Smaller Than Life (4.3)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the fourth season

Moderator: Styles Bitchley

How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
0
No votes
9.5 (One of the Best)
1
1%
9.0 (Excellent)
2
2%
8.5 (Very Good)
6
6%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
14
14%
7.5 (Decent)
20
20%
7.0 (Average at Best)
20
20%
6.5 (Not So Good)
18
18%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
9
9%
5.0 (Just Awful)
8
8%
 
Total votes: 98

Message
Author
marlboro
Baron Of GIFs
Posts: 655
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2013 2:31 pm

Re: Smaller Than Life (4.3)

#41 Post by marlboro »

MagnumILWU wrote:http://www.starringthecomputer.com/feature.html?f=250 Guest star, Cork Hubbert is from my hometown, Portland Oregon.


Small world, isn't it?

User avatar
Algernon Farnsworth
Lieutenant Commander
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2018 4:10 am

Re: Smaller Than Life (4.3)

#42 Post by Algernon Farnsworth »

This seems like a Magnum fever-dream; really not sure what to make of it... I mean, I've often thought it would be interesting to view the show through the lens of Magnum being like Nick Frangakis the shell-shocked vet from "Wave Goodbye", unable to determine fantasy from reality, but this episode is really pushing it. :)

User avatar
K Hale
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 1117
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2018 6:52 pm

Re: Smaller Than Life (4.3)

#43 Post by K Hale »

charybdis1966 wrote:Like others before me I started to find the Waldo character annoying after quite a short time. even the way he said "figurine" I found annoying.

Plus points were that Rick comes across as quite a likeable, decent guy and TM's rather silly attempt to impress the thrill junkie girlfriend although Higgin's appears to behave out of character in agreeing to assist in a breaking and entering felony.
Yeah but he's only doing it because the president is under threat. This is probably the kind of hoohah he did back when he was with MI6 (or was it MI5?). It's not like they were breaking in just for the hell of it. The whole commando raid on the house was full of win and clearly the best thing about this pretty silly episode. Mark me down as one of those who found Norris irritating. I did get a kick out of the retro computer stuff though! God, those stone age modems!!
I didn't realize you were so addicted to pool.
It's not pool.
Billiards.
Snooker!
Snucker.
SNOOKER!

User avatar
Magnum T.
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 323
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 4:57 pm
Location: Robin's Nest

Re: Smaller Than Life (4.3)

#44 Post by Magnum T. »

After two good episodes (each in its own way) this "Smaller than life" is one of the less memorable of the entire series probably, of the season for sure.
Waldo isn't the most likeable character, seems fishy.

Nonetheless there's one very good reason to watch it, the gorgeous Lenore Kasdorf who already caught my attention in "The Six Million Dollar Man" episode "Act of Piracy".
I see she was in a large number of classic TV shows, including some that I own like the mentioned "Six Mil'", "Starsky & Hutch" and "The A-Team".
Gotta watch them again, sooner or later.

6.5
"Zeus, Apollo, get out of my Ferrari!"
"Mr. Masters' Ferrari"

User avatar
Little Garwood
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 1261
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:53 pm
Location: The Magnumverse

Re: Smaller Than Life (4.3)

#45 Post by Little Garwood »

Magnum T. wrote:
Nonetheless there's one very good reason to watch it, the gorgeous Lenore Kasdorf who already caught my attention in "The Six Million Dollar Man" episode "Act of Piracy".
I see she was in a large number of classic TV shows, including some that I own like the mentioned "Six Mil'", "Starsky & Hutch" and "The A-Team".
Gotta watch them again, sooner or later.
You're a man of taste, Magnum T! I raise a Coops in your honor.

Lenore Kasdorf--a forgotten goddess if there ever was one--will definitely catch your attention in the season four Simon & Simon episode, What Goes Around Comes Around.

Her most famous role is in the Chuck Norris masterpiece, Missing in Action (1984).
Last edited by Little Garwood on Mon Aug 13, 2018 2:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Popularity is the pocket change of history."

