Milton "The Ripper" Collins

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MagnumFan
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Milton "The Ripper" Collins

#1 Post by MagnumFan »

So I rewatched Death & Taxes recently and I want to hear some of your opinions...

Who was Michael Collins? Why did he become so obsessed with Magnum? How did he learn about Philipe? He seemed to think Magnum would remember him. He was shocked when Magnum didn't recognize him. It would seem very, very unlikely that many people would've learned of Philipe, and of Philipe and La Bull being the same person too. What, honestly, are the odds of him knowing THAT? The other cases he could've read about in the paper as he did have clippings. But that?

So, what do you think his story was?

I lean toward the idea that Milton was someone in Magnum's past in 'Nam - one of many thousands of faces I'm sure he saw - maybe someone who he unknowingly saved in combat. Magnum would never know it, but Milton did. Maybe he knew Le Bull, too. It's the only thing that explains it for me.

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Re: Milton "The Ripper" Collins

#2 Post by BWheelz54 »

I like to think that this episode might've opened another chapter of Magnum stories had the show continued for a little longer, suggesting that there was a lot more to relate concerning Magnum's days in Naval intelligence - I don't know, like there was some kind of "SPECTRE" organization of dope pushers, assassins, despots, and other foul ilk, a group who perhaps might've really had it out for Magnum's unit, and maybe a group who subverted more than a few of Magnum's agents. I would've liked to have seen that Collins character as kinda the cat who brings that shadow world back to Magnum's doorstep. I enjoy imagining stories behind the stories. Always have. And this episode is one where I really wonder what might've been highlighted out form the background.

What if Ivan had connections to this group? And that hitman friend from the two-parter where the gang travels to England? Of that naval officer who really gets into the brawl with Magnum in the bathroom? Or the captain of the boat running heroin through TC's chopper? Or the guy in the bunker Magnum confronted on the beach while Higgins and TC were held hostage? (I'm trying to describe off the top of my head, so forgive me for forgetting episode titles and names). Just really like all the possible strands.

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Re: Milton "The Ripper" Collins

#3 Post by MagnumFan »

BWheelz54 wrote:I like to think that this episode might've opened another chapter of Magnum stories had the show continued for a little longer, suggesting that there was a lot more to relate concerning Magnum's days in Naval intelligence - I don't know, like there was some kind of "SPECTRE" organization of dope pushers, assassins, despots, and other foul ilk, a group who perhaps might've really had it out for Magnum's unit, and maybe a group who subverted more than a few of Magnum's agents. I would've liked to have seen that Collins character as kinda the cat who brings that shadow world back to Magnum's doorstep. I enjoy imagining stories behind the stories. Always have. And this episode is one where I really wonder what might've been highlighted out form the background.

What if Ivan had connections to this group? And that hitman friend from the two-parter where the gang travels to England? Of that naval officer who really gets into the brawl with Magnum in the bathroom? Or the captain of the boat running heroin through TC's chopper? Or the guy in the bunker Magnum confronted on the beach while Higgins and TC were held hostage? (I'm trying to describe off the top of my head, so forgive me for forgetting episode titles and names). Just really like all the possible strands.
Honestly, this is why I wish the Tom Clancy penned Magnum movie in the 90s would've happened. I could see it being a lot like you say. I also have to think Magnum personally might have made his share of enemies in 'Nam besides the Ki brothers. Refresh my memory, but since he was in NIA, wasn't he pretty much a spy and assassin? At the very least, in Unfinished Business, he certainly seems to have all the skills a spy/professional killer would have in terms of infiltration, cover, and setting up an assassination. If he was, I imagine that there was more than one guy like Ivan out there who'd like nothing more than to put a shot in Thomas' back.

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Re: Milton "The Ripper" Collins

#4 Post by ConchRepublican »

I go back and forth on this . . . on one hand, I like the idea of exploring the background of Milton Collins and what Magnum did for him that made him feel he was helping him, in his warped way.

Then again, I also like the unfinished part of it, it's one of the things that I think think made the dseries feel more real - sometimes in life we never get to know why. Just like the Sopranos finale, sure people wanted an end to the story, but one of the threads throughout that show was that sometimes you don't find out what happens - like the Russian in the Pine Forest.

It works either way I guess, but while it sounds interesting to make a lot of the enemies Thomas faced over time part of a larger shadow network, that in itself is difficult to pull off also because then it takes him from the real world environemnt of multiple groups/people with their own agendas to the fictional over arching "League of Bad Guys" which can easily go down a path of parody, as Roger Moore showed us with his era James Bond.
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Re: Milton "The Ripper" Collins

#5 Post by Rands »

Conch:

I was watching the same episode, Death and Taxes, this month too! That is one of the nice things about having the series on Bluray!

But, back to Milton Collins, my wife and I asked the same question. As was previously discussed, Collins could have been one of the numerous "Back Benchers", in numerous mission briefings, field operations, etc. LORD knows that I was!

What isn't widely known, is for every front line Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine, the military personnel supporting the operations consist of a far greater number. I for one, kept the mechanics, and commo personnel quite busy, repairing things that were damaged in the field. All the mechanics knew me quite well, as well as the few commo personnel assigned to my team. I was the one showing up to a laager point at 0200 or 0300, needing to have something fixed before a 0500 mission kick off. Could Milton been one of those guys? Quite possibly.

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Re: Milton "The Ripper" Collins

#6 Post by MagnumILWU »

The last time I saw him, he was defying Loki, in The Avengers!
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