Limbo (7.22)

[phantasm]

Limbo's warehouse scene should have been done differently, for instance, after he took out the guy with the shotgun, why didn't he grab the shotgun, take cover, and take out the other 2 guys?? He was a trained military man, he could have easily taken out the other men. Anyway, just my opinion, also if they decide to make a movie, would they need to take up where season 8 left off at the wedding, or continue with Magnum and his daughter after he joined the Navy again!!

[phantasm]

Does anyone agree with me that today's shows just don't have the same feel or appeal as they did back then. Growing up in the 80's there wasn't any internet like there is now to keep us entertained, no text messages, only quality tv shows that were well written, and the plots always had a message to them. I really wish todays writers would put the effort into their shows and give us what we want, "Quality" not the garbage we have on the air today

[308GUY]

Yep, I agree about the difference between today's tv and the era MPI was made and shown. Hard to really pin down what it is exactly, but it just seems MPI and others of the time, had a "presence" about them that most of today's shows don't have, at least in my opinion.

I'll be the first to say that one's perspective is the main determining factor in how things are perceived, but it would also be a real stretch to say that the shows of then and now are the same with new faces, just not the case, again IMHO.

Everything evolves from my experience. If it doesn't, it doesn't survive. General rule of thumb is, if you can't adapt, you perish. The world is different, so it just stands to reason that tv and most everything else is going to be also. However...it's been my experience that people don't change that much. Only their surroundings, and their experiences, hence their attitude and methods of dealing with them. Again, adapt or perish.

Just rambling here in response to your thought provoking question concerning the feel and appeal of today's entertainment. I think the bottom line might be that we have changed as much or more as what we call entertainment, therefore, it feels different than it did back then. Everything is perspective dependant.

[lanceroten]

Does anyone agree with me that today's shows just don't have the same feel or appeal as they did back then. Growing up in the 80's there wasn't any internet like there is now to keep us entertained, no text messages, only quality tv shows that were well written, and the plots always had a message to them. I really wish todays writers would put the effort into their shows and give us what we want, "Quality" not the garbage we have on the air today

I agree. From Magnum p.i to The Fall Guy to The Dukes of Hazzard to Simon and Simon and on and on, those were truly great tv shows in moments. Maybe not for whole series runs but for certain episodes, they were great. Dallas, original version, as well. Now I watch Dallas the TNT version and get a kick out of watching it but in no way/shape/form does it approach the quality of the original series overall. But the J.R. memorial episode is as good a Dallas episode, old or new, that i've ever seen. I miss the TV I knew growing up. I'm not a Survivor watcher, Idol watcher, Dancing with the Stars watcher. I hope one day, and things do run in cycles and repeat, that TV shows will return the way I knew them. But they gotta hurry, i'm 43 and not getting younger

[MaximRecoil]

This was a very memorable episode for me as a kid; I watched it the night it originally aired. I seem to remember knowing at the time that it wasn't the end of the series though; knowing that there was going to be an 8th season, and wondering how they were going to bring him back from the dead. Knowing that sort of lessens the impact of this episode.

A few things:

• We finally get a look at the "Old Düsseldorf in a longneck" label (specifically stated to be "Old Düsseldorf in a longneck" by Mac), and unfortunately, it is just the same "Beer" brand label (which was a blatant ripoff of the Coors label of the time) that they used throughout season 7:



• In season 8's "Resolutions" (part 2), Rick's full name is stated by the clergyman performing his wedding ceremony to be "Orville Wilbur Wright III". The middle name "Wilbur" may have been mentioned in some other episode(s) as well. However, in this episode, Rick's birth certificate shows his name to be "Orville Richard Wright", which explains where his "Rick" nickname comes from:



Given that we are seeing the ultimate form of official ID (a birth certificate, which is the fundamental form of ID used to obtain other forms of ID), and we know it is authentic in the context of the MPI universe because it is being held by the assistant DA and was used to overturn a conviction; this means that in the context of the MPI universe, Rick's legal name is in fact "Orville Richard Wright", and any references to the middle name "Wilbur" are errors.

• In the season 7 episode "Straight and Narrow", Magnum specifically says that Robin Masters' Audi has an automatic transmission, which is why he is able to drive it despite his injured ankle:

Leslie Emory: But what about you? You can't drive.
Thomas Magnum: I'll take the Audi, it's an automatic.

In this episode, the Audi has a 5-speed manual transmission, with the printed shift pattern on the shift lever knob, the clutch pedal, and the act of actually shifting (from 5th to 4th gear) being clearly seen:

[308GUY]

MR: You guys never cease to amaze me! I don't know how you get all those screen captures, but a pro-editor could NOT do any better!

Maybe you work in the film industry?

Why can't we get folks like you working to fix this country? Anybody that has that much attention to detail and patience to post his findings, would HAVE to be able to figure out what needs to be done better than the guys supposedly working on it now.

Anyway, thanks for posting, always enjoy seeing the new things that have been picked out/up from our favorite series.

[Steve]

MR: You guys never cease to amaze me! I don't know how you get all those screen captures, but a pro-editor could NOT do any better!

Maybe you work in the film industry?

Why can't we get folks like you working to fix this country? Anybody that has that much attention to detail and patience to post his findings, would HAVE to be able to figure out what needs to be done better than the guys supposedly working on it now.

Anyway, thanks for posting, always enjoy seeing the new things that have been picked out/up from our favorite series.

Yes, good work...My son was thrilled to see and Rick were born in the same Hospital!

