_
The initial surge failed because of poor military strategy.
What? No.
The strategy was sound. The intel was faulty.
Yet, they eventually triumphed despite inferior technology.
- Right? - Ah!
Military history buffs, eh? Well, me, too.
So, what are we talking about, huh?
Battle of the Bulge? Battle of Midway?
- Battle of... - Endor.
Star Wars? Episode VI?
The Rebels' problem was that Palpatine leaked intel
to the Bothan spies, and everybody knows that.
That's true, but if the Rebels had a different attack formation...
Hang on a second.
Are we seriously debating this?
The Alliance should've bribed the Hutt syndicate
to start a rebellion, thus distracting the Imperial armada.
Bing, bang, bong.
Bob's your uncle, battle over.
I can't reason with you people.
- I'm out. - Well, h-hang on a second.
We haven't discussed the reactor core yet.
Uh, speaking of spies...
I spoke to your father recently.
He's still pursuing Mason
for burning down the Phoenix.
Uh, why are you talking to my dad?
Just getting intel on Bishop. They worked together at DXS.
Right. He tell you anything interesting?
Hmm, you won't return his calls. That was interesting.
Well, I generally don't
with people who completely obliterate my trust.
That's fair enough, but he did save your life, didn't he?
Well, someone's been snooping through my file.
Mm. It's not snooping if you own the company.
You and your father fell out over a year ago.
Isn't it about time you kissed and made up?
Time to forgive.
Oh, forgiveness isn't Mac's strong suit.
Coming from someone who wouldn't forgive me, that's rich.
If your apology came from you and not Phil Collins...
His lyrics... correction, poetry...
said everything I wanted to.
They would've been perfect, Mac,
- if I was dating Phil Collins. - Hey, do you guys know
where they keep the parachutes on this plane?
- We're fine. - It's fine.
Everybody, seat belts on.
Why'd an F-16 just give us a flyby?
That fighter jet was scrambled from Edwards
to check out a ghost plane
just 20 nautical miles
- from your position. - Ghost plane?
Does that mean it doesn't respond to radio communication?
Or cellular.
Air traffic control says it's a Cessna
208 Caravan registered
to a commercial aircraft engineer
named Ben Reinman.
Reinman's flight plan shows him on a day trip starting
and ending at Moorpark Airport, but he missed
his arrival and just flew by without any explanation.
Could be terrorism, a faulty transmitter,
- or anything in between. - Only one way to find out:
get eyes on the Cessna. Hence the F-16.
Looping you in to USAF audio.
Completed flyby.
Cessna's going too slow to permit clear visual, over.
Repeat, I have no visual.
Turboprops max out at 180 knots.
An F-16's stall speed is 250.
That pilot can't go slow enough to check out the Cessna
- or he'll crash. - What is our stall speed?
170.
I like what you're thinking.
Turn around and get eyes on that plane.
Excuse me, Matilda,
but as financier of this operation, I think
the expenditure of the jet fuel is up to me.
Turn around and get eyes on that plane.
We have visual.
You see the pilot?
Yep.
But he's not flying the plane.
Then who is?
No one.
He looks unconscious.
The plane must be on autopilot.
If he doesn't wake up before that plane runs out of fuel,
he's gonna fall out of the sky.
Oh, it gets worse.
There's a kid in there.
Oh, yes. That is worse.
- Synced and corrected by Firefly - - www.addic7ed.com -
Skinny,
- brown hair. - That's him.
The pilot's son, Asher. Ten years old.
We need him to tell us what happened.
Use frequency 119.9.
Can't. Looks like the radio's
going through his dad's headphones.
He needs to switch the audio output to speaker.
How do you get someone to listen
if they can't hear us in the first place?
We use a different type of radio.
You might think the only way to hear
a radio signal is, well, with a radio.
But all you need is metal.
Metals absorb radio signals,
and if the signal's strong enough,
the metal oscillates and vibrates
the surrounding air, producing noise.
This DIY AM transmitter will create sound
in nearly any metal appliance.
