MythBusters (2015 season)


The cast of the television series MythBusters perform experiments to verify or debunk urban legends, old wives' tales, and the like. This is a list of the various myths tested on the show as well as the results of the experiments. The 2015 season premiered on January 10, 2015, in a Saturday time slot. The first half of the season ended on February 14, after six episodes had aired. The second half of the season resumed on July 18, still in the Saturday time slot. The final episode of the second half aired on September 5, with eight episodes having aired, and a total fourteen episodes having aired in the season.
This is the first season without Kari Byron, Tory Belleci, and Grant Imahara since they originally appeared in the show. Hyneman and Savage are now the only hosts of the show. The opening narration and blueprint title cards have been removed as of this season, and the episodes are punctuated by pop-up bubbles with information relevant to the myths being tested.

Episode overview


No. in seriesNo. in seasonTitleOriginal air dateOverall episode No.

Episode 223 – "''The Simpsons'' Special"

Adam and Jamie investigate two scenes from the animated series The Simpsons. Showrunner and executive producer Al Jean makes a guest appearance.

Homer Wrecker

Toilet Bomb

Episode 224 – "''Indiana Jones'' Special"

Adam and Jamie investigate two scenes from the film Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Temple Run

The Science of Whips

Episode 225 – "''A-Team'' Special"

Adam and Jamie test two scenes from the television series The A-Team.

Log Shooter

Sewer Blast

Episode 226 – "Video Game Special"

Adam and Jamie test two video game scenarios.

Doom

Fruit Ninja

Episode 227 – "Transformers"

Adam and Jamie test myths related to vehicle transformation.

Motorcycle Car

Aqua Bike

Episode 228 – "San Francisco Drift"

Adam and Jamie test myths related to automotive drifting.

Drift Turn

Powerslide Parking

Episode 229 – "Blow It Out of the Water"

Adam and Jamie test two myths related to "blowing it out of the water", one literal and one metaphorical.

Boat Lift

Machine Gun Booby Trap

Before this episode, Jamie, Adam, Kari, Tory and Grant had busted two Breaking Bad myths from Season 1 on a Breaking Bad special in 2013: The use of hydrofluoric acid to completely dissolve a body and eat through a bathtub and a floor and the use of mercury fulminate to incapacitate attackers without harming the user. Breaking Bad creator/director Vince Gilligan and co-star Aaron Paul had appeared in the 2013 special.
MythStatusNotes
The booby trap built by Walter White in Felina, the series finale of Breaking Bad, using a remote-controlled M60 machine gun on a motorized swiveling mount in a car trunk, could realistically fire into a house and kill a roomful of people.PlausibleAdam and Jamie first tested the M60 at a firing range to evaluate the recoil and vibration that the mounting system would have to endure. Adam fired 45 rounds in short bursts, while Jamie fired 70 rounds in full automatic; next they mounted the M60 on a table and fired 200 rounds at a plywood human silhouette. In every case, they decided that the recoil and vibration were manageable.
At the workshop, they examined the scene to determine the components of Walter's mounting/triggering system and set out to replicate it as closely as possible. The swiveling mount had a garage door opener at its core; Jamie disabled its safety mechanisms so that the motor would run without stopping, and Adam added a gear and bicycle chain to reduce the swiveling speed. Even though this modification was not part of the scene, Adam reasoned that Walter might have been able to include it if necessary, using readily available parts.
Returning to the firing range, they mounted the M60 in a car trunk and placed it in front of a wall constructed to match the stucco front of the house in the scene. Plywood silhouette targets were placed behind the wall, one lying down to represent Walter, the others standing up as his enemies. After preliminary tests and fine-tuning with both no ammunition and blanks, they loaded 200 rounds and set the weapon to full auto, with Gilligan present to witness the final test. The weapon malfunctioned and did not fire on the first two attempts, but did fire on the third; all of the standing targets were hit multiple times, while "Walter" did not suffer any damage. The myth was deemed plausible, and Vince commented on two results of the test. First, the pattern of bullet holes produced was very different from the one simulated by the Breaking Bad production crew; second, the vertical vibrations of the mounting system made it very likely that Walter would have been struck by a bullet while lying on the floor, as happened in the episode.

Episode 230 – "Flights of Fantasy"

Adam and Jamie test two flight related myths.

U-2 Flight

Deadly Drones

Episode 231 – "Accidental Ammo"

Adam and Jamie test two myths of possibly lethal projectiles.

Lethal Lawnmowers

Glass Guillotine

Episode 232 – "Dangerous Driving"

The MythBusters test two myths related to driving, and how dangerous they are.

Distracted Driving

Driving in Reverse

Episode 233 – "Supernatural Shooters"

Adam and Jamie test two myths related to unusual use of bullets. Actor Jonathan Banks, from Breaking Bad, makes a guest appearance.

Shooting Through Walls

Shoot 'Em Up Bullets

Episode 234 – "Unfinished Business"

Adam and Jamie revisit four past episodes to address viewers' disputes over myth results and suggestions for additional testing.

Video Game Skills

Spy Car Tacks

Get a Grip

Super Fast Reload

Episode 235 – "MythBusters vs. Jaws"

Adam and Jamie revisit a myth based on the film Jaws and test two new shark-based myths. This episode is part of Discovery's new two-day shark-themed weekend called "Shweekend".

Jaws Finale Revisit

Orca Shark Repellent

Dead Shark Repellent

Episode 236 – "''Star Wars'' 2"

For the second time, the MythBusters explore sagas related to the Star Wars universe with two more myths.

Blaster Dodge

High Ground