Flashback (3.7)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the third season

Moderator: Styles Bitchley

How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
6
6%
9.5 (One of the Best)
24
24%
9.0 (Excellent)
32
32%
8.5 (Very Good)
16
16%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
9
9%
7.5 (Decent)
4
4%
7.0 (Average at Best)
3
3%
6.5 (Not So Good)
4
4%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
1
1%
5.0 (Just Awful)
1
1%
 
Total votes: 100

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Carol the Dabbler
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#11 Post by Carol the Dabbler »

Tuan Vu wrote:Drew Danforth almost steps on a cat as he chases Magnum out the back door. You can see the cat scurrying out of the way just in time.
Some sidebars on that little incident:

1. Correct. There is a black-and-white cat in the back yard as Danforth comes running out of the door -- which spooks the cat, which runs off around the corner of the house, at which point there is a loud yowling sound (even though Danforth never gets closer to the cat than a pace or two).

2. The subtitle says [bird squawks] ...

3. ... which could be true, because it sure isn't any cat that makes the noise. Our six cats dozed right through that scene, but any time there's actually an angry cat heard on television, they panic: "omigosh, there's a strange cat in here!" Clearly, the cat's line was dubbed, presumably by a human -- poor fellow, his one chance at an acting career usurped!

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J.J. Walters
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#12 Post by J.J. Walters »

Carol the Dabbler wrote:But I believe what Magnum said was "short sheet" (rather than "short seat") -- comparing what he believes to be an elaborate practical joke to the traditional summer-camp prank (which I hear is also popular in school dorms and the military)
Yeah, it's supposed to be "short sheet", not "short seat". Not sure why I put down "seat". LOL!

"You 'short seat' my whole house and you wanna talk about croquet!?". Then Higgins says, "See, you did have too much cheap rye whiskey last night!". ;)
Carol the Dabbler wrote:3. ... which could be true, because it sure isn't any cat that makes the noise.
I don't know, it sounded real to me. I've heard feral cats make sounds similiar to that before. "Mmmmmraaawwwrrr!"
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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Carol the Dabbler
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#13 Post by Carol the Dabbler »

It sounded like a cat to me, too. But our six furry little experts dozed right through that scene. Ergo, not a cat. Any time there's a genuine angry cat yowling on the television, they're alert in an instant, looking for that intruder!

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SelleckLover
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#14 Post by SelleckLover »

My cat does the same thing, Carol! :D It's her apartment and she allows us to live here. LOL

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lutherhgillis
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#15 Post by lutherhgillis »

This is a cool epi. Its sort of in the vein of Fantasy Island which was huge in the late 70s.

I think we have all had dreams that seemed very real but strange at the same time. I remember having dreams where I stop and say, "It's time to wake up; this dream is getting wierd".

Were there white people in Hawaii before WW2 ? Also, I don't think stucco and barrel tile roof construction (estate house) was available on Hawaii then but I may be wrong. Anyone know?

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SelleckLover
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#16 Post by SelleckLover »

luthergillis wrote:
Were there white people in Hawaii before WW2 ?
The answer to this question is "Yes." I know this because my half brother was born there in 1938. In The Hawaiian Islands, a caucasian person is known as a haole (pronounced how-lee). My half-brother's father was in the military and they resided on the big island.

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IslandHopper
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#17 Post by IslandHopper »

lutherhgillis wrote:Were there white people in Hawaii before WW2 ?
White Christians began to inhabit the Hawaiian Island in the 1820s. Sailors before 1820s. One of my favorite all time books is Hawaii by James Michener, which, although a novel, depicts the rich history of the Hawaiian Islands and their people. If you are a fan of Hawaii this book is a must read. This famous book is also mentioned in "All Thieves On Deck."
The answer is obvious, old man. Logic is irrelevant. It's simply Tropical Madness. (J.Q. Higgins)

Lily
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#18 Post by Lily »

Have just watched this episode for the first time, and was wondering if any of the car buffs here, can tell me what make of car was used in this episode? Strange shape at the back and just too small for TS.

higgybaby1
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#19 Post by higgybaby1 »

I was wondering the same thing about the car, perhaps whose it is?

