Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts (8.1)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the eighth season

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J.J. Walters
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Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts (8.1)

#1 Post by J.J. Walters »

This is the official MM thread for Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts (8.1). All discussions and reviews for this episode should go here. If you wish to rate the episode, please do so with the poll. The avg. score will be the official 'community rating', which will be used on the episode page (updated monthly).

This thread is also linked in the episode page of the Episode Guide.


Original Air Date: 10/7/1987
Still comatose, Magnum struggles to help himself as his friends and family try to talk him out of his unresponsive state.
Last edited by J.J. Walters on Fri Mar 07, 2008 2:54 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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#2 Post by grundle »

"Magnum! I demand that you come back immediatley!"



http://tinyurl.com/29o8o4

Coma woman woken by husband's 'rollicking' as doctors were about to switch off life-support machine

22nd February 2008

A mum who fell into a coma came back from the brink of death after her husband gave her "a bloody good rollicking" when he heard doctors wanted to turn off her life-support machine.

Yvonne Sullivan, 28, had lost consciousness with severe blood poisoning following childbirth, moments after being told baby Clinton had died following a 14-hour labour.

Despite grieving for their baby, her husband Dom, 37, kept a round-the-clock vigil at her hospital bedside for two weeks as she lay in intensive care.

But when doctors told him they may have to switch off her life-support machine, distraught Dom took drastic action - by giving his wife a firm telling-off.

Dom's stern words managed to penetrate through the near-fatal coma and Yvonne even remembers him making the impassioned speech, admitting that she "never liked getting told off".

Dom held Yvonne's hand and demanded: "You start fighting, don't you dare give up on me now. I've had enough, stop mucking around and start breathing. Come back to me."

Incredibly, just two hours later, she steadily began to start breathing again.

Within five days, they were able to switch her ventilator off, and she regained consciousness for the first time to see Dom standing beside her.

Yvonne said hearing her husband shouting gave her the strength to pull through.

In fact, Yvonne has made such a recovery that she is back running dance classes and looking after her eight-year-old son.

She said: "I can't remember exactly what he said but I never liked getting told off by Dom. Something inside me just clicked and I began to fight again.

"I had been on 100 per cent life support and I was deteriorating, but within two hours of him ordering me to get better, I'd regained five per cent of my breathing.

"When I first came round, I thought I'd been gone for a few minutes, then he told me I'd been out for two weeks.

"It's a miracle really. I owe him so much."

Yvonne, of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, fell pregnant shortly after marrying Dom in September 2006.

However, their unborn baby was diagnosed as anaemic and had to undergo regular blood transfusions while still in the womb.

Yvonne went into labour two months early on July 5 last year and gave birth to Clinton at St Michael's Hospital in Bristol after a traumatic labour.

He died after contracting a blood infection.

Doctors realised quickly that Yvonne had septicaemia - blood poisoning - and her body was going into septic shock, where all the vital organs shut down.

She was rushed to Bristol Royal Infirmary, where her condition worsened rapidly. Her last memory was Dom leaving her bedside to get a cup of coffee.

Lorry driver Dom kept a constant vigil by her bed, washing and combing her hair and talking about family and friends.

He laughed and joked about their Cyprus honeymoon, where she fell ill after catching pneumonia and ended up in a high-dependency unit.

Then doctors dropped the bombshell that Yvonne - who has another son Ryan, eight, from a previous marriage - may not survive.

He said: "When the doctors told me to think about turning the life support off, I got angry.

"I grabbed her hand and began shouting at her 'start fighting, don't you dare give up on me'. I gave her a bloody good rollicking.

"I'd already had to explain to my stepson Ryan that his brother Clinton had died, and that his mummy may not survive.

"He said he'd be cross with the doctors if they let mummy go to heaven.

"I kept telling her to pull through. Then I left the room to get some air. I came back two hours later and she had started to breathe. It was incredible.

"Sometimes you find powers you just didn't know you had. Everybody has it inside them.

"I hope this gives hope to other people in similar situations. There is light at the end of the tunnel."

After coming out of the two-week coma on July 19, she spent a week in hospital before heading home.

Once out of hospital, she had to relearn how to perform basic tasks and struggled to put the kettle on or tie her shoe laces for weeks.

But now, thanks to Dom's support and her determination, she has made a full recovery.

Yvonne, who works as a sandwich maker and runs a dance class, said all she wanted to do now was thank her husband and all the medical staff for their support.

She added: "What with falling into a coma and being ill on my honeymoon, I've not had much luck really. But my husband is a life saver. He was determined I would come round.

"I am fine now - doctors say it must be a miracle and cannot believe I am walking.

"I would like to thank all the hospital staff who helped me and the staff at St Michael's, they were fantastic."

Head of midwifery at St Michael's, Sara Windfeld, said: "The team at St Michaels would like to thank Yvonne for her kind comments about the care she received and are very pleased she made a full recovery."

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#3 Post by Shermy »

This one begins and ends really strong, but suffers from being somewhat like an old serial. They had basically written themselves into a corner with a cliffhanger and suddenly had to invent a way out. Of course, given the circumstances of Season 8, you can't really fault them too much here.

But what you can fault is the writing, and it's not really as strong as I'd remembered. The parts dealing with Magnum's various relationships are well done (smiling Higgins is great!), but the avenging brother subplot seems to come out of nowhere.

There's a fantastic moment where Magnum returns to the warehouse and sees his own bloodstain on the floor. Selleck still isn't all the way "back" as Magnum yet, and having him (literally) face his own mortality is great stuff.

