Operation: Silent Night (4.10)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the fourth season

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
23
18%
9.5 (One of the Best)
24
19%
9.0 (Excellent)
37
29%
8.5 (Very Good)
25
20%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
11
9%
7.5 (Decent)
4
3%
7.0 (Average at Best)
2
2%
6.5 (Not So Good)
0
No votes
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
0
No votes
5.0 (Just Awful)
2
2%
 
Total votes: 128

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Coops
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#51 Post by Coops »

1. I went to Navy bootcamp with guys that were deathly afraid of water. I am not kidding.

2. Ship captains are the last true monarchs left in the world. Psycho captains are rare but they are out there. I know, I served under one.
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IKnowWhatYoureThinking
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#52 Post by IKnowWhatYoureThinking »

Once out on the open sea the Old Man is almost the word of God!

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MaiTaiMan
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#53 Post by MaiTaiMan »

Interesting episode...where all the gang has to work together to try and find a way off the island. Higgins' hat he weaves is hilarious! :lol:

I also enjoy Rick's quick sand scene...he's such a drama queen! :P I also love the raft Higgins attempts to make out of the old Japanese WWII plane they found on the island. That actually was a pretty intricate idea...but it was hilarious when it sank immediately with Higgins standing in the middle of it! :lol:

The military men were way too over-dramatic though...especially the whacko commander of the ship. :shock: He seemed to talk and act like a psychopath or something. He also seemed to have no trouble murdering people he knew were on the island by blowing them up. :o

I love the end though, where T.C. finally fixes the chopper well enough to take off and they all break out into "Silent Night". Heart warming and a perfect happy ending to a Christmas episode. :)
"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"

Croix de Lorraine
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#54 Post by Croix de Lorraine »

I'm surprised no one mentioned the hilariously bad night flying effects when they're singing Silent Night!

Seaver41
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#55 Post by Seaver41 »

I was laughing my ass off at the Rick dialogue while looking for Higgins........he worries about cannibals and answers the wondering of Magnum on where Higgins could be...Rick says stewing in a pot......it was par for the course for Rick in this episode. He was quite overdramatic.

This to me was a bone to the viewers. I say that in the context of it was blatant confirmation to what we have been watching unfold for 4 seasons.........Higgins genuinely cares about Magnum and there is at least some level of friendship between Higgins and Rick/TC. Those were nice moments to digest around the holiday theme of goodwill to men (and women).

Yes, a lot of the episode was contrived to deliver the main points they wanted, but all in all it works. The naval scenes on board were about the worst I've ever seen anywhere. It looked like they converted a classroom or something similar. Horribly written/directed/edited/lighted scenes with Ed Lauter. Quite honestly, the effect would've been more dramatic had they cut those scenes out altogether and just had that initial flare as any indication to not only the characters but the viewers as well that there was indeed imminent danger.

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#56 Post by Croix de Lorraine »

Seaver41 wrote:I was laughing my ass off at the Rick dialogue while looking for Higgins........he worries about cannibals and answers the wondering of Magnum on where Higgins could be...Rick says stewing in a pot......it was par for the course for Rick in this episode. He was quite overdramatic.

This to me was a bone to the viewers. I say that in the context of it was blatant confirmation to what we have been watching unfold for 4 seasons.........Higgins genuinely cares about Magnum and there is at least some level of friendship between Higgins and Rick/TC. Those were nice moments to digest around the holiday theme of goodwill to men (and women).

Yes, a lot of the episode was contrived to deliver the main points they wanted, but all in all it works. The naval scenes on board were about the worst I've ever seen anywhere. It looked like they converted a classroom or something similar. Horribly written/directed/edited/lighted scenes with Ed Lauter. Quite honestly, the effect would've been more dramatic had they cut those scenes out altogether and just had that initial flare as any indication to not only the characters but the viewers as well that there was indeed imminent danger.
I agree on all points. Great feel-good episode with good character depth, but embarrassing naval scenes.

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#57 Post by snp389 »

One of the best!!!!!
It's an episode that when it's finished, I can easily watch it over again.
From what I've read in Larry Manetti's book, it is one of the cast's favourites. I can imagine it would have been a nice change of pace for all 4 actors and the crew.
There's a great Christmas Spirit feel, and an All for One, One for All sense too.
The relationship that further develops between TC and JQH is a great scene, with TC calling him Jonathon, which is sincerely noted by JQH.

I also love the scene between TSM and JQH, with Higgins reminiscing of Christmas' past and the profound effect it has on Soldiers serving away from home at Christmas and how it is extra special to those who have served their country. Great scene

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Re: Operation: Silent Night (4.10)

#58 Post by charybdis1966 »

I liked this episode and pretty much everything has been said about this episode already, although I did detect a major Higgin's accent flub, no way would an englishman say "A-looo-me-nun", it would obviously be "a-loo-minny-yun" when he described the construction of the crashed japanese plane.

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Re: Operation: Silent Night (4.10)

#59 Post by ConchRepublican »

Operation "Operation: Silent Night" viewing in effect.
CoziTV Superfan spot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPTmsykLQ04

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Re: Operation: Silent Night (4.10)

#60 Post by Styles Bitchley »

I caught an episode of Gilligan's Island last night that has a central plot remarkably similar to this episode. Wonder if the writers used it as inspiration.

Gilligan's Island: Season 1, Episode 18, X Marks the Spot (30 Jan. 1965)
"How fiendishly deceptive of you Magnum. I could have sworn I was hearing the emasculation of a large rodent."

- J.Q.H.