Its clearly a Bugatti, looks to me like a 1927 37A...unsure[/quote]
OH MY GAWD!

Lily
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#20 Post by Lily »

Thanks higgybaby! Have checked back periodically to see if anyone else knows the make. Perhaps it is as you say?

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#21 Post by higgybaby1 »

its sure a late 20's, early 30's bugatti. Ive seen plenty at Concours events but never quite that color or exact style. I wonder where they ever found it...

I wish I could post my image of one but I cant figure it out!
OH MY GAWD!

Lily
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#22 Post by Lily »

higgybaby1 wrote:its sure a late 20's, early 30's bugatti. Ive seen plenty at Concours events but never quite that color or exact style. I wonder where they ever found it...

I wish I could post my image of one but I cant figure it out!
Well at least you have come up with the make! Thanks! :D

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rubber chicken
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#23 Post by rubber chicken »

I found out the Bette Davis movie Magnum sees in the theater is The Bad Sister. It was her first film. It was also only Humphrey Bogart's fifth, although he isn't seen in the clips.

It came out in 1931, five years before 1936, when this Magnum P.I. episode is supposed to take place. The timeframe might be a bit of a goof, unless that theater was reshowing the film. I don't know how often that happened back then.

The imdb page for Davis says "her performance in The Bad Sister (1931) didn't impress". And Magnum says to Bette on screen "Keep it up, old Girl. You just might have a future as an actress." By 1932 she had became a star.

She was with Universal studios first (the studio that created Magnum, P.I.), where she made The Bad Sister, and went to Warner Brothers in 1932, where she found success.

The Bad Sister isn't on dvd, but her outfit in the image below is the same as the one in a picture on the wiki page. And also the name Laura is heard in the episode, and that's her name in the film.

Image
Last edited by rubber chicken on Sun Aug 30, 2009 11:31 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Tom_Magnum
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#24 Post by Tom_Magnum »

This episode was interesting and very fast-paced. Loved every minute of it.

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Jay-Firestorm
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#25 Post by Jay-Firestorm »

Another great ep; the series was really on a roll at this time. A shorter review on this ep, but it doesn’t mean that I like it any less.

[rating 9.5]

Magnum is sure Higgins is pulling an elaborate stunt on him when he awakes in what seems to be 1936, and takes a case of a dame in trouble, whose union leader father is accused of murder. A memorable episode…

-----

This review contains moderate spoilers.

The high quality of the third season continues with this novel episode. It was quite daring to pull of such a story, and it probably wouldn’t have worked before this point.

This episode reminds me a lot of Bellisario’s later hit ‘Quantum Leap’ (about a man travelling through time); in fact, I’m quite surprised that Bellisario didn’t pen this story.
The story is very well shot, and – considering the meagre budget of a standard TV episode – captures the era very well indeed.

Magnum’s case itself is rather so-so, but in such a novel episode this can just about be overlooked. I enjoy seeing the 1930s versions of Higgins, Rick (who is very reminiscent of how he appeared in the Pilot), and particularly T.C.

So is it a dream, or how did Magnum end up in the past? Indications would suggest that it’s a dream, but then there are other things that put this in doubt… I really like that it is never definitely decided one way or the other.

All-in-all, this is a very memorable episode, and manages to pull of what might have been a dodgy premise with style.

-----

Other notes, bloopers and misc.:

* When Magnum falls over the cliff at the end of his ‘dream’, it is quite clearly a dummy falling into the ocean.

* All but the last commercial break are abridged in the DVD version of this episode.
JAY FIRESTORM

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My A-Team site - http://thea-team.org aiming to be the most detailed A-Team site on the Net - if I ever get around to updating it!!

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