Unfinished Business (8.8)

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
37
29%
9.5 (One of the Best)
59
47%
9.0 (Excellent)
9
7%
8.5 (Very Good)
11
9%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
5
4%
7.5 (Decent)
2
2%
7.0 (Average at Best)
0
No votes
6.5 (Not So Good)
0
No votes
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
0
No votes
5.0 (Just Awful)
3
2%
 
Total votes: 126

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Buck
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#81 Post by Buck »

Jay-Firestorm wrote:This episode is a favourite with many fans, and I have to agree it is a very good one. Seeing Magnum breaking every rule and law imaginable to plan the killing of Quang Ki is excellent (although he must have been *really good* to walk onto a Military base undetected!), and the moment at the end where he can’t bring himself to take a pot shot at Ki, realising the political implications it would have in the P.O.W. return programme, is a powerful one.
Getting in an American military base located in the United States is very easy, at least in the 1980's.

When I turned 16 and got my drivers license, a friend told me that in the military they did not observe the rule that a person must be 21 to buy beer, and the shop on a military base will sell beer. In the USA the liquer laws are that you must be 21 to buy alcoholic beverages. The military did not observe this law.

I drove to the gate of the military base and told the Military Police gaurding the gate that I was looking for someone. The MP pointed at a building where I could park my car. After getting on base, I was free to drive and walk anywhere I wanted. Nobody stopped or questioned me. I drove to the military base shop, purchased 2 cases of beer, and then decided to walk around the base.

I was able to walk into an area where they kept military helicopters. They were unlocked. One mechanic asked what I was doing there, I told him I was "exploring" the base, and he told me to "explore" elsewhere. But at no time was I kicked out. I walked a little longer and saw where they kept tanks, but they were behind a fense. Anyone could climb that fense, but I didn't.

There is a story of a man who walked into a military base in San Diego and entered an unlocked tank and drove it in downtown San Diego. I believe the police shot and killed him later that day.

Getting on a base is easy if you are an American. This may have changed after 9/11.

I remember one more memory from my childhood. I was vacationing in Greece with my cousins who are from Europe. We walked down the beach into an area that had a sign that said forbidden to go further, there is a military base. I saw the American flag and was excited to see my nations military in Europe. I ran full speed towards the gate. Unlike the version of military bases in the united states that look welcoming, this base in greece had barbed wire and I could not see any MP standing to welcome visitors. Instead it appeared like there were foxholes with infintry soldiers in them and nothing was visible except a little bit of M-16's and the top of helmits. I continued to run toward the base even though I heard someone yell to stop. By this time my cousin stopped running, he was scared to death, but I continued to run towards the base. I heard some yelling comming from the base, and a soldier in full BDU popped up from nowhere and grabbed me. He thought I was a local kid messing with them, but when he found out I was an American he was happy to see me. Still, no matter what I said, I could not convince them to let me in to see what the base looked like. I must have been 9 or 10 years old at the time.

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#82 Post by Steve »

I just watched one of my all time favorite episodes again and have come up with the theory that TM not only did not take out Quang Ki as to not effect the possibility of more POW/MIA's being found, but also because as he spots Rockwell for the first time he sees that he is a Navy man.
Maggie told Magnum about the POW exchange and any interference with the exchange could effect further information and release of MIA's yet, Magnum still devises his plan regardless of the consequences. He even famously flings his time honored POW/MIA bracelet into the ground as to be removed from his plan and get into a "killing zone".
We see as Rockwell exits the helicopter and comes into Magnum's sight, TM's jaw drops ever so slightly (as only Selleck can magnificantly do) and I believe a flood of emotions and memories spring forth of a young TM losing his Navy Pilot father at about the same age as Rockwell's daughter received word of her fathers MIA status. Magnum wakes up from his out of body, hell bent on revenge state and does the proper thing and stands down.............

