Straight and Narrow (7.4)

[N1095A]

Just watched this episode for the first time, never saw this one before. A solid episode.

I was wondering though. The Island Breeze Warehouse? Was that the same warehouse used in Limbo and Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts? It looks the same to me the way the boxes and lumber are laid out.......

It definately is the same warehoouse Rose and his goon women used in "Legacy From A friend".

[Jay-Firestorm]

A new week, a new batch of reviews. This episode is okay, but like MyGod!, Leslie is one of my lesser favourite recurring characters, I find her hard to warm to. She is slightly better here, though.

[rating=8.0]

Thomas injures his ankle while training for an upcoming charity relay race, and things get even worse when he is reunited with former hooker Leslie, who asks him to find her missing sister. But as always with Leslie, things are far from simple. A reasonable ep…

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‘Straight and Narrow’ sees Magnum reunited with former prostitute Leslie Emory (Cindy Clark), first seen in the sixth season episode ‘The Hotel Dick’. Her ‘act’ is pretty much the same as the first time we saw her – well meaning, but “act now, think later”, causing Magnum much bother.

Leslie seems to split ‘Magnum, p.i.’ fans – some love her and find her very amusing, whereas others, such as myself, consider her one of our least favourite recurring characters. That said, I could manage her appearance her in this episode much more than I could in ‘The Hotel Dick’.

Phyllis Davis, also from ‘The Hotel Dick’, also returns as Cleo Mitchell. She will play a more key role towards the end of the series, when Rick (possibly) gets married to her.

I find the plot itself of ‘Straight and Narrow’ to be a rather so-so one, but what saves it (as is the case with a number of ‘Magnum, p.i.’ episodes), is many of the nice little touches and moments. There are several good moments deriving from Magnum’s injured ankle, and several of the scenes in Higgins’ study – such as Magnum trying to return Robin Masters’ antique walking stuck, which has been snapped in a brawl – are very well played.

I haven’t got much more to say on this one really. Although fair, it is probably one of my lesser favourites from season seven, but at the same time, it is reasonable in it’s own right – far superior to some of the offerings that we saw in the fifth season.

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Other notes, bloopers and misc.:

* Other than my old bugbear of the DVD version having the act breaks abridged, nothing else to note on this episode.

[J.J. Walters]

Good episode! Did anyone notice the very, very attractive African-American "rug cleaner" in the scene where TM goes into the business?

I did!

[Styles Bitchley]

While training for the relay race, Magnum, sprains his right ankle. After the brawl at the KKC, Leslie drives Magnum home in the Ferrari because, as she said while in the guest house that, Magnum couldn’t drive because he couldn’t work the clutch. Leslie then drives Magnum to Cleo’s because of his severely sprained right ankle. Magnum later tells Leslie to take the Ferrari (to work) and he will take the Audi because it is an automatic (no clutch). The flub is the fact that Magnum sprained his right ankle, not his left, so why would he have a problem working the clutch if his left ankle is not the injured ankle? You use your left foot on the clutch, not your right foot.

I noticed this too, but in the end I don't think it's a flub. Although you use your left foot for the clutch, I think the most significant point is that he only has one foot he can use and he needs two. I remember having to drive an automatic with my left foot once...not as easy as one might think!

I think this is a pretty good episode with some great Magnum/Higgins back and forth. Candy can be annoying, but I think that's her charm. I love the hot and ditzy character she played in American Graffiti, so I don't mind her in these episodes.



Overall, the episode comes together well, but something about it makes it blend into the woodwork. You can always tell this easily forgotten episodes by the number of comments in the forum. I wonder which episode has the least number of comments. Probably the one that makes you say "oh yeah, I forgot about that one!"

[J.J. Walters]

I totally agree Styles! This episode has all kinds of things going for it: Candy Clark, Phyllis Davis, the "Most Interesting Man in the World", Beach Bar fight, Cleo's card, Fig Newtons, the Get Wet cap, the Island Breeze ladies, Higgins' story about Lizard Island. Just a really enjoyable episode!

[brunoffrance]

What a bad end for Jean Claude Fournier.... his career in the serie seems to be finished with only a bit poison in the food... He is dead and that all... no trying to survive, no hospital, no last souvenirs.... Just that !
Curiously, the scenario is too much simple for a death.... may be, one more time, a sort of french touch playing by jc Fournier to say "bye".

One of my best episode; lot of laughs specialy the trophy destruction... I think that many of you could predict that someone 'ld open the door just behind TM and his trophy.....

[Styles Bitchley]

Curiously, the scenario is too much simple for a death.... may be, one more time, a sort of french touch playing by jc Fournier to say "bye".

Quite right Bruno. Seems to be such a quick death for a man so famed for his crime fighting skills.

[JT]

Hi Bruno, Jean Claude Fournier was in the next episode, AAPI.
I agree with you it's a shame he had to go this way, without a fight.

