduled meetings,
but you mentioned
the magic word.
Phoenix.
Lawton enterprises built
your facility, Mr. MacGyver.
Beauty, grace,
internal efficiency,
minimal ecological impact.
I wish I could be so
fortunate with our next project.
Hamilton Plaza. Yeah, I know.
That's why I'm here.
Oh? Is there some
kind of problem?
Well, the problem,
Mr. Lawton, is urban renewal
At the expense of innocent
people losing their homes.
You mean losing their sub-standard,
vermin-infested apartments
No human being
should have to live in.
Because slum lords don't
keep them up to code.
All the more reason
for them to move out.
Mr. Lawton,
I came here to make
sure you were aware
of some of the tactics landlords
are using to get people to move out.
That's none of my concern.
It should be.
Look, MacGyver,
there are gonna be a
few dislocation problems.
But Hamilton Plaza means jobs,
A better quality of life, a tax
base on which to build schools.
It also means a lot of poor
people are gonna suffer
while you make slumlords
like Victor kasanti rich overnight.
Kasanti?
You know him?
Yeah. He ran a friend of
mine out of one of his buildings.
Well, I'm sorry.
But as long as his
evictions are legal,
I have no quarrel with the man.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I have to prepare for
tomorrow's press conference.
Mr. Lawton,
your new complex here
is gonna look awfully funny
with a tenement
stuck in the middle of it.
Are you threatening me?
No, sir, I'm not.
I came here to appeal
to your sense of justice.
Obviously, you don't have one.
So, I'm afraid I'm gonna
have to help fight this eviction
no matter how long it ties
up Mr. Kasanti's property.
Get kasanti on the phone.
Now.
How'd it go with uptown lawton?
Not like I expected.
Getting a rich
education, ain't you, man?
Take a look at this.
Four of kasanti's tenements,
Four different inspectors.
That's weird.
Well, they can't
all be on the take.
What mushroom have
you been living under?
- Here you go. Just pay the cashier down the hall.
Ah, thank you.
Excuse me.
Uh, just a minute.
Yes?
Yeah, I'd like to speak
to an inspector Miller.
So would I. He left
with my favorite stapler.
- Left?
- Fired.
Uh, what about an
inspector gladston?
Fired.
Inspector pelham?
Took a job in private industry.
I don't suppose Dale
winslow is around, is he?
Retired.
Well, it was fun looking
for parking space.
Now, wait a minute. Excuse me.
Would you happen to
know when these guys left?
The dates?
June 6, 1988,
April 23, 1989,
march 12, 1990
and October 2, 1990.
Gentlemen, perhaps I
could be of some help.
I'm Clinton Ferris. I'm the
director of building and safety.
Lobo. MacGyver.
A couple of confused dudes.
Yeah, we're working on a
legal matter for someone.
Uh-huh. And?
Well, these inspection
reports don't click, man.
Yeah, according to the dates,
the inspectors signed them months,
Sometimes years,
after they had left the job.
May I look at them?
Sure.
Please, why don't you step
into my office over here?
Thanks.
Whoa, check this out.
Doggie heaven.
Put it down.
It's kind of a hobby of mine.
Yeah?
This you?
Yeah, with lord Jim.
Talk about a high
point in one's life.
Carriage, conformation, stance.
Lord Jim had it all.
And then there's
this kind of thing.
Goodness knows I try
to sort out the bad apples.
What do you mean?
I mean that these are forgeries.
It's an old scam, Mr. MacGyver.
Slumlord bribes the
building inspector,
the inspector signs the
name of another inspector
who's no longer
answerable for his actions.
Slumlords like kasanti?
Yes.
Among hundreds of others.
And believe you me, the tenants
are not the only ones they feed off of.
They feed off of poorly
paid civil servants
who have bills to pay,
kids to put through college,
men who should know better,
But can't resist
vultures like kasanti.
Would you be willing
to testify to all this?
Absolutely.
And I promise, I will find the
men who forged these signatures,
and I will take the
appropriate action.
All right, Ferris.
You're one happening dude, bro!
