Laura (7.18)

[IKnowWhatYoureThinking]

Welcome to the forum CHoch!

[Bes]

I felt this one was a little too straight forward to be classic Magnum; it was solid all round and had a dark, gritty tone, but it's nothing more than a standard revenge Thriller and I expect more from my Magnum. A touch more moral ambiguity perhaps, more shades of grey.

It's good, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't deserve to be listed so highly in the top episodes of the show IMO. If it fit into my top 40, it would certainly be at the bottom of the list.

However, perhaps I should rewatch it to see if it improves 2nd time around.

[Bes]

Having watched this for a second time I have to admit that I got much more out of it on repeat viewing; Sinatra is great in it and the ending was more ambiguous than I gave it credit for. A powerful episode. Wish I could re-rate it now!

[MaximRecoil]

Oh, and ah, we have another Coors beer sighting:

Those aren't Coors bottles; they are the same "Beer" brand beer bottles that they used throughout season 7, like so:



They were however, a blatant ripoff of the Coors bottle of the time, aside from the missing top label band:



I don't know of any definite sighting of a real Coors bottle in the entire series, though there was the 12-pack box of Coors bottles in Autumn Warrior where the "Coors" text was partially obscured by the carry handle hole and by a section of the top layer of cardboard being torn away.

[Doc Fred]

10.0 If I could give it more, I would.

So many good parts to this great episode... the interpersonal relationships, the pain of losing a loved granddaughter to the scum of the earth, the way Magnum supported Doheny when it counted, and how Doheny took care of the child rapist murderer. Justice was served. I just wish Doheny had more time to torture the punk before finishing him.

I thought Page knew more than his words said, and I applaud him for letting Magnum see the report. Yeah, Page had harsh words for Doheny, but that was for show.

This episode affected me greatly, as my own daughter was the same age as Laura at the same time... mid-80's... and as I watched the show, all I could think of was my daughter, and I KNEW how Doheny felt and the pain he was going through. I'm so glad the punk got what he deserved.

I was never a Sinatra fan, actually didn't like him. But, when I saw this episode the first time, when it was first aired, I became a Sinatra fan. Yeah, he was just playing a character, but I felt he was more than acting and felt he let himself be Doheny, and that in real life he could do what Doheny did in the show... and I'd support him fully.

There only a few episodes that stick with me, only a few that really get to me... this is one. I hated that the little girl died, but I loved that her grandfather delivered justice. I could do the same if I was ever in a similar situation. And, if Doheny had been been on trial for what he did, and I was on the jury, or on a jury in a similar case, I'd sure vote "not guilty".

[Doc Fred]

Hey I watched this episode again last night... and it only just now dawned on me - does anyone think that Doheny actually pushed that first dude in front of the truck??

Yeah, I wondered about that too, especially later, when I knew where that fellow actually fit into the story. I suspect that it was purposely left ambiguous.

No, I don't think Doheny pushed the first miserable cretin in front of the truck... he wanted to get both of the cruds, and he could have gotten information of Geiger from the first guy.... Once he got the information, if he had the chance, I suspect he'd have terminated him.. slowly.

[Doc Fred]

When Rick was trying to con Thomas about the reward money, did anyone besides me think he resembled Mac 2 in his approach.. "A small finder's fee.." ?????

[Doc Fred]

The guy who played Geiger fit the role perfectly, and played other punks with very similar results... He was offed by Charles Bronson and Clint Eastwood, as well as Sinatra... I know he was just acting, and may very well be a decent guy, but if I saw him on the street he'd probably get a dirty look.

I don't recall which Dirty Harry it was, but when Clint got him in the elevator, that was one of the all-time classic soliloquies I've ever seen.... "“Listen, punk. To me you're nothin' but dogs##t, you understand? And a lot of things can happen to dogs##t. It can be scraped up with a shovel off the ground. It can dry up and blow away in the wind. Or it can be stepped on and squashed. So take my advice and be careful where the dog s##ts ya!”

[Doc Ibold]

When Rick was trying to con Thomas about the reward money, did anyone besides me think he resembled Mac 2 in his approach.. "A small finder's fee.." ?????

I think there may have been a small matter of unpaid bar tabs.

[Doc Fred]

When Rick was trying to con Thomas about the reward money, did anyone besides me think he resembled Mac 2 in his approach.. "A small finder's fee.." ?????

I think there may have been a small matter of unpaid bar tabs.

Yeah, there might have been a "few" of them accumulated over the years....

