Try to Remember (2.15)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the second season

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
6
6%
9.5 (One of the Best)
13
12%
9.0 (Excellent)
30
28%
8.5 (Very Good)
32
30%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
19
18%
7.5 (Decent)
3
3%
7.0 (Average at Best)
1
1%
6.5 (Not So Good)
1
1%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
0
No votes
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Total votes: 106

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J.J. Walters
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Try to Remember (2.15)

#1 Post by J.J. Walters »

This is the official MM thread for Try to Remember (2.15). All discussions and reviews for this episode should go here. If you wish to rate the episode, please do so with the poll. The avg. score will be the official 'community rating', which will be used on the episode page (updated monthly).

This thread is also linked in the episode page of the Episode Guide.


Original Air Date: 1/28/1982
Magnum wakes up in the hospital with amnesia and the Ferrari totalled. As he tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together, he remembers investigating the case of a missing woman. But, the girl turns up murdered and Magnum is considered the prime suspect when his baseball cap is found at the murder scene.
Last edited by J.J. Walters on Fri Dec 28, 2007 5:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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eegorr
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#2 Post by eegorr »

I like this episode. I watched it again today after it aired on WGN. I know I have seen it several times before, but I didn't remember that it introduced two important characters that would appear, on and off, throughout the remainder of the series: Lt. Tanaka and Doc Ibold. It probably should have been the season two opener.

Also, there is lots of narration by Selleck. And a slick little twist in the story.

All in all, a good story.

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#3 Post by IslandHopper »

I like this episode too. I always thought that the Lt. Tanaka character was an excellent addition to the show. I would have liked to have seen him incorporated more often than he was. Their common interest in the Detroit Tigers allowed for their relationship to expand beyond a merely professional relationship. The way Lt. Tanaka finagles the Detroit Tigers cap away from Magnum at the end was a nice touch.

The one thing I always thought was a little squirrelly about this episode was that Magnum's Detroit Tigers cap was left behind at the murder scene in order to make him the prime suspect. This was supposed to be Dave's way of leaving a "subtle" clue as to who murdered his sister-in-law, Joni. Subtle? There was nothing subtle about the Tigers cap being left behind. Magnum was probably the only person on Oahu who wore a Detroit Tigers cap. That is like leaving a polaroid of Magnum committing the crime.

A possible flub occurs in the beginning of the episode when Doc Ibold is asking Magnum questions and Magnum says his mother's name is "Martha." It is later revealed in "Going Home" (season 6) and later in "The Aunt Who Came To Dinner" (season 7) that his mother's name is Katherine. Magnum had complete memory of everything that occured prior to being pushed off of the cliff, so it wasn't due to memory loss. I'm sure the writers and producers hadn't discussed incorporating Magnum's mother into the show and just made up a name. So, maybe the use of the name Katherine in the later episodes is a flub because they forgot about "Martha." :?
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#4 Post by SelleckLover »

Incidentally or coincidentally, Tom Selleck's mother name is Martha.

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#5 Post by J.J. Walters »

IslandHopper wrote:A possible flub occurs in the beginning of the episode when Doc Ibold is asking Magnum questions and Magnum says his mother's name is "Martha." It is later revealed in "Going Home" (season 6) and later in "The Aunt Who Came To Dinner" (season 7) that his mother's name is Katherine. Magnum had complete memory of everything that occured prior to being pushed off of the cliff, so it wasn't due to memory loss. I'm sure the writers and producers hadn't discussed incorporating Magnum's mother into the show and just made up a name. So, maybe the use of the name Katherine in the later episodes is a flub because they forgot about "Martha." :?
They changed her name to "Katherine" in "Home From the Sea". I put the flub there, as that was when they apparently forgot that they had named her "Martha" in "Try to Remember". ;)
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#6 Post by grundle »

I watched the "Monk" matathon on USA a few days ago.

This woman woke up in her parked car, near the bottom of a cliff. She had no idea how she had gotten there.

When she got out of her car, Monk noticed that she had to push the seat forward, so he knew that someone else had knocked her out and put here there.

I wonder if they got that idea from this episode.

