MacGyver (1985–1992): Season 7, Episode 13 - The Stringer - full transcript

You are Mei jan's friend?

- MacGyver.
- I'm tan yee.

The shipment's in the warehouse.

(People chattering in cantonese)

(Speaking mandarin)

(Phone ringing)

Yeah, globe wide, this is Lee.

Tan yee has made
contact with an American.

They're in the warehouse.

Deal with him.

Tan yee: "Made in Korea." Ha!



All this came from camp zero.

A forced labor prison in China.

Yeah, I know.

I got a lot of friends
there, other students.

They're being starved and tortured
so the fascists in Beijing can get rich.

Uh, Mei jan said you
smuggled out a videotape?

I hid it over here.

It's been magnetically
coded. Can you unscramble it?

Yeah, no problem. What's on it?

The truth about camp zero.

A girl sent there
smuggled in a camera.

She got this out before the guards
discovered what she was up to,

And executed her.

(Door opening)



(Whispering) Big trouble.

No kidding.

Wait here.

Hold it right there.

(Groans)

That's far enough.

(Grunts)

- (Gun fires)
- Tan yee: We've got to get out of here.

Don't let them get the tape.

Give me the tape.

Hand it over. Now!

(Tires screeching)

Get on!

(Engine revving)

You might want to cover up.

That's our way out.

(Gun firing)

(Engine choking)

(Glass shattering)

Uh, they won't be following.

I guess you could say I
gave them a free tune-up.

Name's MacGyver.

Yeah, i'm, uh, Sam.

Hey, Sam, thanks for your help.

What were you doing
back there, anyway?

Uh, working. I'm a stringer.

- A photojournalist.
- Ah.

MacGyver!

I was so worried. I was gonna...

Mei jan, a couple
of guys showed up.

Tan yee?

He didn't make it.

I'm sorry.

Uh...

He did give me
this to give to you.

He's a friend of yours?

He helped me out.

Uh, Sam, Mei jan.

Hi.

Thank you, Sam.

I don't know what this is all
about, but you're welcome.

Please, come inside.

We searched tan yee.

All we got was a phone number.

Then the American has the tape.

We must move quickly.

Put the crates back
on the freighter.

Hide the body along with it.

Leave nothing.

China has 1,000 laogai, forced
labor prisons holding millions of people,

most of them political.

Camp zero's the biggest.

We heard that the students
arrested in tiananmen square

were being sent
there as slave labor.

So you think the stuff in those
crates was made at camp zero?

Hopefully, we can prove that.

Yeah, but it's illegal to import
anything made with convict labor.

I mean, how would
they get it past customs?

There's a ring of
import companies.

They route the shipments through
Hong Kong and Korea to confuse customs.

MacGyver: All right, got it.

(Men speaking mandarin)

Mei jan: That's
lin yi and su min!

They were in tiananmen square
when the soldiers attacked.

Sam: Don't the Chinese deny using
student protestors as slave labor?

MacGyver: Yeah.

This should shoot
some holes in their story.

(Woman groaning on t.V.)

I must fax Beijing and let them
know that we have the tape.

And also about tan yee.

(Exhales)

so, photojournalist,

what's the story
at the warehouse?

Well, I was following
those two goons,

Hoping they'd lead me
to a guy named chung.

But, instead,
they led me to you.

Who's chung?

Chung tai shan.

Look.

That's him there in the middle.

He owns a big Asian import
company called globe wide.

Yeah, why are you after him?

Well, 10 years ago, he was colonel
chung, in the red Chinese army.

I want to expose
him as a murderer.

Why, you got proof?

I saw him.

I was only nine at the time,

but I'll never forget that face.

Ten years is a long time, Sam.

He killed my mother.

Mom was a photojournalist.

She was working on a story about
the Democratic movement in China.

We were staying in a
small village near Beijing.

One night there was a meeting.

The soldiers came.

Mom made me hide.

Stop!

Chung: You are a
spy! Kneel! Down!

(Gun firing)

Shot resisting arrest.

That's the official story.

How'd you know that?

Um...

Uh, I knew a woman.

She was killed in China.

What was your mom's name?

Katherine.

She thought it sounded
stuffy. She liked to be called...

