Squeeze Play (4.7)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the fourth season

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
5
4%
9.5 (One of the Best)
6
5%
9.0 (Excellent)
23
20%
8.5 (Very Good)
33
29%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
24
21%
7.5 (Decent)
8
7%
7.0 (Average at Best)
2
2%
6.5 (Not So Good)
10
9%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
1
1%
5.0 (Just Awful)
1
1%
 
Total votes: 113

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Milton Collins
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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#106 Post by Milton Collins »

SignGuyHPW wrote:This was an absolutely brilliant comedy episode. It also should completely put to bed the theory of Higgins being Robin Masters. If Higgins were Robin Masters then why would he have been worried about the estate being lost in a bet that he hadn't authorised? Also, Benoit, clearly mentioned publishing Robin's first book 22 years later so they had known each other that long and Benoit didn't seem to know Higgins. I think this episode is ultimate proof that Magnum's theory was lunacy. It was also great to see Lord James Blears in another episode.

I have a theory that they didn't outright say in the episode, but it made the most sense to me. I think Magnum knew well before the game about the marked deck of cards and had alerted Robin to it. I think if he was really in danger of losing his home, car, etc that he'd have been more conservative trying to score that run, but he ultimately knew the game WAS just a game because he'd been tipped off by the nephew that the card game was rigged off camera. I loved how the lads were watching the photo shoot and wouldn't respond to Higgins because they were transfixed on the girl. It was a pure comedy episode, but one of the better ones they ever did I think.
SignGuyHPW wrote:This was an absolutely brilliant comedy episode. It also should completely put to bed the theory of Higgins being Robin Masters. If Higgins were Robin Masters then why would he have been worried about the estate being lost in a bet that he hadn't authorised? Also, Benoit, clearly mentioned publishing Robin's first book 22 years later so they had known each other that long and Benoit didn't seem to know Higgins. I think this episode is ultimate proof that Magnum's theory was lunacy. It was also great to see Lord James Blears in another episode.

I have a theory that they didn't outright say in the episode, but it made the most sense to me. I think Magnum knew well before the game about the marked deck of cards and had alerted Robin to it. I think if he was really in danger of losing his home, car, etc that he'd have been more conservative trying to score that run, but he ultimately knew the game WAS just a game because he'd been tipped off by the nephew that the card game was rigged off camera. I loved how the lads were watching the photo shoot and wouldn't respond to Higgins because they were transfixed on the girl. It was a pure comedy episode, but one of the better ones they ever did I think.

I agree on both accounts First and foremost, I never liked the "Higgins is Robin" theory and actually thought it got pretty darn old in the later seasons. And that's an interesting theory on the marked deck of cards. It always did seem like TM treated his potential "booting out of Robin's nest" due to losing the bet pretty darn casually. It makes more since that he was tipped off by Mickey before the game so he knew he would be fine regardless of the game's outcome.

Overall I really like this episode and gave it an 8.5. Another comedic episode from season 4, seems like there were several of these funnier more light hearted episodes in this season (this one, Limited Engagement, either Luther Gillis, etc.) A few things that stood out to me:

- Love the softball/baseball emphasis! I'm a big baseball fan (close enough to softball:)) and we all know Selleck is. Yet another example of him bringing his own interests in the show which is super cool! And while most of the playing was pretty poor, fun to see his fantastic left handed swing as he was a very good player himself!

- I thought the whole concept of Buzz, his nephew, the Buzzettes (wow!), and his softball team was awesome. Two rich guys with nothing better to do than place high stakes bets on a softball game, absolutey a blast to me!

- The lads not answering to Higgins during the nude (I'm assuming?) photo shoot was extremely funny. Zeuss and Apollo are not just dogs but actual characters in my book and I thought this was funny, especiaslly the look of dissaproval on Higgin's face as he tried to call them.

- The game itself was great. TM chewing red man, higgins coaching third base, and Rick as the team chump were very entertaining! Too bad they lost but it set up a great ending with a rare Robin Masters appearance!

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#107 Post by thechickinthemiddle »

Like a lot of people, I know Debbie Zipp from Murder, She Wrote as Donna Mayberry, Grady Fletcher's eventual wife (as well as Michael Horton's in real life). In the MSW ep "Something Borrowed, Someone Blue", Donna's father is played by...

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Eugene Roche a.k.a. Luther Gillis!

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KingKC
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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#108 Post by KingKC »

Fun to watch, almost a farce...but funny. This is what really happens in a lot of grudge match games. Someone brings in a ringer or two or three or more. The underdog comes close with it's own ringer. Its an old theme but still funny with all the variations you can think up. The twist at the end is the saving of the estate which I did wonder how they were going to do that.

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#109 Post by MaximRecoil »

Some corrections/points:

A softball isn't soft. It is constructed like a baseball, but is larger and heavier. Reduced velocity due to increased mass and air resistance, along with a larger surface area, make its impacts "softer" than a baseball that is hit or thrown with the same amount of force.

The "Killer" character was a former pro baseball player, not a former pro softball player.

There was no baseball played in this episode whatsoever; only softball. The biggest differences are: baseball uses a smaller ball, and the ball is pitched to the batter overhand, while in softball it is pitched underhand. The fastest baseball pitches are about 20 MPH faster than the fastest softball pitches. The particular variant of softball in this episode was "slow pitch", which has hardly any speed at all.

