Foiled Again (3.8)

[Mad Kudu Buck]

"He was arrogant, and cold, and he brutalized my mother".

Every time I see this guy in one of the many 70's TV shows he's been in, that's all I can think of: "...and he brutalized my mother."

[ENSHealy]

FOILED AGAIN
Hawaiian shirts: 1 purple calla lilly
Island Hopper shirts: 1 yellow on green
Body Count: 1
Shirtless: 1
Little Voice: 0
I know what you’re thinking: 1
When I write HTBAWCPI: 0
Investigator corrections: 0
Magnum injuries: 2 black eye in sugar mill fight, busted up finger from tackling Pee Wees.
Higgins musings: 1
4th wall breaks:
Negotiations: 1 bottle of wine to leave Higgins alone
Famous guest stars:
Magnumometer: 9

Very good episode. I'm shocked that nobody has yet pointed out that Higgins takes his turn in the chest hair parade with this episode! When he's practicing for the fencing match, his warmup jacket is zipped down to a Magnum-like level.


Seeing the grey chest hair peeking out makes me think I'd have a much easier time pulling off Higgins at Halloween then busting out the Just for Men to get the right shade under my jungle birds...but I digress.

Anyone else think Keeler gave up too easy at the end? He says "enough, enough" and Magnum just takes his word for it and goes about worrying about his finger. Anybody really facing murder one would have taken that chance and run. But I guess they were out of time and needed to wrap things up.

The plaid shorts TM is wearing when he tries to sneak past Higgins to get to the wine cellar are giving the UDT's a run for their money for shortest short-shorts of the series, especially when TM engages in a game of pocket pool while he's chatting with Higgins.


It says in the episode guide that Higgins was in the Calcutta jail in 1958. How do we know the date, Higgins does not give a date or event reference when he brings up the jail time?

CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS:

Higgins: Actually, I've been in jaiIs that make this Iook Iike summer camp. I once spent aImost a month in a three-by-six ceII outside CaIcutta. Three-quarters of my daiIy rice ration of rice went to the legion of rats that occupied the ceII with me. A strangeIy symbiotic reIationship, nevertheIess...
Magnum: Higgins, shut up.

Magnum: I know what you're thinking. That was kind of a quick jump in logic. But sometimes you just gotta go with a hunch. On the other hand it's sometimes wise to think things out. Oh, I could have called the police or Carol. Of course, that would have been easy. The only thing was, I didn't have any hard evidence so I had to hope that Keeler would listen to reason. Except the higher and higher I got the less and less I was convinced that that would be the case and the more and more convinced I became that this was the dumbest move I'd made in quite a long time.

[K Hale]

Very good episode. I'm shocked that nobody has yet pointed out that Higgins takes his turn in the chest hair parade with this episode! When he's practicing for the fencing match, his warmup jacket is zipped down to a Magnum-like level.


Seeing the grey chest hair peeking out makes me think I'd have a much easier time pulling off Higgins at Halloween then busting out the Just for Men to get the right shade under my jungle birds...but I digress.

Also, I think this is the last time we see that red and white track suit, first seen in "Computer Date." I would come to miss it...

And this must be the worst chance Magnum ever took at sneaking into the wine cellar, with Higgins standing right there. Judging by this pic alone, he is absolutely within Higgins' peripheral vision and would have been seen (though perhaps ignored, given the ensuing conversation) even if the lads had not been present. Come on Thomas, how desperate are you for expensive wine??

Higgins: Actually, I've been in jaiIs that make this Iook Iike summer camp. I once spent aImost a month in a three-by-six ceII outside CaIcutta. Three-quarters of my daiIy rice ration of rice went to the legion of rats that occupied the ceII with me. A strangeIy symbiotic reIationship, nevertheIess...
Magnum: Higgins, shut up.

How do you take this? At first I thought he was saying he used the rice to bait and catch the rats so he would have something more than rice to eat, and that was what he meant by "symbiotic," i.e. some of them got the rice and he got the protein by eating them, but then I thought he just meant he was using the rice to make friends with them. I really think this might go either way, and perhaps was intended to be taken either way?

