The Woman on the Beach (2.3)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the second season

Moderator: Styles Bitchley

How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
12
9%
9.5 (One of the Best)
18
14%
9.0 (Excellent)
34
27%
8.5 (Very Good)
24
19%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
21
17%
7.5 (Decent)
11
9%
7.0 (Average at Best)
2
2%
6.5 (Not So Good)
2
2%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
2
2%
5.0 (Just Awful)
1
1%
 
Total votes: 127

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Honolulu Lulu
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#31 Post by Honolulu Lulu »

Thanks for sending me my first greeting, grambax!

Sounds like you're watching episode broadcasts as opposed to DVDs. As a Murder She Wrote fan, what did you think of the crossover episode? (Guess you ought to answer that question on the "Novel Connection" forum.)

Anyway, thanks for the posting!
Rack em up!

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#32 Post by grambax »

Honolulu Lulu wrote:Thanks for sending me my first greeting, grambax!

Sounds like you're watching episode broadcasts as opposed to DVDs. As a Murder She Wrote fan, what did you think of the crossover episode? (Guess you ought to answer that question on the "Novel Connection" forum.)

Anyway, thanks for the posting!
You are very welcome!

No, we are watching the DVDs. I just like to spread my favourites out over a long period, and my other half is new to Magnum and, I'm pleased and relieved to say, a new convert. We just took the week off to spread the enjoyment (at this rate Magnum wil only last another 3-4 years!). Thursday night is my treat night, with some of my favourite programs; something to look forward to during the week.

Here in the UK Magnum was originally shown on the ITV network, whose regional channels tended to show US programs as only throwaway late-night fillers; very frustrating; so I've never seem all the episodes, only most, and that was many years ago. Murder She Wrote, on the other hand, has been shown by the BBC ad infinitum, as an afternoon daily filler. But in short, neither program was treated with much respect, although they have been shown on cable chanels, so we are watching them more or less chronologically on DVD.

But the brief answer is that, although I have had the chance, years apart, I chose never to watch the crossover episode unitil I could watch both in context, so we skipped it on the MSW DVD set and will watch both when they come around on the Magnum set. It seemed unfair to watch the MSW when my OH was unfamilar, beyond superficially, with Magnum.

What do you think of it/them? Is it worth waiting for?

Forgive me if I'm wandering off-topic and feel free to reply in the more appropriate forum if you prefer.

Best,

g

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Honolulu Lulu
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#33 Post by Honolulu Lulu »

It's nice to know you are from the UK! I'm glad that in spite of the poor coverage of MPI over there, fans like you were able to develope an appreciation for the show.

I think you are smart to savor Magnum a little a time and introduce your other half slowly but surely. I was kind of sad when I watched each episode for the first time.

I have never seen Murder She Wrote, but as a Magum fan I really enjoyed the cross-over. Since you like both shows, I think you will, too.
Rack em up!

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#34 Post by wind4fuel »

grundle wrote:I've rated all the episdes from the first 2 seasons. "The Woman On The Beach" is the only one that I gave a 10 to.

The script is outstanding. Lots of action, adventure, romance, and mystery. And Judith Chapman really knows how to act.

She was also in "The Black Orchid" from season 1. It's interesting that in both episodes, she plays a character who likes to dress up as a woman from the 1940s - althouth for a very different reason in each of the two episodes. I saw her on an episode of McGuyver once, too. I read that she was in daily soap operas, but I never watch them.
I agree this is one of the best. Judith Chapman had range in this played very well.

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#35 Post by MaiTaiMan »

Superb plot, superb ghost story intertwined with a 35 year old murder/disappearance, awesome spooky moments, and I thought Judith Chapman did a fantastic job!

I love ghost stories and/or spooky stuff...so this is one of my all-time favorites of "Magnum". I always thought this episode greatly resembled the real-life ghost story of Resurrection Mary in Chicago. I rated it as a 10 (Perfect)! :D
"It was more ironic than a Robin Masters novel--she thought he was dead, he thought she was dead...and only the chauffeur knew the truth! He should have been the butler!" "Lest We Forget"

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ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)
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#36 Post by ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan) »

I guess I'll have to go against the grain here and say that I found this episode to be fairly average. Ok, it wasn't as dull as "Dead Man's Channel" but wasn't anything special either.