A heater, a light or a fan,
in which case the sound will carry
through the plane's vents.
Oh, my God.
Asher?
Come in, Asher. Asher?
Come in, Asher.
Asher?
Asher, come in, Asher.
Come in, Asher.
If you can hear us,
push the black button on the yoke.
That's the thing the pilot uses to steer.
Hello?
Well done, Asher.
Now look to your left.
My team and I are in that plane.
My name's MacGyver, but you can call me Mac.
We're gonna get you home safely, okay?
Okay.
Asher, can you tell me what happened?
My dad got dizzy and passed out.
I shook him, but he won't wake up.
- Is he breathing? - Yeah,
but he looks bad.
I'm scared.
But you're doing great.
Okay, now I'm gonna tell you how to check his pulse.
Put your pointer finger and middle finger
on the inside of your dad's wrist,
just below his thumb.
If you don't feel anything right away,
try moving your fingers around a little bit.
I feel it, kinda.
Weak pulse and dizziness?
It could be a heart attack.
We need to get him to a hospital as soon as possible,
if we can get that plane down.
Asher,
I need you to check the fuel supply.
Okay, that's the fourth gauge from the left.
What's it say?
One quarter.
That's bad.
All right, so,
quarter tank, 170 knots, it gives them
less than 45 minutes before they fall out of the sky?
Without knowing for sure
what's going on with Ben, we can't count on him
to wake up in time to land.
And chances are slim to none that a ten-year-old
with no flying experience could land that plane.
So, what do we do?
Russ, you fly choppers but not planes?
Well, besides our pilot, Desi's the only one
who knows how to fly a Cessna, so you will be landing it.
I'm gonna get you from here
to over there.
Zip line. Great idea.
Glad I'm not doing it.
You've accounted for weight, speed and wind shear.
Okay, makes sense.
Doesn't dickens make sense. Connecting our planes
could bring us both down. We'd be much more help to them
if we don't plummet out the sky.
You have a better idea, then?
Right. Yes, yes.
We're doing this. But that boy's voice
is very shaky, definite signs of shock.
Bozer, why don't you talk to him,
see if you can calm him down.
- On it. - And I'll find
an airport where Desi can land.
All right, so this zip line.
Explain?
- Have you ever heard of the flying boom? - Yes,
an Air Force technique for refueling planes midair.
Exactly, so we will use the same principle.
except, instead of transferring fuel,
we'll transfer Desi and me.
I'm good. I'll go solo.
Well, somebody has to treat Ben while you land the plane.
I mean, we could give you parachutes
you know, just in case.
This plane only holds military stealth chutes,
which are good for one person only.
Given the fact that Asher's a kid and Ben is unconscious,
we'd have to jump tandem.
So they're useless. I'm going to build
this zip line out of parts from this jet.
Here's what I need you guys to help me gather.
I don't care if you're short-staffed.
Clear your runway.
All our personnel are working double time on this.
You kidding? I can do every Fortnite dance.
What else you play?
Chipmunk Service, Weasel Wars, Zombie Chasers.
My dad doesn't like me playing that one because of the zombies,
but it doesn't scare me, so don't tell him?
Our secret.
So, uh, do you and your dad go flying often?
No. I don't see him that much.
I'm sorry to hear that.
Yeah. He travels for work a lot.
He inspects airplanes for an airplane maker.
Must have been pretty special flying with your dad today, huh?
Yeah.
Till this.
My mom died when I was seven.
Will my dad die, too?
We're gonna do everything we can.
Hang on.
How to make a zip line by tearing apart your own plane:
gather cargo hooks for attaching the cable,
grab a seat cover to create a drogue parachute for stability,
and, finally, try not to think about
what an insane idea this actually is.
Okay. Riley, can you go tell the pilot
to fly above and ahead of the Cessna at a 30 degree angle,
just like the...
Flying boom, yeah, got it.
All right, Asher, here's what I need you to do.
Private airplanes, they usually have
a maintenance bag in the back.
See if you can dig in there and find
a long cleaning tool of some sort.
