Mad Buck Gibson (2.9)

[Gorilla Mask]

Hi, everyone, I was questioning about a memory TM related at 24:37 in this episode.

The recollection was from his young time when he was a University Football Quarterback. I guess he was probably at least 17 or 18 years old aged.

TM expressed his disappointed hopes when he missed the chance to make a career. Then he told Mad Buck about his father consolation words : " in French version: "Competition last only for a short term period".

It seems to me that, in the episode 4.1 " Home from the sea", we learn that his father died (during Korea War ?) when he was much younger (around 8 or 9 years old).

I didn't watch that episode for severals years so... did i missed something ?

[80s Big Hair]

Hi, everyone, I was questioning about a memory TM related at 24:37 in this episode.

The recollection was from his young time when he was a University Football Quarterback. I guess he was probably at least 17 or 18 years old aged.

TM expressed his disappointed hopes when he missed the chance to make a career. Then he told Mad Buck about his father consolation words : " in French version: "Competition last only for a short term period".

It seems to me that, in the episode 4.1 " Home from the sea", we learn that his father died (during Korea War ?) when he was much younger (around 8 or 9 years old).

I didn't watch that episode for severals years so... did i missed something ?

On my DVD they are discussing baseball and it starts at 25:25. Magnum says that he was the starting pitcher "and that was a pretty big deal because we were state champs for two years." There is talk about scouts for the major league. That means that he was still in high school (15-18 year range). In the American DVD his father's quote was "Athletics only last the summer, however long that summer is."

But onto the important thing. Magnum was born in 1945 or 1946 (depending on the episode you watch!). His father died in 1951. So you are absolutely correct Gorilla Mask. Magnum would have been way too young for this to be true unless the major league was recruiting kids at the age of six.

Another timeline mix up...

[Gorilla Mask]

Thanks 80s Big Hair, it confirms what i suspected: The french dubbing work took liberties and is sometimes quite loosy with the original script. However, Football tactics and big game might be more understanble for french ears than baseball…

Concerning the timeline mix up, the scenarists probably do not anticipate the longevity of the show.

[Gorilla Mask]

By the way, here is my (humble) review of that opus:

- the plot is quite minimalist, the scenarist try to imply a former wife in the story but it did not add much...
- Magnum shows that he is surely a much better investigator than bodyguard !
- Again, Higgins supported the main effort with brilliant dialogues and implausible/funny situations !
- sluggish and not very convincing action sequences ( i might be severe but that is it...);
- Mad Buck Gibson character and play it worth of interest. Of course it was inspired by Hemingway but with a slight childish attitude;
- The final is (at last) brilliant and 'save the day'.

gain a good point to the french dubbing work which deployed clever tricks to keep the poor french audience on tracks !

thanks for reading.

[Little Garwood]

Mad Buck's dialogue as he's about to take off in the hang glider is some truly marvelous writing and it's beautifully delivered by the great Darren McGavin:

Magnum: "They respect the way you live."

Mad Buck: "Well, then, for God's sake, let them respect the way I'm gonna die. Well, then I won't do it to you. I'll tell it to that little kid who had a curve ball that would break your heart. And who ached for Sandy Koufax's uniform. You see, because I had a fantasy, too, once. Never, never, ever was I gonna be afraid of death. Oh, yeah, always. Always hated myself for it. Yeah, I always i always ran just a little too far out in front of the bulls when we ran with them in Spain. I always pulled the ripcord just one instant too soon. I was always afraid of dying. But now Death has screwed up. He's overplayed his hand. You see, it's the only thing that we're really afraid of in death. We know it's inevitable, we just don't know when. But now, don't you see, now I know that Death can't cheat me of life, can't cheat me of--of really, truly living a full life. Because now, I don't have to hold back something to save for tomorrow, for next year, next summer. Now I know that there will never will be...another summer. I know there will never be another morning quite as glorious as this. You see, I won because I've nothing to lose."

I hope Mad Buck’s farewell monologue is soon added to the episode’s quotes section.

[charybdis1966]

I’ve got the season 2 DVD and I saw this last night. From my memories of seeing this as a teenager back in the ‘80s I recall finding Mad Buck a rather irritating show off, but watching it with adult, 50-something eyes of course I see it differently now.
I still can’t really warm to his character however as many have said he does redeem himself with his parting speech before his final hang glide to his end.
As usual the Higgins scenes do improve my view of this episode and Hillerman steals the show nearly every time he’s on screen.