To start with the positives - I thought Judith Chapman did a very good job acting-wise (and is quite the looker!) and Kenneth Mars simply stole the show as Josef the German caretaker in his brief appearance. I actually rewinded the DVD just to watch his scenes a second time! Brilliant!

But the story itself wasn't really all that engaging. We knew from the start that there was no ghost and that the woman in white was not Sara Clifford but someone impersonating her. The killer turned out to be Jack Hogan - again no big surprise. And after all is said and done they tack on the silly ghost at the end that Magnum thinks he sees on the beach. Totally unnecessary. Almost like an afterthought. This isn't The Twilight Zone or something - I prefer a more grounded approach to mystery-solving. It's actually funny because I really loved season 3's "Flashback" but at least there it was all a dream and it was great to see the whole MPI world transported back to the 30s. Here the whole ghost twist at the end doesn't quite work. At least not for me.

I really thought I would like this one a lot more because of a certain noirish feel but it was quite a let-down. "Skin Deep" and "Flashback" are much better when it comes to noir-themed MPI episodes. And of the 2 Judith Chapman episodes I prefer season 1's "The Black Orchid" to this one. I'm rating this one as Decent only because of Kenneth Mars. Otherwise it would be Average at Best.

Wow! Does this mean I'm the only one who prefers "Billy Joe Bob" to "The Woman on the Beach"? :shock:

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#37 Post by MaiTaiMan »

IvanTheTerrible wrote:I guess I'll have to go against the grain here and say that I found this episode to be fairly average. Ok, it wasn't as dull as "Dead Man's Channel" but wasn't anything special either.

To start with the positives - I thought Judith Chapman did a very good job acting-wise (and is quite the looker!) and Kenneth Mars simply stole the show as Josef the German caretaker in his brief appearance. I actually rewinded the DVD just to watch his scenes a second time! Brilliant!

But the story itself wasn't really all that engaging. We knew from the start that there was no ghost and that the woman in white was not Sara Clifford but someone impersonating her. The killer turned out to be Jack Hogan - again no big surprise. And after all is said and done they tack on the silly ghost at the end that Magnum thinks he sees on the beach. Totally unnecessary. Almost like an afterthought. This isn't The Twilight Zone or something - I prefer a more grounded approach to mystery-solving. It's actually funny because I really loved season 3's "Flashback" but at least there it was all a dream and it was great to see the whole MPI world transported back to the 30s. Here the whole ghost twist at the end doesn't quite work. At least not for me.

I really thought I would like this one a lot more because of a certain noirish feel but it was quite a let-down. "Skin Deep" and "Flashback" are much better when it comes to noir-themed MPI episodes. And of the 2 Judith Chapman episodes I prefer season 1's "The Black Orchid" to this one. I'm rating this one as Decent only because of Kenneth Mars. Otherwise it would be Average at Best.

Wow! Does this mean I'm the only one who prefers "Billy Joe Bob" to "The Woman on the Beach"? :shock:
To each his or her own...each person has their own opinions on episodes, and each episode impacts each person differently. However, I will say that there is no way EVER that I could like "Billy Joe Bob" better than "Woman On the Beach!!" :o :lol: But, I don't like hick/hillbilly/cowboy stuff much...to me that isn't a "Magnum" episode at all! :? That needs to stay with "Gunsmoke" and shows of that genre.

As for the ghost story...there actually were a few episodes that "hinted" towards there actually being a spirit or ghost--leaving the idea open-ended. Not that I truly believe in ghosts, so-to-speak, but with all the popularity with hauntings and ghost shows in the past 30 years or so...this episode does a superb job of delving into that realm--for an 80's TV show. But, I like spooky, ghost-from-the-past type things...so this is one of my favorites.

