Thicker than Blood (1.12)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the first season

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
2
2%
9.5 (One of the Best)
8
8%
9.0 (Excellent)
16
16%
8.5 (Very Good)
19
19%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
28
27%
7.5 (Decent)
16
16%
7.0 (Average at Best)
7
7%
6.5 (Not So Good)
4
4%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
1
1%
5.0 (Just Awful)
1
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Total votes: 102

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J.J. Walters
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Thicker than Blood (1.12)

#1 Post by J.J. Walters »

This is the official MM thread for Thicker than Blood (1.12). 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: 2/26/1981
T.C. makes a late-night flight to land on a tanker and is arrested on the journey back for transporting drugs. Magnum and Rick and certain of their friend's innocence and are shocked when he is willing to accept the charges. Determined to clear T.C.'s name, they soon discover that his secret flight brought back more than he had bargained for.
Last edited by J.J. Walters on Fri Dec 28, 2007 5:05 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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IslandHopper
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#2 Post by IslandHopper »

Additional Flubs for "Thicker Than Blood."

1. When Magnum sits up in bed, and looks at his watch, you can see his circular scar on his left side of his chest (looks like one of those circular flesh-colored band-aids), and another scar on the top of his left shoulder. He then takes a swim and after his swim you can still see the circular scar, but the scar on the top of the left shoulder does not appear to be there. I believe it appears later though.

Not a flub, but what was with that tape recording of his girlfriend, Sarah, and that stupid protien recipe? Her voice was nauseating.

2. When Magnum goes to TC's hangar to try to stop him from jumping bail, they get into a fight. Magnum is wearing white shoes, but during the fight, Magnum's stunt double is wearing BLACK shoes.

3. James has already mentioned the fact that TC was arrested for smuggling his buddy, a deserter, which makes it very difficult to believe that the Coast Guard wouldn't have gone over his helicopter with a fine tooth comb before it's put up for auction. In the scene where the bad guys buy the chopper and take it into the hangar, all they do is unscrew the front floor board and unload the drugs. Real nice hiding place.

This episode had a good plot, but there are a few things that made it difficult for me to watch at times. That woman's voice on the tape recorder for one. Second, the Joey character seemed like a cartoon character, who is in need of a serious intervention. Since the writers ask the audience to abandon all logic at times (like believing that the Coast Guard wouldn't have searched the chopper for drugs), I thought it was unfortunate that they couldn't have somehow exonerated TC of the felony charge(s) without having him on probation for 5 years for smuggling a deserter. The writers could have gotten away without even mentioning it (Rick mentions it in the last scene in the guest house). In reality, I'm sure the FAA would have stripped TC of his license to fly, and he would not have been able to fly in the Marine Reserves, as in "Did You See The Sunrise" (Season 3).

This episode did have 2 great scenes which should be noted. The first is where Magnum is being chased out of the ship (Evelyn H) by the Captain and crew, and Magnum calls his dockmates for help and Magnum continues to run as his dockmates fight the ships crew. The second scene is where, Rick and TC are helping Magnum move out pursuant to his deal with Higgins. Higgins is in the guest house observing the move and you can tell he doesn't want Magnum to move out and invents the excuse of taking inventory before Magnum can move out, and Magnum won't have any of that, and says he's going to stay, and of course, Higgins agrees. This is one of those moments where Higgins, in his own way, is telling Magnum that he wants him to stay.

Anyway, I thought this was a pretty good episode, with the exceptions noted above.

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#3 Post by J.J. Walters »

Great review IslandHopper! And thanks for the additional flubs! I've added them to the Episode Guide.
IslandHopper wrote:The second scene is where, Rick and TC are helping Magnum move out pursuant to his deal with Higgins. Higgins is in the guest house observing the move and you can tell he doesn't want Magnum to move out and invents the excuse of taking inventory before Magnum can move out, and Magnum won't have any of that, and says he's going to stay, and of course, Higgins agrees. This is one of those moments where Higgins, in his own way, is telling Magnum that he wants him to stay.
And then the episode ends with Magnum putting on the Groucho Marx "mask", saying "How about that!?", and looking at the camera. A great tearing-down-the-fourth-wall "final frame".

