Missing in Action (1.9)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the first season

Moderator: Styles Bitchley

How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
0
No votes
9.5 (One of the Best)
1
1%
9.0 (Excellent)
9
9%
8.5 (Very Good)
22
21%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
23
22%
7.5 (Decent)
30
29%
7.0 (Average at Best)
11
11%
6.5 (Not So Good)
4
4%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
1
1%
5.0 (Just Awful)
3
3%
 
Total votes: 104

Message
Author
User avatar
Little Garwood
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 1261
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:53 pm
Location: The Magnumverse

Re: Missing in Action (1.9)

#41 Post by Little Garwood »

Every time I watch this episode I simply "have to" replay Eric's fall after he is shot. The stuntman sure earned his pay on that one because he comes so close to hitting his head against the side of the ship! :o
"Popularity is the pocket change of history."

~Tom Selleck

User avatar
J.J. Walters
Founding Father
Posts: 4196
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 10:54 pm
Location: Suburbia, USA
Contact:

Re: Missing in Action (1.9)

#42 Post by J.J. Walters »

Never really noticed that before (the fall happens so quickly), but you're right. The stuntman is perilously close to both the dock and the boat! At first I thought maybe it was a depth perception trick, but when Magnum and Laura walk up to it you get a brief look at the landing area. It's pretty tight. That stuntman certainly threaded the needle on that one! But Magnum always had top notch stuntmen, didn't it. ;)

Image

Image
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

User avatar
308GTS
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 204
Joined: Sat Feb 24, 2007 10:22 am
Location: Kent, England

Re: Missing in Action (1.9)

#43 Post by 308GTS »

Just watched this again last night, Rebecca Holden is pretty scary with those freaky eyes, but hot nevertheless!

I love the almost 70's feel about the First Season!
Arun
------

"The only thing that's going to touch you is a 10ft pole"

User avatar
Little Garwood
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 1261
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:53 pm
Location: The Magnumverse

Re:

#44 Post by Little Garwood »

N1095A wrote:Not sure why he would want her for himself. If you ask me, she was kind of weird, and not in a good way. She kind of gave me the creeps through the whole ep. The extreme gross-up, uh I mean close-ups of the strings of spittle hanging from her lips didn't help much either.
Holden may not have been a great actress but at least she actually shed tears and looked like she was crying. I've lost count of the number of actresses "crying" yet never shedding a single tear. That Nazi hag from "Never Again" being just one example from MPI. Kudos to Rebecca Holden for actually looking distressed and sad.

Storywise, I don't buy her character being engaged to a Vietnam vet circa 1972. Holden was born in 1958, making her 14 in 1972. This episode aired in February 1981. The casting and script let us down in those respects.
"Popularity is the pocket change of history."

~Tom Selleck

User avatar
EZiller
Captain
Posts: 61
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2014 9:28 pm
Location: East of the Sandwich Islands

Re: Missing in Action (1.9)

#45 Post by EZiller »

I may have seen this years ago, but didn't remember much. Just caught it recently on ENC. Pretty dumb script, especially the shoot-out at the end of the episode. Having rescued Laura from Newton, TSM goes chasing after Eric who is on top of the tower with a rifle leaving Laura with..Newton! So then Eric,sitting 50' up behind cover, with a high powered rifle with a scope, manages to miss a wide open TSM, then is convinced by a pistol waving TSM to throw his rifle down. Must have been some USMC DI's wince after seeing that. It's already mentioned but after he's shot and falls in the ocean no one, not even excellent swimmer TSM tries to pull him out of the water. I guess they assumed he's dead and will be fish food. Also thought the comedic bit of TSM not paying TC the $50 for tuning up the Ferrari was overplayed, just made Magnum look like a cheap tight ass.

Rebecca Holden-top ten MPI babe. Excellent figure, very pretty although I think they OD'd on the make-up, especially in the scenes at the KKC. But in the blue tube top with the tight jeans and the swim suit-wow!