Magnum: I know what you're thinking. That was kind of a quick jump in logic. But sometimes you just gotta go with a hunch. On the other hand it's sometimes wise to think things out. Oh, I could have called the police or Carol. Of course, that would have been easy. The only thing was, I didn't have any hard evidence so I had to hope that Keeler would listen to reason. Except the higher and higher I got the less and less I was convinced that that would be the case and the more and more convinced I became that this was the dumbest move I'd made in quite a long time.

It was 100% a dumb move, and unconscionable that neither TC nor Rick would help him, given the situation Higgins was in. Come on, guys... step up.

[Mad Kudu Buck]

Higgins: Actually, I've been in jaiIs that make this Iook Iike summer camp. I once spent aImost a month in a three-by-six ceII outside CaIcutta. Three-quarters of my daiIy rice ration of rice went to the legion of rats that occupied the ceII with me. A strangeIy symbiotic reIationship, nevertheIess...
Magnum: Higgins, shut up.

How do you take this? At first I thought he was saying he used the rice to bait and catch the rats so he would have something more than rice to eat, and that was what he meant by "symbiotic," i.e. some of them got the rice and he got the protein by eating them, but then I thought he just meant he was using the rice to make friends with them. I really think this might go either way, and perhaps was intended to be taken either way?

I never even considered Higgins baiting and eating rats. Have you ever tried catching, killing, skinning and eating a raw uncooked rat in a Calcutta prison cell? Well.. actually I haven't either - but I imagine it wouldn't be very feasible.

I always thought he just made them his friends so he could have somebody to talk to. Rats are excellent listeners... excellent.

[K Hale]

Higgins: Actually, I've been in jaiIs that make this Iook Iike summer camp. I once spent aImost a month in a three-by-six ceII outside CaIcutta. Three-quarters of my daiIy rice ration of rice went to the legion of rats that occupied the ceII with me. A strangeIy symbiotic reIationship, nevertheIess...
Magnum: Higgins, shut up.

How do you take this? At first I thought he was saying he used the rice to bait and catch the rats so he would have something more than rice to eat, and that was what he meant by "symbiotic," i.e. some of them got the rice and he got the protein by eating them, but then I thought he just meant he was using the rice to make friends with them. I really think this might go either way, and perhaps was intended to be taken either way?

I never even considered Higgins baiting and eating rats. Have you ever tried catching, killing, skinning and eating a raw uncooked rat in a Calcutta prison cell? Well.. actually I haven't either - but I imagine it wouldn't be very feasible.

I always thought he just made them his friends so he could have somebody to talk to. Rats are excellent listeners... excellent.

Desperate people will do desperate things. If a rat was eating 3/4 of his available food, which was probably not enough to begin with, he could be pretty desperate. But perhaps he only meant they were pals.

[brianw]

The first Carol Baldwin was smokin' hot! And funny to see Don "the rock" Muraco in this one too.

[K Hale]

Waialua Sugar Mill is currently on fire. https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/03/ ... ugar-mill/

[Chris109]

Waialua Sugar Mill is currently on fire. https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/03/ ... ugar-mill/

I guess you can kiss another kahuna's ass good bye.

[Chris109]

I always thought he just made them his friends so he could have somebody to talk to. Rats are excellent listeners... excellent.

Is he sure they were rats and not...

[brianw]

Again..... the original Carol was a hottie.... and I remember her from The Ropers!

[ENSHealy]

FOILED AGAIN
Hawaiian shirts: 1 purple calla lilly
Island Hopper shirts: 1 yellow on green
Body Count: 1
Shirtless: 1
Little Voice: 0
I know what you’re thinking: 1
When I write HTBAWCPI: 0
Investigator corrections: 0
Magnum injuries: 2 black eye in sugar mill fight, busted up finger from tackling Pee Wees.
Higgins musings: 1
4th wall breaks:
Negotiations: 1 bottle of wine to leave Higgins alone
Famous guest stars:
Magnumometer: 9

