Paper War (7.8)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the seventh season

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
25
21%
9.5 (One of the Best)
47
40%
9.0 (Excellent)
20
17%
8.5 (Very Good)
10
9%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
7
6%
7.5 (Decent)
1
1%
7.0 (Average at Best)
2
2%
6.5 (Not So Good)
3
3%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
0
No votes
5.0 (Just Awful)
2
2%
 
Total votes: 117

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MaximRecoil
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#71 Post by MaximRecoil »

IslandHopper wrote: There are some notable flubs in this episode.

1. When Higgins takes Magnum's .45 and attempts to pry the elevator doors open with the barrel of the gun, you can see the hammer is back as if ready to fire. For someone with Higgins' military background and experience with weapons I found this to be more than a little careless.
That's because Magnum carries his pistol in "condition one", AKA: "cocked and locked" (chamber loaded, hammer cocked, thumb safety on), which has been the de facto standard method of carrying a 1911 for decades (though the U.S. Military used "condition three" [loaded magazine, empty chamber, hammer down]).

There is no good method of decocking a 1911 on a loaded chamber; lowering it with your thumb always runs the risk of an accidental discharge if your thumb slips. However, Higgins should have cleared the pistol before attempting to use it as a prying tool (finger off the trigger, drop the magazine, disengage the safety, rack the slide, visually inspect the chamber).

This episode marks another appearance of the infamous Star Model B standing in for the Colt Government Model (the only other appearance I know of was in "China Doll"). When they show the closeup of Higgins grabbing the pistol from Magnum's waistband, it is a Star Model B (you can tell from its external extractor, integrated mainspring housing, and various other details). These closeup "insert" shots are often filmed at a different time than the main scene, and often with random people standing in for the actual actors. It is during these "insert" shots that you are most likely to see prop switcheroos too.

This is my all-time favorite episode, and the most memorable one from my childhood. I was absolutely fascinated with the idea of Higgins being Robin Masters. I watched it with my older brother and father on the original Thursday night that it aired in 1986, and on Friday nights we normally went to Bangor, which was about a 45-minute drive. So on that next night, my brother and I discussed the "Higgins is Robin Masters" theory all the way to Bangor, and all the way back.

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J.J. Walters
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#72 Post by J.J. Walters »

It really is a great episode. A classic!
MaximRecoil wrote:I watched it with my older brother and father on the original Thursday night that it aired in 1986, and on Friday nights we normally went to Bangor, which was about a 45-minute drive. So on that next night, my brother and I discussed the "Higgins is Robin Masters" theory all the way to Bangor, and all the way back.
Bangor. That's Stephen King territory. My favorite author by a landslide. My passion for Stephen King runs even hotter than Magnum P.I.. :shock:
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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#73 Post by MaximRecoil »

J.J. Walters wrote: Bangor. That's Stephen King territory. My favorite author by a landslide. My passion for Stephen King runs even hotter than Magnum P.I.. :shock:
I had a friend that lived in Bangor for a while, and he used to see King in the book store in the Airport Mall quite often, usually by his own books. My friend used to ask him if there was anything worth reading on that shelf, and he'd just laugh.

He used to be very accessible; it was common to see him in and around Bangor at the public library, grocery store, mall, movie theater, etc. I saw him once, with his wife Tabitha, in line just behind me at the Bangor movie theater to watch Misery (1990). He also always allowed trick-or-treaters at his house on Halloween. I don't know if he's still as accessible as he once was, since he was hit by a car some years ago.

He filmed the prologue to Creepshow 2 (1987) in downtown Dexter, which is my hometown - link to video. I remember seeing the film crew and equipment set up on Zions Hill, but I didn't know Tom Savini was there (he plays "The Creep" in that scene), or I would have tried to meet him.

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#74 Post by J.J. Walters »

Wow, that would be a moment I'd never forget. I don't live anywhere near Maine, so the chances of me running in him are pretty slim. I do know that he drives between is homes in Maine and his winter house on a key near Sarasota, FL. Maybe I'll run into him at a rest stop on 95 some time. ;)

He's recovered remarkably well from being plowed into by a pickup truck while walking down the road (while reading a book). At one point after the accident he contemplated quitting writing because it was too painful to sit for extended periods of time. Well, that didn't last because his output is still prodigious (and high quality). The man lives and breathes to write! Can't wait for Joyland and Doctor Sleep this year! :)
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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Re: Paper War (7.8)

#75 Post by Doc Fred »

Well, y'all seem to have a better feeling about this episode than I do, but I still like it quite a bit... I gave it 8.5

It was nicely placed in sequence after the Lily episode, which was sooooooo serious and emotional.... they did well to lighten up for this show.
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Re: Paper War (7.8)

#76 Post by DIVER DOWN »

I agree.

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#77 Post by ConchRepublican »

J.J. Walters wrote:Bangor. That's Stephen King territory. My favorite author by a landslide. My passion for Stephen King runs even hotter than Magnum P.I.. :shock:
I'm a big fan of Stephen King myself, though I haven't read all his books yet. I love to read and used to be a big reader but find I don't have the time like I used to and tend to go through long droughts. I usually use a Stephen King book to get the juices flowing again and get me started on a binge.

