Resourceful ’80s hero ‘MacGyver’ reinvented

From left: Sandrine Holt, George Eads, Tristin Mays, Lucas Til

Angus “Mac” MacGyver, resourceful ’80s hero, is back, brown leather jacket and all—only this time, he’s looking like a millennial.

The reimagined “MacGyver” series airing on AXN (Thursdays, 9:45 p.m.) stars Lucas Till—Havok from the “X-Men” movies, and that high school jock in Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” music video—so he’s a younger version of the character originally played by Richard Dean Anderson in the ’80s TV series.

And while the casting of a blond and blue-eyed model type may not seem promising, Till actually surprises by giving a smart and mature portrayal—he may not be as charismatic or “approachable” as the MacGyver older viewers  remember, but he makes this character his own.

Like in the show that ran from 1985 to 1992, the titular hero is a master troubleshooter-inventor, who saves the day with his keen intellect and his way with, say, a Swiss army knife or a paper clip.

This time, however, Mac is part of a tight team that includes: Jack (George Eads), an ex-military man who deals with most of the rough stuff during missions; Riley (Tristin Mays), a hacker who joins the group in lieu of jail time; and boss Patricia (Sandrine Holt), the group’s main connection to the agency funding their operations.

Mac is trying to move on after mourning the death of his ex, Nikki (Tracy Spiridakos), the tech expert replaced by Riley. He learns eventually, though, that Nikki may not have been the loyal agent she appeared to be in their last mission together.

Till (left) plays Mac, while Eads plays Jack in the reboot.

The team dynamic gives the series a contemporary vibe, and offers lighter-than-usual counterterrorism fare. So while the group may be tracking bioterrorists in an episode, it doesn’t have the darker and gritty tone that more “realistic” shows possess. It’s still good ol’ “MacGyver,” in that sense.

What the quick-thinking hero does best is offer alternative solutions, instead of opting to shoot hostile enemies with regular guns.

In any case, it still is about how he can get out of tough scrapes by using just his expertise. His Houdini-esque use of household items, office supplies and seemingly worthless objects are clearly labeled in graphics for the viewer, and the process of assembling them is shown in multiple split-screens.

Till’s narration and the show’s handy visual guides try to make sense of the hero’s impromptu inventions—although it’s highly doubtful that these cobbled-up gadgets can be made instantly.

This different “MacGyver” has an undeniably good-looking cast. And it’s good to see Eads and Holt in more action-heavy sequences. Now, if only the show would be more unpredictable and challenging despite its lighter, brighter approach, it would really be great.