9.0/102 votes#1 - The Penguin Declines
Season 2 Episode 39 - Aired 1/18/1967
Batman, summoning all the strength he can muster, breaks his chains and frees Robin from the giant clam. The heroes arrange for the Joker's former confederate, Venus, to stay at an apartment while they figure out what to do next. Meanwhile, the Joker has freed the Penguin from Gotham State Prison to continue their crime wave. The Joker tricks Venus into asking Batman to take her to the Batcave. The Dynamic Duo take her to their base of operations (but only after making her fall asleep first). When they arrive, the Joker, Penguin and assorted thugs are revealed to be hiding in the Batmobile's trunk. Batman, however, anticipated this and none of the criminals know where the Batcave is. A figure erupts, with Batman and Robin finally ending the zodiac crimes.
Director: Oscar Rudolph
Writer: Stephen Kandel
8.5/102 votes#2 - The Zodiac Crimes
Season 2 Episode 37 - Aired 1/11/1967
The Joker and the Penguin team up on a crime wave based on signs of the zodiac. The pair, aided and abetted by a woman known as Venus, keep Batman and Robin on the run. The Dynamic Duo manage to capture the Penguin but the Joker remains on the loose. Batman and Robin figure the Joker's next caper will take place at a museum and lay a trap. But the heroes are captured instead. Now, Batman and Robin face almost certain death; the heroes are to be crushed beneath a giant asteroid on display at the museum.
Director: Oscar Rudolph
Writer: Stephen Kandel
8.0/102 votes#3 - The Joker's Hard Times
Season 2 Episode 38 - Aired 1/12/1967
Batman and Robin narrowly escape the Joker's death trap and quickly get back on the villain's trail. The villain runs the Gothham City Police Department ragged with his crimes based on the zodiac. Meanwhile, Venus, the Joker's accomplice, warms to Batman. Eventually, the Dynamic Duo again corner the Joker. But, once more, the heroes are captured. Now, Batman, Robin and Venus are chained in a shallow pool with a giant clam. The clam swallows Robin and Batman and Venus will be next on its menu.
Director: Oscar Rudolph
Writer: Stephen Kandel
7.5/102 votes#4 - Trumbo's World
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 11/10/1985
MacGyver comes along on a expedition to Brazil with his friend, entomologist Dr. Alden. They meet with a landowner and recluse, Trumbo, who is initially hostile. However, when they realize that a mile-wide column of army ants is moving through the jungle, they team together to mount a defense.
Director: Donald Petrie
Writer: Stephen Kandel
7.3/103 votes#5 - The Jihad
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 1/12/1974
Kirk and Spock are recruited for a heist to recover a stolen relic, which if not recovered could spark an galactic jihad.
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writer: Stephen Kandel
7.2/104 votes#6 - Mudd's Passion
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 11/10/1973
Space con artist Harry Mudd returns, selling a fake love potion.
Director: Hal Sutherland
Writer: Stephen Kandel
7.0/101 votes#7 - Deathlock
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 1/22/1986
MacGyver is trapped in a mansion with Pete, a code expert, and a government agent who may or may not be on their side. However, an old nemesis has electronically booby-trapped the entire mansion to make sure they can't go anywhere.
Director: Alexander Singer
Writer: Stephen Kandel
7.0/101 votes#8 - Flame's End
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 1/29/1986
An old girlfriend of MacGyver's contacts him for help after she discovers evidence of uranium thefts from a nuclear processing plant where she works.
Director: Bruce Seth Green
Writer: Stephen Kandel
7.0/101 votes#9 - Slow Death
Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 4/2/1986
At the beginning of the episode, MacGyver literally has to jump onto a moving train that he missed earlier to return top-secret files and documents to the U.S. Government. Soon after, a local tribe stops the train. They take all passengers hostage until the men responsible for the death of the tribal leader's son is found among the passengers.
Director: Don Weis
Writer: Stephen Kandel
7.0/101 votes#10 - The Escape
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 4/16/1986
When a mother superior at a religious mission in North Africa asks MacGyver to help a young woman with something, he is glad to help. However, when he finds out the young woman wants him to break her brother out of jail, he may have taken on more than he expected.
Director: Don Chaffey
Writer: Stephen Kandel
7.0/101 votes#11 - A Prisoner of Conscience
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 4/30/1986
Pete Thornton investigates the supposed death of an old friend, a prominent Russian dissident, and finds he must get his friend's daughter Maria out of the country before the secret police arrest her for an alleged conspiracy. However, while in Russia, Pete bumps into MacGyver, who followed him from the United States. While disappointed MacGyver followed him, Pete gladly welcomes MacGyver into his plans when the secret police arrive to take Maria into custody. Following a high speed boat chase to escape the police, Pete and MacGyver find out from Maria that her father is not dead, he is being held in a maximum security ward at a state mental institution. To get into the mental hospital, MacGyver plays the part of a mad patient and Pete plays the part of a doctor who has been assigned to him. With the help of the other patients, MacGyver is able to escape into Ward Zero, where Pete's friend is held. MacGyver breaks him out and hides him with the other patients
Director: Cliff Bole
Writer: Stephen Kandel
7.0/101 votes#12 - The Wish Child
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 10/20/1986
While MacGyver goes to pick up a Chinese friend's brother from a birthday party, he witnesses something strange: Paul is being called "The Wish Child." It seems that a greedy businessman has wrapped him up in a scam, because he looks exactly like a boy from an old legend that owns the secret of immortality. Now, MacGyver must try to talk him out of this, because Paul is starting to believe he really is The Wish Child!