UPDATE - 3.8 FOILED AGAIN
Famous guest stars:
Hawaiian shirts: 1
Tigers Cap: 1
Island Hopper shirts: 1
Shirtless: 1
OMG/Extraordinarys:
Higgins Organizations:
Higgins musings: 1
Negotiations: 1 - ½ point each for the bottle of wine to leave Higgins alone and the comment about the beanie at the end
Body Count:
Bullet wounds:
Little Voice:
I know what you’re thinking: 1
When I write HTBAWCPI:
Investigator corrections:
4th wall breaks: 1
Magnumometer: 8

Potential magnumania usernames: Velma Troubshaw
Magnumometer Moments: https://vimeo.com/378390968

As an English teacher (and a Brit), I was certain when I watched this that the meaning of the word is definitely "nob" and not "knob" i.e. nob is a slang expression referring to person of wealth or high social position. Admittedly, this is an old-fashioned expression and does feature in other period dramas set in the mid 20th century.

It is only when I read this forum, I felt the need to reply to this. I think the original poster who believes it to be "knob" is probably not so familiar with the old fashioned British public schoolboy speak of yesteryear. It is definitely "nob" and not "knob".

Agreed, and clearly supported by the first use of “nob” earlier in the episode, which took place at a British public school where one would not be surprised to find many a nob: https://vimeo.com/378391749

Watching this episode again and noticed that Magnum needs help to tie the double "Winslow" knot on Higgins tie he borrowed... however, I remember recently watching Magnum ask Rick, ''are you sure you want to use a Windsor knot with that tie?''. I want to say it happened in a previous episode but I have recently traveled and loaded my phone with Magnum episodes to watch so I may be mistaken. Does anyone recall the Rick tie episode??

The tie scene was in The Last Page. Here’s the scene: https://vimeo.com/378391783

Thomas says to T.C.: “We beat Army two out of three years.“ However, reality intrudes:

November 28, 1964
Philadelphia, PA
Army
11–8

November 27, 1965
Philadelphia, PA
Tie
7–7

November 26, 1966
Philadelphia, PA
Army
20–7

Even in 1982 you wouldn't have needed a research assistant to verify those....

[K Hale]

Deleted duplicate post!

[K Hale]

Sorry for the giant photos, but Imgur seems to have changed its format and now I don't see the options to link different sizes.

A post in the Red Faced Thespian thread got me thinking about all the stuff in Higgins' bedroom. Let's take a look. It seems way more cluttered than I might expect.



On the dresser, I see about a dozen of what I think must be cologne bottles. Perhaps Higgins is hard to buy gifts for, so people keep giving him cologne and aftershave.

Can't make out what is in the photos, anyone else? Something military.

Little bookcase on the right also has a Robin Masters red phone extension! I did wonder what happened if Robin called from some far off part of the world late at night Hawaii time and Higgins was not in the study to answer.



Higgins' bed is very small (though not as minuscule as the one he has in "The Love-for-Sale Boat") and very gothic.

The bedside table contains a ton of clutter, including a boom box with what I believe is a pair of headphones connected with a cable. The headphones are hanging on the upper part of the headboard. Music? Ambient sounds for sleeping? News?

There is also what looks like a couple of prescription meds and some other small bottles. I also see two large bottles on the left, I wonder what they contain.

The table across from the bed has a collection of glass paperweights!

There is an art piece with an actual fencer to the right of the bed, fitting for this episode.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

I found Velma Troubshaw's home, in Kahala of course. (gm link)


Here's TC in an Atlanta Falcons hat. Is that noted as one of his hats? Also, it looks like a little bird on his shirt?


It's good to see Paxton Whitehead from Back to School in this episode. Just as unlikable as ever.

Rubberchicken,
I saw Paxton Whitehead at the Paper Mill Playhouse in a comedy with David McCallum in the 1980's and he was brilliant.
That one dislikes him so much in Magnum is a real credit to a great actor, maybe the best actor to appear on the series.

[rgholmes]

Just watching this on a Charge! Network marathon today (Noon to Midnight).

They bleeped out “knob” when Troubshaw tells Jonathan “You silly little knob!” And again when adult Troubshaw walks in on him and Velma and calls him a knob.

Hilarious! If it’s that bad a word, I’m going to say it more often!