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Re: Operation: Silent Night (4.10)

#61 Post by SignGuyHPW »

There was a LOT wrong with this one. TC was the only one that had the knowledge on how to fix the chopper, but the other guys kept pestering him constantly and wouldn't let him work on it. Higgins seemed to have deeply regressed psychologically for the episode. He came off as some kind of bumbling fool that they all kind of mocked. Rick had some kind of weird secret that he kept trying to share that got creepier as he tried, but we never found out what it was to make us think it wasn't creepy. The whole thing with the navy going through with the shelling when the CO knew that there were people on the island is nuts. It also didn't make sense that they just took off when the shelling happened like they could've left any time that they wanted.

For everyone wondering about the captain having wine with his meal, there were bottles on board ship for the cooks to use (marsalla being one) so he may have taken a bottle that officially "broke during rough seas." I liked the idea behind the episode, but just didn't like how it was executed. I think they could've really tightened it up some. TC getting a lot of singing time was kind of cool since he only did a little per episode normally. If they were going for Rick having delayed stress due to how the island reminded him of Nam then that was a great concept. They teased it in Memories Are Forever when he freaked out over that kid following Magnum so it's not too far fetched.

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Re: Operation: Silent Night (4.10)

#62 Post by Doc Ibold »

SignGuyHPW wrote:There was a LOT wrong with this one. TC was the only one that had the knowledge on how to fix the chopper, but the other guys kept pestering him constantly and wouldn't let him work on it. Higgins seemed to have deeply regressed psychologically for the episode. He came off as some kind of bumbling fool that they all kind of mocked. Rick had some kind of weird secret that he kept trying to share that got creepier as he tried, but we never found out what it was to make us think it wasn't creepy. The whole thing with the navy going through with the shelling when the CO knew that there were people on the island is nuts. It also didn't make sense that they just took off when the shelling happened like they could've left any time that they wanted.

For everyone wondering about the captain having wine with his meal, there were bottles on board ship for the cooks to use (marsalla being one) so he may have taken a bottle that officially "broke during rough seas." I liked the idea behind the episode, but just didn't like how it was executed. I think they could've really tightened it up some. TC getting a lot of singing time was kind of cool since he only did a little per episode normally. If they were going for Rick having delayed stress due to how the island reminded him of Nam then that was a great concept. They teased it in Memories Are Forever when he freaked out over that kid following Magnum so it's not too far fetched.
I always thought this was a good episode, really showed the bond between the guys.. Even if the shelling plot was a little out there.

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Re: Operation: Silent Night (4.10)

#63 Post by SignGuyHPW »

Doc Ibold wrote:
SignGuyHPW wrote:There was a LOT wrong with this one. TC was the only one that had the knowledge on how to fix the chopper, but the other guys kept pestering him constantly and wouldn't let him work on it. Higgins seemed to have deeply regressed psychologically for the episode. He came off as some kind of bumbling fool that they all kind of mocked. Rick had some kind of weird secret that he kept trying to share that got creepier as he tried, but we never found out what it was to make us think it wasn't creepy. The whole thing with the navy going through with the shelling when the CO knew that there were people on the island is nuts. It also didn't make sense that they just took off when the shelling happened like they could've left any time that they wanted.

For everyone wondering about the captain having wine with his meal, there were bottles on board ship for the cooks to use (marsalla being one) so he may have taken a bottle that officially "broke during rough seas." I liked the idea behind the episode, but just didn't like how it was executed. I think they could've really tightened it up some. TC getting a lot of singing time was kind of cool since he only did a little per episode normally. If they were going for Rick having delayed stress due to how the island reminded him of Nam then that was a great concept. They teased it in Memories Are Forever when he freaked out over that kid following Magnum so it's not too far fetched.
I always thought this was a good episode, really showed the bond between the guys.. Even if the shelling plot was a little out there.
I think other episodes did that better personally. They were pretty harsh with Higgins while he was trying to make that boat even though they were eventually proven right. TC also was, clearly, upset with the other three from the start.

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Re: Operation: Silent Night (4.10)

#64 Post by Rembrandt's Girl »

Operation Silent Night is one of my all time favorites and I actually remember seeing it when it first aired. I just love everything about it, from the lighthearted silly interactions with the characters, to the scenes that illustrate their true camaraderie, to the respect they show for the Japanese pilot. The ending with the guys singing gives me goose bumps and brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it, and that has been many, many times. Were there "technical" errors? Yes, I suppose so, but while I'm watching I don't look for that. I just watch the episode for the sheer enjoyment...and actually that's the way I view the entire series.

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Re: Operation: Silent Night (4.10)

#65 Post by Floyd Lewellyn »

Rembrandt's Girl wrote:Operation Silent Night is one of my all time favorites and I actually remember seeing it when it first aired. I just love everything about it, from the lighthearted silly interactions with the characters, to the scenes that illustrate their true camaraderie, to the respect they show for the Japanese pilot. The ending with the guys singing gives me goose bumps and brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it, and that has been many, many times. Were there "technical" errors? Yes, I suppose so, but while I'm watching I don't look for that. I just watch the episode for the sheer enjoyment...and actually that's the way I view the entire series.

I enjoy this episode as well. I like the scene where Higgins is writing a make-shift will to set sail in the glass bottle he found while scavenging about the island. He is thoughtful enough to bequeath some of his possessions to Magnum but then realizes that they're both going to die on the island and so he crosses Magnum out and leaves the items to Zeus and Apollo instead.
MAGNUM: "Your'e the guy who caused my accident!!...."

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