There's this pole with a weird rubber thing on one end.
Yeah, that's a squeegee. That's perfect.
All right, so, you said that your dad flies a lot, right?
He's probably got some extra clothes with him.
See if you can find a wire hanger.
Okay.
All right, that's perfect.
Now take the wire hanger and bend it into a hook
on one end, and then take the other end and wrap it tightly
around the squeegee.
Me and my friends have this word for making things
out of random stuff.
We named it after this guy who's real good at it.
MacGyver?
No. Jeff.
Like, "My bike chain was broken, so I Jeffed it".
That's catchy.
- Done. - Okay.
One more thing I need you to build, just like Jeff.
Why am I wearing this?
Because you're gonna open that door.
I'm gonna what?
Yeah, I know, but it's the only way.
So lift underneath and roll it up. Russ?
Right.
Someone please tell the pilot we've lost our minds.
All right, bud, your turn!
This is the emergency tow cable.
You're gonna pull it in with that hook
that you made.
Desi?
We've got to go higher!
Take the plane higher!
Okay. Now hook the cable to the metal part
that bolts down the rear passenger seats.
Did it!
Did it, indeed.
In a few years, that kid's gonna have your job.
Promise?
The longer those planes
stay connected, the more danger everyone's in,
so get going.
Hey, Mac?
If I don't make it...
I get it.
Things didn't end great between us,
but still I wouldn't change a thing.
I was gonna say "feed Basner".
- Who? - We bought a parakeet
and I got custody. Long story.
- Asher? - Yeah.
Just making sure I had the right plane.
Fear of heights kicking in?
Please.
It kicked in a long time ago.
Mac.
Remember when we went bungee jumping
off the bridge at Canyon Creek, and you were too scared
to jump and needed me to push you off?
I mean, I was 14. I think that's pretty fair!
Just saying, maybe someone
can do that for you.
Oh, please don't look at me.
I hardly know you. I'd never do something like that.
Russ!
How's it going up there?
Don't ask!
Whoa.
That did not sound good.
It's not.
Uh, here, help me unhook it.
It's no use.
With these winds, we're fighting too much force.
A plane like this can't handle this for long, Mac.
It's gonna bring us down!
Riley, give me some good news.
It's all bad news.
You need to get rid
of that cable before it drags the plane down.
All right, look, maybe if I find the right tools in here,
I can knock it loose.
Step aside.
That works, too.
Your girlfriend's awesome.
- Not my girlfriend. - Not his girlfriend.
Okay, we are down to 30 minutes of fuel.
Matty, did you find us an airport?
I did, but it's in Granite Pass.
Unfortunately, that airport is for jets only.
Light aircraft are banned.
- Why? - It's in a canyon.
High winds, it's too turbulent.
And as bad as things are, if we try
to land there, we'll definitely crash.
We need another option.
Working on it.
Chaps, we have a missing door
and we're running low on fuel,
so we'd better get this jet down to Granite Pass or we're
gonna be in trouble, too.
See you on the ground, I hope.
Well, you were right.
Your dad has a pulse, but it's low.
It's a little too low.
You can save him, though.
Right?
Tell me that's not my radar.
It was the A/C.
Which you never let me turn on anyways.
If you didn't turn the bedroom into a meat locker...
Look, I'm about to use the airplane's battery
to charge these audio capacitors to 600 volts.
And then I'm gonna try and shock his heartbeat back
into a sinus rhythm.
Human muscles contract and expand
based on electrical signals from the nervous system.
When those don't work, we can trick a muscle,
like the heart, into getting back into rhythm.
That's exactly what happens with a defibrillator.
I'm making a complete electric circuit
to run current through his heart
to get it beating at a normal rate again.
All right.
Dad.
Asher.
Ben,
my name is Mac, your pilot is Desi.
We are federal agents sent here to get you home safe.
H-How'd you get on my plane?
It's a long story. What do you remember?
Felt... fine a-at takeoff.
Then... nothing.
And I can't move my legs.
I'm in his company's medical records.
