The BEST episodes of MacGyver (2016) season 1

Every episode of MacGyver (2016) season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of MacGyver (2016) season 1!

Young Angus "Mac" MacGyver works for a clandestine organization within the U.S. government, relying on his unconventional problem-solving skills to save lives.

Last Updated: 9/20/2024Network: CBSStatus: Ended
Share:
Cigar Cutter
star
7.73
1283 votes

#1 - Cigar Cutter

Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/14/2017

Murdoc moves forward with his plans for revenge against MacGyver by recruiting his recently released former cellmate to infiltrate the Phoenix Complex as a "lab technician" and kill every agent inside.

Directors: Christine Moore
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Scissors
star
7.73
1443 votes

#2 - Scissors

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/16/2016

MacGyver and Jack search for Riley, using a microwave and a power strip, after she mysteriously disappears and hacks into the NSA, possibly unleashing World War III. Also, Bozer goes on his first official mission, and Jack opens up about his history with Riley’s mother, Diane.

Directors: Stephen Herek
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Flashlight
star
7.71
1362 votes

#3 - Flashlight

Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/10/2017

When Mac and the team travel to Hawaii to aid in earthquake relief efforts, they team up with Chin and Kono from the Five-0 task force to rescue a group of government scientists trapped in a building. However, as they work on the complicated rescue, a group using the chaos as a distraction aims to steal the top-secret weaponry from the scientists.

Directors: Jonathan Brown
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Screwdriver
star
7.69
1412 votes

#4 - Screwdriver

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/6/2017

Using a screwdriver and bug spray, MacGyver must find the U.S. government mole who is leaking classified intel to the organization that is trying to take down The Phoenix Foundation. Also, Sarah returns to help with the mission, and Nikki reappears, but Mac can’t tell which side she’s on.

Directors: Craig Siebels
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Magnifying Glass
star
7.68
1382 votes

#5 - Magnifying Glass

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/10/2017

When Matty’s goddaughter and her boyfriend are killed in a San Francisco park, Mac and the team investigate the crime and start to suspect that the 1970s Zodiac Killer has returned.

Directors: Stephen Herek
Writer: Brian Durkin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Fish Scaler
star
7.67
1398 votes

#6 - Fish Scaler

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/3/2017

Using a fish scaler and some fishing wire, Mac and Jack must track down a corrupt FBI agent who has framed a man for murder. Also, everyone on the team is terrified to get their first performance review from Matty, their tough new boss.

Directors: Eagle Egilsson
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Hook
star
7.66
1371 votes

#7 - Hook

Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/17/2017

While tracking down the dangerous fugitive Aaron Deckard, Mac and Jack face the notorious Colton family of bounty hunters who already kidnapped their mark. Now, using a hook and a car cable, Mac must extract the criminal from the Colton’s, who are unaware of the deadly situation they’re in. Also, Bozer and Riley try to hack into Jack’s CIA file to find out about his history with Matty.

Directors: Tawnia McKiernan
Writer: Nancy Kiu
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Chisel
star
7.66
1536 votes

#8 - Chisel

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/18/2016

With only a chisel and matchbook, MacGyver and team must defend themselves the U.S. embassy workers in Latvia from extremists who are attempting to retrieve their leader. Also, Bozer faces a big decision now that he knows who Mac really is.

Directors: Brad Tanenbaum
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Large Blade
star
7.65
1340 votes

#9 - Large Blade

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/13/2017

On the way back from capturing a war criminal, Mac and Jack’s helicopter crashes in a remote area of Kazakhstan, injuring their pilot and allowing their prisoner to escape with Jack’s gun. Using a large blade and a water bottle, MacGyver must get help as the pilot’s condition worsens and before the war criminal takes them as prisoners.

Directors: Sylvain White
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Pliers
star
7.65
1491 votes

#10 - Pliers

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/9/2016

Mac and the team have no time to reminisce while visiting Mac’s and Bozer’s hometown when they immediately start searching for a kidnapped prodigy from Mac’s old middle school, Valerie. With just pliers and speaker wire available, Mac works doggedly to rescue the young genius he has so much in common with.

