Resolutions (2) (8.13)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the eighth season

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
19
20%
9.5 (One of the Best)
14
14%
9.0 (Excellent)
23
24%
8.5 (Very Good)
15
15%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
12
12%
7.5 (Decent)
7
7%
7.0 (Average at Best)
3
3%
6.5 (Not So Good)
2
2%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
1
1%
5.0 (Just Awful)
1
1%
 
Total votes: 97

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Shermy
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#11 Post by Shermy »

I loved that goodbye wave that he gave to Lily. Magnum was a little too morose in the first half of the episode, and it was great to finally see the Thomas Magnum we all know and love reappear.
maggiepoole wrote:Still, it makes you wonder about those 8 years that Magnum was a private investigator. For some reason the ending leaves me a bit uneasy, and I am not sure why!
For me, it's that subtle implication that Magnum was somehow "wrong" to have ever become a PI. As if he made a mistake with his life, and now he has to do the right thing and correct it. The only problem with this is that the show has just spent 8 years convincing us that Magnum was unhappy in uniform, but very happy in a Hawaiian shirt.

I'm not really criticizing the ending, since I think it works for what it is. But it's definitely an idea that may not bear too much scrutiny. You also gotta figure a show about serviceman Thomas Magnum would not have been quite as successful as the one about the PI version. :wink:

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VM02
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#12 Post by VM02 »

As much as I loved this episode:
Reunion with Lily
I do?
I lied.
Maggie Poole

I've aways struggled with some things:
What is TM doing with Lee? Out of Character. Is he suppossed to be choosing between her and Navy? Her and Lily?
TC subplot seems forced
Maggie Poole - If you would've kept investigating you would have endangered Lilys life thing. Huh?
Jim Bonnick -
Finally, He becomes a single parent and Re-ups all at once. Wouldn't this have been kinda hard to pull off? Hes a Seal/NI officer for goodness sake - Whos gonna watch the poor little girl while hes deployed? Wouldn't TM as a Single Father giving up a chance to rejoin the Navy be more in character?

My thinking is that the best series finale would have been "Unfinished Business."

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#13 Post by maggiepoole »

Shermy wrote:I loved that goodbye wave that he gave to Lily. Magnum was a little too morose in the first half of the episode, and it was great to finally see the Thomas Magnum we all know and love reappear.
maggiepoole wrote:Still, it makes you wonder about those 8 years that Magnum was a private investigator. For some reason the ending leaves me a bit uneasy, and I am not sure why!
For me, it's that subtle implication that Magnum was somehow "wrong" to have ever become a PI. As if he made a mistake with his life, and now he has to do the right thing and correct it. The only problem with this is that the show has just spent 8 years convincing us that Magnum was unhappy in uniform, but very happy in a Hawaiian shirt.

I'm not really criticizing the ending, since I think it works for what it is. But it's definitely an idea that may not bear too much scrutiny. You also gotta figure a show about serviceman Thomas Magnum would not have been quite as successful as the one about the PI version. :wink:
Yep, that is exactly it! :wink: Ok, thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Hope I don't have the parking ticket for the shrink visit. :wink:
Time to start season 1 again. :D
Trying to reach my full snail potential.
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#14 Post by Kahunagirl »

One thing that I found odd was that TM (and his father and his grandfather) is Thomas Sullivan Magnum ... yet, wasn't Sullivan his mother's maiden name? When his aunt came to visit in an earlier season, didn't she tell him he looked just like "Sully" -- which I thought was a reference to her late husband, TM's uncle. Were there Sullivans on both sides of the family tree, or was this just a writer's goof? I guess it could happen ... I have a friend who's a Campbell and his mother's maiden name was also Campbell, but totally unrelated (he claims)!

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#15 Post by Shermy »

Kahunagirl wrote:One thing that I found odd was that TM (and his father and his grandfather) is Thomas Sullivan Magnum ... yet, wasn't Sullivan his mother's maiden name?
I thought that was a little odd as well, especially since many episodes in Season 8 had him reflecting on the "Sullivan side" of the family.

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#16 Post by Tralfaz »

Sounds like the makings of a shallow gene pool ;)
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#17 Post by IslandHopper »

I definitely like part 2 of Resolutions much more than part 1. I actually like the idea of Magnum going back into the Navy. It was the only thing that he was really good at. Throughout the entire series we heard references to what a great Navy career Magnum had ahead of him (Don't Eat The Snow In Hawaii, Lest We Forget, Adelaide, etc.). Magnum was a great private investigator too, but the problem with that, is that he never had two nickels to rub together. Considering the fact that Magnum has officially just became a father, it makes sense that he re-join the Navy since he's good at it, and the fact that he can go back in as a full Commander (O-5) and draw a decent paycheck and benefits (and retirement). Magnum has already been in the Navy for 12 years (1967 through 1979), thus he will be able to retire in 8 years (20 years) if he chooses, or stay in until he reaches 30 years, as he would still be young enough to stay in for that long.