Scotophor
Lieutenant Junior Grade
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 4:15 am

Re: Missing in Action (1.9)

#46 Post by Scotophor »

A minor technical point I just noticed; from the episode note #7 here:
"Photo-negative flashbacks are memorably used in this episode, something rarely seen in television at the time."

The photo-negative effect may have been rare, but it wasn't new. I just saw the same effect used several times in an I Spy episode, "Anyplace I Hang Myself is Home", from 13 years prior.
This signature intentionally left blank.

User avatar
Little Garwood
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 1261
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:53 pm
Location: The Magnumverse

Re: Missing in Action (1.9)

#47 Post by Little Garwood »

Scotophor wrote:A minor technical point I just noticed; from the episode note #7 here:
"Photo-negative flashbacks are memorably used in this episode, something rarely seen in television at the time."

The photo-negative effect may have been rare, but it wasn't new. I just saw the same effect used several times in an I Spy episode, "Anyplace I Hang Myself is Home", from 13 years prior.
It was used prior to that in the Star Trek episode The Alternative Factor. I'm sure there's an even earlier use of the photo-negative technique in TV before that as well. :)
"Popularity is the pocket change of history."

~Tom Selleck

User avatar
Derek
Commander
Posts: 42
Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 5:46 pm

Re: Missing in Action (1.9)

#48 Post by Derek »

Not a bad episode, and I'm not sure, is this the first time they used the new Magnum theme? Also, when TM says to TC "I owe you one," is this the only time that TC actually talks to the camera?

I like the girl, and also the whole Ferarri repair story, quite funny. Weak point is the ending, as pointed out before: A highly trained specialist on his vantage point misses Magnum as he runs over the place and then surrenders as Magnum waves from down below with a pistol. Not very credible, TM could have thrown some stones as well... Feels a bit like they were running out of time and had to wrap it up somehow.

Nevertheless, I like the episode, it has a rather serious main thread, which is lightened up by the usual fighting between Higgins and Magnum or working out his relationship to his friends. And Hawai'i, of course, it makes me want to go to there :) Thinking about it, I think this whole series was funded by the Government of Hawai'i :)
I know what you're thinking. And you're right.

User avatar
Turkey
Admiral
Posts: 184
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2014 2:06 pm
Location: Oz

Re: Missing in Action (1.9)

#49 Post by Turkey »

Flawed but a good episode I reckon - worth it to see TC address the camera. I can't remember, does Rick ever address the camera?

Like other folks, I feel the ending isn't the best, too many holes. Thomas shouldn't have freed a hostage only to give that hostage right back to Delta 1 etc

But I did enjoy the shoot-out in at Eric's apartment (the shoot-out thread reminded me of this episode :) )
Make it two weeks.

User avatar
MagnumILWU
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 629
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2012 5:44 pm
Location: Portland Oregon

Re: Missing in Action (1.9)

#50 Post by MagnumILWU »

Just watching this episode on Encore. Never was one of my favorites, but I still enjoy it! I really enjoy the early episodes,but, watching episodes like this, can make me happy and sad at the same time! Seeing Jeff MacKay and Lance LeGault, and knowing they are gone is just sad! But watching them, and all the others, so young, just starting out in a new series, the enjoyment I've gotten from it through the years, I just wouldn't trade it for any other show!
"pickled egg please"

User avatar
Frodoleader
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 441
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 4:47 pm
Location: Central Ohio

Re: Missing in Action (1.9)

#51 Post by Frodoleader »

Just watched this again last night. It is still a favorite episode of mine. Especially like Rebecca Holden and her singing of "Deja Vu". Also agree about the ending, its not a good one. My problem is when Eric climbs to the highest point on the derrick, not once, but twice. Doesn't it make sense to not put yourself in a place with absolutely no way to escape if you had to? I don't see a trained operative doing something so foolish.
"You are three months at Dak Wei and still you crack jokes?" - Ivan

User avatar
KingKC
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 571
Joined: Mon Feb 29, 2016 10:16 pm
Location: Third World Country of Arkansas

Re: Missing in Action (1.9)

#52 Post by KingKC »

