Original subtitles

Up in the Pyrenees, there's about as pretty a patch of country as you could

ever hope to see.

Peaceful forests, raging rivers, and vast mountain men who've been feuding

with France or Spain for as long as anyone can remember.

Now and then, an American tourist gets caught in the middle of one of these

private wars, and that's when I usually get a call, when somebody's in trouble

and needs some rescue.

My mom was one of the great kitchen experiment Japanese soup Italian pasta a

terrific bath do This one didn't come close

Dr. Gay.

Come to get you out of here.

Name's MacGyver.

My God.

I'm glad to see you.

But I don't think I can sneak out of here disguised the way you came in.

It's the only towel I brought with me.

Here, try that on.

Here's mine.

Thanks, I'm going to try.

Here.

Can you tell me why they grabbed me?

I mean, I'm a geologist.

Well, we figured this group just didn't know the difference between geology and

physics.

They probably thought you could build them an atom bomb.

All right, let's see what they got.

All right, time to get out of here. I'm all for that.

But how?

While they're distracted.

Now I'd be willing to bet that someone's going to be in a lot of hot water real

soon.

Oh, my God.

You know how far it is down there?

No, ma'am, I don't.

But I can't do that. I don't know how to do that.

You've got to do it.

Chances are those guys are all washed up.

Ah,

what a life I lead.

Riding the rapids in the Pyrenees Mountains one day, and the next,

crossing half the world to help out a friend with a very weird problem in a

very strange part of the Amazon.

I think I should get an unlisted phone number.

Still drawing pictures of everything, Charlie?

MacGyver.

How you doing, guys?

So, is this the cause of the problem? I don't know.

All we have is some very strange phenomena.

A dozen species of birds have been observed in desperate flight.

Terrible. By something in the heart of the rainforest.

Here be tigers and unknown beasts.

Exactly, MacGyver.

This is a mystery that needs solving.

That's why I'm so grateful you were able to arrange this expedition.

Just a small expedition.

You and me.

It's good to see you again, Charlie.

Do you know that you're the only person in the world who calls me Charlie?

Hey, look at that.

Look at those birds, MacGyver. Where are my binoculars?

Tachyphores. They're a hundred miles from their natural territory.

What could be upriver that's so frightening?

Here's our outpost, Charlie.

We're going to need a guide when we get there, MacGyver.

Hope that won't be a problem.

Well, I guess we better get ready.

Take it easy, Charlie.

Smooth.

Now we gotta get this equipment ashore.

Charlie, go find a guide.

I'll get the gear ashore.

Okay.

Got the permit, there won't be any problems.

MacGyver!

He said we can't have a guide. Not exactly.

I am Commissioner Santos, and there are no guides.

The Indian guides are all refusing to go deeper into the jungle.

Any idea why?

They are superstitious. They believe in dreams.

Now they are dreaming of demons.

I am sorry.

There must be a way. We gotta have a guide.

Hold on.

Mr. Santos?

Back on Arenas, I kept hearing the name of a cocoa planter with a place around

here. Trumbo?

Lucien Trumbo. An impossible man.

He lives two days up the river, on the far side of nowhere.

Well, possibly we could radio this Trumbo, and he could provide us with a

guide. Mr. Alden, he has no radio, even if he did. It's pointless to call him.

Well, certainly he must care about the ecology of the region.

He cares only about his cocoa plantation.

You see, I'm the government commissioner here, which means I am the law.

But Lucian Trumbo recognizes no law except his own.

Sounds like an interesting guy.

Maybe we ought to look this guy up.

The last time I saw Trumbo, he took a shot at me.

Hornet!

Think we'll be there this morning?

Ah, maybe so.

Oh.

So I was wondering, if the Indians are so terrified, how does Trumbo keep

his work force?

Maybe they're more afraid of him.

MacGyver, something's not right.

It's a little too quiet out here.

Well, maybe this Trumbo's got some answers for us.

This river is getting pretty narrow, MacGyver. We must be getting close.

Slow it down!

Duck!

My God, what does

it mean?

