A reimagining of the classic series, is an action-adventure drama about 20-something Angus “Mac” MacGyver, who creates the Department of External Services, a clandestine organization within the U.S. government where he uses his extraordinary talent for unconventional problem-solving and vast scientific knowledge to save lives. Joining his team on high-risk missions around the globe is maverick former CIA agent Jack Dalton; Patricia Thornton, an ex-field agent turned director of operations; and Riley Davis, an unpredictable computer hacker with a chip on her shoulder. At home, MacGyver is entertained by his ambitious roommate, Wilt Bozer. Under the aegis of the Department of External Services, MacGyver takes on the responsibility of saving the world, armed to the teeth with resourcefulness and little more than bubble gum and a paper clip.
In September 2017, it was reveled that Isabel has been cast as Samantha Cage on CBS’ “MacGyver” reboot’s season 2. She stayed for 12 episodes, before leaving in the 13th episode of the season.
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Samantha Cage
Samantha Cage is a former member of the CIA and a member of The Phoenix Foundation. She moved home to Australia after recovering from being shot by Murdoc.
Personality
Samantha is a tough, no-nonsense, professional woman who takes her job seriously; so much so she does not date anyone within her place of employment. While she sticks to her job, she is driven and not above reaching out to help her achieve her goals, which led her to join up with Phoenix Foundation with her friend, Matilda Webber.
However, she is not without a sense of humor, as she regularly trades verbal jabs with Jack Dalton because of their similar backgrounds. She becomes fascinated by Mac’s frequent improvising and gift for strategy. She is loyal to a fault as she learned of her friends survival, she reached out to the Phoenix to assist in an off-the-books mission to save him.
Physical Appearance
Samantha has blonde, almost waist length hair, green eyes, and a slim build. She often wears her hair in a loose bun with a hairgrip. She is 5′ 6″ (1.68 m) tall. Samantha often wears a shirt, jackets, blouses, trousers with belts, and boots in inconspicuous colors. As accessories, she wears a watch with a brown or camouflage green leather watchband and a light dial, and a necklace with a golden one site open semicircle.
In undercover uses she wears high heels, expensive dresses, earrings and necklaces. Her hair is then often open and straight.
Samantha’s special skills
• Expert Linguist: Samantha is fluent in multiple languages, including Arabic, but she does mention she speaks with an accent.
• Expert Interrogator: Samantha’s skills as an interrogator are second to none, with Matty says that breaking a war criminal will be no problem for her.
• Skilled Combatant: Because of her training with the CIA and SAS 4th Squadron, Samantha is a very skilled combatant, able to easily dispatch four terrorists single-handedly.
• Skilled Marksman: Through her training with the CIA, Samantha is skilled in the use of firearms.
Episode Guide
MacGyver Episodes
Trivia
- At the beginning of every episode in the first season, Mac makes a symbol out of a paper clip to represent the storyline of the episode.
- The opening theme to the original can be heard during the first few seconds of the opening credits.
- In season 2, all of the episodes after the first are named after two items that Mac combines in the episode. For example, Mac used a roulette wheel and wire to shrink the titanium vault door. He later uses a muscle car and paper clips to restart the heart of the target of the group Riley is infiltrating.
- At the Wales Comic Con in 2019, MacGyver (1985) star Richard Dean Anderson was asked if he had seen MacGyver (2016). He said, “I have, and I’m not real crazy about it, I’ll be honest. They approached me early on. They’d done a testing for the show and found it wasn’t as attractive as they wanted it to be, so they called and asked if I wanted anything to do with it, and I said no. It’s a business, but … I don’t think they’ve been fair or true to the series. They’re shooting up everybody and there’s so much going on that you don’t see the thought-process that we prided ourselves on. You know, MacGyver sees the problem, he sees solutions to the problem, you see him gathering the solution, and then solving the problem. In this new one, it’s boom-boom-boom, and it happens so fast.”
- It was reported that Peter Lenkov was abusive and bullied most of the cast and crew on set. Lucas Til revealed that at one point, he contemplated the possibility of killing himself. Lenkov’s lawyer refuted allegations of bullying, but he is replaced as of 2020 by Monica Macer.
- MacGyver takes place in the same fictional universe as two other series, both also developed by Lenkov and both also reboots of earlier police shows: Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I. The three shows have been collectively referred to as the “Lenkov-verse”.
- MacGyver received generally a mixed opinion from television critics, with many comparing it poorly to the original and some praising and criticizing CBS for making it an updated show. Rotten Tomatoes shows a 25% rating for Season 1, with the site’s critical consensus reading, “Despite using spare parts from countless successful TV procedurals, the new MacGyver fails to cobble together a compelling show.”
Quotes
Isabel (on why she quit): “You’d start at 5am and wrap around 9.30pm and six days a week. I feel exhausted just talking about it”
