Letter to a Duchess (4.6)

[Operation Chessboard]

This is one of my favorite fourth season episodes as well. Robert Hamilton was one of Magnum, P.I.'s best staff writers. Hillerman, once again, delivers a first rate performance.

[brunoffrance]

8 at table as each sundays ritual now and my brother ' anniversary and occasionaly wear the "jungle bird" shirt that I've offered him last year...
The note is 9 for this hillarous episode well made with this incredible love mistake...
My wife was desapointed that the lady chose TM instead of Higgins... why always the beautiful thomas compared to Higgins... it's her point of view !
Sure higgins was a bit ridiculous when fighting at the beginning of the episode but was glorious at the end on the docks...
Clever TM and fair play to let Vivian to Higgins... the class !

Bruno

[Zudobug]

The flashback also Higgins without a mustache for the only time in the series. This poses a question. Was John Hillerman's mustache real and he shaved it off for that scene or did he always wear a fake mustache?

[Jay-Firestorm]

Thursday’s review; this is a seriously good episode, one that I can watch over and over again.

[rating=10]

In a chance meeting, Higgins meets an English Duchess whom he had two brief encounters with years before. But due to a mix up with notes, the woman believes it is Magnum carrying a torch for her instead of Higgins. A wonderful character piece…

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This review contains spoilers.

‘Letter to a Duchess’ is a wonderfully written and performed episode of ‘Magnum, p.i.’, and sums up the overall high quality of the third and fourth season.

Magnum is preparing for the annual surf ski race, something that is woven throughout the series – along with the fact that Magnum was beaten the previous year by a twelve year old girl!

The episode contains top-notch performances from Tom Selleck and John Hillerman, as well as a perfect guest spot by Jane Merrow as Vivian.
By this point, the series was well established enough to have almost whole episodes devoted to character interaction over the adventure of earlier stories. In particular, it is the interaction of Magnum and Higgins that can carry it off.

The mix up over love notes is simple but very well played out; I love the scene of Vivian visiting Magnum in the guest house, mistakenly believing him to be the author. Magnum is bemused by her visit, but welcomes her in, in a very warm and humorous scene.

I also like Higgins’ flashback to his two brief encounters with Vivian in England years before. They add real depth to the story, and add more background to Higgins’ rich past.

Of course, there have to be some villains, and this time it is a couple of brutes after Vivian’s supposedly very valuable jewellery. The fight on the docks at the climax is great, and adds some action to the story.

The closing scenes, as Magnum goes out of his way to put Vivian off of him, are quite touching, especially Higgins subtle smile as he realises what Magnum is doing for him.

All-in-all, this is a very pleasing episode. I like it so much that I give it a rare 10 out of 10.

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Other bloopers, notes and misc.:

* The DVD version of this episode has all of the commercial breaks abridged.

*

The flashback also Higgins without a mustache for the only time in the series. This poses a question. Was John Hillerman's mustache real and he shaved it off for that scene or did he always wear a fake mustache?

I may be wrong, but I think that Hillerman’s moustache was covered up with makeup. If you study his top lip in these shots, it does look a little “puffy” where his moustache would be underneath.

[Zudobug]

I never noticed that when I first watched the episode but on closer inspection it does seem that a bit of help from the make-up department was used.

[Italian Ice]

Good reviews Jay. You're getting into some of my all-time favorites. It's going to be very hard to pick a top 5 in this season.

[Jay-Firestorm]

Good reviews Jay. You're getting into some of my all-time favorites. It's going to be very hard to pick a top 5 in this season.

Yes, this is a very strong "era" of Magnum, I'll be hard pushed to pick my Top 5 as well!

[wilko]

Here's a flub.

Magnum returns to the estate to learn that Higgins has received a call from the kidnappers. Higgins is in the study, sitting with a snifter of brandy in his hand and the bottle on the table. Magnum sits opposite Higgins Higgins tells him about seeing Vivian in the Strand after the war. Suddenly in the midst of the conversation Magnum is also holding a snifter of brandy but he did not pour one for himself before sitting down, get up to get one nor did Higgins offer him one. Nor was there an empty glass on the table.

[J.J. Walters]

Ah, good one wilko. The "Magical Brandy Snifter" flub!

[robspace54]

This is a great episode and we get to see that Higgins is not one-dimensional and Magnum gets to play gallant hero, and lose the girl. But I want to know if Magnum finished 17th in the surf-ski race where did his nemesis Keke finish?

In the study when Vivian and Jonathan are working on the books - look at the shelves. There is a set of red, black, and gilt bound volumes. My mom has a similar set - they are Colliers Encyclopedias - a fixture of any home in the 60s - 80s. Although I bet these were bought from a used book store as they are clearly different issues from the offset of the writing on the spines.

Rob

[No need to know!]

Superb episode. I only gave it a 9. It´s a 9,5.

[J.J. Walters]

Can anyone ID this?

[J.J. Walters]

This has to be one of the funniest, most bizarre flubs/continuity errors ever. In the surf ski race at the end, Magnum starts the race with his Detroit Tigers cap, but finishes it with his Da Nang cap. What makes this so strange is that Magnum lost his Da Nang cap in the Season Four opener "Home From the Sea" (when he is knocked off his surf ski by a reckless boater). We havn't seen him wear his Da Nang cap since, and yet here we see him suddenly wearing it out of nowhere, in the middle of a surf ski race! It's like he found his lost cap at sea! LOL!

[IKnowWhatYoureThinking]

It also looks like the KKC tank top is different. The one in the picture with the Tigers hat is more worn, while the one with the Da Nang hat looks newer.

[Carmen]

Don`t you know he has this little secret safe inside his surf ski so he can change cloth at sea, I heard he carried a tux there everytime in case he needs it at the KKC