- Kate.
- Yeah.

Kate Malloy.

You knew her?

I... yeah.

Yeah, we were friends.

Close friends?

Well...

I mean, it was a long
time ago, it was 20 years.

Mom gave me this.

It's got a couple
of pictures in it.

One's of her.

She said the other
one's my father.

It is you, isn't it?

You're my father.

(Woman chattering
on police radio)

Pete.

It's too late, MacGyver. The
warehouse is cleaned out.

Terrific. Terrific.

But we still have the
tape on camp zero.

Mei jan, I'm sorry, but if we
don't present solid evidence

to the state department, that the Chinese
have been smuggling banned goods

into the us, those trade talks
are going on as scheduled.

Then tan yee died for nothing?

Chung's very efficient.

Oh, uh, Sam, this
is Pete Thornton.

He works for the
Phoenix foundation.

Hi.

Sam.

Are you a friend of MacGyver's?

Uh, actually, I'm a relative.

A what?

MacGyver?

It's a long story, Pete.

Uh, the guys who killed your friend
work for a company called globe wide.

MacGyver: The
owner's name is chung.

All right, I'll check
it out right away.

- MacGyver?
- Pete...

W-Why don't we
look inside? Come on.

This is the debris.

MacGyver, I thought your grandfather
Harry was your last living relative.

Yeah, me too.

Well then, what line of
the family is Sam from?

I guess you could
say he's from my side.

He's my son.

Your what?

He's my son, Pete.

I, uh... I knew his
mother a long time ago.

Like I said, it's a long story.

Yeah, I bet it is.

Your son?

You're a father!

(Chuckling) Imagine that.

Yeah.

Yeah, imagine that.

Oh, man.

Pete, I swear to you,
the crates were here.

You can still see the
dust patterns they left.

- (Camera clicking)
- Well, MacGyver, are you finding anything?

Well, maybe, Pete.

There's a beetle here

That might help us determine
where the crates were from.

Yeah, how?

A forensic entomologist.

Thornton: Oh, yeah.

Well, we happen to have
one of those at Phoenix.

Dr. Fleck.

Well, do you want to
get him working on it?

See if he can find out
where this little guy is from?

Sure.

Oh, and have him run
a spectrograph on this.

Sam: Yeah!

Steel smelted in China would
have a high ratio of iron isotopes.

Yeah, sure.

Well, I'll let you know
as soon I get something.

Well, he's a chip off
the old block, isn't he?

Yeah.

You know, Pete, I don't
know if I'm ready for this.

- You mean being a father?
- Yeah.

(Camera clicking)

Well, as one father to another,
let me tell you something.

You're never ready.
I mean, it's like life.

You take what comes
and make the best of it.

And you're pretty good at that.

Sam: And after
the soldiers left,

I spent the night
crying my eyes out.

Next morning, I
hiked to Beijing.

Wait a minute, you
were nine years old

and you hiked through red China?

Yeah. I always could
take care of myself.

Mom said it runs in the family.

Anyway, a couple of mom's reporter
friends brought me back to the states,

and since mom had no
relatives left, they took care of me,

Until I was old enough
to make it on my own.

Why didn't you try to find me?

All I had was the
picture from this locket.

And mom died before she
even told me your name.

Sam: You remember her.

Tough lady to forget.

Yeah.

This is the last time
we were together.

After we graduated, uh, she
went to cover a story in Brazil.

(Sighs)

Why didn't she tell me?

Well, mom said you
moved around a lot,

Helping people
all over the world.

And she said that she'd introduce
us when we'd both grown up.

She knew me pretty well.

Yeah.

She told me one time you
were both like discoverers.

That most people could be happy
living in one place all their lives,

but the two of you could only
be happy if you were on the road

To somewhere else.

She said that runs
in the family, too.

Sam...

I know.

Sam: She loved you, too.

Chung: I transmitted your
description of the American to Beijing.

They believe it was this man.

Yes, that's him.

MacGyver.

He works for the
Phoenix foundation.

Champion of so-called
human rights causes.

Beijing says that he is an
active sympathizer with a group

Of student anarchists
led by this girl.

