Limbo

Episode Number: 149
Season Number: 7.22
Air Date: 4/15/1987
Writers: Jay Huguely, Bruce Cervi, Chris Abbott
Story: Tom Selleck, Chas. Floyd Johnson
Director: Jackie Cooper
Producer: Tom Selleck
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Recurring Characters

Marta DuBois (Michelle Hue), Jeff MacKay (Lt. MacReynolds), Lance LeGault (Col. Buck Greene), Jean Bruce Scott (Lt. Cmdr. Maggie Poole), Kathleen Lloyd (Carol Baldwin), Gillian Dobb (Agatha Chumley), Kwan Hi Lim (Lt. Tanaka), Glenn Cannon (Doc Ibold), Kristin Carreira (Lily Catherine Hue), Andrew Dupree (Buck Greene's Aide)

Guest Stars

John Beck (Edward T. Durant)

Episode Brief

Magnum is caught in a shootout in a warehouse that leaves him fighting for his life. Thomas, in a coma, discovers he is not dead, but also not alive, and needs to help Michelle, who is in danger and being chased by killers. He meets up with the ghost of his former Naval buddy, Lt. MacReynolds. He also spends time with each of his close friends individually, and, in one way or another, says goodbye and how important they are all to him, in case he does not survive.

Rating

9.4

(57 votes)

Rate Episode

Notes

¹ This is the second episode to be produced by Tom Selleck, following "Death and Taxes" (7.6).

² "Limbo" was originally intended to be the series finale (with Magnum seemingly walking off to heaven). When they filmed this episode everyone on the crew thought it was the last one, including Tom Selleck. Not long before the air date in April of 1987, Tom agreed to do one final (short) season (Season Eight). After Season Eight was greenlighted, "Limbo" underwent some minor edits to reenforce the idea that Magnum is not really dead (Michelle's visit to the hospital). Still, some scenes couldn't be re-done or re-edited, namely the scene were everybody is at Robin's Nest dressed in black, and talking about Magnum in the past tense.

³ This episode has one of the most memorable (and shocking) opening scenes of the entire series. Opening In medias res, we find Magnum in the middle of a fierce one-on-three gunfight in a crate-filled warehouse.

⁴ The only major recurring character to not appear in this episode is Icepick; Tanaka, Agatha, Doc Ibold, Carol, Maggie Poole, Buck Greene, Lt. MacReynolds, Jim "Mac" Bonnick... they're all here. Most episodes only feature one or two major recurring characters.

⁵ "Looking For Space" by John Denver is featured several times in this episode and is used to great effect in the final scene as Magnum is "walking off to heaven".

⁶ This episode was included in the 2011 The Best of the 80s: Magnum P.I. 2-disc DVD set from Universal, along with six other classic Magnum P.I. episodes ("Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii", "Memories Are Forever", "Home From the Sea", "Blind Justice", "The Kona Winds" and "Resolutions").

⁷ Magnum is shot for the last time in the series. He was shot a total of ten times over the years. The episodes in which he was shot:

• "Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii (2)" (1.2)
• "Skin Deep" (1.6)
• "Memories Are Forever (2)" (2.6)
• "Forty Years From Sand Island" (3.18)
• "Luther Gillis: File #521" (4.2)
• "On Face Value" (4.19)
• "Fragments" (5.6)
• "Way of the Stalking Horse" (6.17)
• "Limbo" (7.22) - shot twice

⁸ This is one of the few episodes to not feature any narration from Magnum.

⁹ Rick's birth certificate shows his full name to be "Orville Richard Wright", which explains where his nickname "Rick" comes from. This will be contradicted in the series finale "Resolutions" where Rick's full name is stated as "Orville Wilbur Wright III" by the clergyman at his wedding. (Noted by MaximRecoil)

¹⁰ For the first time in the series, we get a direct look at the entire King Kamehameha Club "Beach Bar" set at Waialae Beach Park on the South Shore of Oahu.

¹¹ The aerial shot of the bad guys car going over the cliff and crashing is stock footage from "Paradise Blues" (4.15)*.

¹² A couple of scenic filming locations were used for this episode. Round Top Drive, in the hills above Honolulu, is used for the scene where Michelle and Edward secretly meet. The location was previously used in "Tran Quoc Jones" (5.9). The scene where Magnum says goodbye to Michelle, towards the end, was filmed on a high hillside, between Makapuu Point and Sea Life Park. Waimanalo and Rabbit Island can be seen in the background.

¹³ At some point during Higgins' military career, a soldier under his care, Private Channing, spent five days in a coma. Ten minutes after all hope was given up and a priest sent for, Channing opened his eyes and started asking for a pint of stout.

Quotes

¹
Lt. MacReynolds: Time has little to do with infinity and jelly doughnuts.

²
Magnum: This is turning out to be the worst dream I've ever had.

³
Higgins: I think you should consider that if you ... leave like this you'll never know the truth of who Robin Masters is. (opens memoirs) If you would ... indulge me in one more story. I think, perhaps, you will find this useful. "After five days, the medical unit had given up hope and a runner was sent for Father Kirkpatrick. The runner had only been gone a scant ten minutes when the most miraculous event occurred. Private Channing, whom for everyone had given up for dead, opened his eyes, looked around, and asked for a pint of stout".

⁴
Lt. MacReynolds: Hey, wait a minute. Are you going to Buck Greene's office? I, I, refuse to be civil to the man who is responsible for my death.

⁵
Col. Buck Greene: Thomas Magnum is no longer your concern! We gave Michelle all the protection we promised. We can't help her if she's going to go flying around the world risking exposure of her identity.
Lt. Maggie Poole: Thomas was a friend of ours.

⁶
(to Michelle)
Magnum: I love this place ... I don't know how you knew to come here, but maybe I know why ... I've always liked to be up here alone. (deep breath) You can breathe better here. Slow down a little bit. Try to get things into focus. Try to figure out what it is you need to do ... I love you Michelle. More than anyone I've ever known ... and I'm letting you go.
(cue up John Denver's "Looking For Space")
(roll end credits)

Flubs

¹ Andy Dupree is incorrectly credited as 'Lt. Green's Aide'. Buck's last name is 'Greene', not 'Green', and he is a Colonel, not a Lieutenant!

² At the 12:30 mark, Higgins and Lily enter the guesthouse (in the presence of "Magnum"). Just after they open the door and begin to walk down the inside stairs (leaving the door open), a light goes off in what is suposed to be the outdoor lanai, making it dark. It just went from daytime to nighttime in the blink of an eye! (Noted by Marco Beardo)

³ In the scene where Maggie talks to Col. Greene in his office, Buck's Eagle insignia is upside down! (Noted by Lewis Hill)

⁴ * When the bad guys go over the cliff in their car, there is an explosion inside the car (with discharged smoke) before it crashes. Addtionally, once the car crashes at the bottom of the mountain, you can see two individuals running to put the fire out. (Noted by E.J. Vail)

Shoot me an email if you'd like to have something added or corrected

---

---