We were supposed to know it was Sara Clifford's granddaughter that was impersonating her. We were also supposed to know that Jack was the killer...we just got to see how Magnum figured it out after 35 years. I love episodes that go back to the past too...so I liked the backstory and how they put it all together. I also did like the surprise at the end...where maybe Magnum really did see the ghost of Sara. :) After all, Judith Chapman's character said she did not go near the old potting house. :wink: It gave back some of the mystery and romantic aspects to the story--that not everything was rationally explained, which is usually very boring.
"It was more ironic than a Robin Masters novel--she thought he was dead, he thought she was dead...and only the chauffeur knew the truth! He should have been the butler!" "Lest We Forget"

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#38 Post by ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan) »

MaiTaiMan wrote:However, I will say that there is no way EVER that I could like "Billy Joe Bob" better than "Woman On the Beach!!" :o :lol:
Yep, I figured I was the only one who thought so. :wink:

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#39 Post by Brant »

Just watched this ep this morning,, and I agree with those who think this is one of the best.

Does anyone know about the Clifford estate? Was it made up to look abandoned or did they really find an old dilapidated property to use for the film? I find old abandoned homes, military bases, airports, racetracks, etc. very interesting.

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#40 Post by Little Garwood »

Can't remember what I voted for this one, but it's worth an [8.0].

I'm pretty sure that Sara's house was used in an episode of Hawaii Five-O. I believe McGarrett and Danno knocked on that same glass door with the ornate wood carvings.

I've always enjoyed the episode, with the garden providing an interesting backdrop and mystery. Kenneth Mars was great as the groundskeeper. If I hadn't seen his name in the credits, I don't think I would have known it was him!
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#41 Post by Seaver41 »

watched it last night.........great episode. I too like the elements of the supernatural and maybe even more so when they leave you wondering.

I understand the role of the groundskeeper now more than I originally did..........as you watch Magnum follow her, what is ti that everyone is thinking? (assuming you haven't seen it yet)......you're saying he can catch her and unveil the hoax....but the old 1-2 shovel beating thwarts him. So he was a necessary device.

Best scene for me has to be the guys in Rick's room watchijg him set up for the date that does not happen. We see Tom and TC just bust out laughing when Rick tells them he has known this girl for 2 days and she is 'the one'. You won't find Selleck's Frank Reagan or Jesse Stone with that laughter. It's also one of the rare times TC is having a belly laugh.

So if I followed correctly, Thomas was following both Lisa and the ghost at various points on the estate. So that was the ghost he caught up to and had the sarcastic conversation with, correct?

Those eyes on Judith are amazing.

one complaint......the ghost talked to Thomas on the estate.......I was expecting her to address him on the beach in some fashion.

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#42 Post by .45caliber »

Seaver41, I agree that they should have had the ghost respond in someway, like a thanks or something. Great episode though, just watched it.

By the by, the girl that played the clerk at the library or hall of records, whatever it was, she was really hot. I wonder why she thought TM didn't care about pretty women? She was wrong.

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Re: The Woman on the Beach (2.3)

#43 Post by Magnum T. »

Magnum helps Rick in the search for Sara, a mysterious woman he meets one night at KKC and falls in love with.
Problem is Sara died 35 years before, apparently in a suicidal car accident.
Magnum and Rick find another woman, Lisa Page, who is writing a book about Sara and looks exactly like her.

This is a good episode, not perfect but probably one of the best in Season Two.
The most peculiar thing is the reference to the supernatural, quite unusual for the series but treated again at least in one pivotal future episode, 5.3 "Mac's back" (with wich this episode shares a very similar ending, if I remember correctly).
Judith Chapman makes her second "appearance" in the show, after 1.16 "The Black Orchid". She always looks good, no doubt about that, but I prefer her here. Maybe it's the character, maybe she acts better here, I don't know.
The scene with the glass-wearing librarian "transforming" into a sex-bomb is quite funny, though a little predictable.
Even more predictable the scene with Magnum and T.C. assaulting the dinner Rick had prepared for his... girlfriend.
I found one of Jay-Firestorm's notes interesting:
Early in the story [...] we see an unusual side to Thomas and T.C., as they try to persuade Rick to accompany them to a red light bar and ask him what’s wrong with “booze and one-night stands”. This is a side of the characters that we seldom see, as neither of them drinks heavily (in fact, T.C. is teetotal) and generally show more respect for their women-friends.
The weak side of this episode is that, though the story is well filmed and performed, the bad guy is easy to spot.
On this matter MaiTaiMan wrote:
We were supposed to know it was Sara Clifford's granddaughter that was impersonating her. We were also supposed to know that Jack was the killer...we just got to see how Magnum figured it out after 35 years.
It is an interesting point of view, almost the same narrative scheme used in "Columbo" (greatest detective tv-series ever, btw), only in "Columbo" the murder is actually shown.

