Skin Deep (1.6)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the first season

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
3
3%
9.5 (One of the Best)
7
6%
9.0 (Excellent)
23
21%
8.5 (Very Good)
39
36%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
20
18%
7.5 (Decent)
6
6%
7.0 (Average at Best)
4
4%
6.5 (Not So Good)
5
5%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
1
1%
5.0 (Just Awful)
1
1%
 
Total votes: 109

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KingKC
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Re: Skin Deep (1.6)

#71 Post by KingKC »

Of all the first season episodes and for that matter most of the other episodes, this one leaves little in my memory banks. Even after I read the synopsis and commentary and forum postings I still cannot remember much about it. It just did not affect me. Many people talk about how strong this episode was for the first season but I guess I will have to buy the DVDs or wait for another series of reruns to refresh my memories. All of my memories come from the original showings and summer reruns, a set of reruns in the mid-nineties and a set of reruns that just ended a few months ago.

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thechickinthemiddle
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Re:

#72 Post by thechickinthemiddle »

J.J. Walters wrote:
AmandaByNight wrote:This episode is memorable to me for a couple of reasons, but one in particular.

When Magnum finally happens upon the actress and he's explaining what is going on, they use the word "lover" over and over again. I don't remember the exact dialogue, but it's absolutely hilarious. I always wanted to make that scene a drinking game.

I also quite like the way this episode opens. It's really dark.
Magnum: David hired me to find your lover.
Erin: I don't have a lover!
Magnum: David believes you do, because of all the weekends that you disappear.
Erin: I was here! Alone!
Magnum: David didn't know that. He figured wherever your lover was, that's where you'd be. That's why he hired me, to find your lover. And once I led him to your lover, then he'd kill all three of us.

Hehe, pretty funny!
LOL. This stood out for me too. It's what we youngins call "narm" now. Something that's meant to be serious but just comes off as unreasonably silly. :lol: I bet the writers from that episode on were careful to not write any Magnum dialogue with the word "lover" in it. (Especially dialogue being yelled by him XD)

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Danny Lin
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Re:

#73 Post by Danny Lin »

MaximRecoil wrote:
timm525 wrote:I didn't see this blooper mentioned in the reviews so I'll mention it here.

At index 2912 Higgins has walked into the girl's apartment to show Magnum the ballistics report he came up with. He says:

"This...is a 12 gauge double-ought shot gun shell."

"It contains 12 30-caliber pellets."

Now watch as he pour the pellets into the fish looking ash tray. Count the pellets and you come up with 14, not 12 pellets. :D

Oooops!
That's not the only error in that scene. 00 buck is .33 caliber, not .30 caliber as Higgins claimed. #1 buck is .30 caliber.

Higgins' claim of 12 pellets is correct for 12 gauge 00 buck (though 14 were shown on screen as you pointed out) because standard 2-3/4" 12 gauge 00 buck shells (the shotgun tied to the chair shown in the closeups was a Winchester Model 1897, which has a 2-3/4" chamber) are commonly available with 9 or 12 pellets.
Also there are notably more holes than 12 or 14 in the second target presented by Higgins.
... 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." ...

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Danny Lin
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Re: Skin Deep (1.6)

#74 Post by Danny Lin »

On the establishing shot to the KKC:

At the beginning of the episode-specific trailer this shot is shown:
Image
It was used as the establishing shot to the KKC in the previous episode "No Need To Know". In "Skin Deep" it is not used at all.

In "Skin Deep" instead this shot is used as the establishing shot to the KKC:
Image
... 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." ...

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Re:

#75 Post by Danny Lin »

Visiting Stewardess wrote:
...

When looking at the "beauty" of women, one always have to take into account, that this show is now 30 (!!!) years old, and that at the time there people just had a different idea of beauty (for example, it was the time of perms, whereas today someone is beautiful with long straight hair).

...
I´d say that the question what kind of hairstyle or fashion people prefer is object to the spirit of the age whereas the general preferences according the beauty of a persons body haven´t changed since the 80ies.
... 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." ...

thechickinthemiddle
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Re: Re:

#76 Post by thechickinthemiddle »

Danny Lin wrote:
Visiting Stewardess wrote: ...
When looking at the "beauty" of women, one always have to take into account, that this show is now 30 (!!!) years old, and that at the time there people just had a different idea of beauty (for example, it was the time of perms, whereas today someone is beautiful with long straight hair).
...
I´d say that the question what kind of hairstyle or fashion people prefer is object to the spirit of the age whereas the general preferences according the beauty of a persons body haven´t changed since the 80ies.
Indeed. I find the longer straighter hair from early seasons of the show have aged a lot better than the perms and big hair we saw later on. (And of course shoulder pads. :P)

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Re: Re:

#77 Post by Danny Lin »

thechickinthemiddle wrote:
Danny Lin wrote:
Visiting Stewardess wrote: ...
When looking at the "beauty" of women, one always have to take into account, that this show is now 30 (!!!) years old, and that at the time there people just had a different idea of beauty (for example, it was the time of perms, whereas today someone is beautiful with long straight hair).
...
I´d say that the question what kind of hairstyle or fashion people prefer is object to the spirit of the age whereas the general preferences according the beauty of a persons body haven´t changed since the 80ies.
Indeed. I find the longer straighter hair from early seasons of the show have aged a lot better than the perms and big hair we saw later on. (And of course shoulder pads. :P)
Right! :D Shoulder pads, mullets and other "crimes" of the 80ies are what I´m looking forward to secretly giggle about :lol: while I´m working my way on through the episodes... Until now I too find the fashion style close to timeless, away from the 70ies boot cut seen every now and then.
... 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." ...

