Magnum Mania!

Something I'm quite confused about, can anyone clarify?
Why did Michelle have to leave at the end? was she being taken into protective custody by the U.S. Military? Or taken back to Vietnam for intelligence reasons? Or going back on her own accord to Vietnam?

I know this might get cleared up once I watch some of the other epsiodes, but it's been bugging me, I must be missing something...?

MyGod! wrote:Something I'm quite confused about, can anyone clarify?
Why did Michelle have to leave at the end? was she being taken into protective custody by the U.S. Military? Or taken back to Vietnam for intelligence reasons? Or going back on her own accord to Vietnam?

I know this might get cleared up once I watch some of the other epsiodes, but it's been bugging me, I must be missing something...?

It wasn't quite clear although implied that she was being relocated for her protection. Hue was dead. My take was that she was no longer in immediate danger, and she would have been perfectly safe with TM. However knowing her history of using TM, and what I consider selfishness I assume she left simply because she wanted to. That's why I dislike her so much. at times it was like she was almost toying with TM.

MyGod! wrote:Something I'm quite confused about, can anyone clarify?
Why did Michelle have to leave at the end? was she being taken into protective custody by the U.S. Military? Or taken back to Vietnam for intelligence reasons? Or going back on her own accord to Vietnam?

I know this might get cleared up once I watch some of the other epsiodes, but it's been bugging me, I must be missing something...?

her eventual death I would think clearly proved she was still in danger and needed protective custody..........and I want to say the daughter was especially prized....supposedly being the offspring of her first/ex/again husband.

Hmm, that's what I was thinking, but why would she then say that she could stay with him? I guess protective custody was a choice she coudl have turned down..

MyGod! wrote:Hmm, that's what I was thinking, but why would she then say that she could stay with him? I guess protective custody was a choice she coudl have turned down..

..because she knew she was safe with Magnum...............she always was safe with him.........but the rality is he wouldn't be able to dedicate his every waking hour to her and Lily's safety. He could if he were independently wealthy and wanted a life on the run...........but that is why I believe Michelle and Thomas both knew without speaking that she had to go.....for both their sakes.

Makes sense, thanks! Looking forward to watching the continuation of this story-line in season 7 and 8, I've forgotten many of the details, and probably have never watched in order before.

Seaver41 wrote: her eventual death I would think clearly proved she was still in danger...

I say that's debatable. Remember she was killed by Quang Ki as revenge for TM killing his brother, not because of her political past, or Hue's actions in Vietnam.

N1095A wrote:

Seaver41 wrote: her eventual death I would think clearly proved she was still in danger...

I say that's debatable. Remember she was killed by Quang Ki as revenge for TM killing his brother, not because of her political past, or Hue's actions in Vietnam.

yeah but the brother was killed seasons ago.......and Quang Ki was out there.......so he was a threat at that time and later he did arrange her death.

my point is she and anyone associated with Magnum were in danger since Magnum killed the brother......but Hue was able to protect her and when he died she no longer had that protection. Wasn't it Quang that eventually wss taking over after Hue? I could be wrong about that.

I don't know that anyone really KNEW about Quang Ki until Limbo/Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts.

My take was that even though Hue was dead, Michelle may still have information tat would be pertinent to the Vietnamese government, so they wanted to track her down.

Remember, she WAS an agent for Buck Green for all those years, so they would probably want to kill her as a traitor to the government, hence the government protection.

Just my 2 cents

Doc Ibold wrote:I don't know that anyone really KNEW about Quang Ki until Limbo/Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts.

My take was that even though Hue was dead, Michelle may still have information tat would be pertinent to the Vietnamese government, so they wanted to track her down.

Remember, she WAS an agent for Buck Green for all those years, so they would probably want to kill her as a traitor to the government, hence the government protection.

Just my 2 cents

that makes sense........plus it was Hue who told Michelle he could protect her.........and why she left with him with Magnum bleeding........Magnum knew it too.