I don't know. Warning, maybe?

something ahead, that's it.

I

am

Lucian Frumbo.

This is my land and you're trespassing.

Can't you people read?

The sign says, keep out.

This is outrageous.

This man shot it up.

Charlie.

This is a scientific expedition.

I'm Dr. Charles Alden, and this is my associate, Mr. MacGyver. And we're from

the Inter-America's Institute of Tropical Ornithology. And I am not

interested in birds.

Hey, Mr. Trombo, how long's that pumping give me trouble like that?

Are you an engineer?

Well, no, not exactly.

From the sound of her, I said, you old gal will be out of commission before the

end of the day. You got a busted piston in there.

I'll just bet that pump is the key to your whole irrigation system.

Perhaps I could ask you to repair it.

Perhaps you could help us out a little.

Reese? Grab the boat!

We need a guide to take us back into the jungle.

I'll not put any of my people in unnecessary danger today, John.

Oh, maybe I'll take a look at that pump anyway.

Don't bargain, MacGyver.

Well, it's a shame to see a nice piece of machinery like that just ruin itself.

All right.

You got some place I can work on this?

Yeah.

This is quite a spread.

I was here before the first buildings.

Trumbo had only eight acres then.

And now, you can see.

How long you been with Trumbo?

Found me when I was a child in the jungle.

What about your own people?

The Amapa tribe's been attacked, sir.

They killed my father and took my mother.

I was too young, so they left me.

Trumbull found me.

He gave me a place.

Oh, the piston.

Yeah.

Busted. Well, we got lucky. We found both pieces.

Not so lucky.

My welding equipment uses a several gas and the tanks are empty.

I've been waiting months for supplies.

Thank you, MacGyver, but I'm afraid your efforts were useless.

You know, you sure don't strike me as the type of fellow who'd give up so

easy.

I don't waste time on the impossible.

Well, maybe we can whip up something out of what you got around here.

Electric arc welding.

I could use a man of your talents around here, MacGyver.

Well, the way I see things, Mr. Trumbull, there's no need anybody.

Maybe a little cheap labor and a few good machines.

Hey, mister, I fought this jungle back.

Cut it down.

Created my boundaries, my world. No one else had the will to do that.

My Indians are paid well for their work, MacGyver.

Power of the American dollar.

Half dollar, actually.

I don't know if you can get your pump going either.

I made my peace.

with this country a long time ago.

I don't try to change it or even understand it.

I hold what I have. That is all I need.

Personally, I like a little variety and some good people to share it with.

I used to feel like that once.

Until my wife died here.

Mr. Trumbo, won't you reconsider and provide us with a guide?

I know there is something happening in the deep jungle.

We have shot animals trying to break down my fences.

Now we're out of control, running in panic from some danger.

But I will not risk any of my people.

Mr. Trumbull, we'll be shoving off in the morning.

I want to thank you for your hospitality.

Mr. MacGyver, the pump at the river helps to fill my dam.

It made it possible for me to build my plantation up.

Hold it in drought, defend it in flood.

It's filling again. I'm grateful, MacGyver.

Ben, why won't you at least consider the possibility?

I told you, I will not risk any of my people.

But I will guide you myself.

Leave a daybreak.

Okay.

possibly cause panic flight in both birds and small ground animals?

Well, that's a good question, Charlie. There's an Indian village about three

kilometers upcountry. Maybe they know more.

Well, let's go.

Hold it.

What is it?

Listen.

That's this way.

Soldier ants.

That's incredible.

No wonder every living thing fled.

Look at them in the billions.

Marabunda.

The Indians believe nothing can stop them.

Well, that is very close to the truth.

They live peacefully 40, sometimes 50 years, gigantic ant civilizations in

their remote colonies, and they breed until some internal clock ticks.

to its appointed moment and they erupt.

An eating machine.

Two miles wide and ten miles long.

Head northeast.

We'll break a leg. All right, hold on. You'll be all right.

Trumbo, give me a hand.

Get on the other side of the boat.

Thread this through.

