For those looking to rewatch, "X-Ray + Penny" is available for streaming on platforms like Paramount+ . MacGyver Season 2 Episode 4 Science Notes: X-Ray + Penny

"X-Ray + Penny" is pivotal because it deepens the "villain-hero" dynamic. We see Murdoc not just as a contract killer, but as a man who values his "work" as art, finding MacGyver the only human he finds "less repulsive than most". It also sets the stage for the recurring theme of MacGyver’s family history, which remains a central mystery throughout the second season. Lucas Till as Angus "Mac" MacGyver David Dastmalchian as Murdoc George Eads as Jack Dalton Tristin Mays as Riley Davis

The episode kicks off with a jarring twist: Murdoc successfully drugs and kidnaps MacGyver. Unlike previous encounters, this isn't just about a quick assassination; it’s personal. Murdoc brings Mac to a hidden lair, intent on a slow, calculated torture that involves more than just physical pain—he wants to break Mac’s spirit by revealing disturbing details about his own past, including the mother of his son, Cassian.

Once free, Mac reunites with the Phoenix Foundation team—Jack Dalton, Riley Davis, Wilt Bozer, and Matty Webber—to stop Murdoc’s next target: a high-profile victim already in the killer's sights.