geri_chan | Yuletide Recs, Round 1

I will post a longer rec list later, but I just had to squee about the awesome Yuletide gift that I received!

Gotta Know When To Fold 'Em (5176 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: MacGyver (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Angus MacGyver, Murdoc (MacGyver)
Summary: Some people have hobbies. MacGyver gets shot at.

I think I was more excited about my Yuletide gift than my real Christmas presents! Last year, I had a pretty good idea of who my "secret" Santa was and what fandom my story would be, but this year, I had absolutely no clue, so it was all the more exciting to "open" my gift! So on Christmas morning, I was delighted to receive this MacGyver fic! I had requested a story about Mac and Murdoc being forced to work together, either slashy or gen, and my author delivered this hysterically funny fic with both Mac and Murdoc perfectly in character.

MacGyver goes out for a hike and finds himself being chased through the wilderness by a homicidal maniac--well, actually homicidal maniacs, plural. Surprisingly, another homicidal maniac (Murdoc, of course) comes to his aid. Naturally, Mac is more than a little suspicious and not exactly thrilled about the idea of working with Murdoc, but he really doesn't have much choice if he wants to survive. The sarcastic and witty banter between the two had me almost literally rolling on the floor with laughter. Sample lines include:

"Why, MacGyver! You sound as if you don’t like me! What have I ever done to you?"
"Well, there was the time you tried to kill me, the time you tried to kill me, and, oh, yeah, the - time - you - tried - to - kill - me!"

The story is gen, but amidst the humor, there are hints of a complex relationship between Mac and Murdoc that I really enjoyed. Even Mac himself admits they have a relationship of sorts: "You could say a lot of things about the relationship Mac and Murdoc had developed over the years, but one thing could not be denied. It was a relationship." I also loved his acknowledgment that "Murdoc was honourable, in his own weird little way. If he said he wasn’t going to kill MacGyver – at least, not this time, not right at the moment – Mac could probably take his word for it."

Oh, and I absolutely loved the horror Mac feels when he realizes that he and Murdoc actually work well together as they're setting up a trap for the final homicidal maniac. Mac is used to people not being able to keep up with him or understand his "MacGyverisms," but Murdoc seems to get what he's doing, and at one point even anticipates what MacGyver wants without needing to be told. (I suppose this is what makes Murdoc such a formidable opponent, come to think of it.) They are, in a sense, flip sides of the same coin (as another MacGyver fic points out; see below).

This was a wonderful fic with great humor and great characterization. If you enjoyed the MacGyver TV show, you should definitely check this one out! If you're reading this, Yuletide Author, thank you very much for the story!

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Come Too Far (1107 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: MacGyver (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Murdoc (MacGyver)
Summary: Post-The Widowmaker, Murdoc recuperates and plans his next move.

This is an introspective, Murdoc-centric fic, in which he thinks of himself and MacGyver as "two sides of a spinning coin, forces aligned against each other." As Murdoc recovers from yet another near-death experience, the author shows us a logical explanation for how Murdoc was able to survive, and also gives us a fascinating glimpse into the behind-the-scenes workings of HIT. And we get to see Murdoc advising and assisting up-and-coming young assassins--Murdoc as a mentor is a rather scary thought!