On Face Value (4.19)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the fourth season

Moderator: Styles Bitchley

How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
5
5%
9.5 (One of the Best)
10
11%
9.0 (Excellent)
24
25%
8.5 (Very Good)
23
24%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
15
16%
7.5 (Decent)
9
9%
7.0 (Average at Best)
2
2%
6.5 (Not So Good)
4
4%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
2
2%
5.0 (Just Awful)
1
1%
 
Total votes: 95

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rubber chicken
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#11 Post by rubber chicken »

That's funny James, I've had a screenshot of that scene for a long time now because of those toys. In addition to the Little Professor Calculator, the boy is playing with a He-Man action figure, and the orange thing up front is a Speak & Spell. 8)

Image

Here's the wiki link for the Speak & Spell... unfortunately links with parentheses don't work right in this (and other?) forum/s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speak_&_Spell_(game)
Last edited by rubber chicken on Sun Aug 30, 2009 11:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

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

Ha! Didn't notice the Speak & Spell! Never had one, but had some friends that did.

I tell ya what, the Little Professor totally helped me get through 3rd & 4th grade math! He made learning multiplication and division fun! :)

I find it kind of strange that they placed the Little Professor facing the camera, in clear view. The show didn't do a lot of product placement, especially circa 1984.
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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Jay-Firestorm
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#13 Post by Jay-Firestorm »

Wednesday’s review; I like this episode, even if the plot does get a bit ‘convenient’ at points.

[rating=9.5]

Carol persuades Thomas to do some surveillance work for her, but the case leads to a high-speed chase in which Magnum accidentally shoots out the wheel of a passing car, badly injuring the female driver and possibly leaving her legs paralysed. A dramatic ep...

-----

This review contains spoilers.

‘On Face Value’ (working title: ‘Innocent Bystander’) is one of the most dramatic episodes of the fourth season. However, unlike some of the other more ‘serious’ instalments (I’m thinking of the boring ‘Paradise Blues’, for example), this one comes off as very watchable and engaging.

Things start of humorously enough, with a very amusing scene of Magnum building a grand sandcastle on the beach as he looks after Keoki’s nephew, who is intent on destroying the construction.

But soon as Magnum takes on the surveillance case for Carol, the story takes a more serious turn. The chase between the Ferrari and the GTO is exciting, but it comes as a shock when Magnum’s gun accidentally takes out the front wheel of a passing car, causing it to turn over, and badly injuring the driver.

Talia Balsam puts in a good performance as the injured driver, Emily Jackson, who is relentlessly upbeat. (Also, she reminds me of Jean Bruce Scott for some reason.) Although the plot is one of the more serious of the season, it still has some lighter-hearted moments, thankfully saving it from becoming too heavy going, and Balsam works well with Tom Selleck.
Magnum’s scenes with Emily as he tries to help her regain feeling in her legs are quite touching, and are very well acted by both performers.

The only thing that marks this story down a notch in my view, is the rather over-convenient final act. Magnum learns that Emily had got use of her legs back some time previously, and didn’t tell him as she didn’t want him to leave her. It also emerges that she was employed as a lookout by the bad guys of the story. I found these two points rather TOO convenient, freeing up Magnum to solve the case and not having to worry about Emily for the rest of his life.

But other than that, I find this to be a very good episode. It’s not one of my absolute favourites of the season, but that’s only because there is so much strong competition from other episodes.

-----

Other notes, bloopers and misc.:

* Rick and T.C. only appear in one scene in this episode.

* I too noticed the selection of toys that the kids are playing with in one scene outside the hospital. It caught my eye because the boy is playing with a He-Man figure …I’m a Masters of the Universe fan, and have a complete set of the figures (ahem)!. He is playing with the original version He-Man, first produced in 1981.
JAY FIRESTORM

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Higgy_baby
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#14 Post by Higgy_baby »

Two things you gotta love about this episode:

1. Smoking in a hospital bed.
2. Nurse Wilson. (She's hot and I read she sings too)
Of course this changes nothing between us. I still expect you to respect the rules and regulations pertaining to your stay on the estate. There will be no wild parties, no outragous liberties, no unauthorized overnight guests...