If MacGyver gave her the
tape, she will use it to destroy

the trade talks with
the United States.

We must stop her.

How can we find her?

This phone number
you found on tan yee.

(Phone ringing)

- (Beeping)
- What's that?

It's a fax machine.

Probably one of the
student underground lines.

Should be easy to trace.

Tofu? Wheat germ?

Don't you have anything
that's even a little bad for you?

Harry used to say eating
healthy never hurt anybody.

Who's Harry?

He was your great-grandfather.

Oh.

I think you would
have liked him.

Here.

(Chuckles) That's all right.

I'll have some toast.

You got any bread?

Yeah.

Here.

So...

Sam.

Samuel.

How'd your mom
come up with that?

Well, actually, my real name's
Sean. Sam's a nickname.

Sean a. Malloy.

S - a - m, Sam. Get it?

Yeah.

What about the "a"?

Uh... that's my middle name.

Let me guess.

Angus.

Yeah. Mom loved it.

Yeah, I know.

I'm not too crazy
about it, though.

I know the feeling.

(Phone ringing)

- Yeah?
- Thornton: MacGyver, it's Pete.

I've got some info.

Dr. Fleck identified
that beetle you found.

It's called a
metallic wood borer.

How do you like that?

- And it's native to only one region in south central China.
- Hunan province.

Exactly. And that is
where camp zero is located.

Oh, and Sam was right.

The spectrograph test on
that engine part you gave me

detected a high
ratio of iron isotopes.

That metal was definitely
smelted in China.

Listen, with this and the tape,

I think we have enough to
go to the state department.

At least the secretary's
gonna have to listen.

- Well, what about chung?
- Well, I checked out his company,

And, uh, it seems legit.

But there's very little
personal data on chung.

He seems to stay
pretty much to himself.

I did get his address.

What is it?

Uh, 54 oakwood estates.

You know, even if
he is the front man

for this smuggling
pipeline we've got here,

we don't have
enough to go after him.

Yeah, I know, Pete.

How soon can we get
to the state department?

Well, I've already
made an appointment.

Listen, Mei jan is over at the student
underground office and she has the tape.

I need for you to go over there,
pick her up, and bring her over here.

All right. Will do.

What are you doing with that?

Maybe you don't have enough
to go after chung. But I do.

Not with that, you don't.

It's all chung needed.

Let me understand
something then.

You're actually planning to
go out and take a human life?

Well the law can't touch him.

So what?

- You're the judge, jury and executioner?
- He was.

I saw him put a gun to her head.

- I want justice.
- All right, hold it right there.

Murder is not justice.

The killing has
got to stop with us.

We should be telling ourselves we're
good enough to solve our problems

Without taking human life.

The killing has
got to stop, Sam.

Now right now that's a
choice you've got to make.

What do you know?

My first father-son lecture.

Yeah.

How was it?

Kind of hard to take.

But not bad.

I still can't believe
you're really his son.

Yeah, I know.

Isn't it wonderful, MacGyver?

You know, now that I think
about it, there is a resemblance.

(Car approaching)

(Car horn honking)

- (Mei jan screaming)
- Get her feet!

Hang on!

Mei jan: Help!

Hold on to her! Get the door!

(Mei jan screaming)

(Gun firing)

(Groans)

(Door closes)

Once we're outside us water,
the shipment goes overboard.

Along with our
dead revolutionary.

We set sail in a half hour.
Stay here. Guard the girl.

Yeah, thanks. I've got it.

A computer check just
turned up a freighter

under contract to
chung's company.

It sails for Hong Kong
from pier 16 this afternoon.

All right. I'll check it out.

I'm gonna go with you.

I don't think so. There
could be some trouble.

Look, we just found out
you're my father, okay.

That's father, not boss. I've
been on my own a long time.

And I'm old enough to vote. I'm
old enough to fight for my country,

not to mention the fact that I
am a professional photojournalist

And I'm looking at one
hell of a story. So back off.

I'm going with you.

Pete...

Nope. Sorry.

I make it a point never to get
involved in family arguments.

Thanks.

Ah, what do you know?

My first son-father lecture.

How was it?

Kind of hard to take.

But okay.

(Chuckling)

(People chattering)

Sam: Got any idea how
we're gonna get aboard?

