# MacGyver (1985 TV series) season 5

The fifth season of MacGyver, an American television series, began September 18, 1989, and ended on April 30, 1990. It aired on ABC. The region 1 DVD was released on March 14, 2006.

## Production

During the fifth season, Dana Elcar began suffering the severe effects of aging glaucoma. Because of this, the producers of MacGyver wanted to write him out of the show. Richard Dean Anderson, however, suggested that Elcar’s disease be incorporated into the show, allowing him to continue his portrayal of Pete Thornton.

## Episodes

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 84 | 1 | "Legend of the Holy Rose (Part 1)" | Michael Caffey | Stephen Downing | September 18, 1989 (1989-09-18) | 14.4 |
| After completing a rescue mission in Colombia, MacGyver is enticed by an archaeologist friend to join her quest for the Holy Grail. |||||||
| 85 | 2 | "Legend of the Holy Rose (Part 2)" | Charlie Correll | Stephen Downing | September 25, 1989 (1989-09-25) | 18.1 |
| MacGyver and Zoe's search is complicated by Von Leer (Christopher Neame), a corrupt gem dealer, stealing ancient artifacts they need. |||||||
| 86 | 3 | "The Black Corsage" | Charlie Correll | Paul B. Margolis | October 2, 1989 (1989-10-02) | 18.3 |
| MacGyver joins bounty hunter Frank Colton (Cleavon Little) to track Bulgarian defector Sophia Ross (Christianne Hirt) running from bandits looking for a valuable ancient necklace. |||||||
| 87 | 4 | "Cease Fire" | William Gereghty | Chris Haddock | October 9, 1989 (1989-10-09) | 17.0 |
| Assisting the negotiations between two countries at a conference in Geneva, MacGyver is framed for a sniper's assassination attempt on President Habad (Michael Naxos) by the president's advisor. His only ally is a schoolgirl (Mayim Bialik) he encountered while on the run. |||||||
| 88 | 5 | "Second Chance" | Michael Caffey | Robert Sherman | October 16, 1989 (1989-10-16) | 19.9 |
| MacGyver heads a project bringing young Amerasians to the United States, but his companion meets the son he did not know he had. But the boy is involved with thieves stealing high end products, including a dialysis machine. |||||||
| 89 | 6 | "Halloween Knights" | Charlie Correll | John Sheppard | October 30, 1989 (1989-10-30) | 19.2 |
| An old nemesis, Murdoc (Michael Des Barres), forges an uneasy alliance with MacGyver to free his innocent sister, who is being held captive by his ruthless mentor and the organization of assassins he works for. |||||||
| 90 | 7 | "Children of Light" | Bill Corcoran | Rick Mittleman | November 6, 1989 (1989-11-06) | 19.7 |
| Chinese student Mei Jan (Michele B. Chan) arrives at MacGyver's home claiming to be his foster daughter Sue Ling, but later she is not who she is and holds evidence of the massacre at Tiananmen Square. That evidence is being sought by Chinese government officials who want those secrets buried. |||||||
| 91 | 8 | "Black Rhino" | Michael Caffey | Paul B. Margolis | November 13, 1989 (1989-11-13) | 19.2 |
| In Kambezi, MacGyver helps Billy Colton (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) track down "Ladysmith" de Bruin (Kai Wulff), a South African poacher who butchers endangered black rhinos for their valuable horns. |||||||
| 92 | 9 | "The Ten Percent Solution" | Michael Preece | Tom Drake & Sally Drake | November 20, 1989 (1989-11-20) | 18.2 |
| MacGyver investigates a Holocaust survivor's claim to a masterpiece painting as belonging to him before the Nazi regime confiscated it and uncovers a conspiracy by neo-Nazi supremacists with intent to create an Aryan nation inside the United States. |||||||
| 93 | 10 | "Two Times Trouble" | Michael Preece | Robert Sherman | December 11, 1989 (1989-12-11) | 19.3 |