Well, thank you.
We've got some
interesting information.
We went to the tax assessor's
office, and guess what?
The tax roles show
joint ownership
of almost all of
kasanti's tenements.
So he has a partner.
Mmm-hmm.
Dempsey and magruta.
Yeah, uh, this
is Victor kasanti.
Victor kasanti?
Mr. MacGyver is right here.
On one.
Yeah.
Yeah, enough is
enough, MacGyver.
W-What do you
say we get together?
We resolve this
Gloria Diaz thing
and then... then we can
both get on with our lives.
What do you have in mind?
Meet me at the building
in... in an hour, okay?
You... you'll like
what I got to say.
He wants to meet
me at Gloria's building.
How can you trust that man?
Are you kidding?
He trusts everybody until
they chase him with a pipe.
All right. Come on.
Man, this place
is gettin' spooky.
What was that?
Maybe we should get out of here.
You say
you heard people arguing?
Sure sounded like it.
How many people? Two? Three?
I don't know, man.
Did you recognize
kasanti's voice?
Uh-uh, they were too far away.
How about a car?
Did you see any kind of
vehicle parked in front?
Nada.
You didn't see anyone?
That's all you can tell me?
Voices, then footsteps.
That was it, man.
We don't know who it was.
I do. It was Mr. Uptown,
Andrew lawton.
Right.
Listen, we'll get
back to you guys.
Is it true, kasanti's dead?
Yeah, too bad, huh?
Lobo.
Strange.
There's a certain irony
To a slum landlord having a
fatal accident in his own building.
Well, I'm not so sure
it was an accident.
Kasanti was arguing with
moneybags lawton when we got here.
You don't know that.
It all makes sense, doesn't it?
Who else would
snuff out kasanti?
Look, kasanti was
in tight with lawton,
and he got too greedy,
so lawton took him out.
Now he's got it all, my
grandma's got nothing
And she's out on
the street for good.
Maybe. Maybe not.
But you have no proof, so
you better stop pointing fingers.
He's right, Antonio.
We have got to do
this the legal way.
Yeah, right.
- Your legal way got my grandma tossed out into the street.
- Hey.
No, MacGyver, admit it.
Lawton's holding a press
conference tomorrow, man.
He won, we lost.
Lobo, we can still go to court.
Listen, it's not over yet.
Yeah? Well, it is for
me. I'm out of here.
He may be right.
With kasanti dead,
his grandmother may
have no legal recourse.
Maybe not.
Remember,
kasanti had a partner.
All right. Come on.
You keep talking.
He's out. We're not
sure what he got.
All right.
All right, all right, hold on.
Yeah, I'm comin'.
I'm comin'. I'm comin'.
It's not even noon yet.
All right.
Fine.
Mo.
MacGyver.
What the heck are
you doing here?
Do you know what time it is?
Hey, I'm sorry if I woke you up.
But I need a handwriting expert,
- and you're the best.
- Oh, yeah?
Well, the da didn't think
so when he sent me up.
That's because you were forging
signatures instead of analyzing them.
Well, it looks like you've done pretty
good since you left the halfway house.
Well, they couldn't drag me back
to the joint with a team of horses.
You know, I sort of like having
doors that I can unlock from the inside.
You know what I mean?
Well, what have you got?
Uh, four signatures.
I want you to tell me if they're
the work of the same person.
What's it all about?
Well, if I'm right,
catching a killer.
I appreciate you
joining me this morning.
I'm proud to announce that Hamilton
Plaza is about to become a reality.
As of noon today,
lawton enterprises will
embark on the most ambitious
Urban renewal project
in this city's history.
Yo! Beautiful people,
- It's coffee time.
- Who's that?
What the devil...
Now, what are you doing
standing around in the dark?
You are missing
one beautiful day.
Get him off there.
Am I right or am I right?
Whoa! "How fat cats get fat.
"They eat people's homes."
Hey, lawton,
that's you!
Oh, my god,
you've got to be kidding.
What is this? Who are you?
Keep rolling. I'm ready.
No, stop. This is ludicrous.
