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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higgybaby1
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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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Donuts ensucrats
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#26 Post by Donuts ensucrats »

Why TC wears glasses in 1936 and not in 1982 :?
Mare de Déu Senyor!!!!!!

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Jaybird
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#27 Post by Jaybird »

I really did not anticipate this episode becoming one of my favorites. However, I gave it a 9.5 surprising even myself. I thought the acting was superb. The interactions between TM and Higgins were splendid. The humor was there as was the cinematography. Entertainment value was excellent! Just a great episode!

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robspace54
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#28 Post by robspace54 »

Interesting epoisode and one of the best Magnum stories in my book. A real honest-to-goodness bar fight too! And TC can certainly hold his own, Magnum only getting in a couple punches. Unshot dialog, spoken by tough guy on floor, "Man that Joe Lewis can sure throw a punch." And the smooth way that TM gets into the club is perfect - and is this the first time where we hear that TC is no a non-drinker (unlike the show lead showing him with a beer)?

I noticed that the roadster had tires with a modern profile, tread, and width, unlike the skinny tires of the early 30's. Also the wheels were steel cutout wheels, unlike the wire spoke wheels which would have been used then.

When TC and TM shake hands at the airport (TC looking extremely fit in the bib overalls) it looks like TC is wearing a Vietnam era "remeber a serviceman" bracelet on his right wrist.

The line "I only let people kill me once" is memorable. But how did TM know where to look for the letters in the cottage? Must have been his little voice. Like the ghost story of season two, a deeper mystery than typical.

Rob
Sometimes I get so lucky, even I don`t believe it.

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All About the Stache
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#29 Post by All About the Stache »

Wow, I guess this is a very well-liked episode to most fans. I thought it was "pretty good" and rated it that way. I'm usually not a fan of these dream-episodes that shows sometimes produce. But since this episode mixed the dream stuff with real life events, it made up for it and overall I enjoyed it.
Magnum: Ivan...
Ivan: Yes?
Magnum: Did you see the sunrise this morning?
Ivan: Yes... Why?
*BANG*

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ThomasMagnum
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#30 Post by ThomasMagnum »

I found another Hawaii Five-O Prop! I'm not sure if this is the only MPI episode in which this painting appears (I could be wrong but I think it's the HMS Endeavour) but I did notice it in this episode.

Image

From Hawaii Five-O 4.4

Image

Sam
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#31 Post by Sam »

Good eye TM,
The only other time I know of the ship painting being used was in a Luther Gillis episode.Photo and comments from Rick's blog.

I noticed last week for the first time that a copy of the ship painting is hanging in the new HFO office.

"Good Eye! Yes, the ship painting was the one from McGarret's office. I actually gave it to a local columnist years ago when we were getting rid of things because it had so much rat pee on it--but he took it anyway."

Image

Image

No need to know!
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#32 Post by No need to know! »

"No Bullethole!", "No bullethole!"

"SNEAKERS!" :lol:
Onion´s extra?

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MaiTaiMan
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#33 Post by MaiTaiMan »

This is a pretty good episode, and I always enjoy watching it! I like the idea of suddenly Magnum is back in the 1930's, and trying to solve a 46 year old murder! The plot of this one was pretty cool, and tied in both the past and the present for an entertaining 1hr film-noir in color.

However, Magnum's car left little to be desired, in my opinion! :wink: Tom Selleck looked so huge in this little..."scoot-about"! :lol: But, I've always loved the past, and vintage/retro things...so I really get a kick out of "Flashback". Magnum's 1930's phone and the antique furniture were awesome!

However, at times things seem "choppy" in this episode, and don't quite flow as smoothly as they could have...I don't know, maybe it's just me? It just seemed like some of the performances/lines seemed "forced". But, maybe that was purposely done to make it seem like a 1930's murder-mystery movie? I will say, though, how Magnum supposedly just dreams all this and then when he wakes up all of it turns out to be exactly true, is a little silly and farfetched.

But, it was I guess supposed to be fantasy and reality mixing together...so overall this is one of season 3's best. I love T.C. in the past, and I also liked seeing Bogie-Rick returning. :)
"It was more ironic than a Robin Masters novel--she thought he was dead, he thought she was dead...and only the chauffeur knew the truth! He should have been the butler!" "Lest We Forget"

Seaver41
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#34 Post by Seaver41 »

another very good episode.........clearly the series hit its' stride with the 3rd season and so far it is rolling. Loved how they took the angle of Magnum simply accepting it was a dream and he hammed it up.......a unique take.

Finding the 30's era Tiger hat in the Ferrari was a nice touch and another element of the 'unexplained' we see in the series.

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ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)
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#35 Post by ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan) »

Definitely one of the absolute best episodes!! Season 3 sure is on a roll.

I was surprised by how much I loved this one as I typically don't like these fantasy type stories. For example I thought season 2's "The Woman on the Beach" was pretty average. Judith Chapman was a looker and I liked some of the noirish moments in the opening of the episode but the rest was pretty far-fetched and dull with this woman in white running around pretending to be a ghost.

But this one totally hooked me. I guess it's because the whole world of MPI all of a sudden got "transported" into the 1930s. Magnum's clothes, the car, Higgins playing croquet, TC and Rick - everything is different. Even without taking into account the actual case that Magnum is working on/dreaming about, the "let's transplant MPI into the 30s" idea is so unique and so brilliant that you can't help but love it just for that reason alone. But add a nice little mystery into the mix and things get only better.

And the scene on the lawn between Higgins and Magnum is without a doubt the single funniest thing I've seen on this show. Hahahahaaha!! :lol: If you ever wondered what Magnum/Higgins bickering would sound like in the 30s here it is. Just classic!!

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