MacGyver: How Henry Ian Cusick's Russ Fills A Hole Left By George Eads' Jack

MacGyver George Eads as Jack Dalton and Lucas Till as Mac CBS

MacGyver Season 4 is finally here! Yes. It feels like we've all aged a decade since Lucas Till's Angus "Mac" MacGyver was last on screen, but it's really only been since the Season 3 finale in May 2019. Now, MacGyver is back with a 22-episode season starting tonight, aka Friday, February 7, 2020 at 8 p.m. on CBS.

MacGyver Season 4 includes a brand new series regular character in Russ Taylor, played by Lost and The 100 alum Henry Ian Cusick. Levy Tran already joined the show as Desi Nguyen in Season 3 to take over for George Eads' Jack Dalton, but Lucas Till told Parade it's really Henry Ian Cusick's Russ who fills a specific hole left by Eads' Jack:

When Jack was no longer part of the team, we put Levy [Tran] on, and what I couldn’t do with Levy -- she’s an incredible martial artist and she does pretty much all of her own stunts -- but what I can’t do is I can’t really be at odds with Levy in the same way that I could with Jack. So, when you have Ian come on the show, you have someone who I can do that with and it brings that back and it’s perfect. He’s someone that constantly challenges Mac on a daily basis and it adds a lot of friction and fun, really. I mean, he is hilarious and he’s also, as most people know, a really talented dramatic actor, but he is genuinely funny as well.

Yeah, I guess I can't see Lucas Till's Mac pushing Levy Tran's Desiree "Desi" Nguyen against a wall like this photo from the MacGyver Season 4 premiere (although she could certainly hold her own if he tried it):

MacGyver Season 4 premiere Lucas Till Mac Henry Ian Cusick as Russ CBS

In MacGyver Season 4's premiere, "Fire + Ashes + Legacy = Phoenix," ex-MI6 agent Russ Taylor (Henry Ian Cusick) recruits former Phoenix Foundation members Mac, Riley, Bozer, Matty, and Desi to hunt down a bioweapon that's planned to be used by a mysterious organization for a devastating attack on a major U.S. city.

The show picks up from the team going their separate ways after the MacGyver Season 3 finale, so Russ Taylor is the one who brings them together again.

Lucas Till already shared a warning about heartbreak connected to Mac's own family in MacGyver Season 4. Other than that, it sounds like this new season will be almost like a soft reboot in the best way. Here's more on that from Till to Parade:

I feel like this season is a completely different show, but in the best way possible. If you liked the show before, you’re going to like this version of it more; we’re just upping the ante, you know? It’s a little darker at points, but it’s also a little lighter. We do a couple of comedic episodes that are just fantastic. We have great guest stars this season and I love the getting the team together in the opening sequence of the first episode so much.

Bring it on! Fans have waited a long time for this show to return, and even though many MacGyver fans are still missing George Eads -- who left the show during Season 3, shortly after an on-set altercation -- it sounds like Henry Ian Cusick is a breath of fresh air for 2020.

Now that it's officially back, MacGyver Season 4 airs Fridays at 8 p.m. on CBS. Keep up with everything premiering in early 2020 with our handy TV schedule.

Gina Carbone

Gina grew up in Massachusetts and California in her own version of The Parent Trap. She went to three different middle schools, four high schools, and three universities -- including half a year in Perth, Western Australia. She currently lives in a small town in Maine, the kind Stephen King regularly sets terrible things in, so this may be the last you hear from her.