~Tom Selleck

Mad Kudu Buck
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 414
Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2017 3:02 pm

Re: Smaller Than Life (4.3)

#46 Post by Mad Kudu Buck »

marlboro wrote:
MagnumILWU wrote:http://www.starringthecomputer.com/feature.html?f=250 Guest star, Cork Hubbert is from my hometown, Portland Oregon.


Small world, isn't it?
Yes, small world. I'm the one who made the comment on that webpage back in 2010.

I thought this episode was a load of crap. I found Waldo annoying and the story line was unbelievable. I like seeing old computers, but in this case it was obvious they were just trying to push Atari sales and the computer usage was so unrealistic that it was hard to watch.

User avatar
Magnum T.
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 323
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 4:57 pm
Location: Robin's Nest

Re: Smaller Than Life (4.3)

#47 Post by Magnum T. »

Little Garwood wrote: You're a man of taste, Magnum T! I raise a Coops in your honor.

Lenore Kasdorf--a forgotten goddess if their ever was one--will definitely catch your attention in the season four Simon & Simon episode, What Goes Around Comes Around.

Her most famous role is in the Chuck Norris masterpiece, Missing in Action (1984).
Thank you!
Indeed I think I am a man of taste. But who doesn't? :lol:
I used to watch "Simon & Simon" back in those days but it didn't leave many memories behind.
I will search for that episode.
Never been a fan of Chuck Norris, sorry.
"Zeus, Apollo, get out of my Ferrari!"
"Mr. Masters' Ferrari"

User avatar
LZeitgeist
Vice Admiral
Posts: 109
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2018 3:25 am

Re: Smaller Than Life (4.3)

#48 Post by LZeitgeist »

Mad Kudu Buck wrote: I thought this episode was a load of crap. I found Waldo annoying and the story line was unbelievable. I like seeing old computers, but in this case it was obvious they were just trying to push Atari sales and the computer usage was so unrealistic that it was hard to watch.
I just watched it and I feel the same way.

User avatar
MagnumILWU
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 629
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2012 5:44 pm
Location: Portland Oregon

Re: Smaller Than Life (4.3)

#49 Post by MagnumILWU »

Mad Kudu Buck wrote:
marlboro wrote:
MagnumILWU wrote:http://www.starringthecomputer.com/feature.html?f=250 Guest star, Cork Hubbert is from my hometown, Portland Oregon.


Small world, isn't it?
Yes, small world. I'm the one who made the comment on that webpage back in 2010.

I thought this episode was a load of crap. I found Waldo annoying and the story line was unbelievable. I like seeing old computers, but in this case it was obvious they were just trying to push Atari sales and the computer usage was so unrealistic that it was hard to watch.
Well good for you! Is he Jewish? Is that why you hate him?
"pickled egg please"

User avatar
ENSHealy
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 639
Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:00 pm
Location: Madison, WI

Re: Smaller Than Life (4.3)

#50 Post by ENSHealy »

4.3 SMALLER THAN LIFE
Famous guest stars:
Hawaiian shirts: 1
Image
Tigers Cap:
Island Hopper shirts:
Shirtless: 1 TM appears "shirtless" in 7 separate scenes, in the shoulder cast. But I'm discounting those heavily, down to just 1 point, since it seems different than the usual, "check out the hairy-chested hunk" shirtless scenes.
OMG/Extraordinarys: 1
Higgins Organizations: 1 Aloha Historical Society
Higgins musings: 1
Negotiations:
Body Count:
Bullet wounds:
Little Voice:
I know what you’re thinking:
When I write HTBAWCPI: .5 No mention of the book, just a “one thing I’ve learned as a private investigator….”
Investigator corrections:
4th wall breaks:
Magnumometer: 5.5
Magnumometer Moments: https://vimeo.com/385591315