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#7 Post by Carol the Dabbler »

We just watched this episode tonight on DVD. When they showed the Crouching Lion Inn, I said, "Hey, that's a real place!" I remembered driving by there in 1974 -- at least, I remembered driving by the "Crouching Lion" rock formation, and was pretty sure that the Inn was a real place too. So I went looking for it online, and found this newspaper article about the restaurant closing late last December in order to upgrade their septic system. They were hoping to reopen in just a few weeks. Does anyone know whether they're open yet?

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#8 Post by Carol the Dabbler »

An enjoyable episode, especially because of the new to-be-continued characters.

One problem with this episode, from a dramatic point of view, is that there are no red herrings (unless you count Lt. Tanaka -- who would actually make a great villain, because who would suspect him?) The first time I saw the brother-in-law, with his neatly-pressed hair, I said, "I don't trust that guy."

The imitation-amnesia angle was an interesting plot twist. I'm wondering, though, whether there really is any type of knock-out drops that would either act instantaneously, leaving the victim with no recollection of a woozy period before he completely lost consciousness, or else induce a brief period of true amnesia coinciding with the woozy period.

Come to think of it, though, the Gilberts probably had no such consideration in mind -- they apparently intended for Magnum to die in the crash, and thus be unable to contradict their story or to defend himself. No wonder they showed up at the hospital -- they must have been terrified that he would sic the cops on them, and vastly relieved when they learned that he couldn't remember anything.

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#9 Post by Carol the Dabbler »

IslandHopper wrote:A possible flub occurs in the beginning of the episode when Doc Ibold is asking Magnum questions and Magnum says his mother's name is "Martha." It is later revealed in "Going Home" (season 6) and later in "The Aunt Who Came To Dinner" (season 7) that his mother's name is Katherine. Magnum had complete memory of everything that occured prior to being pushed off of the cliff, so it wasn't due to memory loss.
No, but he *was* pretty out of it, so might have answered the question in an atypical fashion. For example, suppose that his mother's name is Martha Katherine, and everyone calls her Katherine. So under normal circumstances, she would be introduced or referred to as Katherine. But in this situation, he's so spacey that he gives a very literal answer -- because legally, her name *is* Martha.

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#10 Post by Carmen »

... but maybe Tom Selleck just said "Martha" cause that`s his mothers name and nobody seemed to have a second thought about a name for Magnums Mom. It was season 2 and producers, writers and whoelse had to make further plans never thought of bringing her or her name back by then.
(Hope what I wrote is making any sense - it is to me, but sometimes reading what I wrote seems babbling even to me :wink: )
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Carol the Dabbler
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#11 Post by Carol the Dabbler »

Carol the Dabbler wrote:... suppose that his mother's name is Martha Katherine, and everyone calls her Katherine. .... But in this situation, he's so spacey that he gives a very literal answer -- because legally, her name *is* Martha.
Carmen wrote:... but maybe Tom Selleck just said "Martha" cause that`s his mothers name and nobody seemed to have a second thought about a name for Magnums Mom.
What you say makes perfect sense from a real-world point of view, Carmen, and is probably the actual explanation!

But I enjoy figuring out ways to explain apparent flubs in terms of the "Magnum universe" -- that is, so that things would make sense to the characters (rather than the actors). Call it my hobby!
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#12 Post by Carmen »

Carol, I know what you mean - sometimes I see it way too real :lol:
Maybe cause I am annoyed by the carelessness of the writers or producers with details like that. We, fans wouldn`t do that - a name is a name and a date of birth can`t differ from time to time - on the other hand - that´s only for men`s birthdays :wink:
Sometimes I get so lucky, even I don`t believe it (TSM)

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#13 Post by A P Leyland »

Brilliant beginning to this episode. At first we are led to believe this will be this week's excuse to involve Magnum in a case but then we see the Ferrari at the bottom of the cliff...

The Amnesia is handled well with Magnum never actually having it being an interesting plot twist but it's the character work that shines. Higgins and TC's concern for TM, the magnificent introduction of Lt Tanaka and Higgins hypnotising Magnum and blackmailing him at the end is wonderful. Stuff like this is why I still enjoy this show 25 years later.

Andy

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#14 Post by J.J. Walters »

Yeah, this is a really good episode. It's become one of my favorite "early season" episodes. Tanaka is such a great character; the japanese "Columbo" (by way of Hawaii).

Some odd things happen in this episode if you look closely (thanks to "J.G." for pointing these out)....

