Thursday, 4 December 2014

Macgyver vs. The A-Team

When choosing your team for the Krakit Escape Room challenge, it's always best to pick friends or colleagues with practical knowledge. You don't necessarily want your friend who scored 98% on his Math final; he may be a whizz with numbers, but give him a riddle and he could be instantly stumped. But, on the other side of the coin, you don't want a teammate who relies solely on street knowledge. A little book smarts can go a long way, especially when it comes to references. Take your time, maybe make a chart weighing their pros and cons and pick the best team for the job.


This week, we thought it would be fun to compare the skills of two fictional protagonist groups from pop culture. The idea behind this little exercise is to identify which escape specialist would be the best fantasy pick for Vancouver's Escape Game.

For our comparison, we're travelling back to the eighties, when television was all about car chases, tight fitting sweaters and explosions aplenty. Our two combatants this week are secret agent Angus Macgyver and the vigilante demo squad, The A-Team. 



Vietnam Training
Both Macgyver and the A-Team learned most of their practical skills while stationed in Vietnam. Macgyver was a bomb team technician. He disabled some of Charlie's most intricate explosives. What does this mean for an escape room challenge: good under pressure.
The A-Team was sent to the jungle as a commando unit. They were imprisoned by a military court 'for a crime they didn't commit', but escaped a maximum-security prison using only their wits. Sounds like a perfect fit.

Round 1: Draw

Customizable Keys
Practical engineering was on fine display in both of these primetime action series. The A-Team were always helping the underdog rise-up against the town bully. Their plans often relied on found materials, farming equipment and of course, fertilizer. (Note to reader: Please don't use explosives to breakout of our escape rooms)

Daddy Mac relied more on simple physics to get out of a tight spot. He was also fond of found materials, often using them in conjunction with his Swiss Army knife and his ever present role of duct tape. Macgyver was so skilled with the bare essentials that his name became a verb: "Wow Sean, you 'Macgyvered' that Christmas tree stand."

Round 2: Advantage Macgyver

Power in Numbers
The A-Team relied on the skills of all four of its members: Hannibal supplied the plan, Face was the actor/eye candy, Murdoch brought the crazy and B.A. was the muscle. As a unit they were virtually unstoppable, unless the plan involved flying and then B.A. was definitely out.
Macgyver usually acted alone. He occasionally sought the help of a guest star, but the mulleted-one worked best when he was left to his own devices.

Round 3: Advantage A-Team

Opening Credits
Just as True Detective, The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones are all known for their opening title sequences, so were the 80s action dramas. When you compare Macgyver and the A-Team you immediately think of big hair, synthesizers and explosions. But it's the A-Teams opening narrator that sets the two apart:  "If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire: The A-Team." That simple line gave hope to every kid in the schoolyard who was picked on. 

Round 4: Knockout A-Team


Verdict

While lacking in scientific aptitude, the A-Team's skill at working together and their overall badass nature makes them this week's victor for fantasy escape room partners. We love it when a plan comes together.


No comments:

Post a Comment