In other news,
city police arrested 20 people...
Uh-huh.
Come here, take a look. I
want to show you somethin'.
Look at it. See the
curvature on the loops?
Which we also call the, uh,
slant and terminal strokes.
Same guy?
Same guy forged all four names.
Mmm-hmm. I'd bet my life on it.
No, make that my shirt. I've
bet my life too many times.
What about the signature
on this check endorsement?
Soaring crime rate,
which police chief Harold Brooks
admitted is the highest in the city.
Over 50 percent...
Yeah. Definitely, same guy.
And now, let's switch to
news central's Cindy Clark
For a live report.
This is Cindy Clark,
reporting from downtown
where a bizarre
scene is taking place.
Across the street, a
shockingly graphic billboard
which questions the propriety...
Oh, man.
Of the newly-approved
Hamilton Plaza project.
Here, inside the offices of prime
contractor, lawton enterprises,
Total confusion.
Please! May I have
your attention? I beg you.
With me is notorious
graffiti artist, lobo,
who claims responsibility.
Yeah, that's right. I want the
whole world to know the truth.
And that is?
Andrew lawton is driving
poor and innocent people
like my grandmother
from their homes.
He doesn't care if she
ends up in the gutter.
All he cares about is money.
What do you have
to say about that, Mr. Lawton?
Oops. Got to run now,
folks, but stay tuned.
I ain't finished yet.
Come here.
Come here, kid!
Around that way!
Mr. Lawton, what is
your response to all this?
Well, Cindy, as you know,
I have nothing to hide.
But what you're seeing here today
is the work of a juvenile delinquent
who has nothing better to do
with his life than deface property
and crucify innocent people.
You're saying
lobo's charges aren't true?
Friends of yours?
Yes and no.
Thanks, mo.
Well, naturally,
there are some tenants
who for whatever reason failed
to make proper arrangements...
Anytime.
Hello.
Hey, MacGyver.
Hey, nice art show.
Yeah, tell me about it.
Listen, man, I want
to turn myself in,
But I want you to go with me.
Where are you?
I'll be at my
grandma's apartment.
There's some new
evidence you got to see, man.
Okay. You all right?
Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.
Just come quick, all right?
All right.
Attaboy, lobo.
Now you're learnin'.
Lobo?
Lobo?
Put it down.
Where's lobo?
He's waitin' for you.
Now, move.
Sorry, MacGyver.
I didn't have a choice.
It's all right, lobo.
At least now we know
who we're dealin' with.
Right, Ferris?
That's very good, MacGyver.
I'm impressed.
Stroud was workin'
for Ferris all along.
Yeah, I know.
Ferris was kasanti's
secret partner.
How'd you find out?
Your endorsement on the
checks kasanti was writing
to your shadow corporation,
lord Jim properties.
Tie him up.
You went 50-50 with kasanti
years ago, didn't you, Ferris?
Man had to do something
with all the money
the landlords were paying
him to look the other way.
Well, I told you, it's very hard
living on a civil servant's salary.
And what about kasanti?
Well, he was afraid you had
enough on him to put him in jail,
and he was willing
to hold up on the deal.
So you killed the dude?
If you can't stand the
heat, get out of the kitchen.
Know what I mean?
Get the car.
This is not your, uh,
standard demolition device,
but, uh, it's effective
nonetheless.
Let's go.
It don't look that big.
No, it's just a trigger.
If the nitrates in
that barrel go off,
the whole building will blow.
What are you doing?
These ties are made of plastic.
They've got a low melting point.
Come on.
How much time we got?
Well, enough time to defuse it.
Yeah, well, how about a
vote? I say we run like hell.
Dang.
Dang?
Hey, they're getting away!
- Here, hold that.
- What, are you kidding?
Whoa!
With me is Andrew lawton,
the developer of Hamilton Plaza.
Mr. Lawton, are you
saying the project is on hold?
Only until the final
plans have been revised
to include brand-new
housing for current residents,
the vital need for which has been so
eloquently expressed by Mr. MacGyver
on behalf of Gloria Diaz.
