Stepping into a pair of skis
and pointing 'em straight downhill
may be as close as you can get to flying...
without completely leaving the ground.
Every winter, millions of people enjoy
being out on the slopes.
You might not think Pete Thornton would be one of 'em.
Whoa...
And you'd be right.
Thanks a lot.
Well, looks like you're getting the hang of this.
You know, one of us needs to have his head examined,
and I'm sure it's not you.
Come on, Pete, admit it -- you're having the time of your life.
Oh, sure.
I love having two pounds of snow in my pants.
"Let's take a week off," you said.
"Go somewhere where we don't know anyone."
"Fine," I said.
"What about Hawaii?"
"Hawaii," you said, "is boring."
Well, you know something?
I think I like boring.
I would love right now to be lying on the beach in the sun,
drinking wonderful things from a pineapple.
Grab on.
No, I got down by myself;
I'll get up...
by myself.
See that?
Jack, you there?
Yeah, I'm in the parking lot with Mr. Leland.
Hey, look, I've been following Phil all over this mountain.
But did you check his room at the lodge?
Yeah, it was clean.
He's got to have that microfilm on him.
Ask him is Phil alone.
Yeah, Mr. Leland would like to know is Phil alone?
Yeah, for the first time since he left the lodge.
But he's acting real nervous,
like, uh, he's expecting somebody any minute.
Tell him take Phil now before he makes his contact.
Tell him make sure he gets that film.
You know, if you want to stay up here the rest of the week, that's fine,
but, uh, I think I'm going to go home.
I thought your house was being fumigated.
Well, it is.
But if I'm going to die anyway,
I might as well be comfortable when I go.
Know what I mean? Look out!
Whoa! Look out!
Hey, I'm really sorry.
You guys all right?
Yeah, I think so.
I'm just a beginner.
Oh... you, too?
Well, uh...
Phil just ran into a guy in a red sweater
and pants, knocked him for a loop.
There's another guy with him, too.
Give me that.
I'm talking to you now.
Listen, Phil is supposed to be an expert skier.
He don't run into guys by accident.
You sure they're not the feds he's supposed to meet?
Hey, how can I tell from here, Mr. Leland?
You make sure he doesn't pass that film.
You get the film or don't come back down the mountain.
Let me get these poles for you.
Ah, appreciate it.
My name's Phil.
MacGyver. This is Pete Thornton.
Hi.
You guys staying here at the lodge?
Yeah.
Here you go.
Thanks.
Well, I think I've had enough fun for one day.
Nice meeting you, Phil.
Yeah, you, too.
I'm going to take another run down Red Eye.
Last run of the day.
Well, be careful.
I'll meet you at the Midway House, and we'll, uh...
we'll have a toddy for the body.
- Hello, Phil. - Who are you?
How do you know my name?
We have a mutual friend.
Your, uh, former boss, Sam Leland?
I don't know any Sam Leland.
Well, you stole some microfilm from his files.
Now, he feels it's very ungrateful
that, uh, you should want to spill everything
about his operation to the cops.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Listen, snow's really great over at Hooter's Run.
You should try it.
You look, hair ball.
Two days ago I was in Florida,
twinkling my toes in the sand.
I get a call, I got to come up here
and play snow bunny with you.
I'm cold and I'm wet, and I want that film now.
There's something special about the last run of the day.
The slopes aren't so crowded, the shadows are longer...
...and it's sort of peaceful out there.
Mr. Leland. Hey, look, I got Phil.
Uh, he ain't got no film on him.
It's got to be on him.
That guy in the red sweater, did he give it to him?
Look, I'm telling you, he...
Oh, my God.
Arnie, did he pass off that film?
Arnie?
- What's with him? - Let me try.
Arnie, talk to me.
Arnie, get back to me.
Give me the binocs.
How do you... How do you do this?
Turn that wheel on the top.
Holy smoke.
Half that mountain is coming down.
Hey, the guy in the red sweater.
That avalanche is going to nail him.
That's an avalanche.
On Red Eye.
No...
No.
Come on. Come on, MacGyver, beat it.
Oh, no!
Avalanche! Emergency!