Magnum's 12 years in the Navy is interesting because during part 1 of the episode, Magnum is seen visiting the Naval Academy and is sitting in the stands watching the Midshipmen drill. As he gets up from his seat, you can see a placard on the backrest with Magnum's father's name (Thomas Sullivan Magnum III), rank (Lt. Commander), Class (1946), and date he was killed in action (1950). The thing I find interesting about this is that Magnum was in the Navy for 12 years, spent 3 tours (39 months) in Vietnam and only made it to the rank of Lieutenant (O-3), whereas Magnum's father was in only 4 years and made it all the way to Lt. Commander (O-4). I believe the fact that the writers only had Magnum make it to Lieutenant in 12 years is a flub, which they tried to reconcile in later episodes (Solo Flight, Unfinished Business) by having Magnum wear Lt. Commander insignia on his uniform. However, it has already been established that Magnum was in deed a Lieutenant (O-3) when he resigned. It is possible that TM was a maverick while in the military and bucked authority which may explain why he didn't rise higher than Lieutenant in 12 years. In many cases, the military will not let an officer stay in if they don't make O-4 (Lt. Commander in Navy; and Major in Army) within so many years. It is equally unusual that the writers made TM's dad a Lieutenant Commander after only 4 years in the Navy. I think the assigned rank in both cases were mistakes. TMIV should have been a Lt. Commander and his dad (TMIII) should have been a Lieutenant.

I don't think Magnum going into the Navy would be a problem for Lily as she is from a Military family, and as such is probably accustomed to being left alone with various caretakers. Michelle always seemed to be running around the world doing her thing. There is always the possibility (even probability considering that the Navy was begging him to come back) that Magnum could be stationed in Hawaii after all, and he could go on living at Robin's Nest. At the very least, Higgins could look after Lily no matter where Magnum is stationed. I think the positives (stable paycheck, benefits and retirement) clearly outweigh any negatives there might be with Magnum going back in the Navy.

A flub occurs during part 1, when Katherine (Magnum's mom) introduces Magnum to his Grandfather. She refers to Magnum as a Lt. Commander, which he was not (only a Lieutenant).

Another flub may occur (Part 1) depending on what DOB we attribute to TM. In "Try To Remember," Magnum says his birthday is August 8, 1944, however, in "Memories Are Forever," Magnum's DOB listed on his driver's license is January 5, 1946. When Magnum visits Annapolis, Maryland (Naval Academy), Tidewater, Virginia and Washington D.C. it is clearly winter time as everyone is wearing coats, scarves, etc. So, if Magnum's birthday is in August as he said, then this would be a flub.
The answer is obvious, old man. Logic is irrelevant. It's simply Tropical Madness. (J.Q. Higgins)

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#18 Post by IslandHopper »

Actually, I just remembered that the funeral for TM's dad in "Home From The Sea" was held on July 4, 1951, so that would make the placard shown in Resolutions with the date of 1950 (noted above) a flub. TM's dad died in July 1951. This makes sense, because The Korean War didn't start until June 25, 1950 (when North Korea invaded South Korea), and according to Home From The Sea, TM's dad had almost served his 1 year tour of duty when he was killed. Thus, TM's dad was in the Navy from 1946 through 1951.
The answer is obvious, old man. Logic is irrelevant. It's simply Tropical Madness. (J.Q. Higgins)

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#19 Post by J.J. Walters »

LOVED "Part 2"! It's soooo much better than the first half!

I had forgotten just how awesome that strip club fight scene is! Definitely the best brawl of the entire series! It's almost three minutes long and the whole gang is involved! I'm still shocked they were able to sneak by the censors with that topless dancer. You can clearly see her breasts at two different points in the fight! :shock:

The Magnum/Lily reunion still brings faucet-like tears to my eyes.

And the ending is almost perfect, including the nice little scene after the end credits with Selleck in the guesthouse! "Good Night".

Long live MPI!
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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#20 Post by Shermy »

IslandHopper wrote:Magnum was a great private investigator too, but the problem with that, is that he never had two nickels to rub together.
I always felt that was due more to personal choice than personal failing, though. If Magnum had really wanted to increase his bank account, he had plenty of opportunities to do so over the years. Instead, he never really thought twice about passing up a large paycheck or losing one altogether. I'm reminded of his line in "The Curse of the King Kamehameha Club", where he admits that owning a ferrari just wouldn't be as much fun to him. In a way, that kind've sums up the entire premise of the series.

As I said earlier, my only real problem with the Navy scenario is that it implies that Magnum was somehow wrong to have ever left. Even if Magnum has changed and grown up, the Navy hasn't. He's still likely to encounter the same type of bureaucratic issues he has hated the entire series. But by having a 'changed' Magnum return, it implies that he was in the wrong and not the Navy. This seems a little odd, since the entire show has made a point to get us to side with Magnum- while showing us how the Navy has continually screwed him over (ie. Dan Cook; Mac; Michelle; Quang Ki; etc).