How has his later stuff, like "The Cell" been?
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Re: Paper War (7.8)

#78 Post by J.J. Walters »

Cell was somewhat of a disappointment with a lot of fans (me included). It started off strong, but the second half of the book was weak (for reasons that are too long to explain here). But Cell was really the only sub-par book he has published in the last ten years or so. He's had somewhat of a resurgence (to the King of old) lately, after some mediocre books in the 90's.

I'd say go with something like Duma Key, or 11/22/63, or Full Dark, No Stars (four excellent novellas). Under the Dome is great too, but it's not for everyone (and it's really, really long). His most recent, Joyland, is most excellent, as well. And then, of course, you have Doctor Sleep (the sequel to The Shining) coming out next month; King's return to "balls-to-the-walls" horror!

If you have any interest at all in the JFK assassination, or what it was like to live in the late '50s/early 60's, pick up a copy of 11/22/63. It's King's first foray into historical fiction and it is incredibly good. It was on many "Top 10 Books of the Year" lists and has found King a lot of new fans. And it's not "just" historical fiction. There is a time travel element to it and a very moving love story.
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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Re: Paper War (7.8)

#79 Post by ConchRepublican »

Thanks J.J.! I have read Duma Key (being a Keys fan, that was a natural one) and enjoyed it. Will look into the others. I love his shorts, think they are a lot of his best works, so the novellas are intriguing.
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Re: Paper War (7.8)

#80 Post by marlboro »

I didn't like it. Looking through the reviews, it looks like I'm the only one with that opinion.

The reason I didn't like it is that Magnum was behaving horribly in this episode. This isn't season 1 - Magnum and Higgins have gone through a lot together over the past several years. I just can't believe the way they were treating each other. It went way beyond pranking one another. I just cannot believe that Magnum would ever call Higgins a liar. He also treated Rick and TC very shabbily in this episode, too.

Favorite bit: the Godfather inspired rubber chicken head in the bed. Hilarious.

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Re: Paper War (7.8)

#81 Post by TexasT »

I remember in this episode, TM mentions how there was there was the mysterious voice of Robin who sounds like Orson Wells. Funny!

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.45caliber
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Re: Paper War (7.8)

#82 Post by .45caliber »

Another classic episode, love the tit for tat, acting like ten year olds between Higgins and Magnum, especially the blowing of the bridge. Obviously the whole elevator scene and the Higgins/Robin, discussion/accusations from TM. Love the belly laugh from JQH at the mention of "the lie". One question, how did they survive the detonation? There should have been at least some explanation.

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Re: Paper War (7.8)

#83 Post by Dave Anderson »

Weak episode. The bonding between Magnum and Higgins in the elevator was the only positive I can recall. The ending was absurd. How did they get out in time? Ridiculous.

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Re: Paper War (7.8)

#84 Post by J. Rickley Schneider »

This episode really lived up to its reputation. Fantastic.

I liked how twice the director focused on Magnum's gun for a quick second in the elevator to make it seem like Magnum and Higgins might shoot each other.

I like how it is suggested that Higgins might be Robin Masters. I also like how it is never resolved. It is one of the better television controversies.

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#85 Post by eltonsean »

No need to know! wrote:
Croix de Lorraine wrote:As for the Higgins/Masters debate, I don't subscribe to the "whatever you want to believe" approach some people here adopt. There is conclusive proof that Masters is really Masters. To add to what has already been mentioned, in previous episodes we see Robin Masters travelling through Europe in a Rolls Royce with chauffeur and fly on his private jet complete with private security. Not only that but he is dictating a new novel on his dictaphone, so that proves he really is a writer. The most plausible reality is that Higgins, besides taking care of his business, does a fair share of ghost writing for him on the side, but he is not Robin Masters.
Yeah that!
Doesn't make any sense to me after watching the series so many times that Higgins would be Robin. There are just too many things up against it, and it´s just fabricated much later on in the series. It´s annoying :evil: It is much more fun and interesting in those episodes when Magnum suspects Higgins for being Elmo and Paddy. This episode is one of the best ones though.
Higgins is actually Robin and Robin is a hired actor? Uh.... I agree with you guys in the fact that Higgins is not Robin Masters! I wish I could believe it because it would make this episode more enjoyable for me, but I can't ignore all the evidence from the earlier seasons. I've read that it was Selleck's idea. Well, maybe not the best idea. Perhaps this was an attempt to create "BUZZ" for the show which was having a hard time in the ratings? I find the idea frustrating because it contradicts and even betrays events from earlier seasons. We even see Robin Masters DICTATING a new novel in season 1's "Digger Doyle". I understand how a lot of people on this site have tried to legitimize the idea, but the amount of mental gymnastics required is enormous. This episode and every episode that follows with this unrealistic idea suffers, in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, "Magnum" is still my favorite TV show of all time and I still respect those who want to believe Higgins is Masters. But the undeniable evidence... :wink:
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