Tigers Fan (8.4)

[wilko]

Still, it was a surprise when Tanaka was written out of the series. Like so many of the other supporting cast, his character was great and brilliantly portrayed.

[golfmobile]

I don't mean to be a cynic, but everyone knew this WAS the final season. So I think they (producers, writers, whatever "powers that be") decided to make as big an impact as they could. So it was very dramatic and of great interest to the viewers to have established characters killed off.

And I risk being ostracized by saying this, BUT AT THE TIME I WATCHED THE FINAL EPISODE when it actually aired, I was very disappointed in the ending with Thomas going back into the Navy because of Lily and by Rick's marrying (or almost marrying) such an unlikeable and unsympathetic female. That was my feeling at the time and it still is. I'm sorry, folks, but I just didn't like that ending.

1. The Navy scenario: Okay, yes, it did give Thomas a steady income, but was he going to mooch off Higgins to be his babysitter while he was at work at the naval base every day? Thomas left the Navy because he didn't want to deal with the politics and regulations. I was disappointed that he rather compromised his principles just because he felt responsible for a daughter. He wouldn't be a very happy father in that case and therefore not a good father (IN MY OPINION). I'm not sure I have a better suggestion for a job for him, but something like his taking a well-paying and important job as head of security at one of the really big Honolulu hotels where he would have a live-in apartment on-site and we would see him arranging for some kind of day care while he was officially at work and also making arrangements for a back-up babysitter if he had to do something at night (a good excuse to give, for example, a very reliable native Hawaiian cleaning lady at the hotel a chance to earn more money and show how her extended family would be of benefit to Lily, who was certainly short on family at this point in time).

2. If they were going to have Rick marry someone, I think it should have been someone with whom we or at least he had had previous experiences -- like maybe bring back Lisa from "Woman on the Beach." I mean, I assume she still lived in Hawaii. She did in that episode and she and Rick rather hit it off, and the guys all helped her. It would have been more satisfying to me if she and Rick had run into each other again and somehow rekindled a romance. Then we would have WANTED Rick to say "I do" at the end instead of our not caring whether he did or not when standing beside that flake they put in this episode.

Again, these are just some ideas I'm throwing out because I was disappointed in 1988 and felt the ending was a really big letdown to something that had been so good for so long. Like if Cheers had ended when Sam sold the bar and sank his boat . . . .

golf

[Doc Ibold]

I don't mean to be a cynic, but everyone knew this WAS the final season. So I think they (producers, writers, whatever "powers that be") decided to make as big an impact as they could. So it was very dramatic and of great interest to the viewers to have established characters killed off.

And I risk being ostracized by saying this, BUT AT THE TIME I WATCHED THE FINAL EPISODE when it actually aired, I was very disappointed in the ending with Thomas going back into the Navy because of Lily and by Rick's marrying (or almost marrying) such an unlikeable and unsympathetic female. That was my feeling at the time and it still is. I'm sorry, folks, but I just didn't like that ending.

1. The Navy scenario: Okay, yes, it did give Thomas a steady income, but was he going to mooch off Higgins to be his babysitter while he was at work at the naval base every day? Thomas left the Navy because he didn't want to deal with the politics and regulations. I was disappointed that he rather compromised his principles just because he felt responsible for a daughter. He wouldn't be a very happy father in that case and therefore not a good father (IN MY OPINION). I'm not sure I have a better suggestion for a job for him, but something like his taking a well-paying and important job as head of security at one of the really big Honolulu hotels where he would have a live-in apartment on-site and we would see him arranging for some kind of day care while he was officially at work and also making arrangements for a back-up babysitter if he had to do something at night (a good excuse to give, for example, a very reliable native Hawaiian cleaning lady at the hotel a chance to earn more money and show how her extended family would be of benefit to Lily, who was certainly short on family at this point in time).

2. If they were going to have Rick marry someone, I think it should have been someone with whom we or at least he had had previous experiences -- like maybe bring back Lisa from "Woman on the Beach." I mean, I assume she still lived in Hawaii. She did in that episode and she and Rick rather hit it off, and the guys all helped her. It would have been more satisfying to me if she and Rick had run into each other again and somehow rekindled a romance. Then we would have WANTED Rick to say "I do" at the end instead of our not caring whether he did or not when standing beside that flake they put in this episode.