Listen, a friend of mine just got caught in an avalanche
on the Red Eye trail.
We know. We just got a call from the top.
They're forming a search team right now.
Now, you stay here at the lodge. We'll let you know if we find him.
No, you don't understand. I saw him go under -- I can lead you there.
- You sure? - Yes!
You know how to drive one of these things?
That I can do.
All right, let's go.
Arnie, come on back to me.
Arnie, talk to me.
He probably got hit by the avalanche, too.
What are we going to do now?
About Arnie? Nothing.
They can't connect him to us.
So we can get out of here, huh?
What's the matter with you?
That guy in the red sweater was probably Phil's contact.
He's dead.
So they'll dig him up
and they'll find the film.
You stay here.
You make sure you search that body before they do.
They might not find him till spring.
Get up the slope.
I'm going back to town.
I hate this weather!
I hate it!
Willie, listen, let's go home.
Oh, oh...
I just have to see snow, I come down with something.
Tell him to work further east.
All right.
Listen, can't we get some more people to help?
There weren't that many skiers left on the hill,
and the patrol's stretched to the limit.
Are you sure this is where your friend went under?
Yes, I marked it by those trees.
Well, one set of pines looks pretty much like another.
This is the spot. I'm sure of it.
Look, I hate to have to tell you this...
but only one out of 25 survives an avalanche.
MacGyver will be the one.
Supposing MacGyver did find a pocket for himself in here,
how long could he hold out?
People have stayed alive for five or six days,
but between the hypothermia and the frostbite,
it's not a pretty picture.
I once fell off a surf board,
and a wave kept turning me over and over.
I thought I was swimming toward the surface
till I came up with a handful of sand.
So I knew that digging through the snow
wouldn't mean much if I was going in the wrong direction.
I had to find which way was up.
And I knew that gravity would tell me.
Nothing, Jim.
Keep trying.
I didn't know how deep I was buried,
but I did know my ski pole, with a few alterations,
could become a five-foot-long drill.
Air Scout to Rescue Team One.
Air Scout to Rescue Team One, come in.
Rescue One, come in.
We've got an unstable cornice
on the south face of the mountain.
It looks like it could come down at any time.
Get your team together and leave the area within ten minutes.
Leave the area within ten minutes. Over.
Roger, Base.
I just got a report from the chopper near the summit.
There's a lot of unstable snow up there.
Meaning what?
They're going to trigger a controlled slide.
When?
They're planting the charges now.
Well, they can't do that until we find MacGyver.
I'm sorry, but these people just don't see it that way.
Unless they break up those ridges,
the whole mountain could cut loose,
bury the lodge, the town and everything.
- Well, how much time do we have? - They're giving us ten minutes,
and then we got to get out of this area fast.
If there was anyone looking for me,
I had to let 'em know where I was.
Otherwise, my prospects for a long life were downright chilling.
I felt the ski pole break through the surface...
but just barely.
Base to Rescue Team One.
Base to Rescue Team One, come in.
This is Rescue Team One.
Terminate your search and return to Base.
Terminate your search.
Avalanche Control is about to detonate the charges.
- Roger, Base. - Listen.
They can't set those charges off
as long as there's a chance MacGyver is still alive.
I'm sorry. I know how you feel.
I've lost two friends this way,
but there's a whole town they're trying to save.
We're close to him!
Look, I can tell.
Please, ask 'em for another five minutes.
Okay, I'll ask.
Thanks.
This is Rescue Team One.
I had to send up a signal
in hopes someone was around to see it.
My bandanna and my ski pole gave me a signal flag
and a way to get it flying.
All I needed was a counterweight...
and the zipper pull from my ski pants
would do just fine.
Base out.
Rescue Team One out.
They said that they were taking a chance
just having us here looking for your friend.
I could only get a couple more minutes.
I'm sorry.
What I had was a parachute.
I just hoped it would stay in the air
long enough for someone to notice it.
Base to Rescue Team One. Your time is up.
You must leave the area immediately.
Roger, Base. Rescue Team One out.
All right, people, that's it!
Let's head back down.
Riley, you heard her; let's go.
Grab those controls going down.