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#83 Post by MaximRecoil »

Jaybird wrote:In any case, if he took the shot that burlap on his muzzle would have done nothing but cause him to miss.
The cloth wrapped around the muzzle would have had a negligible effect on accuracy, as well as a negligible effect on the report. I don't know what the deal with that was. Earlier, when Magnum was shooting the lemons, he had something on there that could have passed for an actual silencer, at least by TV standards. Then when it comes time to shoot for real, he has a little bit of cloth wrapped around the end of the barrel, which has no significant sound-reducing function, and no other function that I know of. Did they misplace the "silencer" prop that they were using earlier?
Had he used a suppressor his round would have to be subsonic and that would have ruled out any long range shot.
Silencers can be, and are, used with supersonic cartridges. Nothing can be done about the "sonic crack" sound of course, but the report from the rapidly expanding gases escaping from the muzzle can still be reduced, the same as with subsonic cartridges, resulting in significantly less noise than if no silencer were used.

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Re: Unfinished Business (8.8)

#84 Post by Doc Fred »

I was stunned to see the enemy allowed to have weapons during the exchange... any thoughts about that?
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Re: Unfinished Business (8.8)

#85 Post by Doc Fred »

Had I been Magnum, after seeing the tape of my daughter and the woman I loved murdered by the p.o.s., I'd have offed him. I don't think there's any way I'd have been merciful as Thomas was. In addition, were I on a jury deciding the fate of someone like Magnum, if he had killed Ki, I'd have voted "innocent".
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Re: Unfinished Business (8.8)

#86 Post by ConchRepublican »

Doc Fred wrote:Had I been Magnum, after seeing the tape of my daughter and the woman I loved murdered by the p.o.s., I'd have offed him. I don't think there's any way I'd have been merciful as Thomas was. In addition, were I on a jury deciding the fate of someone like Magnum, if he had killed Ki, I'd have voted "innocent".
Seconded, on both counts.
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Re: Unfinished Business (8.8)

#87 Post by Doc Ibold »

Agreed, and I think he went in with every intention of doing it. When he got there (my speculation) his thought was that if he killed Ki, the exchange between Ki and the father wouldn't have gone off... And potentially the father could have been killed too right in front of his daughter in retaliation.

Had he not met with the daughter, I think he very well could have done it without a thought. And had he pulled the trigger, any other POW trades would never have happened and he held back for the greater good, for in doing so.. he would have put an end to any further reunions.

Killing Ki wouldn't bring Michelle or Lily back, and by not doing so, he ensured a reunion between father and daughter that (at the time) he wouldn't get to have with Lily.

I thought it was one of his best moments on the show to illuminate how much better he was as a man than Ki and prove to Lily (along with himself) he wasn't a cold blooded killer.

(Ignoring the 49 kills he had going in going into this episode)

:magnum:

And to be honest, along with Buck Greenes reaction at the end of the episode. I think it was this non-action alone that made Buck give up Lily to Magnum at the end of Resolutions. It showed that Magnum held Kis life in his hands, Buck knew it, yet Magnum didn't pull the trigger because of his obligation to the servicemen still over there. If anything, it once and for all proved to Buck that Magnum was a capable (yet deadly) soldier who was capable of great sacrifice, and not some slacker who resigned his commission.

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Re:

#88 Post by RamblerReb »

MaximRecoil wrote:
Jaybird wrote:In any case, if he took the shot that burlap on his muzzle would have done nothing but cause him to miss.
The cloth wrapped around the muzzle would have had a negligible effect on accuracy, as well as a negligible effect on the report. I don't know what the deal with that was. Earlier, when Magnum was shooting the lemons, he had something on there that could have passed for an actual silencer, at least by TV standards. Then when it comes time to shoot for real, he has a little bit of cloth wrapped around the end of the barrel, which has no significant sound-reducing function, and no other function that I know of. Did they misplace the "silencer" prop that they were using earlier?
Had he used a suppressor his round would have to be subsonic and that would have ruled out any long range shot.
Silencers can be, and are, used with supersonic cartridges. Nothing can be done about the "sonic crack" sound of course, but the report from the rapidly expanding gases escaping from the muzzle can still be reduced, the same as with subsonic cartridges, resulting in significantly less noise than if no silencer were used.
Personally, I think this was just laziness on the prop department's part; the cloth is supposed to be hiding the oil filter suppressor he was using earlier in the episode and, rather than wrap an oil filter up, they just stuck an Ace bandage on the muzzle and discounted the possibility that a bunch of obsessives with an excess of free time and near-unlimited digital storage would pick apart their career failures a quarter-century later.