[J.J. Walters]

• In season 8's "Resolutions" (part 2), Rick's full name is stated by the clergyman performing his wedding ceremony to be "Orville Wilbur Wright III". The middle name "Wilbur" may have been mentioned in some other episode(s) as well. However, in this episode, Rick's birth certificate shows his name to be "Orville Richard Wright", which explains where his "Rick" nickname comes from:



Given that we are seeing the ultimate form of official ID (a birth certificate, which is the fundamental form of ID used to obtain other forms of ID), and we know it is authentic in the context of the MPI universe because it is being held by the assistant DA and was used to overturn a conviction; this means that in the context of the MPI universe, Rick's legal name is in fact "Orville Richard Wright", and any references to the middle name "Wilbur" are errors.

Good eye! Didn't notice that before! Richard makes so much more sense than Wilbur!

So I guess the "III" is out, too? Is it on the birth certificate? I can't recall that ever being mentioned before either.

[MaximRecoil]

So I guess the "III" is out, too? Is it on the birth certificate? I can't recall that ever being mentioned before either.

I can't see his father's first name (it ends in "rd", so possibly "Richard"), but his middle name is definitely "Dale", so yes, the "III" is out.

[Doc Fred]

I thought that was REALLY cool in that only Lily and the lads could actually "see" him, kind of like the popular notion that only children and animals can see ghosts.

And of course, Higgins taking care of Lily in the guesthouse was cool too, kind of like a godfather or something.....

Anyone who's really a believer in Jesus probably remembers Him saying the words "Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” I see in Lily the child whose innocent belief lives within her, and who was given the ability to see her father. Whether intended or not, I see so much in this story about belief and faith in God.

[Doc Fred]

Finally got up the nerve to watch this episode and I sure was glad I did so when my husband and son weren't around to see the tears streaming down my face for the entire time!

Well, I'm with you! I'm glad I watched by myself, because like you, the tears were plenty. Not so much because of the apparent death of Magnum, but because of the love that was so apparent, and for what I saw as God reaching down among the characters.... Heck, I finished watching half an hour ago, and my eyes are still wet.

I truly loved that the writers were clearly say that Mac was with God, and that Magnum was on his way... especially as he walked off into the clouds at the end.

[Doc Fred]

I really wish Magnum had spent more time "saying goodbye" to Higgins. It just seemed way too brief for their level of friendship.

It is a bit surprising. But when you think about it, nothing about this episode should really work. Magnum only gets a tiny amount of screentime with the main characters. Rick's entire two-parter storyline is resolved in a few lines of dialogue. Magnum loses the girl...again. A series that was primarily known as an upbeat adventure show (almost) ends on a seriously depressing note. And to top it all off, the episode ends with Magnum walking off into the clouds! On paper, this should probably be one of the worst episodes of the entire series.

And yet...it just completely works.

I can't see the ending as depressing at all.... How can see someone walking into Heaven be depressing??

[Doc Fred]

I'm just curious as to what folks are seeing different in the syndicated version and the original episode. I don't have season 7's DVD's yet however I do have the original episode as it aired on CBS that I had recorded at the time and it seems the same as the syndicated version to me. Magnum walks away into the clouds with the John Denver song playing in both, and you hear Higgins voice proclaiming "Magnum, I demand that you come back immediately". I would guess that Higgins voice was added after Tom Selleck announced he would do an eighth season, but he announced before Limbo originally aired. Whether that is true or not, it was a brilliant touch so the story could continue seamlessly into Infinity and Jelly Donuts............

Oh, YES, I so totally agree that Higgy's demand at the end of the show was so perfect... what a magnificent ending it would have been to the series... so Higgy-esque!

[Doc Fred]

This show is one of my all time favorite episodes in TV history. My sister and I watched it without realizing it was the series finale. I was spending less time home watching TV and more time out with "the guys".

Well, we watched, and as the shock of what was happening wore off we realized that they were killing Thomas off! We ran downstairs tears in our eyes telling our parents "put on Magnum! put on Magnum! They killed him! they killed him!" I was upset man, he was my hero (still is).

I am lucky enough to have taped that episode on rerun and have watched numerous times since then. I also took a very valuable lesson from this episode which helped me through very difficult time in my real life.

My wife was pregnant in 2003 and having a very difficult pregnancy. Finally, things went bad (of course when we thought we had turned the corner). We fought and struggled to keep the baby but it was not meant to be. After 12 hours in the hospital trying everything to hold off premature labor (inversion, an experimental drug which burned her skin, whatever we could), the doctors said there was no change, things would not get better.

Another 12 hours later, my wife still was there . . . 24 total hours first fighting, then waiting for the inevitable. It sounds silly, but then I thought of Thomas talking to Michelle "I love you . . . and I'm letting you go". I realized my wife wasn't letting go. As a mother she was fighting to save our boy. I asked everyone to leave the room and I spoke to her, and told her it was OK to let go. She can love him and let him go. It was the right thing to do, she did all she could.

15 minutes later she went into labor and it was over. He was here for 42 minutes, then he was gone.

That show, that episode helped me through the most difficult time in my life and helped me understand what had to be done.

I will always be thankful for that episode and the lesson it taught me.

Your story has hit me with such an emotional impact... words just aren't possible.... Bless both you and your wife, and I hope you have faith that your son is with Him in Paradise.

[Doc Fred]

before I ask my question.......it is great to read your posts about how Magnum affects you. It is my favorite show of all-time and that is in large part due to the fact it makes you think and draws out your emotions......ALL of them. That, IMO, is what great writing is all about.

I recently saw 'Limbo' on the Sleuth channel. It may have been the first time I've seen it since the original air date and the repeat over the summer before season 8. What struck me funny was watching the episode and everyone acting as if he were already dead. The scene at the estate where they are gathered and speaking of him. They were dressed for a funeral.......but he wasn't dead yet. Was this a goof up? Was the scene showing Michelle at his bedside added in?

I think they were acting that way, not because they thought he was dead, but because the doctors had said there wasn't any hope left....