Plus: this episode contains an iconic scene, TM scaring the life out of Rick and T.C. while they are digging (better, while Rick is digging).
Minus: as said, an easy-to-spot villain.
Best line:
Magnum: Why didn't you tell me that before you swung?
Josef: I would have lost the advantage of surprise.

Notes:
- team ring on the right hand
- Lisa's house, easily recognizable from the carved-wood/glass sliding door, was used in 1.6 "Skin Deep".
- Judith Chapman seems to have appeared in a number of tv shows I used to watch at the time. I remember her in an episode of "The incredible Hulk" (because I have the series on DVD).
- Kenneth Mars plays the caretaker with a heavy German accent and will be back again in 5.6 "Fragments". I remember him playing a high-ranking nazi official in the "Wonder Woman" pilot and the Chief of Police in Mel Brooks' masterpiece "Young Frankenstein".
- Jack Hogan is in 2.18 "Texas Lightning".

Rate: 8.5
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Re: The Woman on the Beach (2.3)

#44 Post by Neil Peel »

This is my first post, so "Hi Guys!"

As some of you know, the ITV4 channel here in the UK has recently begun showing Magnum P.I., some 32 years after it was originally aired. It's been great to watch all the episodes in sequence and to have this website, with its guides and fans' thoughts to refer to as well, is fantastic - thank you. Plus, to watch the pilot at long last brought a wide smile to my face for 90 minutes as I had missed its original broadcast all those years ago. Although I did read the novel, I long wondered what the pilot movie was like, and now I know! (Why didn't I think to look for the pilot on Youtube?!) I believe I watched every subsequent episode that was broadcast on the UK's HTV channel back in the eighties but I don't remember seeing the finale, so perhaps this was never shown? (Would Jay Firestorm be able to confirm?)

From my current run of viewings, "The Woman On The Beach" is the first episode that I can remember from first time around - the digging scene stuck in my mind because it was in the opening credits. Anyway, I think I've spotted a flub that hasn't previously been mentioned:- when Rick drives his Datsun on to Robin's estate, just as Magnum is leaving in the Ferrari (after Higgins has asked him to be a "supernumerary" in Romeo & Juliet) they stop their cars alongside each other to talk, with their engines switched off. At first Thomas is looking forward and to the left, over his wing-mirror, as he speaks to Rick. The scene then cuts to Thomas speaking over his shoulder, as if Rick has driven slightly past the Ferrari's driver's door, and then they are shown speaking directly opposite each other!

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Re: The Woman on the Beach (2.3)

#45 Post by Doc Ibold »

Neil Peel wrote:This is my first post, so "Hi Guys!"

As some of you know, the ITV4 channel here in the UK has recently begun showing Magnum P.I., some 32 years after it was originally aired. It's been great to watch all the episodes in sequence and to have this website, with its guides and fans' thoughts to refer to as well, is fantastic - thank you. Plus, to watch the pilot at long last brought a wide smile to my face for 90 minutes as I had missed its original broadcast all those years ago. Although I did read the novel, I long wondered what the pilot movie was like, and now I know! (Why didn't I think to look for the pilot on Youtube?!) I believe I watched every subsequent episode that was broadcast on the UK's HTV channel back in the eighties but I don't remember seeing the finale, so perhaps this was never shown? (Would Jay Firestorm be able to confirm?)

From my current run of viewings, "The Woman On The Beach" is the first episode that I can remember from first time around - the digging scene stuck in my mind because it was in the opening credits. Anyway, I think I've spotted a flub that hasn't previously been mentioned:- when Rick drives his Datsun on to Robin's estate, just as Magnum is leaving in the Ferrari (after Higgins has asked him to be a "supernumerary" in Romeo & Juliet) they stop their cars alongside each other to talk, with their engines switched off. At first Thomas is looking forward and to the left, over his wing-mirror, as he speaks to Rick. The scene then cuts to Thomas speaking over his shoulder, as if Rick has driven slightly past the Ferrari's driver's door, and then they are shown speaking directly opposite each other!
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