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#4 Post by Shermy »

An entertaining episode, highlighted by the great showdown between Magnum and T.C. I love the fact that Rick has the hopeless task of trying to referee! Magnum's realization that he no longer wants to work in the union is also a classic moment.

Even early on, the Magnum-Higgins dynamic was well-developed, and the darkroom scene is a nice precursor to the one which would soon appear in Memories Are Forever.

Incidentally, the teaser includes some additional dialogue which was deleted from the episode. As T.C. is escorted in handcuffs, Magnum raises his hand and says, "Take it easy. I just want to talk to my buddy." A few moments later, Rick exclaims, "T.C.!" (In the actual episode, Magnum begins to raise his hand but the scene immediately cuts back to T.C. and his guards.)

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#5 Post by J.J. Walters »

Shermy wrote:Incidentally, the teaser includes some additional dialogue which was deleted from the episode. As T.C. is escorted in handcuffs, Magnum raises his hand and says, "Take it easy. I just want to talk to my buddy." A few moments later, Rick exclaims, "T.C.!" (In the actual episode, Magnum begins to raise his hand but the scene immediately cuts back to T.C. and his guards.)
Awesome Shermy. Thanks!
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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#6 Post by J.J. Walters »

Just watched this again recently. The Magnum/Higgins denouement (with Higgins "persuading" Magnum to stay) may be the best of the entire series. It's just a great little moment in the early stages of Magnum and Higgins' bonding. The Sword of Damocles quote, the gorilla mask, the groucho mask. A perfect Magnum ending, really.

And that woman we never see who spent the night with Magnum at the guesthouse, the "health nut" literary agent, "Sarah". All I can say is, I'm glad Magnum never mentions her again. She leaves a tape recording that instructs him to blend flat beer, tomato juice and three raw eggs?! Run, Magnum, run! ;)
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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#7 Post by Doc Ibold »

But,

Oddly enough Magnum seems to be all about protein shakes later on in the series.

Maybe Sarah turned him on to it!

:lol:

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#8 Post by IslandHopper »

James J. Walters wrote:And that woman we never see who spent the night with Magnum at the guesthouse, the "health nut" literary agent, "Sarah". All I can say is, I'm glad Magnum never mentions her again. She leaves a tape recording that instructs him to blend flat beer, tomato juice and three raw eggs?! Run, Magnum, run! ;)
James, I couldn't agree more. That woman's voice definitely deserves to be on the MPI "most annoying list." We often discuss some of the annoying characters on MPI. This was probably the first "annoying moment" of the show. That woman's voice is as annoying to me as Cassie Yates' character, Annie Potts' character or the Goldie Morris character. Fortunately it only lasted about 30 seconds. I think that it must have been intentional, like when we see TC overact in certain situations. Another annoying voice over was the bride at the beginning of "The Hotel Dick" when she and her newlywed husband were getting into the hot-tub. Again, I'm sure this was intentional as well. I don't know why, but the show seemed to do things like that from time to time. I guess that's what gave the show part of its charm.
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Carol the Dabbler
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#9 Post by Carol the Dabbler »

The first "flub" isn't quite accurate as listed. As IslandHopper pointed out above, T.C. was caught (and charged with) smuggling a *person* into the islands, not drugs. Magnum, Rick, & T.C. found dope in Joey's room later on, but apparently didn't tell the authorities about it -- flushed it, maybe?

Still, it does seems odd that "they" didn't give the copter a thorough going-over -- and, as IH pointed out, the dope wasn't even really hidden, just stored in some obvious compartments! Stuff like this drives me nuts, but I think I've figured out a plausible scenario.

The feds *had* found the drugs in TC's copter, and were waiting to spring it on him and his lawyer as late as allowed by the disclosure laws (just before the trial?). But when Magnum et al. clued them in on their theory that the real smuggler would bid on the copter, the feds played along -- even to the point of putting the drugs (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) back into the compartments.