What fools they were!
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Re: Unfinished Business (8.8)

#89 Post by Steve »

Doc Ibold wrote:Agreed, and I think he went in with every intention of doing it. When he got there (my speculation) his thought was that if he killed Ki, the exchange between Ki and the father wouldn't have gone off... And potentially the father could have been killed too right in front of his daughter in retaliation.

Had he not met with the daughter, I think he very well could have done it without a thought. And had he pulled the trigger, any other POW trades would never have happened and he held back for the greater good, for in doing so.. he would have put an end to any further reunions.

Killing Ki wouldn't bring Michelle or Lily back, and by not doing so, he ensured a reunion between father and daughter that (at the time) he wouldn't get to have with Lily.

I thought it was one of his best moments on the show to illuminate how much better he was as a man than Ki and prove to Lily (along with himself) he wasn't a cold blooded killer.

(Ignoring the 49 kills he had going in going into this episode)

:magnum:

And to be honest, along with Buck Greenes reaction at the end of the episode. I think it was this non-action alone that made Buck give up Lily to Magnum at the end of Resolutions. It showed that Magnum held Kis life in his hands, Buck knew it, yet Magnum didn't pull the trigger because of his obligation to the servicemen still over there. If anything, it once and for all proved to Buck that Magnum was a capable (yet deadly) soldier who was capable of great sacrifice, and not some slacker who resigned his commission.
I agree with Doc on this one. Magnum not pulling the trigger showed just how deep an impact the Viet Nam war, the MIA's, the camaraderie of those that went and his own experience as a POW came out in one brief decision. Selleck showed to me again what a great actor he is showing so many emotions without uttering a single line. He did this in so many episodes........

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Re: Unfinished Business (8.8)

#90 Post by 308GUY »

Steve wrote:I agree with Doc on this one. Magnum not pulling the trigger showed just how deep an impact the Viet Nam war, the MIA's, the camaraderie of those that went and his own experience as a POW came out in one brief decision. Selleck showed to me again what a great actor he is showing so many emotions without uttering a single line. He did this in so many episodes........
X2................:magnum:



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Re: Unfinished Business (8.8)

#91 Post by marlboro »

Full disclosure: I didn't like "Limbo" and I suspect that I am trying to find fault with any episode connected to it so that i can dismiss the entire storyline.

Now, having admitted that, I have a complaint about the ending of the story. The MIA issue was still a big deal at the time, and since they added a bit of "contemporary" politics I can't help but look at the ending from a political viewpoint.

Having proof of a living POW who could testify about the existence of other MIA's would have been HUGE.

How would Reagan era America have reacted to conclusive proof that American soldiers had been held prisoner for 20 years?

How important would Quang Ki have to be to the Vietnamese to be worth admitting to the existence of American POWs?

Once Commander Rockwell was in American hands at the end of the episode there was no real reason for Magnum not to kill Quang Ki. Rockwell was safe. The U.S. had the proof they needed. It isn't like the Vietnamese could demand that Rockwell should be sent back with them.


I was hoping Buck Green had planted a bomb on Quang Ki's helicopter at the end. Magnum could have done the "right" thing morally, Buck could have done the dirty work he loves to do, and Quang Ki would have met his end in a fireball of poetic justice...unless he hopped out at the last second to go get his Búp bê.

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Re: Unfinished Business (8.8)

#92 Post by Steve »

marlboro wrote:Full disclosure: I didn't like "Limbo" and I suspect that I am trying to find fault with any episode connected to it so that i can dismiss the entire storyline.

Now, having admitted that, I have a complaint about the ending of the story. The MIA issue was still a big deal at the time, and since they added a bit of "contemporary" politics I can't help but look at the ending from a political viewpoint.

Having proof of a living POW who could testify about the existence of other MIA's would have been HUGE.

How would Reagan era America have reacted to conclusive proof that American soldiers had been held prisoner for 20 years?

How important would Quang Ki have to be to the Vietnamese to be worth admitting to the existence of American POWs?

Once Commander Rockwell was in American hands at the end of the episode there was no real reason for Magnum not to kill Quang Ki. Rockwell was safe. The U.S. had the proof they needed. It isn't like the Vietnamese could demand that Rockwell should be sent back with them.