Again, these are just some ideas I'm throwing out because I was disappointed in 1988 and felt the ending was a really big letdown to something that had been so good for so long. Like if Cheers had ended when Sam sold the bar and sank his boat . . . .

golf

Damn golf!



I do agree with you about the Navy thing, but I have a feeling Magnum went back to Virginia for his naval career. There was too much "Tidewater" in the final ep for me to think he stayed in Hawaii. Plus, Magnum has HIS family there.

I completely agree that the house detective thing would have worked out well.

In my opinion, I don't think it would have been a really big deal if Magnum mooched off Higgins for babysitting. Higgins has a bond with Lily, and besides that, Higgins on several occaisions (save "Thank Heaven for Little Girls and Big Ones Too" when he was still a fascist) has shown that he likes kids.

See "Basket Case", "Tran Quoc Jones", "Missing Melody" for examples.

I can see Higgins as the "grandfatherly" type, but maybe its just me...

Yeah, the Rick ending, to me was like the writers saying:

"OK, TC's getting back with the ex and the kids, Magnum goes back to the Navy, Higgins returns to his sedentary life of hanging out with Agatha, social functions, and polo. Hmmm. What to do with Rick? Oh, yeah, here's a good one guys (and gals)! Lets have Rick marry some peripheral character that nobody really has embraced due to her lack of time on the show. Hmmm. Who to pick. Oh wait, who was the prostitute in those two episodes? No, not the one who starred in them! the OTHER one. Yeah! thats the ticket, lets have Rick shack up with her!"

No offense to Ms. Davis or her acting chops, but it really was pretty poorly thought out by the writers.

I agree, Judith Chapman would have been a far better choice. She comes out of NOWHERE having not been on the show for 6 years, has a case, Magnum and Co. solve it, she falls for Rick, and BAM! marriage at the end. Actually, I think that might have worked out better than the whole Linda Lee Ellison scenario that was in the finale. Hardcore fans would get it, and there would be some buildup to it, ala L.A.



Oh well, it is what it is and I'll be at the Best Buy after work buying Season 8 regardless. on March 4th

[IslandHopper]

Great observations Golf and Doc. Higgins as Mr. French. I can buy that.

I don't have a problem with Magnum going back in the Navy, because other than being a private investigator, that is all he really knows. Toward the final half of the series, Magnum, is seen testing the waters in different jobs in an attempt to grow up and become more independent. These include a (1) teacher-"Murder 101" (season 5)-I actually think this would have been a pretty nice transition for him, but we never hear of him teaching again, so obviously it didn't take; (2) a Hotel Detective-"The Hotel Dick" (season 6); (3) full-time investigator for a mainland oil company, which is the reason he is taking flying lessons from TC-"On The Fly" (season 7); and (4) an entrepreneur attempting to sell Hawaiian vacations-"The Great Hawaiian Adventure Company" (season Eight).

None of these endeavors worked out for Magnum, and now that he knows Lily is in fact his daughter, he can't afford to live off of the good graces of Robin Masters. Magnum's investigation business was never very steady. He always was without funds despite not having to pay for various bills that most of us have, i.e., rent/mortgage, car payment, car insurance, etc. The Navy was not solely his only alternative, it was the perfect alternative. It would provide him with a steady and more substantial income than he was making as a private investigator. He re-entered the Navy as a full Commander (O-5). He already has 10 years of service in the Navy, which means he would only need 10 more years to retire and receive a pension. Even if he was never promoted past the rank of Commander, he would still have a fairly decent pension to retire on. However, because Magnum was so highly sought after by the Navy (Memories Are Forever, Blood & Honor, Resolutions), it is likely that he would have made at least the rank of Captain (O-6). As long as he stayed healthy, he could even stay for 30 years and try to make Rear Admiral or higher.

Although Lily was still a child when her stepfather, General Nguyen, was killed, she still grew up as the daughter of a military officer. It's not as though Michelle was always around to take care of her. Michelle was a double agent (The Tiger), so she probably wasn't around all that much either. Lily would have been accustomed to being taken care of by servants. It is the life she was born into, so I don't think the transition would have been difficult for her to make.

