All For One (1) (5.15)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the fifth season

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
6
7%
9.5 (One of the Best)
15
18%
9.0 (Excellent)
16
19%
8.5 (Very Good)
16
19%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
13
15%
7.5 (Decent)
9
11%
7.0 (Average at Best)
4
5%
6.5 (Not So Good)
2
2%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
0
No votes
5.0 (Just Awful)
3
4%
 
Total votes: 84

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nha trang
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#31 Post by nha trang »

I rated part 1 and 2 as "decent" only. To me, it seems like the show is copying Rambo mixed with the A-team (jeeps flipping over, anyone?) Also, I find the premise to be far fetched, that the team would return to SE Asia to conduct some unauthorized rescue operation with a guy who Magnum was already pissed off enough about to deck at first sight.

Adding to the cheese factor were scenes like taking cover inside the boat when they get ambushed from the shore. I can tell you I wouldn't have been inside the boat, relying on the side of the boat for cover. When the boat broke down, they should have got out and done recon, but I don't know, maybe they were supposed to be in "safe" Vietnam at that point and not Cambodia.

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Kifaru
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#32 Post by Kifaru »

Spotted a flub:

When they are on the boat and going through the weapons crate, Tyler picks up a 5.56 mm HK33 (or the identical civilian semi-auto version HK93) and throws it to TC, but in the next shot TC clearly catches a 7.62 mm HK91 (semi-auto version of the military G3). Tyler also identifies the weapon he's picking up as a '91', indicating that he is indeed picking up the wrong weapon.

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J.J. Walters
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#33 Post by J.J. Walters »

Ah, good flub spot there Kifaru!
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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MaiTaiMan
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#34 Post by MaiTaiMan »

J.J. Walters wrote:Also, when Tyler says Magnum was "the best at bringing back scalps", what exactly does this mean? I've heard of guys bringing back ears and other "things" to prove their "hit count", but never scalps! Is it just a figure of speech?

I recently re-watched the opening "Battle of Salamanca" scene and you know what, it is strongly implied that he is firing his cannon! At first I thought maybe we are supposed to think they rigged up some small explosives around the ground, or something. But in re-viewing it, it's pretty clear - Higgins is seen loading and firing the cannon, Rick is shouting out, "Hey, that almost hit me!". Not only is this shocking from the standpoint of "it's dangerous as hell to shoot in the general direction of people with a cannon, no matter how old the cannon is!", but also because Higgins is destroying some of his beloved flora and lush lawn! Bizarre! :shock:
I think that the "scalps" term was just a figure of speech...and meant that Magnum could take out the enemy pretty good as they invaded certain territories in Vietnam. But, I'll be honest and say that phrase has always somewhat had me stumped too...I'm not really sure what it meant? :?: I'm just guessing. But, I don't really think Magnum literally brought back scalps of dead Vietnamese soldiers. :shock:

Anyway, yeah the cannon thing with Higgins at the beginning was humorous...but very unrealistic and out of character for Higgins to fire his cannon on flowers/plants/lawn of the Robin Masters' Estate! :o I'm sure Higgy Baby had no problem firing it at Rick and T.C.--but he would've chosen a better area that would not have put any of the lush and beautiful landscaping in jeapordy. :wink:

However...leaving out the couple relatively unimportant issues mentioned...I really have grown to love this 2-part episode! If I'm to be honest, the part or aspect I love the most is that everyone helps and takes part in the mission....even Higgins!! Dang...Higgins can fire a machine gun with no problem! That was awesome! I also enjoyed the fact that this time he was helping and being involved with a military operation that wasn't his own...or tied to one of his old stories.

This is a very heart-felt and somewhat sad episode...but captivating and action-packed just the same! I had great respect for all the characters in this one and (like the 2-part "Did You See the Sunrise?") really showed what those guys had to go through in Vietnam. The care, love, and bravery that everyone showed was amazing!

Even though this is a somewhat "dark" 2-parter...I still enjoy viewing it and it "touches" me everytime! Excellent...and I rated it as such.

(I put this same review for Part 2)
"It was more ironic than a Robin Masters novel--she thought he was dead, he thought she was dead...and only the chauffeur knew the truth! He should have been the butler!" "Lest We Forget"

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#35 Post by RamblerReb »

Some technical notes:
  • McKinney hands Magnum a large rotary weapon on the boat and correctly says it holds 18 rounds, but then says those rounds are "armor-piercing." What he hands him is a Manville Projectile Launcher (familiar to anyone who has seen Dogs of War with Christopher Walken), originally designed as a rotary 12-gauge shotgun but then turned into a 25mm tear gas or flare launcher. Though prototypes were made during WWII which could fire grenades, none were ever sold, and the one in this show could fire nothing but gas or flares.
  • In the shootout on the river with the bandits, Selleck again shows his real-life weapons experience by firing his MP5 in short, controlled, aimed bursts with the extended stock firmly against his shoulder, no flinching or blinking to be seen. Hillerman again shows his relative inexperience by "spraying and praying" into the jungle, stock retracted, closing his eyes every time he pulls the trigger. Moseley alternates between halfway decent technique in long shots and awful weapons handling in the closeups, failing to pull the butt into his shoulder and spraying rounds at random. Manetti doesn't get enough trigger time to accurately assess his abilities with the '60, but the long burst he fires into the tree to get his man is riding the edge of firing for too long. The M60 was known for the difficulty of changing overheated barrels.
  • The fat-barreled submachineguns Magnum and McKinney are carrying when they are caught are H&K MP5SDs, a suppressed variant of the MP5. The fat barrel is actually an integral suppressor, one of the most effective around. I have personally fired one and the sound of the action cycling is louder than the report of the shot.

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#36 Post by RamblerReb »

After watching the episode of "Pawn Stars" so kindly pointed out by JJ, I have spotted a flub in this episode. While reenacting the Battle of Salamanca, Higgins is seen holding and using a ramrod/bore swab, implying that the cannon is a muzzle loader, while "Pawn Stars" clearly shows that it is a breechloader which fires blank shells. Also, "The Last Page" shows Higgins loading it with shells via the breech.

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miltontheripper
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#37 Post by miltontheripper »

I am posting this for both of the two part episodes. Wow this was a great two parter! Even though he's pretty much a complete schmuck Tyler P Mickenny is a GREAT character in my opinion, out of sight lol! Even though the plot is a bit far fetched I enjoyed this one. Seeing all the guys pool together for the same mission was awesome. Loved the action in this episode, especially Higgins with a machine gun. Definitely one of the highlights of season 5 in my opinion. Rated it a 9.0

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#38 Post by Seaver41 »

used to think it was one of the best as a kid, probably for the action.......but upon seeing it a couple years ago while on Sleuth (caught about 3 episodes before they pulled it) I found the action sequence cheesy at best.

I still like the ending when they wonder aloud about going or not, and conclude with Magnum saying they did........as I remember.

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#39 Post by MaximRecoil »

Jay-Firestorm wrote: Once the story does finally hit its stride, we have the great action sequence of the ambush on the gang’s boat; in a season where real action has been missing for a number of episodes, it is a welcome inclusion – even if it does feel like it drifts into ‘The A-Team’ territory at times (and I say that as a fan of ‘The A-Team’!).
Except, all those explosions and shots fired in The A-Team never killed anyone onscreen, expect for maybe once during the entire series. Magnum, P.I. was always different from The A-Team in that respect.

I didn't see anything particularly "cheesy" about this episode, despite that term being thrown around a lot in this thread. I didn't see one man wiping out an army à la Rambo: FB2, or one man wiping out an army with little to no use of cover, or cheesy one-liners and people doing acrobatics from spring boards when shot à la Commando.

This was actually portrayed rather realistically for an '80s jungle warfare sequence. For example, Rick was taken out rather quickly with a shot to the shoulder area that wasn't shrugged off as "just a flesh wound"; it was a serious, life-threatening injury (like nearly all gunshot wounds are in real life) in which it is implied that he would have died had it not been for Higgins.

Also, our heroes were captured early on without so much as firing a shot. This is far more realistic than the typical scenario of the hero(es) taking out quite a few people before an inevitable capture (the "won't go down without a fight" concept). Rambo: FB2 is a good example of this, i.e., taking out forty-eleven enemy combatants in an open area with no cover—combatants who apparently attended the Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy—while dragging along a POW, before finally submitting when the rescue chopper abandons him.

Selleck's shooting technique was a nice touch too; short, controlled, aimed bursts from the full-autos that he fires. You rarely see that on TV or in movies.

Also, TC presented a more realistic appraisal than I expected of the problems associated with a chopper that has sat unused and exposed to the elements for 10 years, right down to the problems with the fuel itself. A couple of years ago I started working on my '69 Dodge Charger that had sat in the woods for 17 years (it was running when it was abandoned 17 years prior), and there was quite a bit that I had to do to just get it started, e.g.; new battery, points, condenser, rotor button, distributor cap, spark plugs, ballast resistor, thorough cleaning and unseizing of the carburetor, new gasoline (and I noticed the alternator was seized after finally getting it started, so that had to be replaced too). Additionally, all of the brake rotors were seized to the brake shoes, so the wheels wouldn't even turn, and the internal brake components themselves (such as the wheel cylinders, as well as the master cylinder and power booster) were all seized. I had to completely replace every brake component, including all new brake lines.

TV shows and movies tend to gloss over stuff like this, i.e., give her some gas and maybe show a quick scene with someone under the hood with a screw driver, and it'll fire right up.

Whatever "cheese" was in this 2-part episode was very minor compared to the usual '80s action fare.

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Doc Fred
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Re: All For One (1) (5.15)

#40 Post by Doc Fred »

10 !!!!

This was, to me, the best show in the series.

Duty, honor, courage, camaraderie, patriotism, loyalty, the love of freedom .... it's all there.
Woof, woof... thirty years uglier!... woof, woof...

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Re: All For One (1) (5.15)

#41 Post by Doc Fred »

Yes, there were flubs, but they didn't detract .001 from the score...

As was pointed out, when McKinney shoots off the cannon, the doubles for Rick, TC and Thomas are obvious. I am virtually positive TC's double was Bob Minor, who was in charge of stunts for the series.

When they were prepping to leave from the airport, it was supposed to be 5am.. Some of the shots had sun coming down from what was clearly well overhead, and not at 5am. In addition, half the shots here were in bright sun, the other were on a rainy morning...
Woof, woof... thirty years uglier!... woof, woof...

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Re: All For One (1) (5.15)

#42 Post by marlboro »

Tyler Peabody McKinney = Norm Macdonald after three tours of duty


I liked these episodes. As someone has already mentioned, i think what I liked best about "All for One" was that everyone in the cast got to play an important part in the story and they all did wonderful jobs.

Favorite part of the episode: Rick shooting the old man. A very powerful scene. I half expected the old man's daughter to pick up the gun and force Rick to shoot her. I suppose that would have been a bit too dark.

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Re: All For One (1) (5.15)

#43 Post by SignGuyHPW »

I really, really liked this one. I thought the scene with the battlefield recreation was kind of strange, but it was a good set up for the episode's theme. I took it as a metaphor for Viet Nam. It was pretty clear, at least to me, that they were going to be set up somehow by Tyler, but it still kind of drew me in to see how exactly they'd be betrayed.

I also thought it was odd that actual rounds of ammunition were being shot towards Rick and TC. That seemed pretty reckless for a man that's very familiar with what it can do. It was kind of odd to me that Magnum never used his contacts to verify Tyler was right about everything before he went all the way to Cambodia. You'd think he'd check on something like that if he knew the guy wasn't totally trustworthy and the mission was high risk.

The overall theme of the episode was great. The team got back together for one more mission in Asia to save one of their own despite not trusting the guy running the mission. Higgins joining them because he could relate to what they were trying to do was really a nice touch. I'm not sure if it was supposed to be implied or not, but the way Magnum was worried about Rick being hungover only to see Rick shot minutes later was something I'm sure happened a lot in the actual war. That may have been something they inserted into the show based upon a story a vet had told.

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#44 Post by Milton Collins »

MACattack wrote:Seems like everybody is hatin' on this episode! I actually enjoyed it a lot more than episode with Luther Gillis .

The gunfight with the Thai bandits is reminiscent of the riverboat scene in 'Apocalypse Now'.

Wow great point! I just saw Apocalypse Now for the first time a few months back and they are extremely similar!

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#45 Post by Milton Collins »

N1095A wrote:
Artie Canoe wrote:I love this episode, especially the epic scene where the plane door opens and Higgins is standing there!

This scene for me defines the relationship between Higgins and the rest of the guys. This wasn't his cause. He didn't know J.J., Despite what Tyler said about Higgins missing "the action", i believe Higgins went along because of his bond with the guys. Because knew there was a chance he would never see them again, and his knowledge of the area, and his ability as a soldier no matter how long past would be an asset in helping to keep his friends that he cared for much more than he left on, alive.


Also noteworthy was TC closing the curtain in the plane as they were leaving Hawaii. he paused, and the camera showed a "parting shot" of the island. To me this was his taking one last look at home, because ie might not ever see it again.

Set aside the Rambo, A-Team cheese factor, and this is a very good episode from the standpoint, of the guys feelings toward each other, and the overpowering comittment to duty and honor that they all had in common. It helped along with so many other scenes, in so many other episodes to define their character. For those who dodn't care for it, I suggest you look at not as a stand alone story, but rather in the context of the entire series. I too was not very keen on this one, but after watching it a few times I began to see it in a different light. In fact, looking at it from that perspective, I'd venture to say it may have been one of the best episodes of the series.[/quote]


You said it perfectly! The first time or two that I watched this one I wasn't a big fan but I've seen it a couple times since and it's really grown better with each view. This was not an outstanding episode because of the semi-ridiculous story or the cheesy battle scenes. It was a 9.0 for me because it took a deep dive into the characters and showed their true colors, meaning their commitment to each other and to fighting for what they beleived in. I mean, it wasn't even Higgins war and he went to support the others. I loved the scene with him at the airplane door, pretty awesome to me that he would make the sacrifice and come along! For me, this one displayed as much as any other episode the extremely close bond these four shared and that they were good, honorable men. Tyler was a creep but I think he proved he was ok deep down (very deep, he was a maniac!) when he jumped on the grenade at the end. I have noticed comments about the opening reinactment scene in several other posts. I have to agree with those of you that thought it was INSANE that Higgins was using live ammo to bomb the guys lol. I mean, who would really do that? I guess Higgins would:) It made for a hilarious opening scene regardless.

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