Plot

A general gives Phoenix a chance to regain its security clearance by testing a military lab's security, stealing a chip there. Things don't go as planned.

General John Acosta recruits MacGyver to steal a highly classified project from a military lab in order to find flaws in its security. But when it's discovered that the general is planning an attack using the weapon, Phoenix must stop him before the weapon is uploaded.

Department of Defense General John Acosta, an old friend of Russ, recruits team MacGyver to attempt stealing a highly classified project from a military lab in order to find the flaws in its security, promising as reward to restore to Phoenix full security clearance. Mac finds it's a super-chip almost impossible to take, yet succeeds, but instead of their reward are declared most wanted criminals, Acosta having stolen the chip. The general takes it to the nuclear command HQ, being blackmailed by his daughter and grandson's kidnappers, who plan a nuclear attack. The team must stop Acosta before the weapon is uploaded while trying to rescue the hostages. When they succeed, the kidnapper kills himself after revealing his association with Martin Bishop's group. Meanwhile, Riley expresses concern about Mac and Desi's breakup, citing a "Phoenix Curse" about relationships, but Matty discovers Riley already has a civilian new boyfriend.—KGF Vissers

In LA at an arcade, Mac and Riley are playing skeeball. Mac loses to Riley and concedes she's a better player, and thanks her for reaching out. They talk about how the team drifted apart, and Mac insists that he doesn't need Riley to check on her. Riley notes that Mac and Desi have been sniping at each other, and asks what they broke it off. Mac refuses to discuss it and asks Riley if she's seeing anyone. She says that that she lost Billy, and Boze lost Leanna to a deep cover op, and they figure that it's the "Phoenix Jinx".

A stoic man in a car watches a mother and son, and gets a text message saying that he's go. The stoic man takes out a gun and prepares to go after them.

At Phoenix, Russ offers Cuban cigars to Major Anne Frost and General John Acosta. Mac and Matty come in, and Russ introduces them to Anne and Acosta. Russ talks about how he and Acosta go way back, and Acosta says that they have a Red Cell team that finds vulnerabilities in security systems. They want Mac and his unorthodox messages to test a DARPA lab, and Anne explains that it's been targeted by enemy agent. Matty wants to hear more details before they agree, and Acosta notes that he'd think they wouldn't be picky if it involves recovering their security clearance.

Russ quickly ushers Anne and Acosta out, and Russ says that they secured their first government contract. Matty and Mac object, and Russ warns that he and Matty can only do so much. Russ asks Mac to pull it off to get their clearances back, and Mac gives in.

Later, the team go over the lab schematics and say that they need to acquire a project named Quirk. The guards won't be alerted that it's a task, meaning that they could get shot for real. Riley reviews the security systems, and says that they're use social engineering. Riley will invite all twelve scientists to a team-building mixer they think is put on by their employer. Boze will get a wireless RFID receiver within a foot of one of their badges, and Riley will substitute Russ's bearded image with one of five similar scientists. Mac and Desi will get in via a car with lead lining, which will confuse the backscanners.

As they go in, Desi complains about Mac's body scent. She tries to argue about their relationship but Mac refuses.

Russ and his car get past the backscanners while Russ recites positive affirmations. Inside, Russ, Mac, and Desi go to the lab and get in using the duplicated badge. There are no cameras in the lab because the work is sensitive. Large sunflowers act as biosensors, moving as they move, and Russ finds a case full of drones. There are meta-materials that bend light around objects, and they keep looking until they find a quantum recursive chip: QUIRK. It's the next generation of micro-processors, and Mac points out that the chip is sealed in a case with a retinal scanner, and only three scientists are processed to access it.

Russ tells Desi to kick open the case, but Mac warns that the chip is refrigerated and it's warmed up, it disintegrates. Mac looks around the lab and suggests that he can build a cold containment unit. While he gathers components, Mac tells Boze to charm one of the scientists so he can take a photo of their eye.

Boze goes over and claims to be one of the scientists, and he takes selfies with the scientists. Meanwhile, Mac makes a vacuum container. Boze sends the photos Riley in the van, and she warns that he has to get closet. He hits on one of the female scientists, Hannah,

Mac fills a canister with aerosol spray from a can to cool it, and Desi warns that there are soldiers with guns coming. Meanwhile, Boze has Hannah remove her glasses, takes a photo of her eyes, and she kisses him. As they kiss, Boze sends the photo to Ripley. She sends it to Russ, who uses it to bypass the retinal scanner. Mac grabs the chip and puts it in the can, and a temperature alarm goes off indicating the chip is at risk. When Desi shuts the cabinet drawer, it sets off the main alarms.

As Desi and Mac argue about whose fault it is, Riley warns that the soldiers are scrambling. All of the scientists get breach alerts, and Boze quickly leaves.

The soldiers enter the lab, unaware that Mac and Russ are hiding behind the meta-material, and Desi is hiding in the pipes. Mac wants Russ to call Acosta and order a standdown, but Russ and Desi don't want to jeopardize the operation. Desi attacks the soldiers, and then Mac and Russ put on the soldier uniforms and haul Desi out past reinforcements.

Riley picks the team up, and Russ hands the chip over to Acosta at a garage. Acosta goes to make a call and have their security status restored. Once he drives off, Mac, Russ, Riley, and Desi go to a bar and celebrate the launch of the new Phoenix. Mac notices on the TV that they're the subjects of a nationwide manhunt. As they leave, Boze and Matty call to warn them about the manhunt. Russ figures that it's a mistake, but Matty confirms that Acosta requested the arrest warrants and the others figure that Acosta set them up.