Another problem with his return is the way the whole thing is portrayed. Does Magnum really act like a changed man who is ready for active duty again? Not really. He actually seems to approach the idea with the same childlike enthusiasm he had for his Great Hawaiian Adventure Company idea. It's a major life changing decision, yet instead of discussing it with any of his friends- he treats it like his latest prank. He doesn't even bother to tell them, "Oh, by the way...my daughter isn't dead and I now have custody." When he does tell someone, Carol, it's only so that he can dump her with the responsibility of watching Lily while he runs off! :lol:

As I said, the whole thing is a noble idea...I'm just not really sure it holds up to scrutiny. You could make the same argument that a great career as a detective would be available to him, considering the number of times he had been presented with one.

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#21 Post by IslandHopper »

Shermy wrote:
IslandHopper wrote:Magnum was a great private investigator too, but the problem with that, is that he never had two nickels to rub together.
I always felt that was due more to personal choice than personal failing, though. If Magnum had really wanted to increase his bank account, he had plenty of opportunities to do so over the years. Instead, he never really thought twice about passing up a large paycheck or losing one altogether. I'm reminded of his line in "The Curse of the King Kamehameha Club", where he admits that owning a ferrari just wouldn't be as much fun to him. In a way, that kind've sums up the entire premise of the series.
I agree with you to a point (I don't think Magnum is a failure), but if that is the case then why did Magnum take the dead-end job as a hotel detective, or try to learn to fly helicopters so he could move to Oklahoma and work for an oil company, or try to start The Great Hawaiian Adventure Company? I don't think there is any right or wrong answer here. I think this just illustrates the many inconsistencies of the writing. It is similar to the question of whether Higgins really is Robin Masters. If you only watched the last 4 seasons of MPI, you would probably say yes, Higgins is Robin Masters, but the problem with that is the writing in the first 4 years of the show eliminated any possibility that Higgins is Robin. I don't think the writers thought of that possibility until year 5. Unlike many shows today, I don’t believe that MPI had a usual staff of writers that would write for the show. My impression is that there were dozens of different (freelance?) writers throughout the series, which would account for the inconsistencies in the show. Hey, we're still talking about it all these years later, so somebody must have done something right. :)
The answer is obvious, old man. Logic is irrelevant. It's simply Tropical Madness. (J.Q. Higgins)

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#22 Post by Shermy »

IslandHopper wrote:I don't think there is any right or wrong answer here. I think this just illustrates the many inconsistencies of the writing.
I'd say we're probably more in agreement than disagreement here. If the ideas had been given enough time to develop, either approach (detective agency; Navy) could've made perfect sense within the context of the entire show. Heck, we may have even cared more about Tidewater. :lol:
IslandHopper wrote:Hey, we're still talking about it all these years later, so somebody must have done something right. :)
And ultimately, I think all the little inconsistencies add to the show's laid-back charm. It's a reminder that this stuff is really just supposed to be fun. :)

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#23 Post by Shermy »

James J. Walters wrote:I had forgotten just how awesome that strip club fight scene is! Definitely the best brawl of the entire series! It's almost three minutes long and the whole gang is involved! I'm still shocked they were able to sneak by the censors with that topless dancer. You can clearly see her breasts at two different points in the fight!
I think that definitely may qualify as a "Classic Scene". I love the 'aftermath' where Magnum points out, "We can't go back in there again." :lol:

It also perfectly illustrates why the show never really "jumped the shark": From the pilot episode to the finale, the focus was always on these four characters working together. As (`Nam era) Magnum said in the pilot, "Can't break up the team." :)

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#24 Post by IslandHopper »

Shermy wrote:And ultimately, I think all the little inconsistencies add to the show's laid-back charm. It's a reminder that this stuff is really just supposed to be fun. :)
Well said Shermy. I agree 100%. :)
The answer is obvious, old man. Logic is irrelevant. It's simply Tropical Madness. (J.Q. Higgins)

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#25 Post by J.J. Walters »

Excellent points all around guys! Great discussion on this series finale!

I noticed that no one has brought up the "Magnum dying in the haunted house theory". I personally don't see how it's possible given that T.C. actually talks to him at the wedding ("So, what did you do? Re-up?"), but in viewing the scene again (after 20 years) it is VERY interesting/perplexing how they set the whole thing up. Magnum sure looks like he is stabbed by the expression on his face. We then see blood drop on Linda Lee's scarf. Then, and here is what is really interesting, we see the fadeout to white! This is exactly what was used in "Limbo" when he "dies". We then see Magnum in Navy Whites (with a new haircut) come running into the wedding.

I'm sure it's all just for building up the tension - we're suppossed to briefly believe that maybe he was actually killed. It's just very odd that they would set it up in this extreme manner. If he was stabbed, he sure recovered quickly!

By the way, does anybody have any info on the haunted house/funhouse that was used? Is it even a real one, or was it a set design?
Last edited by J.J. Walters on Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:44 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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