Old thread but there is something here that has always bugged me and I cant seem to find another post about it. Did Michelle really love Magnum? I cant help but feel she really didn't at all and was more caught up in the adventure and heart pounding thrill of it then actual love. She used her first marriage as an excuse and after he died there was no reason she couldn't go to TM. Then even after she had Lily she still found another guy!!! I think Tom was head over heels for her but she never truly was ready to fully commit. It wouldn't surprise me if she never died in the explosion and just faked it to get away from Lily and allow her a normal life and she went right back to the world of espionage and spying. Just my two cents but its hard to watch any episode with her in it because of it.

Doc Ibold wrote:I don't know that anyone really KNEW about Quang Ki until Limbo/Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts.

My take was that even though Hue was dead, Michelle may still have information tat would be pertinent to the Vietnamese government, so they wanted to track her down.

Remember, she WAS an agent for Buck Green for all those years, so they would probably want to kill her as a traitor to the government, hence the government protection.

Just my 2 cents

That was always my take as well.

☨magnum.t wrote:Old thread but there is something here that has always bugged me and I cant seem to find another post about it. Did Michelle really love Magnum? I cant help but feel she really didn't at all and was more caught up in the adventure and heart pounding thrill of it then actual love. She used her first marriage as an excuse and after he died there was no reason she couldn't go to TM. Then even after she had Lily she still found another guy!!! I think Tom was head over heels for her but she never truly was ready to fully commit. It wouldn't surprise me if she never died in the explosion and just faked it to get away from Lily and allow her a normal life and she went right back to the world of espionage and spying. Just my two cents but its hard to watch any episode with her in it because of it.

For this answer look no further that the Casablanca triangle . . . did Ilsa truly love Rick or Victor? Or did she see honor in each and love both yet differently?

Full disclosure - I was never a fan of Michelle, I never understood why Thomas went all googly over her, I never felt the chemistry, but I was also never in a warzone and wasn't sure if I'd be alive the next day either. I would think that changes one's perspective on things. I think that for Thomas the Romantic maybe she represented Hope, and that Hope took on an idyllic aspect after she "died".

ConchRepublican wrote:

☨magnum.t wrote:Old thread but there is something here that has always bugged me and I cant seem to find another post about it. Did Michelle really love Magnum? I cant help but feel she really didn't at all and was more caught up in the adventure and heart pounding thrill of it then actual love. She used her first marriage as an excuse and after he died there was no reason she couldn't go to TM. Then even after she had Lily she still found another guy!!! I think Tom was head over heels for her but she never truly was ready to fully commit. It wouldn't surprise me if she never died in the explosion and just faked it to get away from Lily and allow her a normal life and she went right back to the world of espionage and spying. Just my two cents but its hard to watch any episode with her in it because of it.

For this answer look no further that the Casablanca triangle . . . did Ilsa truly love Rick or Victor? Or did she see honor in each and love both yet differently?

Full disclosure - I was never a fan of Michelle, I never understood why Thomas went all googly over her, I never felt the chemistry, but I was also never in a warzone and wasn't sure if I'd be alive the next day either. I would think that changes one's perspective on things. I think that for Thomas the Romantic maybe she represented Hope, and that Hope took on an idyllic aspect after she "died".

Great insight about the Casablanca angle, Conch!
As I recall this episode was written by Donald Bellisario's then-wife, so it's likely his influence to keep Michelle's character out of Thomas' reach was part of the equation, continuing what Bellisario began with "Memories Are Forever" seasons earlier.

Thomas and Michelle are my favorite TV romance ever. I think the best episodes are the ones about their story, so I've always been surprised that so many fans don't like her. While I agree that the show "steals" big time from Casablanca, I've always thought TM and Michelle's story was more of a "steal" from Roman Holiday. You know, the whole girl can't be with handsome American because she's got duties to her country and TM gets it like Joe Bradley/Gregory Peck got it.