Gloria Diaz, the proud widow
whose fight to retain
her simple home
with all its memories
touched the heart
of an entire city.
I believe you have
something to ask Mrs. Diaz?
Indeed I do.
Mrs. Diaz,
out of the ashes of this and
other buildings will soon rise
beautiful, new,
affordable housing.
And in honor of your role in
bringing this moment about,
I invite you to be the first
new tenant to move in.
Sure.
As long as you pay
for the moving men.
Let me guess.
You boys are on a crack
bust, and you can't stop to talk.
Right?
Thanks for bailing
me out, MacGyver.
You violated your
probation, lobo.
You promised the judge
You'd keep your
art on the canvas!
That wasn't art,
it was a message.
Hey, what was I supposed to do?
Stand around and wait for the
man to evict my grandmother?
He did it anyway.
Right after you left.
Come on, I borrowed a truck.
We can move her
stuff to my place.
Hold it, kasanti.
I thought there were
no legal encumbrances
Holding up the
sale of this building.
I paid you a
fortune for this slum.
Now my lawyers tell me I can't
take title and start demolition
because a Gloria Diaz
is contesting your
eviction notice.
Was contesting
the eviction notice.
The judge threw her
case out this morning
Because her lawyers couldn't
come up with the so-called evidence.
Come here.
Take a look.
Please, put the
table over there by the boxes
And be careful you
do not bang the legs.
Easy! That's my
wedding day China.
I lived my married life
and raised five
children in this building.
They might as well
cut my heart out.
We'll get your things
in the truck, grandma.
I never had trouble
with the old landlord.
He was no angel.
But he treated us
like human beings.
Not like kasanti.
Kasanti has no heart.
Trust me. She's history.
You better be right.
I'm not about to delay
a $200 million
urban renewal project
because you couldn't
handle one little old lady.
The quilt, Antonio. Put the
quilt over that rocking chair.
Mrs. Diaz, you don't have
to worry about your stuff.
We'll take care of it just fine.
Thank you, MacGyver.
I only know you a little while,
but you are like family.
Hey, how about that, MacGyver?
We're related.
Great.
My lawyers.
Oh, Gloria, I'm
sorry. I'm so very sorry.
That's what happens
when you don't pay the rent.
I don't have to pay the rent!
Not until your boss
fixes up this place
like the law says, stroud!
You had your day in court.
I thought you two weren't gonna
let them evict my grandmother.
Lobo, all the evidence
we had against kasanti
was stolen from
our office last night.
The photographs, the documentation,
the affidavits, everything.
There was no way we could stop
them from getting an eviction notice.
So much for the
law, eh, MacGyver?
This is Mr. MacGyver,
Antonio's savior last August,
when the police caught him
redecorating the freeway overpass.
Ah, the man who
recognized his talent
and gave him his own art studio.
Actually, it's just a
corner in my garage.
Helen dempsey and Rose magruta.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Uh, this evidence
that was stolen, uh,
what was it all about?
Proof that this
building was a fire trap.
And proof that the
plumbing didn't work.
Not to mention evidence
That three families were
living in one little apartment.
And the fact that kasanti lied
when he said this place met
the city building regulations.
Kasanti.
That's the guy you
were advertising, right?
Yeah.
My grandma told him to stuff it when
he came around for this month's rent.
It was their legal strategy.
We thought we finally
had a case against him.
It's not your fault, Rose.
Uh, ladies,
What if I could get
this evidence back?
- We'd go to court in a flash.
- Oh.
Okay.
Um, you're
gonna need a camera.
My grandson is having
his sixth birthday today,
But, uh, snapshots can wait.
Could you ladies give my
grandma a ride to my place?
Oh, of course.
Okay.
Well, let's get moving.
- I know, darling...
- There are things to do.
Everything is gonna be fine.
I think this young
fellow can help us.
You need to relax. We'll
make you a nice cup of tea.
This is where I
grew up, MacGyver.
My mama was a hair stylist.
Her dream was to move
to a house of our own.
Problem is, she died a
year later when I was three.