Based on Magnum's career in the Navy thus far, I always figured that he went back into the Navy as a leader of a S.E.A.L. team, or as a N.I.A. officer. Both of these positions are highly critical and would often require him to be stationed in remote parts of the world from time-to-time. It is also possible that Magnum could have been stationed at Washington, D.C., Virginia, San Diego, Pearl Harbor, or some other mainland base. If he was stationed overseas, I don't think that would be as big of a problem since Lily is accustomed to that life style. Now, I'm sure he would want to spend as much time with Lily since he just really met her, but I'm sure that would have been one of the things he would have had to evaluate before committing to go back into the Navy.

I agree with you about Rick marrying Cleo. I also think Judith Chapman's character in both, "The Black Orchid" and "The Woman On The Beach" would have been ideal because both characters liked to dress and portray characters from the 1940s, just like Rick.

There are so many possibilities. That's why it would have been fun to see an MPI movie, but only if the original cast were playing their original characters. No cameos. I understand this is not likely, so I really don't even want an MPI movie to be made.

[wilko]

Rick marrying Cleo however does fit in with Rick's penchant for falling in love at a moments notice. Added to that, she is in a sense part of the underworld which Rick has always been close to. Perhaps Cleo was a working girl with a heart of gold?

[IslandHopper]

In my previous post, I mentioned the episode "Going Home" as one of the episodes where Magnum is asked to come back to the Navy. The episode was actually "Resolutions." I've made the correction. Sorry if this confused anybody.

[Shermy]

The "Lance White" discussion is one of two great in-jokes in this episode. The second occurs when Magnum impersonates a writer who finds television "demeaning" and now only does "features".

There's some pretty sharp writing in this one, and the cross-cutting during Tanaka's last stand is a nice touch. Even though it ultimately boils down to another "Magnum avenges friend" storyline, aren't those always pretty satisfying?

[maggiepoole]

The "Lance White" discussion is one of two great in-jokes in this episode. The second occurs when Magnum impersonates a writer who finds television "demeaning" and now only does "features".

There's some pretty sharp writing in this one, and the cross-cutting during Tanaka's last stand is a nice touch. Even though it ultimately boils down to another "Magnum avenges friend" storyline, aren't those always pretty satisfying?

Some very cleaver writing there. Seems that Tom Selleck can put his career in prospective, and is able to make fun of himself. Sort of reminds me of the exchange between William Shatner and Tom Selleck in Boston Legal about being stars of their own television series.

[sophia]

Sure hated to see Tanaka go.
Would have liked to have him there till the end.
Just found out recently that he was an attorney and judge,thought that was
an interesting tidbit of information that made him even more perfect for the role.

[J.J. Walters]

Wow, Season Eight kicks off with four good episodes in a row! As Shermy said, this is another "Magnum avenges a fallen friend" episode, and as usual it's great - probably the best of the bunch! The climax, with Magnum sneaking onto the boat and just totally kicking @ss, is action-packed and incredibly satisfying. It's like something out of a Die Hard movie!

Baseball fans should love this episode - Magnum/T.C.'s "discussion" about sending a runner home from first on double (8th inning, one out) and Magnum's "baseball narration" are classic!

Magnum: I've always loved baseball. I think it has more of the American character than any other sport. It's competitive without being cutthroat. It's basically simple, but capable of incredible complexity. Baseball is played in parks. It has no clock except for the eternal rhythm of each individual game. This gives it thrilling bursts of action and moments of leisurely tranquility. All-in-all, I'm convinced that baseball represents one of man's noblest endeavors.

Almost brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it.

By the way, all of the baseball scenes were filmed at Kuliouou Beach Par near Portlock, the same field that was used in "Jororo Farewell".

So ...... Higgins was in MI5 (briefly after the war) also! I did not know that! Cool!

How weird is it to see Amy Yasbeck (Officer Diana) pop in out of nowhere for brief scenes? We saw her briefly in "Pleasure Principle" and now here...



And it looks like Robin (or Higgins) has re-designed the greenhouse in a Frank Lloyd Wright style!...



RIP Tanaka!

[Doc Ibold]

If I have a kid, I think I'll name him "Biff"

[J.J. Walters]

Haha, Doc!

I was just reading up on Nobu McCarthy (Barbara Ikeda). She's had an interesting career and was an absolute knockout back in the day. Not that she doesn't look good here, as well.

Here's a good write-up about her....

http://www.audreymagazine.com/Sep2005/Living01.asp

Note the cool picture of her with Tom Selleck (wearing a "Paddlers" softball shirt)!