[Kalai-pahoa]

What a great episode! A harsh history and a superstar like Frank Sinatra! What more can you ask?
As said in the main page of the episode, one of the most important scenes was shot at the International Marketplace in Waikiki.
Sad to read that the historical IM closed a couple of months ago to make room for a mall That place was an institution of Waikiki! I've been there and it was a very good and funny place to eat or buy cheap souvenirs. I'm so sad and devastated... What a pity!


However, here are some other locations I've found out.
At the beginning of the episode Rick (his double) is driving along Hawaii Kai Drive and Wailua Street


Further we can see TM and Doheny (a double again) passing next the Tong Fat Co. Building (425 N King Street)


'Kalakaua Towers' is obviously a fictional name. The real location building is called 'Maunakea Tower' (1245 Maunakea St)



The bad guy was hit and killed at the corner between Maunakea st and N Kukui St (almost in front of the Kukui Tower)



Well, then there's something curious at the end of the episode: a stupid fly annoying Doheny while he's praying before Laura' s tomb! But Sinatra was able to swat the fly moving the hand to the forehead, as if he was crying. Good job Frank!

[SignGuyHPW]

Great episode. It was really, really dramatic and kind of on the dark side for Magnum.

The only parts that I didn't care for was that it never was really explained WHY Doheney needed a private investigator's help at all since he was the one who kept finding the guys. It just kind of bugged me that he was going to pay $20,000 for someone local that wasn't going to actually help him, in theory.

The rest of the episode was pretty strong. I liked Magnum putting together a video for his nephew's show and tell. I wish they'd done that a few more times as a recurring side plot. Sinatra's character was especially well written. They never said anything, but I was left wondering if the babysitter had a ton of repercussions for sending the kid out into the hall while she was on the phone. It was also a great touch for Higgins trying in vain to find one of his stories that would fit and get Doheney to feel a little better.

[EZiller]

"Laura" is one of the best of the MPI serious drama episodes. It's a dark, depressing theme, the rape and murder of a young girl. It's an excellent acting job by Sinatra, who was an excellent dramatic actor when motivated and away from some of the Rat Pack fluff he turned out in the 60's. Check him out in "From Here to Eternity" "The Joker is Wild" and "The Manchurian Candidate." Sinatra is at his gritty best as a retired NYC cop out to find and kill his granddaughter's killer. Frank even eschews his toupee for this to add to the realism. My only objection was when Sinatra was beating up on a couple guys, the sound effects made it sound like he was Rocky Balboa smacking someone, rather than a somewhat frail and flabby guy in his mid-60's. Also, didn't know what they had to make his character an Irish cop, rather than an Italian, as of course Sinatra was.

Curious as how they got Sinatra to do this...I'd guess maybe he was a big fan of the show. I saw Sinatra in concert a couple years after this, in a small venue. Absolutely superb. And this may have been his last dramatic role, a great way to go out.

The musical bit, "Tonite, Tonite" by Genesis was terrific. Was that inspired by "Miami Vice?" I didn't watch it much, but it seemed they did something similar most episodes.

[Doc Ibold]

"Laura" is one of the best of the MPI serious drama episodes. It's a dark, depressing theme, the rape and murder of a young girl. It's an excellent acting job by Sinatra, who was an excellent dramatic actor when motivated and away from some of the Rat Pack fluff he turned out in the 60's. Check him out in "From Here to Eternity" "The Joker is Wild" and "The Manchurian Candidate." Sinatra is at his gritty best as a retired NYC cop out to find and kill his granddaughter's killer. Frank even eschews his toupee for this to add to the realism. My only objection was when Sinatra was beating up on a couple guys, the sound effects made it sound like he was Rocky Balboa smacking someone, rather than a somewhat frail and flabby guy in his mid-60's. Also, didn't know what they had to make his character an Irish cop, rather than an Italian, as of course Sinatra was.

Curious as how they got Sinatra to do this...I'd guess maybe he was a big fan of the show. I saw Sinatra in concert a couple years after this, in a small venue. Absolutely superb. And this may have been his last dramatic role, a great way to go out.

The musical bit, "Tonite, Tonite" by Genesis was terrific. Was that inspired by "Miami Vice?" I didn't watch it much, but it seemed they did something similar most episodes.

I think Larry and Frank were pretty tight. In a lot of interviews, Larry brings it up. I think there might be something in Aloha Magnum to that effect as well.

[magnumette]

Laura is one of my favorite episodes. 3 of the top Top 3. Lost at Sea and DYSTS? #2 . In a series that is my favorite of all time... This had Frank too!

I had always been a fan of Frank- his music and acting. Powerful brilliant performance. I always cry/tear at end. They just dont make em like they used to eh?