In the previous episode "Computer Date", we briefly meet Higgins' old flame Lady Ashley and her "traveling companion" Paolo. Paolo is wearing a gold necklace with a large pendant. Well, in this episode, Higgins now has that exact same necklace, which he uses to hypnotize Magnum!

Image

The "Lady Ashley" from "Computer Date" (referred to by Higgins as "Penelope") is never seen again, neither is Paolo. A different "Lady Ashley" will appear in "Echoes of the Mind" (referred to by Higgins as "Elizabeth"). Higgins, what did you do!!? How did you get Paolo's gold necklace?? Is this why you were smiling and smoking a cigarette when you met the two at the estate?? :)

Secondly, a mysterious white Ford Torino station wagon seems to be following Magnum around in this episode, with no connection to the plot. It's at the scene of Magnum's car crash. It's at the Crouching Lion Inn. It's at the "Haloka Antiques" shop. And one other place, I believe. Pretty funny.

Image

Image

Image

Notice TM's parking job. Plenty of spaces, yet he parks on the front lawn! Typical. :)
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#15 Post by Jay-Firestorm »

A very good episode this one, although I had a hard time deciding exactly what rating to give. I feel asleep while watching this on DVD last night (I know, how can you fall asleep during MPI!) and dreamed about it all night.

[rating=9]

Late one night, Magnum is found badly injured after seemingly crashing the Ferrari over a cliff. Suffering amnesia, he soon finds himself prime suspect for a murder, and struggles to remember what happened on that fateful evening. A very good if over-talky episode…

-----

This review contains spoilers.

This episode opens with an emergency crew rushing to a call out; When the camera pans on to the wrecked Ferrari, it is a startling and almost haunting moment. What on Earth had happened to Magnum, how did he end up like this? It is the start of an intriguing story.

The episode marks the first appearance of two characters that would become recurring. Glenn Cannon (who played another doctor in the first season’s ‘Never Again… Never Again’) plays Doc Ibold, and, more prominently, Kwan Hi Lim makes his first of a number of appearances as the dishevelled but strangely likable Lt. Tanaka.
Tanaka is a great character, and I’m surprised they didn’t spin him off into his own special of something.
(Oh, and one other ‘character’ makes his first appearance – Magnum’s rubber chicken, which will appear in many future episodes!!)

There are several contradictions in this story. When asked his mother’s name, Magnum says it is ‘Martha’ (Tom Selleck’s mother’s name), whereas later in the series it would be Katherine. Also, he gives his birthday as 8th August 1944 – previously in the season in ‘Memories Are Forever’, his driving license showed it to be 5th January 1946. I prefer the 5th January one as this is also my birthday – but either way, maybe he get these facts wrong as he was so concussed.

I was surprised that T.C. and Rick weren’t around more in this episode to help the badly injured Magnum on his quest to find out what had happened on that evening; but I suppose this was Magnum’s story and the writers didn’t feel that they were necessary.

Either way, the episode has some really nice Magnum / Higgins moments, some of the best of the season. As much as he tries to make out otherwise, Higgins really cares for Magnum.

With such a relatively small cast, it is quite easy to guess who the true villains of the piece are – the couple who had hired Magnum, and had cooked for him on that fateful night. The plot could have done with a few more red herrings, but I like the climatic scene where Magnum ‘poisons’ the pair to force them into confessing!

I’m not sure how to rate this episode. It is a very good one, with a terrific premise, but at the same time I do find it very slightly ‘padded’ and over-wordy in places. I’ll give it a reasonable but not quite perfect 9 out of 10.

-----

Other notes, bloopers and misc.:

* Higgins’ cigarette count (see previous episode thread): Higgins asks Rick for a cigarette at the hospital, although we don’t actually see him smoking it (Just noticed Doc Ibold added this on the ‘Computer Date’ thread also)

* Nitpick: Badly injured and suffering concussion, would Magnum really be allowed to drive so soon after the accident?

* Higgins performs hypnosis for the second time in the series, after the first season’s ‘Missing In Action’.

* When this episode was shown on Channel 5 in the U.K. in 2002, there was a transmission problem and many areas (including mine) had a blank picture for quite a few minutes, missing a big chunk of the story. Just thought I’d mention it!!
JAY FIRESTORM

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