Skin Deep (1.6)

[K Hale]

Yes. Seems there’s an attack on masculinity these days...

Yes, especially when they keep adding the word "toxic" in front of "masculinity".

Discouraging men from seeking help for mental health issues because it's "not manly" is an example of toxic masculinity. It's quite detrimental to men.

Masculinity itself is not toxic.

[ENSHealy]

Yes. Seems there’s an attack on masculinity these days... but glad there have been steps in putting aside the “man up” stuff when it comes to mental and emotional pain and more encouragement to get men to open up about their issues instead of suppressing them.

Yes, especially when they keep adding the word "toxic" in front of "masculinity".

Something tells me we're going down two different paths here....

[brianw]

Good ep, I like the early ones a lot. TM gets shot AGAIN, he must have just recovered from getting shot in the pilot ep.

[Algernon Farnsworth]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Derek

Was David Norman based on John Derek? Found out about him recently, a former actor turned B-movie director with a preference for young blondes that he would promise to make famous, such as Ursula Andress, Linda Evans, and Bo Derek.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Derek

Was David Norman based on John Derek? Found out about him recently, a former actor turned B-movie director with a preference for young blondes that he would promise to make famous, such as Ursula Andress, Linda Evans, and Bo Derek.

Sounds about right. I loved John Derek's role of Joshua in the 1956 Cecil B. DeMille classic THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. But in real life the guy sounded like a creep. He ditched his wife and kids and ran off to be with a very young Ursula Andress (pre-Dr. NO). Then a few years later ditched her for Linda Evans. Then ditched her for Bo Derek (who was underage at the time). A real prince of a guy.

[waverly2211]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Derek

Was David Norman based on John Derek? Found out about him recently, a former actor turned B-movie director with a preference for young blondes that he would promise to make famous, such as Ursula Andress, Linda Evans, and Bo Derek.

I was told that many producers would often make up characters based on a composite of real actors they loved or hated. They would use bits of real life experiences from multiple bad encounters to make up the "perfect" villain. Or use the good ones for the perfect good guy.

On another note, Marry Collins/Bo Derek, was by neighbors locker partner in Jr. High School.

[MaiTaiMan]

I LOVE this episode, and it's one of my favorites! This is really one where the show is starting to "prove" itself!

The plot is awesome, and very intriguing. Again, I thought the Vietnam flashbacks were captivatingly woven into the episode and Tom Selleck (as usual) does an outstanding acting job! Also, I know that producer Michael Mann is famously known for having very abrupt/sometimes "hanging"/definite in-your-face type endings to "Miami Vice" episodes. But, there are a few "Magnums" that do that as well...and Bellisario and Larson were doing that 4 years before "MV". I liked the abrupt but heart-felt ending to this with Magnum and T.C. mentioning the effects of their Vietnam experiences. Something you usually don't see at the time.

But, my favorite part about this episode is that it's obviously Donald Bellisario and Glen Larson's own take on the classic 1944 film noir movie "Laura"!

In "Laura" a beautiful rich socialite, named Laura, is brutally murdered by a shotgun blast to the face...therefore she is not identifiable by the face--in 1944 there was no DNA and I don't know if they looked at dental charts then or not? Anyway, the cop that has to solve the murder is captivated by who Laura was and as he investigates her life, he ends up falling in love with her. Then, she suddenly shows back up alive! Come to find out, it was another girl she let stay in her apartment that was mistaken for Laura and subsequently murdered. Together, Laura and the cop solve who was trying to kill her and why. I love film noirs, so "Laura" is one of my all-time favorites. Therefore, it makes the "Magnum" episode, "Skin Deep", one I truly enjoy and love everytime I go through the show.

Another popular cop-show that did it's own version of "Laura" too, was the 90's cop-drama "Silk Stalkings"--starring Rob Estes and Mitzi Kapture.

This was my original review from several years ago. This is still one of my favorite episodes, and was obviously “Magnum”’s take on the famous 1944 film noir LAURA!