No serious conditions or risk factors for heart attack.
No, I think it's something else. Look.
Okay, that wasn't there before.
This rash could indicate contact with a toxic substance.
Have you ingested or touched anything unusual
in the last 24 hours?
No.
Airport hangars
can have some gnarly chemicals.
Riley?
Scrubbing the hangar's security footage.
Stand by.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
Unless you count the mechanic.
Oh, yeah. Check this out.
He went out of his way to touch his arm.
Yeah, I thought that was weird.
Right where the rash is.
This was no accident.
That man poisoned you, Ben.
No.
Look, this rash, slow pulse, temporary paralysis,
these symptoms are all consistent with some poisons.
And why would he wear gloves doing paperwork
if not to protect himself from a dangerous substance?
Ben, have you seen this guy before?
Never. U-Uh, why would somebody do this?
We'll figure that out later.
Right now we have a more urgent problem.
Poisons require specific antidotes.
We've bought Ben some time,
but the poison's still running through his bloodstream.
Soon his vital organs will shut down.
Yeah, we need to identify that poison.
And to do that,
we need to figure out who poisoned him.
Got it. Talked to airport police.
That mechanic used his employee badge
to go to departures 20 minutes ago.
He's making his escape. Find him.
But don't engage until backup arrives.
On my way.
Desi, I found you an airstrip
on a small farm just 60 miles from your current location.
This is your best bet for a safe landing.
I'm texting you coordinates.
Heading there now.
Hey, Mac?
How is he?
Not great.
But until we get the antidote, there's nothing more we can do.
Yeah.
But since we do have some time, maybe we should clear the air?
I think it's fair to say we are not fine.
Look, I'm... I'm sorry, okay?
It's just, it sucks working with an ex.
Well, we can at least act like professionals.
Great.
And if we survive, we'll discuss things,
then resume avoiding each other as much as humanly possible.
Great. We can both agree on something, then.
_
Guys, this is a private airport.
I can't get in without a reservation,
even with government clearance.
Look, I fly through there all the time.
They get a lot of high rollers
and more than a few travelers with dubious records,
so they're used to the government trying to intercede.
They will put you through hours of red tape trying to get in.
Let me guess. You can do it faster.
Give me 60 seconds.
58 on the dot.
Russ must have some serious connections
to hook me up like this.
I could get used to it.
Don't.
Mr. Sampson, your flight is ready for takeoff.
Mr. Sampson, your flight is ready...
I got eyes on the mechanic.
Looks like he just chartered a private plane.
He's getting out of Dodge, Matty.
Yeah, we have no legal authority
to stall a private flight,
and a court order will take way too long.
We'll have to go after him ourselves.
But wait for backup.
He's moments from boarding.
Bozer,
the man is dangerous, probably armed
and carrying a deadly poison.
And if he gets away, we'll never I.D. the antidote
and Ben will die.
We'll get him when backup arrives.
Bozer, you take him now.
Uh, now seems like a good time to ask: who's in charge?
- Me. - Me.
Matty, without me, there wouldn't even
be funding for Phoenix.
Hello?
Did she just mute me?
I'm sure it was just an accident.
Listen to me right now, Bozer.
We've get one shot at this.
If you go after him alone and fail,
that man gets away and Ben will die.
Stand down.
Standing down.
I think my dad's getting worse.
Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot we can do
until we get that antidote.
All right, guys, we are on course
to the farm airstrip.
18 minutes.
I'll alert police and fire
- to have emergency supplies on hand. - Copy that.
Starting landing protocol.
Well, that's weird.
The Doppler's out.
Uh, do we need it?
No, but it could indicate a larger issue.
Mac, do me a favor and lift up that rear panel,
- tell me what you see. - Yeah.
Uh, no need. I know what the problem is.
It's the landing gear.
Well, what about it?
We don't have any.
How do we land
without landing gear?
You don't.
Mac, Desi, you're only 40 miles from the airstrip.
Which gives us 15 minutes
to figure out how to land this without any landing gear.