Come on, Riley, we're out of here.
Look!
This can only be MacGyver!
What is it? Let's go!
Over here, this way!
It's him! Here's his pole!
All right!
Bring shovels! Hurry up!
We have a rescue in progress.
Repeat, a rescue in progress.
Hold on those charges.
Here.
He's down here.
The pole was right here.
Right. Let's dig.
MacGyver, we're coming!
Go easy, go easy. Don't want to hit him.
MacGyver!
Yeah!
Hurry up!
I feel like a popsicle!
He's there!
We're coming!
Wait a minute! Hold it.
Hey, I got a boot!
Easy. Take it easy with him.
We're coming, Mac. We're coming.
Here. All right!
MacGyver, come on. We got you.
Careful, careful...
Come on. Easy.
Easy.
Are you all right?
Thanks, Pete.
Come on with a blanket.
Oh, I got to get you to a hospital.
I think I just got a bump on my head.
A cup of hot chocolate, I'll be fine.
I think we can manage that.
I don't know whether to hit you or hug you.
Yo!
Come on, guys, we got to get out of here.
Here.
Here are his skis.
Don't forget the poles.
All things considered, you're a very lucky man.
Lucky to have a friend like you that didn't give up on me.
Well, are you willing to admit now that skiing is dangerous?
Skiing's fun.
Avalanches are dangerous.
Walking. That's how man is supposed to get where wants to go.
One foot in front of the other.
Safest thing in the...
You were saying?
I think I broke my leg.
You're kidding.
No, I'm not kidding.
Well, I guess we'd better get you to the hospital then, huh?
I can't believe this happened to me.
Me, of all people.
Well, it's just like Leo Durocher said.
Nice guys finish last.
Not only do they finish last,
they finish last in a cast.
I feel as badly about it as you do, Pete.
I know.
You know, I really appreciate your letting me stay here
while my place is being fumigated, but, uh,
I don't want you waiting on me, okay?
Just pretend I'm not here.
All right. Lunch'll be ready in a minute.
Oh.
Boy, don't you ever dust this place?
Twice a year, like clockwork.
Speaking of which, what is that?
It's my alarm clock.
You're kidding.
No, it runs off the current from the potatoes.
Well, you know what's gonna happen, don't you?
Bugs.
You're gonna have lots of bugs all over.
I don't understand why you would want to run a clock on potatoes.
Well, I tried tomatoes, but it ran fast.
What?
Pete, don't you have to lie down and rest?
Yeah, I guess I should.
But remember, I don't want you waiting on me now.
Okay.
You got any soda?
Ginger ale would be nice.
Yeah.
Willie, Willie,
I got microbes swarmin' all over me.
Run down to Marty's, get me chicken soup.
How much you want?
Just tell 'em how sick I am!
- Yeah. - They'll know.
You're back. Where's the film?
I couldn't get it.
They found this guy, but he was still alive.
I don't want to hear what I'm hearin'.
When they dragged him out of the snow,
there was too many people around.
Then his buddy broke his leg.
They had to take him to the hospital in an ambulance.
Excuses don't help me.
Don't you understand what's at stake here?
I know the cops are gonna...
Forget about the cops. The cops are nothin'!
It's the boys back east I'm worried about.
They'll chop me up in so many pieces,
I won't make a decent hamburger.
What do you mean?
The, uh, bets we've been takin' for the organization.
All of the money from the receipts didn't make its way back there.
- You're skimmin'? - You might say that.
And that film is the proof.
God bless you.
Now,
'cause you work for me,
you're in as deep as I am.
Wait a minute!
I didn't know about that until just now! Nothin'!
But they don't know that.
And it's our job to keep 'em from findin' out.
So what else ya got?
Okay, I-I traced that car that MacGyver and his pal had,
and it's registered to this, uh...
Pete Thornton.
He's a big shot at the Phoenix Foundation.
It's a think tank downtown.
Yeah?
Well, I'll stake it out.
All right, take the van.
Call me as soon as you spot 'em.
Okay.
Jack?
No excuses this time.
Ah!
Here you go, Pete. One ginger ale on ice.
Oh.
What's the matter?