The quartet steals a soccer mom's vehicle, and Matty calls to tell them that they should turn themselves in. Russ says that it's not an option because if they turn themselves in, Acosta will disappear. Boze confirms that Acosta is heading for a classified operation, and Riley discovers by monitoring local radio bands that FBI and local cops are heading into position with the Lojack anti-theft activates on the van. Mac uses a discarded child's monitor to redirect the Lojack signal as a police car chases them through traffic and orders them to pull over.

Using the monitor and a talking chip from a teddy bear, Mac sets it up to send out a similar season. Desi manages to get behind the police car and knocks it into a barricade of water barrels. Russ tosses the teddy bear into a passing car and Mac shuts down the van's Lojack. They pull off onto a side street and police cars go by them.

Mac wonders why the QUIRK chip was air-gapped from any computer, and he and Riley figure that the chip could have something dangerous on it like a virus that could incapacitate a nuclear plant. Mac tells Boze to reconnect with Hannah to find out more about the chip, and Riley learns the Acosta's name has popped on a flight manifest. She sets it up so they can reach him directly.

Acosta is flying in a military plane and checking his laptop. Russ contacts him and appeals to Acosta as a friend. Acosta says that "they" have his daughter and grandson, but doesn't know who "they" are. They saw all of his countermoves, and says that they're not asking him for the chip. Acosta hopes that when it's over, everyone can forgive him. Anne comes in and Xavier says that he has everything he needs. Once she leaves, Acosta takes out the refrigerated chip and puts it into a special mounting, and lets it run.

Mac tries to work out what Acosta is going to use the chip is, and Riley confirms that Acosta is flying in a plane heading to a NORAD hub. Russ figures that the US missile defense system is a target and "they" are part of Martin's organization he warned again. Matty doesn't have any influence to inform the government, and tells two of them to get to NORAD while the other two find Acosta's family and save them.

Desi and Riley drive to a condo in Aguna where the daughter and grandson live. Riley has access a proof-of-life photo from Acosta's laptop, and tracks the cell phone it was sent from. She spots the stoic man in a reflection and realize that he's not wearing a mask, meaning he'll kill the family once Acosta goes through with it.

At NORAD in Colorado, Mac and Russ go in posing as technicians. Everyone is scrambling for Acosta's visit, and Mac warns that the base will go into lockdown. Boze calls to say that Hannah said there's a rootkit on the chip. Once Mac hangs up, he tells Russ that the rootkit will give the user control of any computer. Once the chip is plugged in, NORAD's missile defense system in in the organization's hands. Anne and Acosta drive by, and Mac and Russ see them and figure they have to move.

Desi and Riley drive to the address Riley identified, and Desi pounds on the door claiming that she's the super. She fights the stoic man while Riley comes in and unties the daughter and grandson. Desi finally manages to grab the man's gun and orders him on his knees. He says that from death comes life and leaps out the window to his death on the sidewalk below.

Riley calls Mac and Acosta with the news, but the soldiers won't let them into the command center. The base goes into lockdown, and Mac admits that he doesn't know how to get past the blast doors. Matty confirms the base is sealed off because of the simulation, and Mac says that DXS consulted with NORAD's original design. Matty accesses the original pans, and they find a rescue tunnel that was sealed after a cave-in. Russ agrees to move the soldiers so Mac can build a drilling operation,.

Russ yells "Leeroy Jenkins" and goes berserk, attacking the guards, and Mac goes to work. Soon he accesses the rescue tunnel and gets in to the command center at the other end. Acosta is coordinating operations and secretly takes out th3e device with the chip and plugs it in. Before he can finish, Mac breaks in through an air vent and tells Acosta that his family is safe. Anne draws a gun on Mac, and Mac asks Acosta to call off the lockdown.

Acosta says that he can't take the chance, and Mac asks why he would lie to him given what's at stake. After a moment, Acosta hands the chip device to Mac. Anne shoots him in the shoulder and goes for the device, and Mac fights her for it. They drop the chip, destroying it, and Mac asks Anne who she works for. She says that she works for everyone, which is what Martin said. Anne goes for her gun and the guards gun her down.

Later back at Phoenix, Matty says that Acosta will recover from his wounds in Leavenworth. Russ passes on Acosta's thanks to them for stopping him from compromising NORAD, and rescuing his family. Matty says that they'll get their security clearances back, and Russ tells them to go home and decompress while he finds out more about the organization. Desi glances at Mac and then goes off at her own. Boze says that he's meeting with Hannah to end things before the start. Riley tells Mac that Matty has some stuff for her to finish up, and Mac goes home alone.

That night, Riley returns home and her lover, Aubrey Jones, kisses her. He says that there's a white lady in the living room, and Riley peers around the corner and realizes that it's Matty. They go over to talk to her, and Matty says that she was in the neighborhood and figures that Riley wanted to talk to her about her thing. Once Aubrey goes to make drinks, Matty tells Riley that he still thinks Riley works at a think tank. She says that she vetted Aubrey and his background is clean, and Riley says that she wanted to keep Aubrey and Phoenix separated. Matty understands and leaves.

At Phoenix, Mac goes in to see Russ. Russ warns that the organization is formidable and they know nothing about their agenda. Mac figures that the organization intended to neutralize them by involving them with Red Cell, and Russ notes that there were encrypted communications of the organization's symbol on the kidnapper and Anne's phone.