Ugly Duckling

Season 1, Episode 18, Aired
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Episode Summary

A 15-year-old genius hacks into a defective missile guidance system and attracts the attention of both the FBI and some black marketeers, who think that she may fix it for them. It's up to MacGyver to save her from being kidnapped by either side.
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Fan Episode Reviews (2)

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  • Lots of clever science helps to overcome the gag reflex of the poor-me melodrama.

    8.8
    "Great"
    By mark_28, Apr 26, 2007 Report Abuse
    Even though the acting had notably improved over the course of MacGyver's first season, the most cringeworthy aw-shucks moments of the first season nonetheless came in this episode, with "ugly ducking" teenage brainiac Kate lamented her reputation as a nerd. If Kate was 10 years old rather than 15, MacGyver's "you are special, Kate" consolations may have been more constructive, but as it stood, the banter between them was a blemish in an otherwise impressive script. As mere senior and junior eggheads, MacGyver and Kate had some good chemistry, and the energy was clear as they tried to figure out the other's ingenius escape plans (Kate explaining to MacGyver how she short-circuited the federal building's control systems and MacGyver nudging Kate to comprehend his plans to triangulate radio frequencies via cactuses and turn harnessed sun into a high-temperature laser beam). The scene with MacGyver's college professor dying in his arms was touching as well. Aside from the self-pity party that Kate kept throwing for herself and MacGyver kept-indulging (and of course the lame stock footage used to represent the marathon), this was a very well-done episode that would trigger a late-season ratings surge for MacGyver at exactly the time it needed one to secure a berth on ABC's fall schedule for season two.moreless

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  • After Mac's professor is killed for information regarding a defective missile guidance system, he tries to protect a young computer genius that some terrorists are after as she holds important information. She despises her self image and Mac tries to givmoreless

    8.5
    "Great"
    By the80sKNIGHT, Oct 17, 2005 Report Abuse
    This was a good episode, we see one of Mac's favourite professor's who plays a mean saxophone. The professor has a young female student which is a computer genius, she broke into the defence departments computer!

    The whole episode is about the army's Snake-Eye missile guidance system. Terrorists steal two missile's and are selling it on the black market. Throughout the episode, these terrorists want to kidnap Kate (the ugly duckling) so she can tell them information on the Snake-Eye system. Mac eventually gets to her and finds out how much hatred she has about her self confidence. Mac uses his charm and gives her some confidence.

    The two of them teaming up was good, it was like Mac's daughter - the young female version of Mac. Overall, a good episode to watch.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • The computer MacGyver copies files from—as well as the table it rests on—switch between shots. Edit
    • When Kate shuts off power to the building, she types the command in to the computer "close all circuits" when in fact it should be "open all circuits". Closing a circuit means to complete a circuit so that power flows and open means to cut a circuit so that power doesn't flow. Edit

  • Notes

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  • Quotes

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    • MacGyver: So, why don't you introduce him? Kate: He's shy, especially around strangers. But get him alone in the lab? Can he compute! Edit
    • Kate: I can't believe this worked! Edit
    • Kate: What are we going to do? MacGyver: We're going to assess the problem and then come up with a solution. That's usually how it's done. Edit

  • Allusions

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    • Professor Willis, in dying, quotes, "just not so deep as a well, but so wide as a church-door, but 'tis enough," from Romeo and Juliet, Scene 1, as Mercutio lies dying in Romeo's arms. Edit

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