James J. Walters wrote: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.
I hate getting emotional infront of the television... but I did... how embarrassing... and I don't even like John Denver.
This show has crept up on both my girlfriend and I...
We bought the first season on DVD as a bit of a laugh and slowly got sucked into the world of Magnum and his buddies... both of us were too young to watch Magnum P.I. when it aired back in the 80s- so every episode we've seen for the first time.
Watching this episode, we're both struck at how we've become involved with the characters. Damn, we even really like Higgins.
Parts of the episode feel a little corny, but they still work I think mostly because of the empathy we have with these characters we've known for so long.
The only criticism I'd have is that it's too short- considering that at this point the series has run seven seasons, it would seem more fitting to at least have a double episode to finish off... but of course, Season 8 is on it's way.
I love the line about time, infinity and jelly doughnuts though. It feels like Douglas Adams or something...
Help protect Hawaiʻi's Green Sea Turtles http://malamanahonu.org
Dan wrote:
We bought the first season on DVD as a bit of a laugh and slowly got sucked into the world of Magnum and his buddies... both of us were too young to watch Magnum P.I. when it aired back in the 80s- so every episode we've seen for the first time.
That's really great.
What had you heard about the show before you bought the first season?
What had you heard about the show before you bought the first season?
Hey Grundle, we didn't know much about the show before we bought the first season. I vaguely remembered it from the late 80s- but all I knew was that Magnum was famous for his car, wearing a baseball cap and his dream lifestyle in Hawaii. I thought Higgins was the butler and the estate belonged to Magnum before I got into it.
I loved Knight Rider and the A-Team as a kid, so figured this may be similar... we saw it playing in our local DVD store and thought it was pretty funny so decided to go retro 80s- it was a great decision.
We were in San Francisco over Christmas and picked up Season 7 which has not been released in Australia yet, so we're up to speed with you guys.
Help protect Hawaiʻi's Green Sea Turtles http://malamanahonu.org
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............
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.
Last edited by ConchRepublican on Tue Jul 01, 2008 2:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Please accept my condolences and I am sorry for your loss, Conch...I don't think one ever gets over the loss of a child. I lost my daughter in a car accident, but I still have my son that gives me comfort. Thank you for sharing your story... it may help someone in the future.
Thank you SelleckLover, and my condolences to you as well.
You are right, I don't think you ever get over it, you just learn to live with it. It's a different process for everyone.
Sorry to be a downer for this thread, but I don't think I ever really shared that story with anyone before and it just came out last night. I guess my "little voice" needed an outlet and felt that MPI fans would appreciate it.
Conch and SL my condolences to both of you. I have three kids and can't begin to imagine what it would be like to lose one.
I think this episode brings out lots of emotions we keep buried, so Conch, you didn't make the thread a downer.....we all have more to think about now.
This episode was almost too real. I woke up the morning after watching it and had that nasty feeling...you guys know...the "What horrible thing am I going to remember in the next second?" feeling. It wasn't real for me, at least not this time. It was just the show, and for that, I am thankful.
Higgins: You've washed the car?! How extraordinary. Why would you do such a thing?
I just watched "Limbo" on DVD and I was trying to remember when it was announced that MPI would return for an 8th season? Does anyone know?
I recall watching "Limbo" when it first aired, but can't remember if we all mourned the end of the series and TM's "demise" or whether we knew there would be one final season after all.
I watched this again over my Chirstmas break with the wife. I had to fill her in on the detail about this was supposed to be the last Magnum. She found it very interesting.
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?
Seaver41 wrote: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?
Seaver41 that is exactally what my wife thought as well. I am assuming they were made to think he was already dead because the show was not supposed to come back for an eighth season. I can only speculate as to this being why everyone was talking as if TM had already died.