Unfortunately, the rest of the scene doesn't really hold up to any kind of logic. Quang Ki leaves a photo in Magnum's room, and then Magnum appears- unarmed- back at the warehouse? If that's not enough, then T.C. just kind've magically appears at the right moment himself. As a friend pointed out, "This doesn't really make much sense." :lol:

Perhaps the writers realized the inherent flaws, since they allowed themselves to continue tying up the loose ends in the next episode. And while there's a little too much reliance on flashbacks to tell the story here, that final scene with Magnum on the cliff is really moving.

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#4 Post by Doc Ibold »

I agree, which is why I think they had to do 2 episodes where Magnum is "back".

But then again, TC seems to show up from NOWHERE in Pleasure Principle too.

Oh well.

But good catch on the "serial" aspect, Shermy!

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#5 Post by sophia »

Interesting commentary on the first disc.
Hugely, hope thats spelled right.
Anyway, he stated that he was finishing writing Limbo and waiting on a call
to know if this would be the end of the series.
So, when they filmed Limbo they knew there was going to be an eigth season.
I always thought the eight season was decided on later.
Great episode!

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#6 Post by sophia »

Are TS's mother and son the one's sitting on the bleachers?
How about the coach, didn't know he was also in this episode.

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#7 Post by J.J. Walters »

After a long 20-year wait, I FINALLY get to see this episode again! It's pretty much as I remember it, only better! ;)

I thought the climactic showdown with Quang Ki was particularly well done, although I agree that some dialog from Quank Ki would have been nice. Even, "you killed my brother, prepare to die!" would have worked here. And boy, what a great, unexpected way to turn the tables in a fight you are about to lose - a hard, swift shot to the gonads! T.C.'s appearance was perfect in my book. After trying all episode to give Magnum some space and stay out of his affairs, T.C. figures out what's happening and comes to his aid (just like a good friend should). T.C. enters the "lighted doorway" (which symbolizes "heaven") and offers up a seemingly simple solution to a conflicting situation for Magnum (vengeance), "there is another way, man" - i.e. virtue, forgiveness, thou shall not kill. Great stuff!

A couple of other observations,

- The scene with Magnum waking up (and Higgins telling T.C., Rick, and Carol) is one of the most touching scenes of the series in my opinion. VERY well done.

- Carol says, "MacReynolds". I think we can safely say Mac's name is not "Mac Reynolds"! Also, I clearly hear Carol and Rick say "Bonnick", not "Bonig". Hopefully we can put that issue to bed, as well.

- T.C. has modernized his chopper charter company by procuring a personal computer for his office! Awesome T.C.!

- This has been bothering me ever since I watched this episode again. What is the song that Magnum is whistling towards the beginning?? It's on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't place it!

sophia,

Yes, Selleck's mother Martha and son Kevin appear in one of the flashback segments.
Last edited by J.J. Walters on Fri Mar 07, 2008 9:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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#8 Post by Shermy »

James J. Walters wrote:- This has been bothering me ever since I watched this episode again. What is the song that Magnum is whistling towards the beginning?? It's on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't place it!
I'm pretty sure this is derived from the Joe Cocker song at the end, or at least, that's what I always thought. Whatever it is, it's the same as the instrumental that plays during the flashbacks and over the end credits.

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#9 Post by eeyore »

I guess I thought TC was tipped off by the VA counsler who answered the phone in Thomas' room after Thomas took off. He was looking at that picture and said something about an invitation. I thought this must have been shared with TC and TC knew what it meant, that TM was returning to the warehouse because he figured out Q Ki was luring him there.

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#10 Post by J.J. Walters »

Shermy wrote:I'm pretty sure this is derived from the Joe Cocker song at the end, or at least, that's what I always thought. Whatever it is, it's the same as the instrumental that plays during the flashbacks and over the end credits.
You're right. He's whistling "I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today". For some reason I thought it was a different song. It almost sounded like "We Are the World" to me! :shock:

What a great way to end this episode with that song, though. Really, really powerful. And the montage sequence was downright perfect!
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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#11 Post by Doc Ibold »

James J. Walters wrote:
Shermy wrote:I'm pretty sure this is derived from the Joe Cocker song at the end, or at least, that's what I always thought. Whatever it is, it's the same as the instrumental that plays during the flashbacks and over the end credits.
You're right. He's whistling "I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today". For some reason I thought it was a different song. It almost sounded like "We Are the World" to me! :shock:
Thank God!

I thought I was the only one!

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#12 Post by Shermy »

James J. Walters wrote:It almost sounded like "We Are the World" to me!
Don't feel bad, guys. I also noticed the similarity, and even a hint of what sounds like (to my ear)..."Roll On, Mississippi"!! :shock: :lol:

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#13 Post by Kahunagirl »

It wouldn't have meant anything to me back when the episode originally aired, but this time around I noticed that the two movies that Rick mentioned he rented to watch with Magnum were "Stalag 17" (which Magnum watched in a much earlier episode) and "A Thousand Clowns" -- the play TS did on Broadway in 2001, which he's said is his favorite play!

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#14 Post by Lt Tanaka »

Don't know if it's been mentioned earlier but the "bad guy" in this is the same actor who played the "bad guy" in Paper War. To use someone again one season later in such an important role who the audience were likely to recognise bugged me. I could stop thinking of that all the way through.

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#15 Post by Carmen »

Hi all!
The coach in the "waking up scene" looks like Tom Sellecks Father to me. Think I have to watch "Going home" again, but as nobody else mentioned it before, I guess I`m wrong.
BTW, great side, came here every day the last few month to get much informations about the episodes I watch on my daily dose. :lol:

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