This is one of many of the first season episodes that sticks in my mind and has for thirty-five years! Why, I don't know since it really isn't one of the best but I thought it was pretty good. (It was early in the series, though) I definitely like Rebecca Holden for obvious reasons even if she isn't the greatest actress. I liked the intrigue of espionage and black-ops and the role played by Lance LeGault and, for some reason, the sign in the window being a signal of sorts. How subtle! The photo-negative flashbacks are unique and really stick in my mind. Finally, I think this episode has one of the biggest flubs, if not the biggest flub of the whole series, in that Eric is shot, falls into the water from a pretty good distance and no one even looks over the edge of the pier/dock much less tries to pull him out of the water.

thechickinthemiddle
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 215
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2016 3:38 am

Re: Missing in Action (1.9)

#53 Post by thechickinthemiddle »

I'm guessing a bad edit/cut from script was what caused no one checking Eric's condition. :P Magnum asks for T.C.'s van earlier, but we don't really see it. Maybe T.C. was waiting out in the wings somewhere by the water to pull Eric out. :P That, or I'm too used to Magnum having a plan for meeting bad guys at remote locations. :lol:

User avatar
Danny Lin
Vice Admiral
Posts: 138
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 3:06 pm
Location: Jororo

Re:

#54 Post by Danny Lin »

On the level of the tide during the bathing scene:
timm525 wrote:So-so ep for me. 7.5.

One thing I just noticed was towards the beginning when TM takes her back to the estate for a swim and dinner, you see her sitting on the beach and TM coming in from a swim. He grabs a towel to dry off and the dialog starts. At this point, notice the level of the water on the beach directly behind TM. Now fast forward to the end of the scene and look at the level of the water directly behind TM. Looks to me like there is a big difference.

Now either this was a long shoot with multiple retakes or the tide was coming in rather fast at that time. Or, perhaps the tide/waves picked up in intensity as you can see the waves come up almost to TM's feet at the end vs what looks like several feet away at the beginning.

...
I don´t see that. At the beginning of the sequence the rock walls of the tidal pool are as much under water as they are at the end of the sequence. Even the shadow that is thrown on the water by the concrete wall in the background is about as long at the end of the sequence as it is at the beginning.
How far up a beach single waves make it always shifts notably from wave to wave at any beach at any time.
... Then I'm history... Walking history... I'll be just another chapter in one of those dumb books Louise Peardon makes me read: "Prince Danny Lin, assassinated July." ...

User avatar
Danny Lin
Vice Admiral
Posts: 138
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 3:06 pm
Location: Jororo

Re:

#55 Post by Danny Lin »

On the reflection on the drivers door of the car:
MaiTaiMan wrote:
Little Garwood wrote:I did spot a flub in this episode: At around the 37 minute mark, when Newton's henchman is driving away in the car, a member of the filming crew can be seen in the reflection of the car door

Thanks to James for the credit. :)
Do you mean towards the end...when Magnum makes Newton's goon drive away by gunpoint? I went back and watched that scene and you can sort of see a reflection of some kind on the car door--but it was really hard to see exactly what it was. But, it appeared to be moving around somewhat, so you're probably right. :)
In that sequence there are reflections on the whole drivers side of the "henchman´s" car. Interesting enough the sun is in a position that lets all the shadows in the sequence fall towards the camera but anyway in the beginning of the sequence when Thomas and Newton arrive in TC´s van out of the background you see a big shadow being thrown on the drivers side of the "henchman´s" car from behind the camera, which means that there must be some kind of a light source behind the camera too. That big shadow moves over the drivers side of the car and comes to rest on the drivers door when the camera stops to move. In that big shadow covering nearly the whole drivers door the reflections are more clear than on the rest of the drivers side. In that shadow you can see a person make two or three steps from the right to the left after the "henchman" got in and closed the door and before the car starts to move.
... Then I'm history... Walking history... I'll be just another chapter in one of those dumb books Louise Peardon makes me read: "Prince Danny Lin, assassinated July." ...

Post Reply