Oh, nothing, nothing. It's fine.
It's just that ginger ale is really best over shaved ice, not cubes.
These are cubes.
I can shave some ice for you.
No, no, don't bother now.
I don't want you waiting on me, all right?
Just pretend I'm not here.
Okay.
A blanket would be nice.
Yeah.
You know, there's a draft coming in these doors.
Oh, I know. I've been meaning to insulate.
Thank you.
Oh, that's great.
- Anything else? - No.
Sure?
Yeah.
Uh, just go about your business.
Now look, don't stand over me, okay?
You're gonna make me nervous.
All right.
How long did you say they were gonna be, uh,
fumigating your house?
About a week.
Why?
Just curious.
That's not my pole.
What'd you say?
Oh, this pole -- it's not mine.
How can you tell?
Well, I had my name engraved near the grip.
This one doesn't have it.
Well, somebody must have taken yours by mistake.
I mean, they're all the same, aren't they?
What difference does it make?
Well, none... I guess.
Ah, that's lunch.
Oh, yeah.
Did you ever break a bone?
Well, when I was a kid.
A couple of arms,
three fingers and a toe, I think.
You serious?
Well, not all at once.
However, our doctor did eventually quit medicine
and became a big-time plasterer.
Listen, uh, could you, uh...?
Oh, yeah.
Here you go.
Thanks. That's better.
- That's all right? - Yeah.
Okay.
Tofu casserole.
Tofu?!
Look, I cannot eat 12 hundred beans
that have been battered beyond recognition.
Okay.
What do you want?
Chinese?
I'll call Fung Loo's.
And I'll pay if you pick it up.
All right.
But you tell them to hold the M.S.G.
Sure.
Here. Know how to run that?
I'm not completely helpless.
Got your message.
Which one of those guys you pickin' up?
The one they pulled out of the snow, MacGyver.
Dropped his buddy's car off at the Phoenix Foundation,
and he got in the Jeep.
Leland says to bring him over to the cleaning plant right away.
That's him.
- Hey! - What?
Real quiet, friend.
Just go where I point ya. Move!
Since you asked so nicely, I'd be happy to.
Get in!
Is this your idea of valet parking?
Shut up! I've wasted enough time on you, pal.
I want that film.
What film?
Don't play any games with me.
That film is worth more than the air that I breathe.
No, seriously. I don't know what you're talkin' about.
Save it, pal.
We followed Phil up to that ski joint.
Arnie saw you bump into him on the slope.
That's when he gave you the film.
So don't give me no song, no dance.
You know, there's got to be a way to work all this out.
I mean, if I do have what you want,
it sort of puts us on 50-50 footing, wouldn't you say, huh?
60-40?
If something should happen to you,
like if you should get shot before I get that film,
remember, I know about your friend, Thornton.
So don't push your luck.
Okay.
Egg roll?
Get that away from me.
Okay.
Mind if I have one, though? I'm a little hungry.
Suit yourself, friend. It might be your last meal.
How about a fortune cookie?
Ah, come on, go ahead, live a little.
Can't have egg rolls without soy sauce.
Let's see what kind of a fortune you got.
"Your life is gonna take an unexpected turn."
They sure got you pegged.
I'd say they got us both pegged, guy.
What was that stuff?
My eyes.
That's twice you let him get away.
What are you, a scorekeeper?
What now?
I lifted his registration from the Jeep.
We got his address. Let's beat him home.
Yeah.
Pete! Pete!
You're not gonna believe what just happened to me!
What?
Hello.
This MacGyver?
Who's this?
What's in a name?
Suffice it to say, we got your pal Thornton.
You want to hear?
I'm all right.
I'm all right, MacGyver.
You got that?
We'd like to extend an invitation to you, too.
What's this all about?
Don't talk. Listen.
There's a cleaning plant at 535 East Seventeenth Street.
You be there at 8:00 tonight with the microfilm,
or there won't be enough left of your friend to put in a small box.
MacGyver
better play this smart.
For my sake.
And yours.
Microfilm.
They think I've got their microfilm.
Look out!
Oh! Look out!
Hey, I'm really sorry.
You guys all right?