I've never seen anything like this.

Carly.

Were you friends a long time?

So, I

think the ants are going to come towards us, huh?

Well, we saw the main army about six kilometers to the west moving northeast,

but they'll be blocked by the river, so they'll turn right into us.

I will be ready with fire at my front walls if necessary.

Wait a minute. You're not planning on being here long enough to find out, are

you?

Trumpo! The workers!

They've all run away!

Someone's taking the boats!

Stop!

No, you mustn't go!

Stop!

Listen to me.

Hear what I have to say.

You know me.

I've never lied to you.

I will not try to tell you that the ants are not a danger. They are powerful.

But we are powerful, too.

Together we conquer this jungle.

I fought to make this place.

I will fight to keep it.

We will fight.

The ants will come.

We will destroy them.

No, I have seen the ants before.

We know what they can do.

No, we will not stay.

You will obey me.

I will not give it up!

Got an idea.

It has to do with all that water you got in the story.

Now, as I understand things, you got the river flowing up here and the tributary

into it. And you got all these irrigation ditches, too. Well, if you

flooded the ditches, they'd become like little moats.

And maybe force the ants down into the river.

What do you think?

I think that's one hell of an idea.

How you fix the gasoline?

Some.

Well, I don't know how good ants are at swimming, but I'd be willing to bet a

good fire would get their attention.

What if that doesn't work?

I think we'd have to crack open that dam of yours.

Flood?

It'll wipe out the entire crop.

It'll wash away the topsoil, maybe even this house.

I don't think it'll come to that, but we better get started.

His ants are on their way.

You got the garden hose?

Yeah, what are you doing?

I'm going to build a flamethrower.

A little bit of kitchen magic will thicken the gasoline, stabilize it so

it'll burn, not explode.

You got a hacksaw?

I'll get one.

I hope we don't need all that.

The water in the ditches, that has to stop them.

I'll send Luis to the dam.

Yeah.

Luis, you must stand guard at the dam and flood the ditches.

Keep the water level full so the ants don't cross.

We need more water, we'll signal you.

Doesn't look so tough, does it?

After all I've done, fought to build here, this is what threatens it all.

You got that one, Trumbo.

Trouble is a couple billion of his relatives are coming to the funeral.

Well, the ditches are full.

Now we wait.

The horses know something's going on.

Yes.

The answer here.

Ah, you better take a look at this.

They're coming across the water.

The level's too low.

Signal Louise for more water.

Water isn't coming.

If it had not happened, Luis wouldn't run.

Then he's dead.

No! Luis!

Luis! Trumbo!

Damn,

I think I tore something. Trumbo, it's too late.

You're too close.

All right, Trumbo, this is it. Start pumping.

You're like Nero burning Rome.

No, keep it coming, Nero.

But we did it.

We did it.

This is all me, MacGyver.

I worked a lifetime here, and it's gone in one afternoon.

Easy come, easy go.

So they do inherit the earth.

In just a few more hours.

No.

They crossed the moat. They survived the fire. They've won.

What more can we do?

Blow the dam.

Flood the fields. Drown them.

Blow the dam how? We have no dynamite.

Nope.

But you got enough around here, I might be able to fake it.

Even so, there's a mountain of ants between here and the dam. How would you

even get there?

We're out of gasoline and we're out of miracles.

So, now's the time to start thinking.

And the first thing I started thinking about was how to take that dam apart.

Start with nitrate from fertilizer.

Cellulose from plant mart.

Stir. Don't shake with a drip or two of acid.

So this is nitroglycerin.

Nitromanide, actually.

It's a little less touchy. Kind of a chemical kissing cousin.

All right.

Fill this with this.

Now, where's that garden hose? What for?

I need to make a suit of armor.

Ready, MacGyver?

Good luck.

And who cares? We won.

And hell, this is more than I started with.

I'll do it again.

Better this time.

I'll bet you do.

I owe you.

We know what I owe you.

But I'm going to ask you one more favor.

If you come back in one year from now, take a look at what you helped build.

You bet.

Come on.