Yeah, well, fully aware. Thanks for the added pressure.
If you had a fix by now...
Stop!
You promised to act professional.
You heard that?
Kids hear everything.
You know what? I-I, uh...
I do have an idea.
When planes make emergency landings,
the airport will foam the runway.
Russ, Riley, where are you guys at?
_
We just landed.
But, Mac, the airport's so small,
there's not even a fire truck,
- let alone foam. - Right.
But they still have to wash their planes,
so there should be a truck there with soaping agents,
and I can walk you through how
- to make that into a foam. - Yeah, we'll get it.
- Riley... - Wait.
We're gonna need about 25 minutes.
Desi, you're gonna have to give us more time.
Can't. We only have 15 minutes of fuel.
Unless Mac can magically conjure up more.
No, but we can run on air.
I'm no scientist,
but even I know that's not possible.
Yeah, it is, actually. During long migrations,
birds will find a high altitude
with strong air currents that'll help them glide farther
without wasting any energy.
We can do that exact same thing.
Yeah, but a rapid climb
would burn our remaining fuel
and defeat the purpose.
Unless you know some other way of gaining altitude.
I do.
Fly straight towards that mountain.
Why did I ask?
Matty, he's about to board.
Where's my backup?
They're held up on the opposite side
- of the airport. Moments away. - If he gets on that flight,
he's gone forever. Ben's life depends on it.
Sorry, Matty. I can't wait.
Bozer, don't!
Hey!
Police! Don't move.
Matty, we got him.
But I have a problem.
He smashed a vial into my arm.
Sending you a picture now.
It's most likely the same poison used on Ben.
Now you both need the antidote fast.
We have the foaming chemicals, and we're en route to the LZ.
Airport police
sent me the mechanic's most recent texts.
We don't have the exact name of the person who hired him,
but we do know where they work:
Ben's company.
You inspect airplanes, right?
Yeah, um, for Maddock Aircraft.
I approve plane designs
before they can start production.
But why would somebody... ?
My God, the inspection report.
Which report?
We're launching a new flagship jet.
A lot riding on it.
This week I found a major engine flaw.
It'll delay production up to a year.
- More. - This can cost
a publicly traded company like yours a lot of money.
Who else knew about this?
Just the project manager.
I told him I'd send the report Monday.
Yeah, I'm already in Ben's work computer,
but the contents are a month old at least.
His report's not here. Someone must have deleted it.
Well, it sounds like a cover-up.
The manager must have deleted it to save his job.
Then sent someone to kill Ben,
make it look like an accident.
I'll have police pick up the manager.
Ben, Asher,
- I'm gonna need you to both strap in. - In the meantime,
I am looking at another problem.
- How are we gonna do this, Mac? - Okay, when wind
hits a mountain with that shape,
it diverts upward, creating a fast air current.
If we time it right, we can ride that current
to gain altitude without using our remaining fuel.
And the tailwinds will keep us aloft long enough
for Russ and Riley to foam the runway.
Theoretically.
And if not... well, you know.
How did you learn how to do all that stuff?
My dad taught me, actually.
Okay.
Here we go.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! No, no, no! Not yet.
Not yet. If you go too soon, you're gonna miss the updraft.
Yeah, well, too late ain't gonna be so good either.
- Now? - No, no.
Not yet.
Do not make me punch you, Mac.
Now!
Whoa.
We caught the current!
Yeah. But we're not on the ground yet.
Russ, Riley,
what's the ETA on that foam?
Uh, we're three minutes away.
What was that?
Think someone hit us.
We're all right.
Hey. You hurt? You all right?
Yeah. I'm sorry. I just looked down at my phone.
Hands-free, man.
Our truck wasn't so fortunate.
The release valve's broken.
Mac, Desi,
we have nothing to foam the runway.
Well, we're running out of fuel. We have no choice.
We're coming in for a landing.
Yeah, I-I checked, Mac.
There's nothing else in the area that can foam the airstrip.
All we've got is this useless truck.
Wait, maybe not so useless.
Here's what I need you to do.