Potential magnumania usernames: Waldo Norris, Henderson-Aames Insurance

Is the security guard Tom Lupo, making another uncredited cameo?
Image
Episode Guide wrote:At 46:26, Rick is seen putting on a gunbelt to go with the uniform Higgins got him. A few seconds later the gunbelt is seen laying buckled on the coffee table, where Rick picks it up to put it on... again. (Noted by Tami Young)
I think this may not be a flub. There’s a “clunk” at 46:29 (:09 in the video excerpt) which could be Rick putting the gun belt back down on the table. It is definitely different from the clunk when TM puts down his milk glass. You have to listen closely, but it is definitely different from the sound made when TM puts down his milk glass. The next time we see Rick he is readjusting his pants. So my theory is he actually puts the gun belt down to readjust the waist band of his pants.
Carol the Dabbler wrote:
James J. Walters wrote:In the episode guide, I ... said an analog TV couldn't turn itself on by placing a phone onto an acoustic coupler modem.
True, and that very thought occurred to me when I watched the episode tonight. But then it occurred to me that Magnum is in a hospital, which is the first place I ever saw a remote control. I don't recall seeing a remote control in the episode, but hospitals of that era were providing them to anyone who rented a TV -- maybe it was just off-camera. So Magnum could have simultaneously put the handset into the acoustic coupler and turned on the TV set. I know, I know, he was all thumbs due to the body cast, but theoretically, he could have. So maybe it isn't a for-sure flub after all?

The part I was questioning was how the computer he was using got its signal to the TV. Pretty sure that TV didn’t have a wireless adapter, and I don’t see any wires coming out of the computer when it’s on Thomas’ lap.
Last edited by ENSHealy on Sat Feb 12, 2022 5:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ensign Healy
Scholar in Residence
The Institute for Advanced Magnum Studies

"I woke up one day at 53 and realized I'd never been 23."

bjs
Lieutenant Junior Grade
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2016 8:07 pm

Re: Smaller Than Life (4.3)

#51 Post by bjs »

There are so many twists which undo previous continuity in this episode that I am reminded of Ebert's review of The Usual Suspects -- "to the degree that I understand, I don't care."

User avatar
Philip Jennings
Lieutenant Commander
Posts: 26
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2022 10:47 pm
Location: Falls Church, VA

Re: Smaller Than Life (4.3)

#52 Post by Philip Jennings »

Maybe this isn't such a good first post for me on here but regarding this episode I feel it must be said: Nope. No, No, No.

Sorry, not a fan. Magnum's convenient typos on that magical wireless battery operated computer: no. And so on... (mirror contraption adjustments eye-balled and successful on the first try...?)

I promise I'll be nicer in my future posts. :)

User avatar
charybdis1966
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 284
Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2010 11:56 am
Location: Buckinghamshire, England
Contact:

Re: Smaller Than Life (4.3)

#53 Post by charybdis1966 »

Philip Jennings wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 4:31 am Maybe this isn't such a good first post for me on here but regarding this episode I feel it must be said: Nope. No, No, No.

Sorry, not a fan. Magnum's convenient typos on that magical wireless battery operated computer: no. And so on... (mirror contraption adjustments eye-balled and successful on the first try...?)

I promise I'll be nicer in my future posts. :)
I whole heartedly agree with you on this one; it's a story that's trying to be too clever to the extent that it's no longer entertaining.

Don't worry about your first post being negative - my first post (about twelve and a half years ago) was a massive whinge about the episode "The sixth position"; over 250 posts later I haven't looked back ! :lol:

User avatar
502-to-right
Lieutenant Commander
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue May 09, 2023 10:26 pm

Re: Smaller Than Life (4.3)

#54 Post by 502-to-right »

Wow, this one was a stinker. I'm willing to suspend disbelief most of the time with Magnum PI but this episode was several bridges too far.

Magnum just happens to mistakenly enter the correct name in the computer system to get info on Waldo? And you can simply call the White House and talk to the president if you give the name of someone he knows? And even if the president knew Waldo it doesn't mean Waldo was on a legitimate mission. But the gang cheerfully joins Waldo in his burglary operation?

And this is coming after one of the best and most emotional MPI episodes ever (Home From the Sea).*

This will be an episode I won't be watching again.


*I realize Luther Gillis #521 was the episode immediately after HFTS.

Post Reply