| MacGyver's rock singer friend Roxie (Audrey Landers) believes her twin sister Carla is trying to kill her. But not everything is what it appears to be. |||||||
| 94 | 11 | "The Madonna" | Michael Caffey | Cathleen Young | December 18, 1989 (1989-12-18) | 17.2 |
| MacGyver helps a priest friend search on Christmas Eve for a church's stolen Madonna statue with the involvement of an unusual homeless woman staying at the Challenger Club, who seems surrounded by minor miracles. |||||||
| 95 | 12 | "Serenity" | William Gereghty | Stephen Kandel | January 8, 1990 (1990-01-08) | 22.2 |
| Exhausted from work, MacGyver falls asleep and dreams that he is in the Old West aiming to retire with a claim to a Montana ranch home, although trouble soon starts with neighboring landowner Pete Thornton and his hired mercenary, Murdoc. Note: Final appearance of Teri Hatcher as Penny Parker. |||||||
| 96 | 13 | "Live and Learn" | Harry Harris | Rick Mittleman | January 15, 1990 (1990-01-15) | 22.1 |
| MacGyver and Pete initiate a program to assist high school dropouts, in the process crossing paths with a student who struggles between his love for electrical engineering and his father, who is involved in the construction business. When the student witnesses a bribery to a safety inspector, only MacGyver can help prove his claim. |||||||
| 97 | 14 | "Log Jam" | William Gereghty | Lee Maddux | February 5, 1990 (1990-02-05) | 21.4 |
| While visiting an environmental activist friend, MacGyver must aid in investigating the death of a logger. The culprit is the supervisor and an employee, under orders from the company's owner with ties to the Yakuza. |||||||
| 98 | 15 | "The Treasure of Manco" | Michael Preece | Chris Haddock | February 12, 1990 (1990-02-12) | 19.6 |
| MacGyver helps a friend discover some Incan treasure in Peru, only to encounter an old acquaintance now the commander of a guerrilla army. |||||||
| 99 | 16 | "Jenny's Chance" | Michael Caffey | Rick Drew & John Sheppard | February 19, 1990 (1990-02-19) | 23.0 |
| MacGyver, Jack Dalton (Bruce McGill), and Pete Thornton arrange an elaborate sting operation to trap a ruthless money launderer (Vic Tayback, in his final acting role) who rigs horse races with the aid of infrasound, who is also responsible for the death of a horse trainer friend of Mac and Jack, and is threatening the trainer's daughter (Linda Blair.) |||||||
| 100 | 17 | "Deep Cover" | Charlie Correll | Robert Sherman & Paul B. Margolis | February 26, 1990 (1990-02-26) | 20.1 |
| A corporate spy steals a prototype sonar equipment by seducing the Phoenix Foundation engineer who designed it. |||||||
| 101 | 18 | "The Lost Amadeus" | Michael Caffey | Paul B. Margolis | March 19, 1990 (1990-03-19) | 20.6 |
| An eccentric woman leads MacGyver on a wild adventure to save a priceless violin and the virtuoso owner. |||||||
| 102 | 19 | "Hearts of Steel" | Charlie Correll | Rick Mittleman | April 9, 1990 (1990-04-09) | 18.8 |
| A group of disgruntled former steelworkers demand a ransom by kidnapping the daughter of the corporate executive responsible for the closure of their mill. |||||||
| 103 | 20 | "Rush to Judgement" | Charlie Correll | Robert Sherman | April 16, 1990 (1990-04-16) | 18.4 |
| As a juror in an intense murder trial, Macgyver takes the time to investigate the case on his own. |||||||
| 104 | 21 | "Passages" | William Gereghty | Story by : Anthony Rich Teleplay by : John Sheppard | April 30, 1990 (1990-04-30) | 18.4 |
| While on the trail of a priceless Egyptian artifact, MacGyver falls into a coma and is hospitalized. Struck with mysterious visions of the afterlife, he reconnects with his grandfather and deceased parents. |||||||