This is the official MM thread for Basket Case (3.15). 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: 2/3/1983
T.C. and Magnum play coach to junior basketball teams, but they call "foul" when they learn that their newest star player comes from a criminal foster home.
Basket Case (3.15)
Moderator: Styles Bitchley
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J.J. Walters
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Basket Case (3.15)
Last edited by J.J. Walters on Fri Dec 28, 2007 5:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Higgiebaby
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Tran Quoc Jones
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I've always liked this espisode. Its a bit silly, but what can I say I enjoy it anyway.
But what about the scene where Higgins and Magnum have dinner with Willie? I'm not an expert on Hawaiian law, but in most states two grown men alone at night giving a twelve year old girl wine would pretty much land you in the houscow where you would subsequently have knockers tatooed on your back and be used as a "special friend" to some guy named snake. I used to play a little basketball myself, but I don't recall any of my coaches and/or a mysterious man servant taking me home at night for a little drinkie-poo along with my asparagus vinaigrette. But what do I know, things may be more different in the Islands.
But what about the scene where Higgins and Magnum have dinner with Willie? I'm not an expert on Hawaiian law, but in most states two grown men alone at night giving a twelve year old girl wine would pretty much land you in the houscow where you would subsequently have knockers tatooed on your back and be used as a "special friend" to some guy named snake. I used to play a little basketball myself, but I don't recall any of my coaches and/or a mysterious man servant taking me home at night for a little drinkie-poo along with my asparagus vinaigrette. But what do I know, things may be more different in the Islands.
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J.J. Walters
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Dana Hill is fantastic in this episode. A perfect part for her. She won the Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress, Guest in a Television Series, despite the fact that she was actually 19 when she filmed this episode. Very sad that she died so young from diabetes complications.
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!
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IslandHopper
- Master Flub Spotter
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For not having any real danger, this is a pretty good episode. I liked how Magnum and TC were able to showcase their hoops skills. I also liked the commonality (antiques, fine dining, etc.) between Higgins and Willie, and how she actually taught Higgins about the origins of "English Walnuts."
The other aspect that made this episode seem more authentic was the fact that Willie (Dana Hill) was actually a good basketball player. There have been episodes where an actor is supposed to be portraying a professional athlete and you can tell they are not very good. In "Mixed Doubles" you could tell the Carrie Reardon character couldn't play tennis very well although she was supposed to be the #2 female player in the world. They tried to hide the fact that she wasn't very good by having close-up shots of her hitting the tennis ball. However, you can still tell that most of the balls she was hitting were going high and off to the right probably on to the other court. Same for the Ginger Leah Grant character, however, she didn't seem quite as bad as Carrie Reardon. In "Squeeze Play" Lola Stenhauser was supposed to play "a mean second base." However, in reality, she was not very good at all. This phenomenon is evident in many different TV series, and movies, not just MPI. Again, Dana Hill's ability to dribble and shoot well provided authenticity.
A minor flub can be seen when Higgins is diagramming his floating-zone defense on the chalk board. The first shot you see of him diagramming it on the chalk board is not the same diagram we see when the camera cuts to a close-up of the diagram and we see a hand (presumably Higgins') completing the diagram with Magnum standing next to him.
I enjoyed this episode, and agree with James that this was a perfect part for Dana Hill. She did a great job.
The other aspect that made this episode seem more authentic was the fact that Willie (Dana Hill) was actually a good basketball player. There have been episodes where an actor is supposed to be portraying a professional athlete and you can tell they are not very good. In "Mixed Doubles" you could tell the Carrie Reardon character couldn't play tennis very well although she was supposed to be the #2 female player in the world. They tried to hide the fact that she wasn't very good by having close-up shots of her hitting the tennis ball. However, you can still tell that most of the balls she was hitting were going high and off to the right probably on to the other court. Same for the Ginger Leah Grant character, however, she didn't seem quite as bad as Carrie Reardon. In "Squeeze Play" Lola Stenhauser was supposed to play "a mean second base." However, in reality, she was not very good at all. This phenomenon is evident in many different TV series, and movies, not just MPI. Again, Dana Hill's ability to dribble and shoot well provided authenticity.
A minor flub can be seen when Higgins is diagramming his floating-zone defense on the chalk board. The first shot you see of him diagramming it on the chalk board is not the same diagram we see when the camera cuts to a close-up of the diagram and we see a hand (presumably Higgins') completing the diagram with Magnum standing next to him.
I enjoyed this episode, and agree with James that this was a perfect part for Dana Hill. She did a great job.
The answer is obvious, old man. Logic is irrelevant. It's simply Tropical Madness. (J.Q. Higgins)
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SelleckLover
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Back in the 1980's child abuse/molestation was considered a taboo subject for a television show in prime time in the United States. Back then they had network sensors that would actually ban the airing of what they thought was objectionable. Not like today, where pretty much anything short of blatant nudity is shown! In fact, I'm sort of shocked at some of the stuff they show on MTV. Back in the 1960's and 1970's that stuff would have been called pornography! But I guess whether it's porn or not would depend on your definition of porn. JMHO!I'm not an expert on Hawaiian law, but in most states two grown men alone at night giving a twelve year old girl wine would pretty much land you in the houscow where you would subsequently have knockers tatooed on your back and be used as a "special friend" to some guy named snake.
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J.J. Walters
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J.J. Walters
- Founding Father
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- Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 10:54 pm
- Location: Suburbia, USA
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J.J. Walters
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- Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 10:54 pm
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J.J. Walters
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Carol the Dabbler
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This is not a flub, just something that caught my attention:
When Magnum tells TC that he was on the Naval Academy's basketball team, TC mockingly calls him "Kareem-Abdul Magnum." But Magnum's Academy days were in the 60's, so TC might more logically have called him "Thomas Alcindor," since Lew Alcindor did not change his name to Kareem-Abdul Jabbar until 1971 (according to Wikipedia).
Of course, this episode is set in the 80's, so TC is simply alluding to the athlete's then-current name.
When Magnum tells TC that he was on the Naval Academy's basketball team, TC mockingly calls him "Kareem-Abdul Magnum." But Magnum's Academy days were in the 60's, so TC might more logically have called him "Thomas Alcindor," since Lew Alcindor did not change his name to Kareem-Abdul Jabbar until 1971 (according to Wikipedia).
Of course, this episode is set in the 80's, so TC is simply alluding to the athlete's then-current name.
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A P Leyland
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See, this is why I like this show. On any other series this Fagin rip off with a cute kid would have been saccharine enough to make my teeth ache, but on MPI it's an enjoyable, if lightweight, entry into the series. This is the very first episode of Magnum I ever remember seeing when it aired on Sunday nights in the UK. I think I saw shows before this one (I distinclty remember the pilot) but I remember this so vividly I can see where my Nan (who likes Selleck a great deal) was sat.
Andy
Andy