Yeah, I think so.
I'm just a beginner.
My name's Phil.
Phil.
Phil. The ski pole. Of course.
Whoever was holding Pete
wanted this microfilm badly enough to kill for it.
I wanted to know why.
I didn't have the proper device to read the film,
but I figured my microscope could do the task...
except it was in about five different pieces.
If you don't have the right equipment for the job,
you just have to make it yourself.
I wanted to magnify the film,
so I just put it between two glass slides.
Now all I had to do was add a drop of clear liquid...
water, oil, whatever's handy.
instant magnification.
Now, I don't know too much about gambling,
but I do know a bookie's ledger sheet when I see one.
You know, friendship is a wonderful thing.
That's how I know MacGyver is going to show up.
We're not that close.
Hey, you broke your leg digging him out of an avalanche.
That's close enough for me.
He owes you.
Threats don't work on MacGyver.
Oh, yeah? Well, this one better.
When he gets here, the two of you are going right in that dryer back there.
You know what that temperature gets up to?
450 degrees.
Think about it.
The laundry bags get into the building
on a series of overhead tracks,
kind of like a railroad switching yard.
I wanted to get inside the laundry
using the best cover I could find.
Yeah, what?
I'm in the middle of an important meet...
Gloria!
Gloria, I'll be home when I'm home.
No, I'm not going to stop for milk.
Send the maid.
Or, break your heart,
and you go to the market for a change.
Goodbye.
I got the Sword of Socrates hanging over my head,
she wants me to buy milk.
What's that?
Coming from back there. Check it out.
You think that might be the cops?
This laundry's been a perfect cover for ten years.
Why would they show up now?
Unless MacGyver tipped 'em off.
I see one uniform, you get it right in the heart.
What's going on out there?
Go shut off those machines.
How do I know how to turn it off?
They got switches, don't they? On, off?
Shut 'em off. And find Willie!
Oh, boy. Oh...
Help!
Hey, let me down!
Hey, come on, this ain't funny!
I'm afraid of heights!
Help! Help!
- Let me go! - I'll take care of this myself.
I wouldn't touch that if I were you,
unless you want to look like a light bulb.
See what I mean?
Uh... you, uh...
you seem like a reasonable guy to me.
We make a deal, right?
Nah, I don't think so.
I think you'd better get used to being cooped up.
You can't do this to me, you punk, you...
Hey, let me out of here!
Listen to me, stupid!
Hi.
Boy, am I glad to see you.
They were going to put me in that spin dryer.
Ah, we couldn't let 'em do that.
You might shrink.
Funny.
Listen, that microfilm that Leland wanted...
Hidden right inside that ski pole.
- Phil. You remember Phil? - Yeah.
He made the switch on us.
What do you say we get these guys picked up, huh?
Right. And, uh, next time we go on vacation,
what do you say we go to Hawaii, all right?
- Anything you say, Pete. - Yeah...
Pete?
Ow!
You okay?
No, I'm not!
Is it the ankle again?
No, no, that's fine.
I think I broke the other one.
Okay, we're doing fine now.
Just... watch the wall. Watch the... Oh!
Would you take it easy, MacGyver?
I'm doing the best I can.
Now, just go slowly, slowly.
Watch the door. Watch the door.
Well, I'm pooped.
Getting this chair up those stairs was no easy job.
You were the one sitting down, remember?
Yeah, well, someone had to navigate, didn't they?
You could've hurt yourself.
Oh...
Now, can I get you anything?
No, I think I'll just rest.
Oh, uh, that blanket. Is that still around?
Yeah.
You know, breaking bones gives me an appetite.
I'm hungry.
We've still got tofu casserole in the freezer.
No...
I am not going for Chinese.
So, who asked? Did you hear me asking?
Some ice cream would be great.
I don't have any.
Oh, that's all right.
It's no problem.
How 'bout a quart of Rocky Road...
with chocolate syrup
and those sprinkles on top, and, uh,
some cherries?
I'll go get some.
Okay... but don't go on my account.
Only if you want to.
I am dying to go, Pete.
It'll make my day.
You know, I hope I don't have to stay here too long.
Living with you is no picnic.