What do you mean,
"the truck will be our landing gear"?
Russ will match our touchdown speed
of 76 miles per hour,
and we'll land on top of you guys,
thus preventing combustion
- upon landing. - Hold up.
Go back to the part where we land on top of them.
Yeah, it's saner than it sounds.
- Except it doesn't sound sane at all. - Okay.
When I connect this wire coil
to the batteries from the electrical system,
it'll become an electromagnet.
Thank you. So,
it'll magnetize the plane,
and we'll stick to the top of the truck,
stabilizing us.
- Does that make you feel better? - No! No, it does not.
Maybe you should, uh, get back in your seat and buckle up.
Okay.
All right, Desi.
We are at 76 miles per hour.
You can bring it in.
Yup.
Okay, that's not terrifying.
Hurry up, Mac.
We've only got one shot at this.
Come on.
Mac!
It worked!
Oh.
Okay, I'd really like to get out of the truck now.
Mm-hmm, yeah.
Well,
the antidote worked.
Ben and Bozer are on the mend, and, uh...
it's all thanks to our team.
So, I just got off the phone with Matty,
and the FAA reviewed Ben's inspection report
and ordered an immediate halt to production.
The mechanic as well as the project manager
are both in custody.
Thank you all. For everything.
Mostly for saving Asher.
I'm gonna get some water.
What's going on?
Nothing.
Your dad's gonna be okay.
I know.
Seems like you got something else
that's on your mind.
I wish he was around more.
You know, when I was your age,
my dad, he was gone a lot, too.
It's not easy having a father who saves the world.
My dad checks airplanes.
Exactly.
He keeps people safe.
But there's one person he cares about keeping safe
more than anyone in the whole world,
and it's you.
Heard you wanted to see me?
Yes. Yes, I thought it'd be best
if we met on neutral ground.
I already know what you're gonna say.
I overrode your authority and I muted your comm,
which you hate, 'cause you like to talk.
A lot.
I won't apologize for doing things my way,
because I am good at what I do.
You're probably gonna fire me. That's fine.
You were right.
If Bozer had waited
another 30 seconds for backup,
we would have caught old what's-his-face
and Bozer wouldn't have almost died.
You know, your expertise is one of the big reasons
I wanted Phoenix in the first place.
While I...
I may not lack self-confidence...
That's what you call it.
From now on, when we're on a mission...
... I want you
to make the final call.
Thank you.
And even though I never said it,
thank you for saving the Phoenix.
My pleasure.
This is my list of operational requirements.
It's new equipment, guidelines,
protocols. All in there.
Hmm.
Very well-played.
You saw this coming.
Yeah. That's why you need me.
You want to lay everything on the table?
You're exasperating,
maddening, and you drive me insane.
Oh, tell me how you really feel.
But when things got dangerous,
you were there for me.
As you were for me.
Maybe it's the adrenaline,
but what we lacked as a couple,
we made up for as partners.
But we're more than that, right?
We were.
The way things ended, I, um...
never really got to tell you this,
but I'm sorry.
I failed you.
You deserved a lot better.
You said that better than Phil Collins ever could.
You're wrong about that.
He's scientifically proven
to be a master of the human condition, so...
I don't have a lot of friends.
But you were the best.
Then let's be that.
Let's be that. And if you could just work
on your driving me insane thing, that'd be cool.
Mm, no promises.
One more thing.
As your friend,
I need to give you some tough love.
Shoot.
If you don't fix your relationship with your father,
you're gonna regret it for the rest of your life.
That's... that's not up to me.
That's on him.
I mean, he broke everything that we had, so...
You need to let it go, Mac.
Your father made a hard choice,
but he made it for you.
That's his only job in life.
Not Phoenix or some government op.
You.
I don't know...
I don't know how to fix things.
You'll figure it out.
You know how I know?
'Cause you're MacGyver.
It's what you do.
You're in luck.
We haven't sold it yet.
Thank you.
Good fit.
It was my dad's. It's a nice hand-me-down.
So, you gonna buy it back or what?