Of course, they can't put everything that happened into the episode, due to time constraints. :wink:
Last edited by Carol the Dabbler on Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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#10 Post by Carol the Dabbler »

James J. Walters wrote:And that woman ... the "health nut" literary agent, "Sarah". All I can say is, I'm glad Magnum never mentions her again. She leaves a tape recording that instructs him to blend flat beer, tomato juice and three raw eggs?! Run, Magnum, run! ;)
I think we missed part of the recipe, seeing as how the finished product was a lovely shade of green. It must have been pretty tasty if Rick liked it!

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#11 Post by J.J. Walters »

Carol the Dabbler wrote:The first "flub" isn't quite accurate as listed. As IslandHopper pointed out above, T.C. was caught (and charged with) smuggling a *person* into the islands, not drugs. Magnum, Rick, & T.C. found dope in Joey's room later on, but apparently didn't tell the authorities about it -- flushed it, maybe?

Still, it does seems odd that "they" didn't give the copter a thorough going-over -- and, as IH pointed out, the dope wasn't even really hidden, just stored in some obvious compartments! Stuff like this drives me nuts, but I think I've figured out a plausible scenario.
Yeah, this is a borderline flub. I've removed it.

Thanks
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#12 Post by J.J. Walters »

Anybody happen to know the location of this scene?

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#13 Post by Sam »

James..That is the Hyatt Regency on Kalakaua.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sutlermb/59232033/

The outdoor bar was also used in "Computer Date"

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/65/20258 ... e8.jpg?v=0

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#14 Post by lutherhgillis »

OK, Hawaii has to be a hot spot for smuggling. Some guy is caught flying under radar with a suspicious passenger and fless when confronted by the coastguard. The coastguard would go to the effort of calling out a military attack helicopter in order to bring him into custody but they would fail to lift the floor board covers to check for drugs? :shock: :shock: :shock:

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#15 Post by Agatha »

This is one of my ALL TIME favorites! I hear you about Sarah and about the Coast Guard not searching confiscated helicopters but…for me…this episode is all about giving me a chance to get better acquainted with TC. There has been some discussion about how Roger E Mosley influenced the evolvement of the TC character. He drinks in the first few episodes but then it’s very clear that he’s not a drinker. In China Doll, he’s a small business and refunding that poor tourist couple’s return fare will be hard for him but then it starts to look like Island Hopper is a fairly successful business. He’s pretty physical in Thank Heavens for Little Girls but then we see that he’s a gentle man with artistic and altruistic sensibilities. I think this is the episode that allows us to know TC well enough for that evolution to take place and I love it.

The BIG #1 with TC is his loyalty. Yes, it’s paramount in this episode where he’s willing to lose everything to help Joey because Joey pulled him out of a burning chopper in Vietnam. And it shows up again in Sense of Debt where he fights for the Delta vet who he injures in an accident. But really…TC’s loyalty shows up in EVERY episode. He’s ALWAYS “there” for Thomas, Rick and even Higgins when they need him. He complains a lot about Thomas’s “crazy cases” and about gas money and about how many times Rick falls in love and about Higgins’s “mangy pot hounds” and …and…and…but he ALWAYS comes through for them.

This episode is one of the few times that Rick and Thomas repay that loyalty. They know him well enough to know that “something’s wrong with this picture” and even though he tries to keep them out of it so they aren’t liable, they stick by him until they figure it out. And then they stick by him until HE figures it out! That he doesn’t have to ruin his life or give up the things and people that he loves. I almost cried when Thomas pulls TC off of Renault (sp-?). Not because he doesn’t think the drug dealer deserves to die but because he doesn’t want TC to be “hurt” by killing him.

I think it’s great that we’re allowed to see the vulnerability of this character. It’s really cute (sorry, guys!) to see how protective TC is of his “bird” after it’s all over and he’s got it back…his helicopter AND his life! This speaks volumes to me about TC’s character and about how much he trusts Thomas and Rick because it’s not the kind of thing that men are often willing to reveal.

And, of course, the icing on the cake is when Higgins shows off a bit of his own character by figuring out how to nullify the “deal” that would force Thomas to move out of the guest house. This is the single most obvious indication so far that Higgins is beginning to have some respect Thomas and, I think, is one of the first times that it’s transparent enough for Thomas to recognize.

Nice! VERY nice!

:)
Isn't the ocean beautiful at sunset? So soft....so peaceful...so romantic!

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