[IslandHopper]

This is an excellent episode, except for the fact that Lt. Tanaka had to die. He was one of my favorite recurring characters. It is a painful reminder that the show is coming to a close. As others have already mentioned, the first scene where the undercover officers were discussing Lance White was great.

During Lt. Tanaka’s funeral we see a U.S. Army Medal of Honor and Medal of Honor ribbon. I don’t recall if it was revealed during the series that Lt. Tanaka was ever in the U.S. Army. However, the Medal of Honor shown was the variety awarded by the U.S. Army (as opposed to Navy/Marines and Air Force), and is awarded only for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States. I don’t know if the medal and ribbon shown were supposed to serve as a Police medal for purposes of the episode. If so, then this is a flub, as the medal and ribbon shown are clearly a Medal of Honor and ribbon for the U.S. Army, not a civilian police force. So, if Tanaka was awarded the medal and ribbon (the medal and ribbon represent the same award; the ribbon is often worn in lieu of the actual medal which is worn around the neck), then it would have been as a member of the U.S. Army for action against an enemy. It is revealed during the episode by Lt. Page that Tanaka served 26 years with the department (H.P.D.) As James pointed out, Tanaka’s D.O.B. is July 20, 1934, which would have made him too young for WWII. He could have joined the Army as a young man and may have caught the tale end of Korea. If he was with H.P.D. for 26 years then he would have joined H.P.D. around 1961, before the U.S. was involved in Vietnam (not including advisors). Most likely, Tanaka would have won the Medal of Honor during Korea. I don’t believe this information is ever revealed about Yoshi Tanaka. I prefer to think that Tanaka won the Medal of Honor (and ribbon) while in the Army, rather than as a flub.

I liked the way Magnum and Lt. Page worked together in order to clear Tanaka’s name.

A minor flub can be spotted after Magnum takes the metal lock-box out of Tanaka’s crypt. The box contains a kilo of cocaine and the coroner’s report of his partner, Robert Oliver Slater. The coroner’s report gives Slater’s age as 32, however, he was actually 27. His D.O.B. (Oct. 8, 1945) and date-of-death (April 7, 1973) can be seen when Magnum is at Tanaka’s crypt. He also looks at Slater’s crypt which is next to Tanaka’s.

The coroner’s report also includes a category for “Marks and Scars.“ Under that category, the report says, “BEAUTY MARK ON DERRIERE.“

Another possible flub occurs when Magnum is preparing to go after the bad guys on the ship. Magnum takes the time to put the grease on his face, arms, legs, etc., in order to provide camouflage and concealment while stalking the bad guys aboard the ship, yet he forgets to remove his stainless steel watch, sterling silver MIA bracelet and gold team ring. These items are highly reflective and would negate the effect of the grease as camouflage. You can see these items reflect light as he climbs aboard the ship using the anchor chain. These are minor flubs which do not take away from the episode.

[J.J. Walters]

Great review IH!

I would concur that Tanaka more than likely served in the Korean War.

Another possible flub occurs when Magnum is preparing to go after the bad guys on the ship. Magnum takes the time to put the grease on his face, arms, legs, etc., in order to provide camouflage and concealment while stalking the bad guys aboard the ship, yet he forgets to remove his stainless steel watch, sterling silver MIA bracelet and gold team ring. These items are highly reflective and would negate the effect of the grease as camouflage. You can see these items reflect light as he climbs aboard the ship using the anchor chain. These are minor flubs which do not take away from the episode.

Good flub spot! I love the fact you can actually see these things reflecting light in the episode! Too funny!

Of course, one could argue that this isn't really a flub, because Magnum never takes these things off when he goes on these little "assault missions" (i.e. looking to lay some hurt on somebody)! They are a part of him. They give him strength. It's a calculated risk that he feels he has to take.

[IslandHopper]

Thanks James.

Of course, one could argue that this isn't really a flub, because Magnum never takes these things off when he goes on these little "assault missions" (i.e. looking to lay some hurt on somebody)! They are a part of him. They give him strength. It's a calculated risk that he feels he has to take.

I agree with you James, but it is interesting to note that in "Unfinished Business" he actually goes without the MIA bracelet, watch and team ring while camo'd up and in his sniper nest. I think that is what made "UB" a special episode. He discarded his MIA bracelet. There had to be some symbolism there, but that is a discussion for a different thread.