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'MacGyver' Season 4 Episode 9 Review: A powerful fast-paced episode that raises the bar for the show

The episode delivered an extremely fast-paced story, with each beat landing like a punch to the heart. It really doesn't let up, even till the very end, and it leaves us extremely excited for next week's adventure. What more could you want?

Spoilers for 'MacGyver' Season 4 Episode 9 'Code + Artemis + Nuclear + N3mesis'

There's been a lot of hard-hitting episodes in 'MacGyver' Season 4 but none quite as powerful as Episode 9 'Code + Artemis + Nuclear + N3mesis'. Focusing on two different characters and delivering a bittersweet ending, the episode ticked off all the boxes for what fans want from a 'MacGyver' episode.

After his father, James MacGyver aka Oversight (Tate Donovan), was killed in the last episode, Angus "Mac" MacGyver (Lucas Till) attempts to deal with his grief in this episode. Unfortunately, he doesn't get much time to do it because the Los Angeles power grid is taken hostage by an old hacker friend of Riley Davis (Tristin Mays). 

Mac is forced to make some difficult choices that dismantle his fundamental desire to save everyone. Sacrificing one life to save countless others, it's a choice he has criticized both his father and his aunt Gwendolyn Hayes / Titan (Jeri Ryan) for making and yet that is exactly what he is forced to do here.

'Code + Artemis + Nuclear + N3mesis' was probably the best-written episode we've seen all season. 'MacGyver' has never been better and this episode will be the standard by which all future 'MacGyver' episodes will be judged.

The episode delivered an extremely fast-paced story, with each beat landing like a punch to the heart. The episode really doesn't let up, even till the very end, and it leaves us extremely excited for next week's adventure. What more could you want?

The cast of 'MacGyver' Season 4 includes Lucas Till as Angus “Mac” MacGyver, Tristin Mays as Riley Davis, Justin Hires as Wilt Bozer, Meredith Eaton as Matty Weber, Levy Tran as Desi Nguyen and Henry Ian Cusick as Russ Taylor. Guest stars appearing in this episode include Sea Shimooka, Holly Deveaux, Ramon De Ocampo, Tate Donovan and Delaney Williams.

Here's the official synopsis for 'Code + Artemis + Nuclear + N3mesis': "While Mac’s friends surround him during his time of grief, Los Angeles’ power grid is taken hostage in a ransomware attack resulting in a citywide blackout, and the team discovers the code used was written by Riley years ago."

'MacGyver' Season 4 airs Fridays at 8 pm ET on CBS.