Texas Lightning (2.18)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the second season

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
1
1%
9.5 (One of the Best)
11
10%
9.0 (Excellent)
9
8%
8.5 (Very Good)
27
24%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
28
25%
7.5 (Decent)
19
17%
7.0 (Average at Best)
9
8%
6.5 (Not So Good)
2
2%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
3
3%
5.0 (Just Awful)
2
2%
 
Total votes: 111

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Milton Collins
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Re: Texas Lightning (2.18)

#31 Post by Milton Collins »

A rare awful episode for me, gave it a 6. I always enjoy spotting the recurring bit actors but the dude playing Thompson had been in The Woman on the Beach earlier this year, way too soon to show up again. This is especially annoying of watching in order, takes out the realism from a great show. I did like the mysterious boat poker concept but JL and Thomas as a love interest? What's she, forty five there and TM is 33 I believe in season 2? Pullease! I just thought this was a dumb concept and plot and didn't care for this episode at all. Too bad because Season 2 is awesome!!!!

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Milton Collins
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Re:

#32 Post by Milton Collins »

snp389 wrote:This has a great story, but I can't watch this Ep. I cannot stand the character JL nor the actress. I reckon she is a complete pain in the arse!
On a good note, I like the scene in the estate's greenhouse.

Well said!

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Re: Texas Lightning (2.18)

#33 Post by marlboro »

I like this episode. The story is very good, and I found the ending very powerful.


There are a couple of problems though.

1) The drinking scene seemed inappropriate. I think the Higgins/TC/Rick scenes should have been minimized to allow for more relationship development scenes between Magnum and JL.

2) I am not a fan of Julie Sommars. I think it's her voice. She isn't that much older than Selleck (5 years) but I think someone more alluring would have made a story that ultimately hinged on Magnum falling in love would have been more effective.

Even though I'm not a fan of Sommars, I do wish we had seen her character make a return appearance. I think there was some potential for a recurring starcrossed lovers storyline.

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Re: Texas Lightning (2.18)

#34 Post by Ira »

This is a very good episode. A nice balance of reverie, action, adventure, romance, mystery, ingenuity and displays of camaraderie, and logically laid out by the writers. I think Texas Lightning could be a pretty good exemplar of the entire Magnum, P.I. series.

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Little Garwood
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Re: Texas Lightning (2.18)

#35 Post by Little Garwood »

7.5 [Decent]

The role of J.L. could have gone wretchedly wrong and perhaps there are fans who think that's exactly what happened, but I thought that Julie Sommars did an admirable job of striking the tricky balance of being the feminine operative or lady of adventure combined with toughness. When I say this, it's remembering how most women on prime time American TV series were portrayed circa the early 1980s. This type of thing was best handled by our Peach of Peaches, Erin Grey in J. Digger Doyle as did Jenny Agutter in S5's Little Games.

The scenes with TM and JL bickering during the rock climb could have easily fallen into unwanted High Road to China annoyances, but thankfully didn't. Selleck by this time was already being thought of as a throwback to the Clark Gable school of performer and so he was going to get the kind of scenes one might have seen in It Happened One Night to further make that Gable comparison.

I of course liked the scenes with Higgins, T.C., and Rick expressing grief over Magnum's fate ending with a plan of action and Rick's humorously drunken plop onto the sofa. I liked it that they would conduct their own rescue search because not only do we get more of the Big Four looking out for one another, but we are also treated to some extended scenes of that Hawaiian mountain greenery the visions of which have always stayed with me.

The only thing that prevents Texas Lightning from getting a higher rating is the unconvincing romance that developed for no good reason other than J.L. is a woman. The fact that she was a Russian agent and threatened Thomas' life with the flare gun should have put that plot complication to rest; they should have saved the episode's memorable last line for a more suitable story.
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KingKC
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Re: Texas Lightning (2.18)

#36 Post by KingKC »

The more I think about this episode the more I like it. Julie Sommars was great and I think she could have been brought back for more appearances. Surely they could have written her character in somewhere. The romance seemed a little trite but not too bad. The loyalty of the four, Magnum, Higgins, TC and Rick, really came out in this one. The "stranded" routine did show up again and again but that does make for a little suspense. I loved the ending. I think episodes like this one solidified the whole series of MPI especially in the second season.

KingKC

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Luther's nephew Dobie
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Re: Texas Lightning (2.18)

#37 Post by Luther's nephew Dobie »

Little Garwood wrote:7.5 [Decent]
The fact that she was a Russian agent and threatened Thomas' life with the flare gun should have put that plot complication to rest; they should have saved the episode's memorable last line for a more suitable story.
Hi Little Garwood,
Excellent point. Someone with the background of Magnum, the training etc, would have automatically slipped back into a ruthless assessment of the potentialities once he was threatened
by the flare gun and would not be sap enough to let his hormones rule his brain if only for a little while.
Besides, this was all at the height of the Cold War, she was a damn KGB agent and if she had been ordered to kill TC or even Agatha she would have done so without batting an eyelash.
Maybe if she had been an agent of one of our allies trying to obtain some economic secret it would have gone down better. But a KGB agent in service to a monstrous regime, no thank you.