Well, I guess we ride.

What's wrong?

I'm a little afraid of heights.

That's funny, they
don't bother me.

You got that from your mother.

He's guarding something.

Wait here.

(Camera clicking)

(Camera clicking)

(Speaking mandarin)

(Gun firing)

Mei jan!

MacGyver!

Oh, thank god!

(Groans)

Come on, we got to go.

Wait! The crates from the
warehouse are in the hold!

We got to get to a phone.

Sam, look out!

Dad!

No!

(Men shouting mandarin)

It appears we will have
more burials at sea to perform.

(Groans)

Your arm's broken.

Ow!

You scared me, man.

How long have I been out?

Just a few minutes.

Where's Mei jan?

They took her up to the bridge.

- Ow!
- Hold still.

Where'd you learn
how to do that?

I don't know.

Just kind of made sense.

Huh.

I should have listened to you.

Going after chung
was stupid, and...

Hey, we all make mistakes.

Yeah, some mistake.
Look at the fix I got us into.

You've got to learn
to be more optimistic.

Look at all the options.

All the doors are locked.

You can't climb.

I only see one option.

(Speaking in cantonese)

The captain says
we're clear to cast off.

Chung: Excellent.

You see, you
accomplished nothing.

When the United States
renews our trade status,

there will be an
economic boom in China.

As for your slave labor...

Perhaps instead of being
executed for treason,

You will be sent to camp zero
along with your student friends.

They will need help
keeping up with the demand.

(Ship horn blowing)

Hey, we can tear these crates
apart and use them to make a ladder.

No. That'd take too long.

Yeah, you're right.

Wish we could just sprout wings.

Yeah.

Maybe we can.

We can?

How?

Water pressure?

Yeah.

Three thousand pounds
of thrust ought to do it.

Uh, there any seatbelts
left in that crate?

- Yeah, lots.
- Rig up a couple of harnesses for us.

Hey...

Might need that.

Cool.

(Ship horn blowing)

Let's hustle, huh?

(Shouting in mandarin)

- We can use these for frames for the harnesses.
- Perfect.

Mom said you're pretty
good at getting out of jams.

I hope she was right.

So do I.

(Ship horn blowing)

(Dings)

You sure about this?

Your great-grandfather used to
say, "only fools are sure of anything.

"A wise man keeps on guessing."

You're right.

I would've liked him.

(Engine starting)

Hook me up!

- When the pressure redlines, we hit the nozzles.
- Okay!

Both: Oh, man!

Now!

What about Mei jan?

We've got to get
her off the bridge.

Sam: Hey, wait.

How about a small mutiny?

That's a good idea.

Cut the top off that.

Good.

- You got a match?
- Yeah.

(Man speaking mandarin)

(Groaning)

(Shouting)

(Coughing)

Good man.

Stop!

Chung!

Drop your gun!

No.

Mei jan, don't.

No!

This is for tan yee.

Mei jan, put the gun down.

Don't you see?

This is all that people
like him understand.

That's his way.

Not yours.

Not ours.

Don't you see? If you kill him,

then tan yee's death
really was for nothing.

It has to stop with us.

It has to.

Hey.

Your mom would be proud.

Hi, Mr. Thornton.

Sam.

- Well, are you guys all packed for your trip?
- Just finished.

Oh, uh, MacGyver, the Phoenix
board asked me to give you this.

Pete.

It's an offer of a new
contract, and it's very generous.

- I think you ought to look at it.
- We've been through this before, Pete.

Sam and I have got a
little catching up to do.

Well i... i told them I
didn't think you'd go for it.

You know, I can't even imagine what
it's gonna be like without you around here.

Well, it was bound to happen.

Things change.

Not always.

Good things don't.

Don't you ever change, MacGyver.

Don't you either, Pete.

Well, uh, can I expect you to
drop in once in a while anyway?

Count on it, my friend.

Sam.

Take care of your
old man, will you?

You can count on it.

So, uh,

Where to?

Somewhere else.

(Engines starting)

This is Richard Dean Anderson.

On behalf of all
of us at MacGyver,

I'd like to thank
you, our audience,

For seven great seasons.