[MaiTaiMan]

Not really one of my favorites...a little to silly and ridiculous for me. I'm also not a fan of Candy Clark--to ditzy and goof-ball. She would drive me nuts if I was Magnum--I'd sick Zeus and Apollo on her.

[miltontheripper]

Just watched this episode for the first time, never saw this one before. A solid episode.

I was wondering though. The Island Breeze Warehouse? Was that the same warehouse used in Limbo and Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts? It looks the same to me the way the boxes and lumber are laid out.......

It definately is the same warehoouse Rose and his goon women used in "Legacy From A friend".

I instantly noticed that this warehouse was used in "Legacy from a friend" as well. I like this episode. I think Leslie is a fun albeit ridiculous recurring character and wouldn't have minded another episode with her (not to mention the hot women at the Island Breeze carpet cleaner's lol!) The barfight in the beginning was FANTASTIC! TC in spandex and a running jump kick, loved it! Overall a very entertaining and fun episode.

[Doc Fred]

I liked Candy Clark in this one... and her sister, who played a great part in being exactly like Candy...

The pimp was "the big flynn"... I wonder if the name was used in reference to the Flynn who was on the production staff.

Yeah, had to laugh when Magnum got punched in the area of his left eye and the right eye was the one the made black with the makeup.... A flub?... or maybe the production having fun ???

When Magnum, TC and Rick are walking at the KKC, you can see how Tom Selleck towers over both Roger and Larry. He's a legit 6'4, but Roger is no way 6'2 as it says on the net... maybe, MAYBE 6' at most... he always seems to wear shoes with big heels. And Larry?... he was wearing sneakers with considerable lifts in them in that scene, and he was still close to a foot shorter than Tom....

[Dave Anderson]

This may not be very nice to say, but this episode would have been much better with a more attractive woman playing the prostitute. I know not all prostitutes are great looking, but I think they would need to be a little more attractive than this lady to make a living at it. Maybe she's got some hidden talents or something though.

[marlboro]

I don't find her unattractive - other than her 80's hairstyle, but I think she was miscast. She should have been played by someone sexy or trashy. Or both.


80s scream queen, Linnea Quigley, would have been perfect for this type of character. Funny, sexy,and a little trashy. Good looking without looking like a super model.

[Milton Collins]

[quote="Styles Bitchley
Overall, the episode comes together well, but something about it makes it blend into the woodwork. You can always tell this easily forgotten episodes by the number of comments in the forum. I wonder which episode has the least number of comments. Probably the one that makes you say "oh yeah, I forgot about that one!"[/quote]


Very true!! That's what I love about Magnum, we all have our favorite 10 or 20 that we just love and continuasly go to but then you stumble accross one like this that you totally forget about and it's really good!! Thank goodness we had 8 long seasons lol.

I had not seen this one in quite some time and I like it and gave it an 8.5. A few highlights:

Candy Clark - I might be in the minority but I really enjoy Candy Clark and the Leslie character. Her and TM have a fun chemistry and I think she's attractive in a different kind of way than some of the "Babes of Magnum". I think it's mostly her personality which I found fun and honestly would have liked to have seen her in another episode or two. Her sister was very easy on the eyes and was pretty funny in her small role. I can't remember, is she listed on the page of Hawiian Peaches?

The Island Breeze Girls - Wow, especially the blonde who talks to Thomas outside the store!!

The Beach Bar Fight - Ok, this is nothing short of hilarious. Part of what makes TM so likable in my opinion is the way that Selleck played him, meaning he wasn't some unrealistically invinceable guy. He's intervening trying to stand up to the jerk who's harrassing his friend Leslie and gets punched out. Yes it was a sucker punch out of the blue but still, he didn't unrealistically dodge the punch and just destroy the guy like many shows would have done, he got knocked out lol. He wasn't portrayed as infallable, I like that, it makes him so much more real. And TC's workout clad running drop kick was fantastic, loved it! Not to mention how Rick charged out and had to team up with Leslie to take down the other guy, hilarious!!

The unfortunate walking stick incident - Seeing TM hobbling around with this thing was awesome! Not to mention the fight at Island Breeze where he uses it as a weapon and breaks it on the dude's head lol! I enjoyed the scene when he is going to return it and Higgins unexpectedly walked in to see him "lounging" on his desk, followed by the attempt to ask for advice only so he could back pedal far enough to replace the walking stick and escape, that's vintage Magnum!

Anyway, this one had slipped my mind for awhile and I'm glad I watched it again. I'm surprised how many negative posts I see regarding season 7. Again I'm in the minortiy but I think it is filled with a couple great and several very good episodes. Just my humble opinion:)

[charybdis1966]

After a long hiatus from watching MPI due to be thinking the channel showing it here in the uk, itv4, only had the first 4 seasons I was pleasantly surprised to see this pop up.

While the overall story wasn't anything special I did appreciate the likeable character touches here and there and to actually see Rick last more than one punch in a brawl was something new.