MacGyver: Will Love Get in the Way of MacGyver's Job?

Fans of mulleted men who are geniuses with paper clips and chewing gum were eager to see how CBS's update pulled off its premiere episode on Friday night. And the debut brought in lots of familiar traits as well as some new blood. Let's see what went down, shall we?

Because this MacGyver is being retooled for modern audiences on the CBS network, it's not surprising that MacGyver wasted little time introducing us to MacGyver's Department of External Services (DXS) team and throwing them all right into a heist before we could even take the plastic off our Salisbury Steak TV Dinner. Like the original, MacGyver (Lucas Till) provided the voiceover with the details. There's Nicky Carpenter (Tracy Spiridakos), MacGyver's main squeeze and the best analyst in the business who provides the intel to the field agents from the high-tech van. There's Jack Dalton (George Eads), MacGyver's right-hand man and the muscle of the group. Can't forget about Patricia Thornton (Sandrine Holt), MacGyver's elegant boss who isn't above going out on a mission to provide backup.

And of course there's Angus MacGyver himself, who has "12 first-place science fair" finishes in addition to schooling at M.I.T. and military experience defusing bombs. He's young, he's charming and he looks good in a tuxedo, obviously. And tonight he's infiltrating a high-class affair to obtain a dangerous weapon that the host is selling to the highest-bidder later that evening. Welcome to MacGyver, everyone!

Our first look at MacGyver being MacGyver involves him picking up fingerprints using soot and an adhesive, jamming security communication devices with super magnets and cracking a handprint-coded safe by enhancing the naturally occurring oils on the print pad. That's what he does, and that's what you can expect a lot of from this show. I can't say I loved the text overlay showing us everything while he also telling us, but I suppose that's for the Mr. Wizards at home who locked themselves out of their handprint-coded safes.

MacGyver makes it out of the party with the weapon, of course, but when he goes back to meet with Nicky, bad guys have already grabbed her. He agrees to hand over the weapon for her safety, but bad guys will be bad guys, and they shoot MacGyver and Nicky, leaving them to fall off a bridge into the water below. They're both dead! Well, not really. MacGyver made it, Nicky wasn't so lucky. That's why Spiradakos is a guest star and a not a member of the regular cast.

Months later, MacGyver is taking sad showers and getting hugs from his pals over his loss. We also meet his roommate, the goofy Wilt Bozer (Justin Hires), who is a pro at making waffles and chasing far-fetched dreams. But MacGyver can't cry for long, as he has a new job. A virus has killed a whole team of scientists, and Patricia thinks it's the same biological weapon that MacGyver handed over when Nicky was killed. A new mission!

MacGyver boss on keeping the D.I.Y. spirit of the original

To replace Nicky, one of Jack's old acquaintances is brought in. Riley Davis (Tristin Mays) is a computer hacker in trouble with the law and she gets your typical TV show deal: help us, we'll help you. She's sassy, knows her stuff and locates the bad guy selling the biological weapon in San Francisco. After some convincing from Jack and MacGyver, Patricia agrees to let Riley join the team.

They smoke the guy out, capture him, and make a HUUUUUUGE (Donald Trump voice) discovery: NICKY IS ALIVE AND SHE'S WORKING THESE GUYS! The bad guy says she agreed to work with them for a cool five million, and MacGyver is understandably bummed.

They track Nicky to an airport where she's already on a plane, so MacGyver jumps up into the landing gear to cause a malfunction and force the pilot to land. MacGyver confronts Nicky, who has no choice but to give up. This is not a happy reunion for these lovebirds! "You were always the hero, Mac. Not me," she says. Ehh, that's not a good enough excuse, Nicky.

The new MacGyver is a quick fix on the original

Before they can get couples therapy, MacGyver has more important things at hand: stopping the biological weapon from melting everyone's insides. Cue helicopter action scene with Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" because this is Friday night on CBS!

Long story short, MacGyver stops the bomb! Everyone is safe except for the bad guys. Phew.

While the team celebrates, Nicky is being driven away by the authorities in handcuffs. But this would be a good time to tell you that before MacGyver left Nicky, he gave her a bobby pin, which we see her use to get out of her cuffs and escape into the wind. That MacGyver is a softy, isn't he?

Will we be seeing more Nicky? Will MacGyver continue to have feelings for her even though she betrayed him and sold a dangerous weapon that could kill millions? Maybe!

MacGyver airs Friday nights at 8/7c on CBS.

(Full disclosure: TVGuide.com is owned by CBS.)