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Re: Texas Lightning (2.18)

#38 Post by K Hale »

Little Garwood wrote:The scenes with TM and JL bickering during the rock climb could have easily fallen into unwanted High Road to China annoyances, but thankfully didn't. Selleck by this time was already being thought of as a throwback to the Clark Gable school of performer and so he was going to get the kind of scenes one might have seen in It Happened One Night to further make that Gable comparison.
Hahaha! Hey, I loved High Road to China.
I of course liked the scenes with Higgins, T.C., and Rick expressing grief over Magnum's fate ending with a plan of action and Rick's humorously drunken plop onto the sofa. I liked it that they would conduct their own rescue search because not only do we get more of the Big Four looking out for one another, but we are also treated to some extended scenes of that Hawaiian mountain greenery the visions of which have always stayed with me.
The helicopter rescue and subsequent chase were outstanding. I just loved Magnum's happy grin after he rushed up to the chopper! "It's the guys!!!" :lol: The chopper chase and the greenhouse scene were gold and the highlights of the episode. I am still not sure what to think on whether Higgins and/or Robin actually got Magnum a birthday present or if Higgins was putting TM on. And if he was, about what?
The only thing that prevents Texas Lightning from getting a higher rating is the unconvincing romance that developed for no good reason other than J.L. is a woman. The fact that she was a Russian agent and threatened Thomas' life with the flare gun should have put that plot complication to rest; they should have saved the episode's memorable last line for a more suitable story.
Higgins certainly tried to hammer that point home. I found the romance pretty unbelievable too. Still a good ending in spite of that.

Several people have mentioned the drinking scene and how the grief was not well conveyed. It was definitely played for laughs (unlike "Limbo" which I have a really hard time watching) but I suppose that was because we knew Magnum wasn't dead here so why waste all that emotion on a brief scene when the guys are about to go out and search for him anyway. Plus only Rick seems to really be grieving; Higgins does not believe Magnum is dead and TC seems unconvinced either way.
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Re: Texas Lightning (2.18)

#39 Post by ☨magnum.t »

LOL Magnum was always trying to go for the emotionally unavailable or otherwise completely out of their mind girls, it was kind of his thing. The women he had real chemistry with he never tried because he valued having them in his life as a friend way more than having an intimate relationship with them, those seldom last and usually end bad. I sometimes thought TM was crazy for his taste in women until I realized he purposely picked the ones that would never work.
That reminds me of the time....

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Re: Texas Lightning (2.18)

#40 Post by ENSHealy »

SignGuyHPW wrote:They also never explained why Magnum didn't have a gun on him when he was working as a bodygaurd ....

The scene where they're mourning Magnum and then Higgins just randomly decides that Magnum isn't dead was odd.

Magnum being, fairly, owed $300,000 for his fee to coming away empty handed was kind of a cool theme too.
I'm pretty sure that Thompson would have patted everyone down as they boarded the yacht, so that would explain coming on board unarmed.

I agree that the guys did not sell the scene where they're supposed to be mourning TM, but once again I think the main focus was on trying to introduce the theme of the guys being able to "sense" when TM is or isn't in real trouble. Clearly, Higgins knew that Thomas wasn't dead. Rick's lack of convincing goes mainly to his somewhat limited acting chops.

Magnum was only owed $30,000 - 10% of JL's winnings.

I liked the helicopter chase scene, especially the stuff close to the shore and surf (although it did have me thinking about season 1's crash when they were really skimming the waves) but I have two problems:
1. They supposedly found TM and JL on a small island. Then they go on an aerial chase and clearly they are flying over one damn big island. (It sort of looked like the same area where they were ambushed by pot growers in Wave Goodbye, which was supposedly Maui.)
2. First TC says he can't maneuver/get lift because of the weight of 5 people in the chopper, but then when TM asks him to get above the other chopper, it's "you got it, baby" and he pops right up.

I loved how TM's tuxedo keeps disappearing one piece at a time.

All in all though a good solid episode, with a fantastic final line. I agree the basis of the romance was iffy, but the closing line was a home run.
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Re: Texas Lightning (2.18)

#41 Post by K Hale »

Oh, I agree on the slowly disintegrating tux. He totally should have called Higgins' bluff, rented a tux and taken the gift instead.
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Re: Texas Lightning (2.18)

#42 Post by Mad Kudu Buck »

I thought that was the dumbest thing in the episode. Why wreck the tuxedo? Even if it was hot out - and it didn't appear to be - he could easily just roll up the shirt sleeves. Dress shirts are thin and light. Why rip off the pant legs? I assume it gets cooler at night in Hawaii and it would probably be more comfortable to sleep outside in pants rather than shorts.

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Re: Texas Lightning (2.18)

#43 Post by K Hale »

The dumbest thing in the episode was Magnum taking Higgins' bait about the present. It HAD to have been worth the gamble for the present (or even better, there NOT being a present) vs. just paying to rent a tuxedo.

Four possibilities... in increasing order of likelihood

1. Higgins got Magnum a present
2. Robin got Magnum a present
3. Higgins got Magnum a present, but planned to tell him it was from Robin
4. There was no present and Higgins hatched this chain-yank on the spot

One of my greatest regrets in the series was that Magnum didn't force Higgins to play this out.
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Re: Texas Lightning (2.18)

#44 Post by ENSHealy »

Mad Kudu Buck wrote:I thought that was the dumbest thing in the episode. Why wreck the tuxedo? Even if it was hot out - and it didn't appear to be - he could easily just roll up the shirt sleeves. Dress shirts are thin and light. Why rip off the pant legs? I assume it gets cooler at night in Hawaii and it would probably be more comfortable to sleep outside in pants rather than shorts.
From the temps I've been jealously monitoring lately, it looks like it only drops 8-10 degrees overnight in Hawaii. Or at least Honolulu.

He may also have ripped pieces off in frustration at JL, rather than due to temps. :D
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Re: Texas Lightning (2.18)

#45 Post by ☨magnum.t »

Sky's out Thighs out that's why haha tuxedo and suit pants are just leg prisons, walking around all over that mtn side would have been chafe city in those scratchy polyester bonds. Plus he caught fish, presumably speared them probably wading in the water or swimming. AND I mean its magnum, when did he (honestly, actually) care about messing up somebody else's stuff lol
That reminds me of the time....

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