Director: Charles Correll
Writer: Stephen Kandel
7.0/101 votes#13 - Silent World
Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 11/24/1986
While helping the Phoenix Foundation test a new missile-guidance system for the government, MacGyver's efforts are hampered by men who are trying to steal it. When the men escape with it, MacGyver turns to his deaf friend, who has been having premonition-type dreams of this happening. Now MacGyver must try and analyze her dreams so that he can find the men who stole the system.
Director: James L. Conway
Writer: Stephen Kandel
7.0/101 votes#14 - Pirates
Season 2 Episode 15 - Aired 2/9/1987
While on an expedition to find a Spanish treasure fleet, Dr. Barbara Ortega's boat is hi-jacked by modern-day pirates. They steal the small amount of treasure that she has already found - including the ship's log, which is the key to finding the whole fleet - and take off. When she makes it public that she was hi-jacked, the Phoenix Foundation sends MacGyver to help. Now, MacGyver and Barbara must recover the ship's log, so she can find the treasure before the pirates do.
Director: Bruce Kessler
Writer: Stephen Kandel
7.0/101 votes#15 - Ghost Ship
Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 10/19/1987
While mapping the wilderness for the Phoenix foundation, MacGyver stumbles on a deserted ship and finds a runaway girl who tells him that the rest of crew was driven away by Bigfoot.
Director: Michael Vejar
Writer: Stephen Kandel
7.0/101 votes#16 - The Odd Triple
Season 3 Episode 14 - Aired 2/29/1988
After returning home from a long assignment, MacGyver has an unwelcome surprise. Jack Dalton is waiting and wants him to help with a new scheme. A wealthy woman has just acquired some invaluable jewels, needing Jack to fly her back to her home in France. Things seem to be going fine, that is, until they land. Jack and MacGyver are arrested and accused of theft.
Director: James L. Conway
Writer: Stephen Kandel
7.0/101 votes#17 - The Spoilers
Season 3 Episode 16 - Aired 3/14/1988
After MacGyver witnesses someone dumping toxic waste that's polluting mountain streams, he and Pete enlist a reclusive mountain man nicknamed "Earthquake" to help lead them to the culprit. Things become complicated, though, as Earthquake's flashbacks to his military service in the Vietnam War make him unstable and threaten their case.
Director: Michael Vejar
Writer: Stephen Kandel
6.7/107 votes#18 - True or False-Face
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 3/9/1966
False Face traps Batman and Robin, and binding them to a subway track just minutes before a train is scheduled to come by.
Director: William A. Graham
Writer: Stephen Kandel
6.7/107 votes#19 - Holy Rat Race
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 3/10/1966
Alfred contacts Batman by radio from the Batcave. Batman instructs the butler to short circuit a communications device the hero has on his wrist. This enable Batman to get free of his bonds. He and Robin get free just before they would be run over by a subway train. The Dynamic Duo resume their pursuit of False Face, which ends up at an old movie studio.
Director: William A. Graham
Writer: Stephen Kandel
6.5/1046 votes#20 - Mudd's Women
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/13/1966
The Enterprise picks up a intergalactic conman, Harry Mudd, and three incredibly beautiful women who harbor a dark secret.
Director: Harvey Hart
Writer: Stephen Kandel
6.5/102 votes#21 - The Gauntlet
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/21/1985
MacGyver attempts to get a reporter out of a Central American country with evidence linking a general to an illegal arms dealer. As they reach the border, it is clear escaping to Mexico will be no easy task, as the general and the arms dealer have every imaginable route severely guarded.
Director: Lee H. Katzin
Writer: Stephen Kandel
6.0/101 votes#22 - Judgment from Outer Space (1)
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 1/15/1977
Wonder Woman joins forces with a friendly alien from outer space to prevent the destruction of the world.
Director: Alan Crosland, Jr.
Writer: Stephen Kandel
6.0/101 votes#23 - Judgment from Outer Space (2)
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 1/17/1977
Wonder Woman realizes that the fate of the world rests on her ability to prove the worth of mankind by saving an alien from outer space.
Director: Alan Crosland, Jr.
Writer: Stephen Kandel
6.0/101 votes#24 - The Return of Wonder Woman
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 9/16/1977
Wonder Woman convinces her mother, the Queen of the Amazons, that she must once again go into the outside world to help protect the free world from its enemies as well as the secret of Paradise Island and its ancient culture.
Director: Alan Crosland, Jr.
Writer: Stephen Kandel
6.0/101 votes#25 - Mind Stealers from Outer Space (1)
Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 12/2/1977
Wonder Woman joins forces with a friendly alien from another planet to prevent the destruction of the world.
Director: Michael Caffey
Writer: Stephen Kandel
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Stephen Kandel Ratings Summary
"The Penguin Declines" is the best rated episode written by Stephen Kandel. It scored 9/10 based on 2 votes. It was directed by Oscar Rudolph. It aired on 1/18/1967 and is rated 0.5 points higher than their second-best episode, "The Zodiac Crimes".