Directors: Lee Rose
Writer: Brian Durkin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Hole Puncher
star
7.64
1301 votes

#11 - Hole Puncher

Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/7/2017

When the team intercepts a terror group's message meant for Murdoc, Mac poses as the psychopath to save the intended target and find out why they want Murdoc to assassinate him.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Corkscrew
star
7.63
1593 votes

#12 - Corkscrew

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/11/2016

When MacGyver comes face to face with Murdoc, an international assassin hired to kill him, Mac must defend both himself and Bozer, armed with only a corkscrew and paper towel rolls. Also, Bozer feels completely betrayed when he finally learns Mac’s true identity.

Directors: Janice Cooke
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Ruler
star
7.62
1390 votes

#13 - Ruler

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/24/2017

Bozer’s first overseas mission goes terribly wrong when Mac and the team are blamed for a terrorist bombing and the Phoenix Foundation is forced to disavow them. Using a ruler and coconut oil to make disguises, the team must avoid authorities and clear their names without any support from back home.

Directors: Antonio Negret
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Compass
star
7.62
1303 votes

#14 - Compass

Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/31/2017

Mac and Jack help Mac’s close friend from M.I.T. after she fakes her own death to prevent someone from killing her in order to suppress her scientific research.

Directors: Christine Moore
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Can Opener
star
7.60
1571 votes

#15 - Can Opener

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/4/2016

MacGyver is tasked to go undercover as an inmate in a maximum security prison to break out El Noche, a notorious drug kingpin, using only batteries and salt, and track him to his cartel’s secret location and dismantle it.

Directors: Alec Smight
Writer: Brian Durkin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Wrench
star
7.59
1614 votes

#16 - Wrench

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/28/2016

Using only a wrench and rope, MacGyver must diffuse a bomb set near the United Nations by his old nemesis, “The Ghost”, a notorious criminal whose work killed his mentor, and track him down before he strikes again.

Directors: Alec Smight
Writer: Brian Durkin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Toothpick
star
7.57
1684 votes

#17 - Toothpick

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/21/2016

Using only an armrest, a curtain rod, and a toothpick, MacGyver must fix a sabotaged train in order to protect a whistleblower who has proof that her boss is selling weapons to U.S. enemies.

Directors: Bobby Roth
Writer: Nancy Kiu
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Wire Cutter
star
7.50
1781 votes

#18 - Wire Cutter

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/14/2016

Mac and Jack partner with older versions of themselves, a Russian bomb programmer and his estranged handler, to shut down a Soviet-era warhead in Moscow. But when the antiquated computer needed to disable the warhead becomes inoperable, Mac must find a way to fix it with only duct tape and wire in time to prevent a new Cold War.

Directors: Joe Dante
Writer: John Turman
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Awl
star
7.36
1956 votes

#19 - Awl

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/7/2016

MacGyver and the team are in Malaysia to extract a terrorist group’s money man, Ralph, who holds key intel on an impending attack. But the mission goes south when the man is shot, and now, with only a driver’s license and hand sanitizer available, MacGyver must keep Ralph alive in order to learn the terrorists’ plans.

Writer: David Slack
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Metal Saw
star
7.30
2485 votes

#20 - Metal Saw

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/30/2016

MacGyver and the team attempt to rescue Sarah, Jack’s former CIA partner/ex-girlfriend who went missing in Venezuela after she obtained evidence to take down an international arms dealer.

Directors: Jerry Levine
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Rising
star
6.97
3478 votes

#21 - The Rising

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/23/2016

Angus “Mac” MacGyver and Jack Dalton, special agents for the Department of External Services (DXS), join forces to recover a missing bioweapon that has the ability to destroy hundreds of thousands of people with one single drop.

Directors: James Wan
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV