Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the fourth season

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
5
5%
9.5 (One of the Best)
20
20%
9.0 (Excellent)
17
17%
8.5 (Very Good)
26
27%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
18
18%
7.5 (Decent)
3
3%
7.0 (Average at Best)
5
5%
6.5 (Not So Good)
3
3%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
0
No votes
5.0 (Just Awful)
1
1%
 
Total votes: 98

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Doc Ibold
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#46 Post by Doc Ibold »

And of course, Scrungo

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charybdis1966
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Re: Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2)

#47 Post by charybdis1966 »

Seen this episode yesterday and having seen it in sequence it is quite a change of pace from "Home from the sea".

Luther himself has the snappiest dialogue in the show and I do like his slightly cliched/stereotyped private eye views (why did I think he was a real life version of "Inch High, Private Eye?), tongue in cheek attitude.

The use of VO's from both the show's Pi's was quite amusing, like they were having an unseen battle of wits.

The twist that blonde on the street corner in the opening scene was the "MacGuffin" for the entire show was quite clever, a part of me wonders that it would have made for a very short show if he realised who he gave the $5 to was his daughter and it would all have been over.

Overall an upbeat episode which is what I/is needed at that stage of Season 4.
Last edited by charybdis1966 on Fri Mar 04, 2022 12:23 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Estate resident
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Re: Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2)

#48 Post by Estate resident »

The Luther Gillis eps. are my favorite recurring character eps.. Nobody but Eugene Roche could pull off a character like Luther Gillis. So much so a seperate mini-series probably could have been done...then when tv had a strange thing like a sense of humor. Which is also what made MPI the great show it was. MV got very boring very fast because it took itself waaay too seriously.

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Re: Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2)

#49 Post by MagnumILWU »

I never realized that the actress who played Luther's daughter "Little Nancy", is also the same actress who played Trudy Monk for several seasons( not the first 2) on "MONK"! Melora Hardin!
"pickled egg please"

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#50 Post by Luther's nephew Dobie »

MaiTaiMan wrote:
J.J. Walters wrote:
MaiTaiMan wrote:Gillis sucks! :P
Them's fightin' words!! Center of town, high noon, be there! ;)
LOL! :lol: This sounds more like Gary Cooper ("High Noon") than Luther Gillis. :wink:
Really, though, I'm sure there are many who like Luther Gillis and think he's hilarious...I totally respect their opinions. I just don't happen to share them. :wink:
Compared to Bogie and Magnum, I still think Gillis sucked. :P But, for those who liked his loud-mouthed, slobiness, know-it-all style, I suppose he could've had his own show--set in St. Louis of course. But, I could not have watched it. :shock:
I love the "Magnum" episodes that primarily deal with the regular characters and an action-packed/suspenseful case that Magnum would be working on. Usually the episodes that focus primarily on a recurring, goof-ball, guest-star character (such as Gillis) are not ones I really enjoy that much. :? They take way too much away from Magnum and the "gang", and the normal style of the show. :x
"I'm not bad I was just drawn that way"...Jessica Rabbit

Hi Mai Tai,
Of course "Gillis sucked" compared to Bogie the screen immortal.
The writers aren't stupid, Gillis wasnt a badly drawn attempt at a clone of Bogie but rather he is supposed to be a tongue in cheek homage to Bogie's Sam Spade and Phillip Marlowe for people who loved those old characters.
Perhaps some were disappointed the producers didn't cast more Selleck like eye candy for the ladies but that's the point.
Luther is reality(with exaggerated humor), the every day working slob and Roche was pitch perfect.
He is honorable and loyal in his way and if his boorishness resulted in a brawl he'd fight to the end and not leave a pal in the lurch. I'd have beers with him on Hotel street anytime, he'd pick up his rounds and have great stories.
He is also a possible vision of Magnum in 20 years, as most posters here have noted, and as Magnum himself comes to knows this, 'there's the rub' as the Bard would say and the source of Magnum's unease.
Both have written PI books, have a daughter who lives far away, dress sloppy, avoid mature relationships and still score with the babes (Blanche being portrayed by Sheree North who in her salad days was a stone sexpot groomed to replace Marilynn Monroe).
That's not shallow writing for a cartoon character Luther, the writers are playing off Magnum's long established history with 'Future Magnum' Luther.
As for the humor, humor is needed when you constantly portray a world of violence(or are actually dwelling in it like in the army). John Ford's war movies are a prime example of this as is most of Mister Selleck's work, especially Magnum PI.
As John Lennon said
"All we are saying, is give Luther a chance"
Last edited by Luther's nephew Dobie on Fri Feb 26, 2016 1:28 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2)

#51 Post by EZiller »

Of all the recurring characters in MPI. Luther was my favorite, even better than Higgins assorted half-brothers. Eugene Roche was superb in the role. It could have been easy to portray Luther as a clownish buffoon and while he certainly is that at times, Luthor is also loyal, resourceful, completely fearless and with a wealth of experience. Here, in his first appearance we get to learn a lot about his style. It's a rather weak plot line, but Roche and Selleck really work well together. After the dramatic tension of "Home From the Sea" this was a terrific comedic episode. 9.5

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Re: Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2)

#52 Post by Milton Collins »

Ok while I have grown to like Luther Gillis quite a bit over the years of watching the DVDs/Netflix, I didn't like this plot. I think the Return of Luther Gillis later this season and AAPI were far better. I loved the karate class scene though. The very fact that Higgins was teaching a self defense class to a bunch of older women was funny enough, but Luther getting ticked at Higgins slanderous comments about private investigators and then punching out that old woman who was just doing some silly practice move was awesome! I'm very against violence towards women don't read that last part wrong, just thought it was a funny and ridiculous reaction by Luther, not that he hit a woman, that's totally not cool outside of a fictional tv show. Anyway, I think Luther is extremely well played by Eugene Roche and I very much like his character but I went on and on about him in my review of AAPI so I'll avoid duplication. I guess I just thought that other than Luther and the karate scene, this was a thin plot and a boring episode. I have it a 6.5.

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Re: Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2)

#53 Post by MagnumILWU »

"You Too"! This is such a great episode! Just too funny! I love everything about it! There really hasn't been a better guest star!
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Re: Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2)

#54 Post by tiger73 »

One of best episode. Almost every scene is funny. I like soundtrack similar to Mike Hammer music Theme and noir wnviroment of the beginning. This episode remember me Dukes of Hazzerd with its great rythmin

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Re: Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2)

#55 Post by KingKC »

I loved Luther Gillis when he first came on in the 4th season. I liked who he was searching for in the first episode which told me, for all his flaws, he was a good man. I actually dream of being a PI (not quite like Luther Gillis or TM, mind you!) in St. Louis after WWII and through the Fifties and onward when the true city of St. Louis was a thriving city of almost one million inhabitants. The city proper is now under 400K but the metropolitan area is over 2.5 million. I lived there for five years and could imagine his office in an actual building and what night life in downtown "St. Louie" was like then. (I am sure you know that absolutely NO ONE in St. Louis refers to St. Louis as St. Louie. That was just in the song Meet Me in St. Louie). I found it hilarious that Gillis also had his "book" on being a PI while Magnum was thinking of his. Gillis may have been the extreme comic example of Magnum some 25 years later!! Kudos to the writers, producers and directors for Luther P. Gillis.

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Re: Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2)

#56 Post by Luther's nephew Dobie »

KingKC wrote: Kudos to the writers, producers and directors for Luther P. Gillis.
KingKC
Hi King KC,
Uncle Luther is tanned, rested and ready. Gillis for President in 2016! America needs his vision, as well as his keen intellect and fashion sense. Vote the straight Gillis/Artie Canoe ticket. It would have been the Gillis/Higgins ticket but The Butler ain't a citizen.
"My way or the highway, scrung-o" beats "a chicken in every pot" if you ask me.
Dobie Gillis

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Re: Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2)

#57 Post by thechickinthemiddle »

Rewatching this, I replied "Against bullets?" to Agatha's line literally a second before Magnum did :P Agatha obviously didn't intend to mean that scenario, but it's still hilarious.

As are Luther and that poor old woman. :lol: It was a definite split-second reaction, but for obvious reasons you'll NEVER see a network show do that for comedy today.
Last edited by thechickinthemiddle on Thu Oct 06, 2016 3:34 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2)

#58 Post by TSM308 »

He dropped her like a bad habit :lol: Also like when the 3rd cellmate decides to hang himself because he can't stand Luther and MAgnum's bickering any longer
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Re: Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2)

#59 Post by 308GUY »

Don't really have anything to add to what's already been said about this episode.

Will say that I like the Luther Gillis character, and Roche played him perfectly.

Mostly posting to point out a flub that I haven't seen mentioned previously, I noticed during last viewing of the episode.

When LG and TM are cruising in the Ferrari after noting the tail they had aquired, when Luther asks TM how he's going to lose a tail in a car that sticks out like King Kong on the Empire State building. Thomas says, "Like this" and then the camera moves down to his hand downshifting, he is not wearing his team ring or MIA bracelet, when just a millisecond before, they are both present.

I also noticed the watch switch from the Chronosport to the GMT Master earlier, but that flub has already been pointed out by a couple folks.

Anyway, just thought I'd throw this in here, and say that this episode stands out for me for several reasons, the main one being the introduction of Luther Gillis.


"Against bullets???" :lol:

"Watch out Chuckie!"

LOL! ok....where's that Luther smiley when ya' need it? :magnum:
"C'mon TC...nothing can go wrong!"

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Re: Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2)

#60 Post by Rembrandt's Girl »

308GUY wrote:
LOL! ok....where's that Luther smiley when ya' need it? :magnum:
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