Distant Relative (4.4)

[mandolabar]

I'm working my way through the DVDs, and I found this episode just amazing. Devastating, hysterically funny--whoever called it a rollercoaster ride was right.

I didn't see anyone mention this, so I wondered what you all thought--when Magnum is walking in to the morgue to see if the girl is, in fact, Wendy, the shot opens low, you see his hand, and then moves out. I had initially thought he might be crossing his fingers (that it not be her), but I think he's touching his team ring. Maybe for luck?

Anyone else see that, anyone have an opinion?

~Amanda

[Styles Bitchley]

Anyone else see that, anyone have an opinion

I don't remember seeing it, but for some reason I can see him touching the ring as a sort of "fraternal" gesture. Sort of like, "I'm doing this for you buddy."

[Styles Bitchley]

Probably the best example of the Magnum giggle in the whole series.

[Sam]

Anyone else see that, anyone have an opinion

I don't remember seeing it, but for some reason I can see him touching the ring as a sort of "fraternal" gesture. Sort of like, "I'm doing this for you buddy."

I don't have this episode so I can't comment but one thing I have noticed..With or without a ring..Selleck is always rubbing his ring finger with his thumb.

[Little Garwood]

Rick dodging over the lava filed looking like he was running on eggs... Egad! Carol Channing in a punk club?

The 'drama' of Rick over his sister's death was so unrealistic. Only when TM gioes to see Higgins and tells him what has happened is there any believable emotion.

As a kid, my friends and I called this episode "Rick Goes Nuts." I even wrote that title on the VHS tape when I recorded it off of TV in 1995!

I think the writing for Rick's character let him down. The whole "We got 'em guys, didn't we?" is like a line of dialogue from a 1940s WWII movie and wouldn't even do the likes of Olivier or De Niro any favors! Manetti did well, especially when he slumps in despair after they take out the jeep. Larry doesn't get much credit in fandom, but he excelled at the body language to convey what he's feeling. Another example of that is his stunned look at the end of S3's Faith and Begorrah.

Another aspect of the writing I didn't care for was Thomas and T.C. hiding the fact that Wendy was in fact a drug "mule."

I voted Distant Relative an [8.5]

[Seaver41]

Overall, I like this episode, but the final scene where Rick dresses up like Rambo and runs across the rocky terrain with his uzi ruins it for me. Manetti just looks so uncoordinated and awkward, I just can't imagine him ever being a soldier in the past.

man I couldn't agree more......not an athletic bone in his body. I liked the episode, but it still had an air of cheesiness. Let's be honest, Larry Manetti overacted in a big way. He's better playing the calm club manager or punching bag.......but getting all dramatic is not his forte.

I'd also call out some bad directing/editing........Rick goes from hair trigger on the uzi to being tumbled over a table to sitting on floor saying what have I done in seconds........too much for me to digest. I understand those mentioning a 2 hour fortmat would've been better. It seemed rushed in the end. They could've and did not develop the Carol angle and investigation......instead we jump to Icepick and a commando raid by Rick.

[snp389]

Some of the best helicopter flying I have ever seen! I would love to see some of the stuff that ended up on the cutting room floor.
Incredible flying.

I reckon the scene with TSM and JQH in the study, is one of the best in the entire series! Both always have little spats at each other, but also know when they have over-stepped the boundary.
The look on Tom's face when he realises, and then Higgins' acknowledgment to then offering TSM a whiskey, is some of the best acting ever.

[N1095A]

Anyone know if there is video on youtube or anywhere of TM shooting down Higgins' plane from the end of this episode?

[Sisophous]

the final scene where Rick dresses up like Rambo and runs across the rocky terrain with his uzi ruins it for me. Manetti just looks so uncoordinated and awkward, I just can't imagine him ever being a soldier in the past.

Same here, sometimes I am at a loss to understand why they put things into the script. Manetti is believable as a club owner, but he waddles when he runs and has no athletic ability whatsoever until he became Rambo in this episode. And, his acting skills are not of a high caliber, all he seems to show is a bad temper when they give him a larger role. And, a nasty temper at that. He is best running down leads and doing investigative work but when they expand his role, it does not work.

[Doc Ibold]

the final scene where Rick dresses up like Rambo and runs across the rocky terrain with his uzi ruins it for me. Manetti just looks so uncoordinated and awkward, I just can't imagine him ever being a soldier in the past.

