Basic Trope: A character saves the day by making a gadget out of unlikely things.
- Straight: Bob is in a Death Trap but escapes by creating a bomb out of some tape, a string, an aerosol can, and a match.
- Exaggerated:
- Bob somehow makes a bomb out of water, despite all logic.
- Bob somehow rebuilds Alice out of junk.
- Downplayed: Bob creates a bomb using gasoline and other materials needed for a real, makeshift explosive.
- Justified:
- Bob is a genius engineer who knows how to turn mundane objects into tools he needs.
- Bob has a super power that allows him to build any object out of whatever is lying around.
- Inverted: Bob makes simple things out of complex things.
- Subverted:
- Bob's bomb does not go off.
- Bob is unable to build anything.
- Double Subverted: But it does create a fire, which damages the walls enough for him to bust out.
- Parodied: Bob is asked to build a robot with only a few random office supplies. One Gilligan Cut later, and he is piloting a Humongous Mecha.
- Zig Zagged: Bob's bomb does not work, but he quickly disassembles it into a working rocket and flies his way out of the death trap. As he is in mid-flight, he realizes he never built it with landing capabilities and plummets out of the air.
- Averted:
- Bob makes things out of other things that are as complex as each other.
- Bob is able to escape without building anything.
- Bob never gets trapped.
- Enforced: One of the Network Executives who are in charge of the show starring Bob is a huge fan of MacGyver, and so he requires Bob to be as resourceful as the Trope Namer.
- Lampshaded: "Don't worry, Bob will build something to get us out. He always does."
- Invoked: As Bob goes on his mission, he pockets a lot of random items, knowing they could come in handy.
- Exploited: The Big Bad places Bob in a deathtrap for the sole purpose of watching him build tools to get out, hoping to learn his craft.
- Defied: Bob realizes there is a hidden bomb inside the death trap, and that he doesn't have to build anything to escape.
- Discussed: Characters have fun asking Bob what he would need to build various tools and weapons.
- Conversed: "This is my favorite character. He always seems to build the right tools needed for any situation."
- Played For Drama: As Bob tinkers with explosive materials, Surprisingly Realistic Outcome and it goes off early.
The link back to MacGyvering is not working, but here's a paperclip and some string...