Goodbye, dream.
Oh, what about your dad?
Just a name on a wall.
The Vietnam memorial.
Yeah. My grandma made this
place a home in spite of kasanti.
She was the only
tenant left, right?
Everybody else gave
up and moved out.
Here, check this out.
This was my room till last year.
I decided I was independent
enough to find my own level of poverty.
Thank you very much.
Yeah, welcome to club dread.
Southern exposure overlooking
an airshaft full of garbage,
hot and cold running rats.
No heat in winter.
Who could ask for anything more?
"Vegetables suck"?
Pretty nice, huh?
Oh, yeah.
That's when I
knew art was my life.
I was seven.
Well, you like expressing
yourself so much,
grab something to write
with and take some notes.
Oh! Gee!
I think we got a problem.
Yeah? What's that?
That guy, MacGyver?
Helped move the old lady out?
He's in there snooping around
with the kid taking pictures.
Mmm. Not for long.
Smoke alarm's
not even connected.
Figures.
Hey, you two!
What the hell do you
think you're doing?
This is private property.
And you're in luck, MacGyver. It's
kasanti, the blood-sucker himself.
Yeah, well, you guys
are trespassing. Out!
Out, before I call the cops.
Well, you do what you got to do.
I'm not quite finished here yet.
What's that supposed to mean?
That means this
place is a deathtrap,
and I'm gonna prove it.
Yeah. I got a city inspection
report that says otherwise.
All right. We'll
sort it out in court.
Fine, we will. Fine. Clear.
Look at them.
Ain't they something?
On a rainy day, I'd hold
the cockroach Olympics.
Fastest cockroach got to live.
- Yeah, yeah.
- Hey, I'm writing. I'm writing.
Uh-oh, MacGyver, I don't
think kasanti called the cops.
It's that idiot, stroud,
the building manager.
Hey, guys. We
got a problem here?
No problem. Just a warning.
We don't like strangers.
Ain't gonna get
away with it, man.
Hey, pal, you're trespassin'.
We're just here
defendin' ourselves.
Hey, lobo,
is there another
way out of here?
Yeah, straight up.
Great.
Gentlemen, uh, what do you
say we just leave peacefully?
It's too late.
Over there, there's
a fire escape.
Lobo,
We got to jump.
What, are you kidding?
Nope.
Stop 'em!
Go after 'em!
This way!
Keep going. Follow me.
Grab that pipe.
Oh, Mrs. Magruta,
I don't know what to do.
Kim soo, your ex-husband
Cannot come and
take your children away.
Now, I promise.
Here, drink some tea.
Yo, Helen, got the evidence.
Oh, thank god you're okay.
Gloria just called and said you
two guys are lucky to be alive.
Well, uh, can I get
you some tea? Cookies.
Rose, they're not
your grandchildren.
Everything you need
should be right in there.
Way to go.
Man, kasanti's gonna wish
he never laid eyes on us.
You think kasanti
was behind the attack?
Oh, it had to be
him. He owns stroud.
Perhaps we can explain.
Hamilton Plaza.
Is an urban
redevelopment project.
If it gets city
council approval,
it's gonna drive downtown
real estate values sky high.
And let kasanti
sell his buildings
for a huge profit, right?
To lawton enterprises.
Andrew lawton's company?
That's right. He's
the prime contractor.
If you ask me,
he and kasanti
are two of a kind.
Anything for a buck.
Have you talked to lawton?
Huh, tried to. We couldn't
get an appointment.
Oh, nobody can
get in to see him.
Phoenix
foundation? Send him right in.
Normally I don't take
unscheduled meetings,
but you mentioned
the magic word.
Phoenix.
Lawton enterprises built
your facility, Mr. MacGyver.
Beauty, grace,
internal efficiency,
minimal ecological impact.
I wish I could be so
fortunate with our next project.
Hamilton Plaza. Yeah, I know.
That's why I'm here.
Oh? Is there some
kind of problem?
Well, the problem,
Mr. Lawton, is urban renewal
At the expense of innocent
people losing their homes.