Same here, sometimes I am at a loss to understand why they put things into the script. Manetti is believable as a club owner, but he waddles when he runs and has no athletic ability whatsoever until he became Rambo in this episode. And, his acting skills are not of a high caliber, all he seems to show is a bad temper when they give him a larger role. And, a nasty temper at that. He is best running down leads and doing investigative work but when they expand his role, it does not work.

I think because the character of Rick is based on Larry Manetti playing Larry Manetti. No one understood Bogie Rick in the pilot, and frankly I think that was for the best. While the Rambo Rick scenario was a tad bit unbelievable, it makes sense when you look at his character development up to that point, as you put it - a nasty temper. So, if Rick knows that his only blood relative left in the world (whom he is extremely overprotective of and not objective about in the first place) has been murdered, he has access to and knowledge of how to use firearms an a history of hare brained schemes and hot headed thinking.. It does make sense that he would go off half cocked and try and take the guys out himself. He has a history of falling into traps (see Past Tense) so it's obvious he's not Super Soldier. I think it would be a tad bit more unrealistic for him to Magnum out in the guys and be completely lethal on a one man killing spree.

I think the more unrealistic thing is them chasing down the thugs in a helicopter spraying down fire and having no consequences afterwards, even with the suspension of disbelief.

[charybdis1966]

Lots of light and shade in this episode, tragedy and humour from one comment to the next. TM must have felt devastated when he realised Ricks sister got killed on his watch and Rick was understandably angry at him.

I voted this as "pretty good" and one that cements the camaraderie of the three vets; extending the I guess you would call TM/Rick/TC as the 3 musketeers with Higgins as an elderly D'Artagnan.

[marlboro]

I agree with those who said they thought this episode would have worked better as a two-parter. The first half could have been the lighter comedy episode ending with the shocking death of Wendy. The second episode could have been the grittier half of the story - Magnum's investigation, the revelations about Wendy's past, and Rick's mental turmoil.


I also think the shifts in tone between comedy and drama are really jarring. Magnum shooting down Higgin's plane was hilarious, but I don't think it was an appropriate ending to this story. If this story had been a two-parter I would have put that scene just before the ending of part one, right before the news that Wendy is dead.

[charybdis1966]

I agree with those who said they thought this episode would have worked better as a two-parter. The first half could have been the lighter comedy episode ending with the shocking death of Wendy. The second episode could have been the grittier half of the story - Magnum's investigation, the revelations about Wendy's past, and Rick's mental turmoil.


I also think the shifts in tone between comedy and drama are really jarring. Magnum shooting down Higgin's plane was hilarious, but I don't think it was an appropriate ending to this story. If this story had been a two-parter I would have put that scene just before the ending of part one, right before the news that Wendy is dead.

Good points raised there Marlboro; it does seem like this story had untapped potential and could have been comparable to "Did you see the sunrise" although on a different dramatic level.

[308GUY]

The more I see this one, the more I like it. Have to agree with the "should have been done as a two parter" opinions though. Would have lent itself much better to story development and plot unfolding. It is what it is.

Question which has been touched on previously here: the two scenes where TM is looking out at Higgins (and Agatha for the first one) flying the planes, is supposed to be looking from the questhouse, yes? So that kind of helps establish the physical location of it, (the guesthouse), or at least what we are supposed to accept it to be, but where were these shots actually taken from? We briefly see the back side of the main house, I'm guessing, as TM goes back inside, but are we to take it that is supposed to represent the guesthouse, when the basic configuration is all wrong according to what we have been led to believe is it's sturcture and location? There must be a logical explanation, but I'm not seeing it. Can anyone put it in terms that can be easily understood. What am I missing?

Still rated it at an 8.5, mostly for the reasons mentioned previously by everyone who posted their negatives about it. Could have been so much better.........ah well.

[308GTS]

I must have watched this ep at least 5-10 times during the 80's, but watched it again recently and have to say it's just a so so episode, mainly for the reasons stated by others, the hokey over the top acting by Manetti! He really wasn't an actor with any range at all, and yes his running, or should I say waddle is a bit off putting, yet we are supposed to believe that he was a Navy Gunner!

The only saving grace as ever is TM's acting, TM and Higgins classic scenes at the beginning and end, and to some degree TC, who was always way better as an actor than LM.

Wendy was super hot though, a real looker!