JOANNE REMMINGS

Joanne Remmings had a background in threat assessment and terrorist strategy, and she was also an expert on bunko scams. Enthusiastic and motivated, she was a brand-new employee at the Phoenix Foundation who was excited to meet MacGyver, whom she knew by reputation. It was Joanne who first coined MacGyver's technique of turning one thing into another as "MacGyverisms."

Joanne was also very distressed to learn that fellow Phoenix employee Kelly Sutton had been conned out of his entire life savings by James Crowe, a career criminal. She was anxious to find a way to convict Crowe for what he had done to Kelly, and she suggested that perhaps it takes a con to beat a con. She recommended the Philadelphia Flash or the Toledo Twist, and although such activities could not be sanctioned by the Phoenix Foundation, she persuaded MacGyver and Thornton that an independent sting could be successful without involving the Foundation.

Initially Thornton and MacGyver had intended to work alone, but Joanne was tired of sitting in front of a computer, and she was determined to get field experience by joining the con. She followed MacGyver, unexpectedly changed the scenario from the Boston Bang to the Toledo Twist, and inserted herself into the sting as Thornton's girlfriend who could convince Thornton to cut Crowe in on a cocaine deal if Crowe would provide one pound of 90% pure cocaine. Crowe cautiously agreed.

The fake drug deal took place at the Beverly Canyon Hotel in suite 1609, with Thornton in the role of the drug dealer and Kelly Sutton, suitably disguised with a beard, a Stetson, and a southern accent, as the buyer. Crowe had brought the bag of cocaine, which was added to Thornton's case of nine pounds of powdered milk, and he joined MacGyver and Joanne in the adjoining suite 1611 to watch the deal unfold through a two-way mirror. As rehearsed, Kelly tested the cocaine, made the payment, then drew a gun, at which time Thornton fired blanks to "kill" him. However, Crowe feared the deal had gone wrong and he fired his own gun at Kelly through the mirror. Fortunately, Crowe's bullet missed, and Kelly only appeared dead as Crowe was rushed out of the room leaving the cash and the cocaine behind.

MacGyver, Thornton, and Joanne next persuaded Crowe to put up $400,000 in cash. The plan was for MacGyver and Thornton to use the money to gain entry to the police property room where they would load a trunk with two million dollars and leave undetected. Again, Crowe agreed to provide the money, but Thorton decided that the sting had become too dangerous for Joanne, and he ordered her out of the final stage.

MacGyver found Joanne at her home consoling herself by engaging in her hobby of peculiar photography, but Crowe and his henchmen, Carl and Tony, also found her at home, and Crowe took Joanne hostage as insurance that he would receive his share of the money.

With Joanne's life at stake, MacGyver and Thornton had to shift their plan once again, to convince Crowe to enter the police station with them, where he could then be apprehended. At the Decker Street Police Station, Carl and Tony guarded Joanne in a nearby vehicle as MacGyver and Thornton forced Crowe at gunpoint into a van driven by Kelly, exchanged clothes between Crowe and MacGyver, bound and gagged Crowe, and stuffed him into the trunk.

Upon gaining entry to the property room cage at the police station, they rewired the button to open the door, cut the bottom out of the trunk and filled it with random electronics, then exited with the trunk, leaving Crowe locked in the cage.

Carl and Tony left Joanne unguarded when they went to retrieve the trunk, and as the alarm sounded in the police station the swarm of responding officers found not only Crowe in a compromising position but also Carl and Tony outside the building trying to recover the electronics that had fallen out of the bottomless trunk.

MacGyver released Joanne, and they joined Thornton and Kelly in the getaway van, this time in possession of the $400,000 that Crowe had stolen, and leaving behind enough evidence to finally arrest and convict Crowe and his partners.

Portrayed by: Pamela Bowen

Cross Reference: Beverly Canyon Hotel, Carl, James Crowe, Decker Street Police Station, Kelly Sutton, Tony

Episode Reference: Twice Stung