You mean losing their sub-standard,
vermin-infested apartments
No human being
should have to live in.
Because slum lords don't
keep them up to code.
All the more reason
for them to move out.
Mr. Lawton,
I came here to make
sure you were aware
of some of the tactics landlords
are using to get people to move out.
That's none of my concern.
It should be.
Look, MacGyver,
there are gonna be a
few dislocation problems.
But Hamilton Plaza means jobs,
A better quality of life, a tax
base on which to build schools.
It also means a lot of poor
people are gonna suffer
while you make slumlords
like Victor kasanti rich overnight.
Kasanti?
You know him?
Yeah. He ran a friend of
mine out of one of his buildings.
Well, I'm sorry.
But as long as his
evictions are legal,
I have no quarrel with the man.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I have to prepare for
tomorrow's press conference.
Mr. Lawton,
your new complex here
is gonna look awfully funny
with a tenement
stuck in the middle of it.
Are you threatening me?
No, sir, I'm not.
I came here to appeal
to your sense of justice.
Obviously, you don't have one.
So, I'm afraid I'm gonna
have to help fight this eviction
no matter how long it ties
up Mr. Kasanti's property.
Get kasanti on the phone.
Now.
How'd it go with uptown lawton?
Not like I expected.
Getting a rich
education, ain't you, man?
Take a look at this.
Four of kasanti's tenements,
Four different inspectors.
That's weird.
Well, they can't
all be on the take.
What mushroom have
you been living under?
- Here you go. Just pay the cashier down the hall.
Ah, thank you.
Excuse me.
Uh, just a minute.
Yes?
Yeah, I'd like to speak
to an inspector Miller.
So would I. He left
with my favorite stapler.
- Left?
- Fired.
Uh, what about an
inspector gladston?
Fired.
Inspector pelham?
Took a job in private industry.
I don't suppose Dale
winslow is around, is he?
Retired.
Well, it was fun looking
for parking space.
Now, wait a minute. Excuse me.
Would you happen to
know when these guys left?
The dates?
June 6, 1988,
April 23, 1989,
march 12, 1990
and October 2, 1990.
Gentlemen, perhaps I
could be of some help.
I'm Clinton Ferris. I'm the
director of building and safety.
Lobo. MacGyver.
A couple of confused dudes.
Yeah, we're working on a
legal matter for someone.
Uh-huh. And?
Well, these inspection
reports don't click, man.
Yeah, according to the dates,
the inspectors signed them months,
Sometimes years,
after they had left the job.
May I look at them?
Sure.
Please, why don't you step
into my office over here?
Thanks.
Whoa, check this out.
Doggie heaven.
Put it down.
It's kind of a hobby of mine.
Yeah?
This you?
Yeah, with lord Jim.
Talk about a high
point in one's life.
Carriage, conformation, stance.
Lord Jim had it all.
And then there's
this kind of thing.
Goodness knows I try
to sort out the bad apples.
What do you mean?
I mean that these are forgeries.
It's an old scam, Mr. MacGyver.
Slumlord bribes the
building inspector,
the inspector signs the
name of another inspector
who's no longer
answerable for his actions.
Slumlords like kasanti?
Yes.
Among hundreds of others.
And believe you me, the tenants
are not the only ones they feed off of.
They feed off of poorly
paid civil servants
who have bills to pay,
kids to put through college,
men who should know better,
But can't resist
vultures like kasanti.
Would you be willing
to testify to all this?
Absolutely.
And I promise, I will find the
men who forged these signatures,
and I will take the
appropriate action.
All right, Ferris.
You're one happening dude, bro!
Well, thank you.
We've got some
interesting information.
We went to the tax assessor's
office, and guess what?
The tax roles show
joint ownership
of almost all of
kasanti's tenements.
So he has a partner.
Mmm-hmm.
Dempsey and magruta.
Yeah, uh, this
is Victor kasanti.
Victor kasanti?
Mr. MacGyver is right here.
On one.
Yeah.
Yeah, enough is
enough, MacGyver.
W-What do you
say we get together?