In school, softball is a girls' sport and baseball is a boys' sport. In adult recreational leagues, softball is popular among both men and women.

The best baseball players are household name superstars in the U.S. (e.g., Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Pete Rose, Nolan Ryan, and so on), while there's no such thing as a household name superstar softball player. In the U.S. sports hierarchy, softball isn't much higher on the ladder than kickball (which is primarily a kids' playground game which is also based on baseball), while baseball is touted as our "national pastime".

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#110 Post by thechickinthemiddle »

IslandHopper wrote:The one question I always had about this episode is where Magnum goes into the bar (Last Rivet, I think) looking for Jerome/Killer/Bad Friday and gets trampled by the construction workers rushing out of the bar, an older retired man sitting at a bar wearing a construction outfit including hardhat tells Magnum where Jerome is working. If the old man is retired as he says, then why is he still wearing a construction helmet/hardhat? To each his own, I guess. :wink:
My wild guess is that he still wants to drink at the bar but even he knows how rough it gets there. (Magnum had just been trampled after all. :P)

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#111 Post by thechickinthemiddle »

What's funny to me in the opening scene is that Taphie saying "Five years of high school for nothing." is supposed to denote an airhead personality, but technically the joke only works in places where there are middle/junior high schools with grades going to 6-9, etc.. In places without them, high schools usually go from grades 8-12, probably making a few people wonder what the joke is. :P

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Milton Collins
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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#112 Post by Milton Collins »

I think this is a fun episode but have a question I'm hoping someone can clear up for me.

I see at least 2 scenes in this one that are also in the opening show introduction which started in season 1. How can this be?

Higgins in the beginning picking up the rubber chicken when talking to Magnum about the softball game and Robin and Buzzes bet.

TC playing first base and smacking his glove.

These are both definitely in the intro which started after the first few episodes of season 1. Were they shot way back then and simply re used in these episodes? Or perhaps were also used in other, earlier episodes? Not sure but just confuses me time wise.

Anyway, fun episode. Love the bet, the Robin scenes, Buzz and his Buzzetes (wow!) and Mickey cracked me up as well. I love seeing Magnum in action, you can tell he was a stud player! And making Higgins the coach and Rick an awful player was hilarious as well. I love all the sports themed episodes other than season 3's Basket Case with basketball playing Willie which I find to be awful.

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#113 Post by thechickinthemiddle »

Milton Collins wrote:I think this is a fun episode but have a question I'm hoping someone can clear up for me.

I see at least 2 scenes in this one that are also in the opening show introduction which started in season 1. How can this be?

Higgins in the beginning picking up the rubber chicken when talking to Magnum about the softball game and Robin and Buzzes bet.

TC playing first base and smacking his glove.

These are both definitely in the intro which started after the first few episodes of season 1. Were they shot way back then and simply re used in these episodes? Or perhaps were also used in other, earlier episodes? Not sure but just confuses me time wise.
If you saw this on TV, it's probably a syndicated print (with Magnum font), which uses the intro from I believe season seven, with the scenes you describe above. :) Having watched it in syndication for many years, it's still a little weird to see scenes in the intros on DVD that I never remember from before. :P

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Algernon Farnsworth
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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#114 Post by Algernon Farnsworth »

Not sure if anyone noticed, but American Needle re-made the orange D cap: https://americanneedle.com/product/400- ... gers-1982/

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K Hale
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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#115 Post by K Hale »

In honor of this episode... the cap flick signal.

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I didn't realize you were so addicted to pool.
It's not pool.
Billiards.
Snooker!
Snucker.
SNOOKER!

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J.J. Walters
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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#116 Post by J.J. Walters »

K Hale wrote:In honor of this episode... the cap flick signal.

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LOL! So awesome!! LOVE it! :)
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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Mr. Nice Guy
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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#117 Post by Mr. Nice Guy »

Is a ''crossover'' information:


In Episode J. ''Digger'' Doyle in episodes ''notes'', ''item 2'' is writen that:


2 This is one of the very few episodes where Robin Masters makes an on-screen "appearance" (body doubled by Bruce Atkinson) and one of only two episodes where he actually visits the Estate (the other being Season Three's "The Big Blow"). His face is never seen in any episode, only his body is seen. This is also one of only two episodes in which Orson Welles receives an onscreen credit for providing the voice of Robin Masters. Welles voiced two other episodes uncredited.


Actually, Robin Master pay a ''3 time visit'' at the estate, beyond the references above, he will appear at the state in the final of the ''Squeeze Play" episode (4th season): the "limo" stop, in the moment that magnum is confronting Buzz abou the marked deck. Masters says: I 'll do better than that, Buzz, I ''l write about it".



Best regards from Santos - Brazil, another tropical paradise :wink:

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#118 Post by Stelth »

Best line from this episode: Buzz Benoit:(talking to Higgins and his nephew, explaining the "improvments" he is planning for Robin's Nest when he takes over)

"Mickey, we'll build a pleasure pool...with a series of love canals!"

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#119 Post by KingKC »

Watching this episode was just as much fun as it was 30+ years ago.

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#120 Post by brianw »

As a huge baseball fan, I really like this episode. Plus, it was funny. It must be difficult to film real looking sports scenes with actors who mostly are not at all athletic.... Oh also, my dad used to chew Red Man when I was a kid.

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