I was hoping Buck Green had planted a bomb on Quang Ki's helicopter at the end. Magnum could have done the "right" thing morally, Buck could have done the dirty work he loves to do, and Quang Ki would have met his end in a fireball of poetic justice...unless he hopped out at the last second to go get his Búp bê.
You are correct in your thesis that proof of a living POW would have been huge, even 13 years after the war had ended and at the end of the go-go, make big money, merger and aquisition Reagan era. Many of us back then were still wearing our POW/MIA bracelets from the seventies and in fact, I still have flag on my motorcycle. It would have been a very sensitive predicament and my take is that Vietnam did not admit to holding any prisoners, even with the existence of Rockwell, however Laos and Cambodia would not admit to anything suggesting he may have been held in one of those countries complicatiing negotiations. Magnum had to make a extremely tough decision to place his personal emotions in tow and sacrifice for the greater good of his fellow soldiers. If he or Green had taken out Ki after Rockwell was safe would have probably ended all negotiations.
One thing about the episodes that has always puzzled me was Magnum tossing his POW/MIA bracelet aside and not putting it back on after he made his decision to stand down..........I do, however, love your analogy.............

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Re: Unfinished Business (8.8)

#93 Post by ConchRepublican »

Doc Ibold wrote: And to be honest, along with Buck Greenes reaction at the end of the episode. I think it was this non-action alone that made Buck give up Lily to Magnum at the end of Resolutions. It showed that Magnum held Kis life in his hands, Buck knew it, yet Magnum didn't pull the trigger because of his obligation to the servicemen still over there. If anything, it once and for all proved to Buck that Magnum was a capable (yet deadly) soldier who was capable of great sacrifice, and not some slacker who resigned his commission.
excellent point.
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Re: Re:

#94 Post by shevys@aol.com »

RamblerReb wrote:
MaximRecoil wrote:
Jaybird wrote:In any case, if he took the shot that burlap on his muzzle would have done nothing but cause him to miss.
The cloth wrapped around the muzzle would have had a negligible effect on accuracy, as well as a negligible effect on the report. I don't know what the deal with that was. Earlier, when Magnum was shooting the lemons, he had something on there that could have passed for an actual silencer, at least by TV standards. Then when it comes time to shoot for real, he has a little bit of cloth wrapped around the end of the barrel, which has no significant sound-reducing function, and no other function that I know of. Did they misplace the "silencer" prop that they were using earlier?
Had he used a suppressor his round would have to be subsonic and that would have ruled out any long range shot.
Silencers can be, and are, used with supersonic cartridges. Nothing can be done about the "sonic crack" sound of course, but the report from the rapidly expanding gases escaping from the muzzle can still be reduced, the same as with subsonic cartridges, resulting in significantly less noise than if no silencer were used.
Personally, I think this was just laziness on the prop department's part; the cloth is supposed to be hiding the oil filter suppressor he was using earlier in the episode and, rather than wrap an oil filter up, they just stuck an Ace bandage on the muzzle and discounted the possibility that a bunch of obsessives with an excess of free time and near-unlimited digital storage would pick apart their career failures a quarter-century later.

What fools they were!
Actually, I think the burlap was so that the flash from the muzzle would be suppressed. That way, if anyone happened to be looking in his direction at the time he fired the weapon they wouldn't be able to pinpoint the location.

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Re: Re:

#95 Post by RamblerReb »

shevys@aol.com wrote:Actually, I think the burlap was so that the flash from the muzzle would be suppressed. That way, if anyone happened to be looking in his direction at the time he fired the weapon they wouldn't be able to pinpoint the location.
Perhaps, but Magnum would have to plan on firing exactly one shot, because after that the burlap would be quite particulate. Also, in broad daylight, even the muzzle flash of a 7.62 rifle would be negligible at that distance, thereby rendering the need to suppress it dubious. Finally, by revealing his presence to the MIA's daughter, he had effectively booked his room at Leavenworth. I find it very doubtful he planned to exfiltrate at all.

No, the oil filter suppressor is the only thing that makes sense, so he'd have time for follow-up shots if needed before being killed.
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