We resolve this
Gloria Diaz thing
and then... then we can
both get on with our lives.
What do you have in mind?
Meet me at the building
in... in an hour, okay?
You... you'll like
what I got to say.
He wants to meet
me at Gloria's building.
How can you trust that man?
Are you kidding?
He trusts everybody until
they chase him with a pipe.
All right. Come on.
Man, this place
is gettin' spooky.
What was that?
Maybe we should get out of here.
You say
you heard people arguing?
Sure sounded like it.
How many people? Two? Three?
I don't know, man.
Did you recognize
kasanti's voice?
Uh-uh, they were too far away.
How about a car?
Did you see any kind of
vehicle parked in front?
Nada.
You didn't see anyone?
That's all you can tell me?
Voices, then footsteps.
That was it, man.
We don't know who it was.
I do. It was Mr. Uptown,
Andrew lawton.
Right.
Listen, we'll get
back to you guys.
Is it true, kasanti's dead?
Yeah, too bad, huh?
Lobo.
Strange.
There's a certain irony
To a slum landlord having a
fatal accident in his own building.
Well, I'm not so sure
it was an accident.
Kasanti was arguing with
moneybags lawton when we got here.
You don't know that.
It all makes sense, doesn't it?
Who else would
snuff out kasanti?
Look, kasanti was
in tight with lawton,
and he got too greedy,
so lawton took him out.
Now he's got it all, my
grandma's got nothing
And she's out on
the street for good.
Maybe. Maybe not.
But you have no proof, so
you better stop pointing fingers.
He's right, Antonio.
We have got to do
this the legal way.
Yeah, right.
- Your legal way got my grandma tossed out into the street.
- Hey.
No, MacGyver, admit it.
Lawton's holding a press
conference tomorrow, man.
He won, we lost.
Lobo, we can still go to court.
Listen, it's not over yet.
Yeah? Well, it is for
me. I'm out of here.
He may be right.
With kasanti dead,
his grandmother may
have no legal recourse.
Maybe not.
Remember,
kasanti had a partner.
All right. Come on.
You keep talking.
He's out. We're not
sure what he got.
All right.
All right, all right, hold on.
Yeah, I'm comin'.
I'm comin'. I'm comin'.
It's not even noon yet.
All right.
Fine.
Mo.
MacGyver.
What the heck are
you doing here?
Do you know what time it is?
Hey, I'm sorry if I woke you up.
But I need a handwriting expert,
- and you're the best.
- Oh, yeah?
Well, the da didn't think
so when he sent me up.
That's because you were forging
signatures instead of analyzing them.
Well, it looks like you've done pretty
good since you left the halfway house.
Well, they couldn't drag me back
to the joint with a team of horses.
You know, I sort of like having
doors that I can unlock from the inside.
You know what I mean?
Well, what have you got?
Uh, four signatures.
I want you to tell me if they're
the work of the same person.
What's it all about?
Well, if I'm right,
catching a killer.
I appreciate you
joining me this morning.
I'm proud to announce that Hamilton
Plaza is about to become a reality.
As of noon today,
lawton enterprises will
embark on the most ambitious
Urban renewal project
in this city's history.
Yo! Beautiful people,
- It's coffee time.
- Who's that?
What the devil...
Now, what are you doing
standing around in the dark?
You are missing
one beautiful day.
Get him off there.
Am I right or am I right?
Whoa! "How fat cats get fat.
"They eat people's homes."
Hey, lawton,
that's you!
Oh, my god,
you've got to be kidding.
What is this? Who are you?
Keep rolling. I'm ready.
No, stop. This is ludicrous.
In other news,
city police arrested 20 people...
Uh-huh.
Come here, take a look. I
want to show you somethin'.
Look at it. See the
curvature on the loops?
Which we also call the, uh,
slant and terminal strokes.
Same guy?
Same guy forged all four names.
Mmm-hmm. I'd bet my life on it.
No, make that my shirt. I've
bet my life too many times.
What about the signature
on this check endorsement?
Soaring crime rate,
which police chief Harold Brooks
admitted is the highest in the city.