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Re: Skin Deep (1.6)

#78 Post by Danny Lin »

On unmentioned flubs:

At the beginning of the episode Erin records her rehearsals. The recording partly is shown to the audience "live" via Erins TV. Since she is recording with a steady camera in her living room the camera cannot follow her moving around. Still, when Erin is recording the second take, after she says: "Take two", the camera follows her as if there was a camera man present.

When David shoots Magnum Magnum falls down into the water and gets wet all over. Just minutes later, when he is fleeing together with Erin, his pants are totally dry again.
... 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." ...

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Re: Skin Deep (1.6)

#79 Post by Danny Lin »

Different aspects on the episode:

6 am/pm:
Magnum shouting at Higgins for waking him up at six in the morning when it in fact is six in the evening is funny and gives Higgins a chance to make one of his stuck-up remarks in a typically British manner but isn´t very likely to happen. Fristly it is very unlikely that someone stepping out in the garden doesn´t realize that the sun shines from the exact opposite direction as it would have to shine from when it was 12 hours earlier and then it is very unlikely that someone who slept for 14 straight hours feels like he only slept two hours when they wake up.

The dogs:
To imply that the lads could be the ones who released the clay pigeons for Higgins to shoot was a witty idea.

The "lousy writer":
To have Erin rehearse a Bellisario script titled "Skin Deep" was a nice allusion. To have J.J. Stein complain about "that lousy writer" later in the morgue gives evidence of a good sense of humour in Bellisario.

Higgins British humour:
Higgins unknowingly enjoying himself a little too much when he with his typical British humour sums up: "In other words, gentlemen: At twelve feet double ought blows ones bloody head off (laughs)." was hilarious!!

Davids shots at Magnum:
The shots David fired at Magnum after hitting him in the leg by the first shot for my taste went a little too far off target.

Ian McShane´s acting:
Ian McShane impersonated David´s character outstandingly!
... 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." ...

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Re: Skin Deep (1.6)

#80 Post by Danny Lin »

On Paradise Found´s helicopter:

The helicopter of the business "Paradise Found", in front of which the conversation between Magnum and John takes place, appears again in "Jororo Farewell". There´s a close up of it in the sequence right after the cargo plane took off over Magnum´s head. Magnum drives by in the Ferrari from "outside" the picture on his way to the "three slot" (to say it in Rick´s words). 8)
... 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." ...

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Re: Skin Deep (1.6)

#81 Post by Danny Lin »

On a blown off head that is still in place:

As I mentioned before Higgins proved that: At twelve feet double ought blows ones bloody head off. But when the coroner pushes the girls body back into the "body deposit" after Stein has fainted you can see that her head is still in place. They even cared to make her a ginger.
... 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." ...

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Re:

#82 Post by K Hale »

Jay-Firestorm wrote:Another great, if almost throwaway, scene, is as Magnum is woken up by Higgins’ clay pigeon shooting near the beginning of the story, believing it to be 6 am, not realising it is actually 6 pm. Maybe Zeus and Apollo really WERE releasing the clay pigeons!!
I don't think it was throwaway; it sets up the "ballistics report" scene in the house where Higgins shows up with the targets that he's blasted with presumably the same shotgun, to show the effect of a shotgun blast at X amount of feet vs. Y amount of feet. Which by the way contains another mention of Five-O. (Norman: "He's not from Five-O!" Magnum: "I never said he was.") Admittedly, every time I watch the clay pigeons scene I really want Magnum to take the bait just to see what Higgins had intended to say. :lol:
David Norman is, of course, played by Ian McShane, who would go on to be known her in the United Kingdom for playing ‘Lovejoy’ (1986, 1991-1994). By the way, although Magnum and Lovejoy are quite different characters – Lovejoy was an antiques dealer- there are some notable parallels with the character, not least in both of them often addressing the camera.
McShane would be seen again in ‘Magnum’ in the popular third season episode ‘Black on White’.
Ian McShane will always be Al Swearengen to me. 8)
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Re: Skin Deep (1.6)

#83 Post by K Hale »

Croix de Lorraine wrote:I find it very out of character that Higgins would be a fan of David Norman's trashy B movies.
Perhaps he has a penchant for trashy entertainment. After all, just look at the novels he writes. 8)
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Re: Skin Deep (1.6)

#84 Post by K Hale »

Danny Lin wrote: Higgins unknowingly enjoying himself a little too much when he with his typical British humour sums up: "In other words, gentlemen: At twelve feet double ought blows ones bloody head off (laughs)." was hilarious!!
The largely unspoken byplay between Higgins and Norman in this scene is excellent. McShane is great. His expressions upon serving the Scotch with no bloody ice have already been mentioned. Norman's increasing discomfort with Higgins' increasingly graphic descriptions about being hit in various areas of the head or throat etc. is a treat. Best part is when Higgins lets the already-overly-long ballistics report get completely out of control and segue into a war story about raiding a supply dump as Norman slowly walks up behind him with an appalled expression and finally shouts "Get him to SHUT UP!" :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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☨magnum.t
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Re: Skin Deep (1.6)

#85 Post by ☨magnum.t »

K Hale wrote:
Croix de Lorraine wrote:I find it very out of character that Higgins would be a fan of David Norman's trashy B movies.
Perhaps he has a penchant for trashy entertainment. After all, just look at the novels he writes. 8)
HAHA I see what you did there...
That reminds me of the time....

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