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#15 Post by sandbiscuits »

I agree with Jay-Firestorm that the convenience of the plot twists detract slightly, but it really is only slightly. It would have been interesting to see Magnum deal with the aftermath of the injuries to Emily in future episodes. Also, Magnum's angst over the use of his gun was too easily resolved. The question of when use of lethal force is justified, or whether or not it is ever justified, looks like it will be developed, but in the end Magnum gets his cathartic and righteous retribution in the alley.

Overall, the performances were solid, and I felt more touched at the end of this episode than usual. This was the first time I'd seen this episode, and I wonder how it would hold up to repeated viewings.

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Rutledal
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#16 Post by Rutledal »

You say Magnum was shot in the shoulder during the final shootout, but I seem to recall him bleeding from the wrist.

Also I saw this season quite spread out so I don't recall, but was the Kiedash brothers Magnum's first (and only?) kills from this season?
So I made a Topic Page about Magnum, P.I. Check it out here.

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Doc Ibold
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#17 Post by Doc Ibold »

Rutledal wrote:You say Magnum was shot in the shoulder during the final shootout, but I seem to recall him bleeding from the wrist.

Also I saw this season quite spread out so I don't recall, but was the Kiedash brothers Magnum's first (and only?) kills from this season?
Nope, he also killed Eric DeForrest a few episodes before in "Let the Punishment Fit The Crime"

But those are the only kills of Season 4.

Magnums bloodlust has been soothed... until Season 5 starts back up.

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Rutledal
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#18 Post by Rutledal »

You know, I actually watched "Let the Punishment Fit The Crime" yesterday. I have incredibly bad memory.
So I made a Topic Page about Magnum, P.I. Check it out here.

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brunoffrance
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When Harry meets ... Magnum

#19 Post by brunoffrance »

7 at the sunday familly table for a rate of 9 .
Seeing TM shooting the 2 guys make me remember the same type action of shooting made by Clint eastwood, aka Harry with his extra long S&W magnum .... the sound and the rage to kill .May be the same creation period ?
Great and sentimental episode.

Bruno.
Very american 4 a french...

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firefly
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#20 Post by firefly »

Higgy_baby wrote:Two things you gotta love about this episode:

1. Smoking in a hospital bed.
2. Nurse Wilson. (She's hot and I read she sings too)
agreed on both points.

the smoking reminds me of the scene in jaws when the mayor is having a cigarette in the hospital while talking to chief brodie.

smoking in a hospital, what were we thinking back then? i suppose that is one thing that has changed over the years that is a positive.

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

This is a episode that has grown on me over the years. The dialog is good, and it´s very sentimental. Great car chase aswell. And am i the only one who just love that ending? When the taxi leaves the estate, and then we see Magnum, and it almost looks like he has tears in his eyes while he gives a smile. I think that is a great short scene, music fits so nicely aswell.
Scenes like that one makes this show so great.
Onion´s extra?

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zebra3
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#22 Post by zebra3 »

One of the best episodes I've seen in season four by far. Emotional heft and great action take it above and beyond other ones.
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nha trang
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#23 Post by nha trang »

I found this episode somewhat cheesy. So far in the series it seems to tie for worst episode with basketball willie. I do appreciate the point of showing some kind of balance to the regular displays of force on the series. Maybe the writers wanted to show that sometimes things don't go right and people get hurt. I think the episode does get too heavy at times, so to me it is effective at portraying the questioning and the guilt and all of the horrifying emotions that one would have after having something so horrible happen and being a part of it. The best part of the episode for me is definitely the car chase and getting to see the tidal pool. The scene where the volkswagon flips was perfectly executed, I agree.

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miltontheripper
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#24 Post by miltontheripper »

I think this is a pretty decent episode. I always like seeing Carol even though yet again she caused a lot of trouble for TM. It was interesting when Higgins was relating his similar situation from the past with the British soldier he had killed and it seemed like one of the times the two could really relate to each other. I liked the fact that TM manned up to what he thought was his responsibility and showed as usual that he's a really good guy. As always one of the many traits that make him such a likeable character and made the show so great. Great gunfight scene at the end!

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#25 Post by Croix de Lorraine »

nha trang wrote:So far in the series it seems to tie for worst episode with basketball willie.
That's a serious accusation!

The whole 'caring Magnum' theme seems to be a plot to recruit a female audience a few seasons into the show.

I think I spotted a flub. When Magnum drives the girl to rehab and the baddies engage them in a car chase, Magnum tells her to get down, and down she is in the close shots, but when in the more distant shots her double is clearly seen sitting straight as an arrow.

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