Over 50 percent...
Yeah. Definitely, same guy.
And now, let's switch to
news central's Cindy Clark
For a live report.
This is Cindy Clark,
reporting from downtown
where a bizarre
scene is taking place.
Across the street, a
shockingly graphic billboard
which questions the propriety...
Oh, man.
Of the newly-approved
Hamilton Plaza project.
Here, inside the offices of prime
contractor, lawton enterprises,
Total confusion.
Please! May I have
your attention? I beg you.
With me is notorious
graffiti artist, lobo,
who claims responsibility.
Yeah, that's right. I want the
whole world to know the truth.
And that is?
Andrew lawton is driving
poor and innocent people
like my grandmother
from their homes.
He doesn't care if she
ends up in the gutter.
All he cares about is money.
What do you have
to say about that, Mr. Lawton?
Oops. Got to run now,
folks, but stay tuned.
I ain't finished yet.
Come here.
Come here, kid!
Around that way!
Mr. Lawton, what is
your response to all this?
Well, Cindy, as you know,
I have nothing to hide.
But what you're seeing here today
is the work of a juvenile delinquent
who has nothing better to do
with his life than deface property
and crucify innocent people.
You're saying
lobo's charges aren't true?
Friends of yours?
Yes and no.
Thanks, mo.
Well, naturally,
there are some tenants
who for whatever reason failed
to make proper arrangements...
Anytime.
Hello.
Hey, MacGyver.
Hey, nice art show.
Yeah, tell me about it.
Listen, man, I want
to turn myself in,
But I want you to go with me.
Where are you?
I'll be at my
grandma's apartment.
There's some new
evidence you got to see, man.
Okay. You all right?
Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.
Just come quick, all right?
All right.
Attaboy, lobo.
Now you're learnin'.
Lobo?
Lobo?
Put it down.
Where's lobo?
He's waitin' for you.
Now, move.
Sorry, MacGyver.
I didn't have a choice.
It's all right, lobo.
At least now we know
who we're dealin' with.
Right, Ferris?
That's very good, MacGyver.
I'm impressed.
Stroud was workin'
for Ferris all along.
Yeah, I know.
Ferris was kasanti's
secret partner.
How'd you find out?
Your endorsement on the
checks kasanti was writing
to your shadow corporation,
lord Jim properties.
Tie him up.
You went 50-50 with kasanti
years ago, didn't you, Ferris?
Man had to do something
with all the money
the landlords were paying
him to look the other way.
Well, I told you, it's very hard
living on a civil servant's salary.
And what about kasanti?
Well, he was afraid you had
enough on him to put him in jail,
and he was willing
to hold up on the deal.
So you killed the dude?
If you can't stand the
heat, get out of the kitchen.
Know what I mean?
Get the car.
This is not your, uh,
standard demolition device,
but, uh, it's effective
nonetheless.
Let's go.
It don't look that big.
No, it's just a trigger.
If the nitrates in
that barrel go off,
the whole building will blow.
What are you doing?
These ties are made of plastic.
They've got a low melting point.
Come on.
How much time we got?
Well, enough time to defuse it.
Yeah, well, how about a
vote? I say we run like hell.
Dang.
Dang?
Hey, they're getting away!
- Here, hold that.
- What, are you kidding?
Whoa!
With me is Andrew lawton,
the developer of Hamilton Plaza.
Mr. Lawton, are you
saying the project is on hold?
Only until the final
plans have been revised
to include brand-new
housing for current residents,
the vital need for which has been so
eloquently expressed by Mr. MacGyver
on behalf of Gloria Diaz.
Gloria Diaz, the proud widow
whose fight to retain
her simple home
with all its memories
touched the heart
of an entire city.
I believe you have
something to ask Mrs. Diaz?
Indeed I do.
Mrs. Diaz,
out of the ashes of this and
other buildings will soon rise
beautiful, new,
affordable housing.
And in honor of your role in
bringing this moment about,
I invite you to be the first
new tenant to move in.
Sure.
As long as you pay
for the moving men.