Laura (7.18)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the seventh season

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
21
21%
9.5 (One of the Best)
31
32%
9.0 (Excellent)
20
20%
8.5 (Very Good)
11
11%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
6
6%
7.5 (Decent)
5
5%
7.0 (Average at Best)
2
2%
6.5 (Not So Good)
0
No votes
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
0
No votes
5.0 (Just Awful)
2
2%
 
Total votes: 98

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Doc Fred
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#46 Post by Doc Fred »

Carol the Dabbler wrote:
sgk4 wrote: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.
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Doc Fred
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Re: Laura (7.18)

#47 Post by 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.." ?????
Woof, woof... thirty years uglier!... woof, woof...

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Doc Fred
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Re: Laura (7.18)

#48 Post by 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!”
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Doc Ibold
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Re: Laura (7.18)

#49 Post by Doc Ibold »

Doc Fred wrote: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.

:lol:

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Doc Fred
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Re: Laura (7.18)

#50 Post by Doc Fred »

Doc Ibold wrote:
Doc Fred wrote: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.

:lol:
Yeah, there might have been a "few" of them accumulated over the years.... :)
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Kalai-pahoa
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Re: Laura (7.18)

#51 Post by 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 :cry: :cry: :cry: 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
ImageImage

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

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

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


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!
ImageImage
I know what you're thinking, but this time you're wrong.

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Re: Laura (7.18)

#52 Post by 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.

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Re: Laura (7.18)

#53 Post by 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.

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Doc Ibold
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Re: Laura (7.18)

#54 Post by Doc Ibold »

EZiller wrote:"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.

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Re: Laura (7.18)

#55 Post by 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?

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Re: Laura (7.18)

#56 Post by Dave Anderson »

I may have to re-watch this, but my memory of this was that it was one of the worst Magnum episodes. Ridiculous contrived, overly dramatic, and not believable storyline if I remember. I am surprised to see the high ratings. Perhaps you're all Sinatra fans?

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Re: Laura (7.18)

#57 Post by Dave Anderson »

I see this is ranked as the 7th most popular episode (I'm new to the site). I'm even more surprised now, I will have to re-watch this. I found this one of the worst episodes. Go figure. Of course I see several other episodes I considered weak high in the rankings (Paper War, Tropical Madness) and the top 40 is missing Fragments (one of the best IMO) among others. Interesting.

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Re: Laura (7.18)

#58 Post by marlboro »

I'm surprised you didn't like this one since you are a fan of "Death and Taxes." I think they are very similar in style and tone.

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Re: Laura (7.18)

#59 Post by Dave Anderson »

marlboro wrote:I'm surprised you didn't like this one since you are a fan of "Death and Taxes." I think they are very similar in style and tone.
I only watched it once on DVD. I vaguely remember it from the original run. I just remember thinking it was too over the top a storyline, the girl being kidnapped and tortured and just happened to be related to a big time cop. I'll give it another viewing when I get the chance.

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Re: Laura (7.18)

#60 Post by J.J. Walters »

Dave Anderson wrote:I see this is ranked as the 7th most popular episode (I'm new to the site). I'm even more surprised now, I will have to re-watch this. I found this one of the worst episodes. Go figure.
First off, welcome Dave! I like your posts. The Mania runs deep in your veins. :)

Regarding "Laura", what more could you ask for in a 1980's TV show: guest star of a lifetime in Frank Sinatra (the "Chairman of the Board"!), a stalking horse revenge plot, awesome long sequence shot set to a great Genesis song on Hotel St., Magnum and T.C. playing chess, the International Marketplace, Kevyn Major Howard, Tina Machado, Club Hubba Hubba dancers, and an emotional ending. What a blast this must have been for Selleck and Manetti! Definitely not one of the worst episodes.

Michael Doheny: She was my granddaughter! You slimy bastard. You beat her face to a pulp. You broke her body down to nothin' and then you threw her in an alley to die. And I'm gonna do the same thing to you.
(begin ass kickin'!)
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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