Professor Jonathan Higgins (5.13)
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lutherhgillis
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Back to the discussion of Agatha's car... I am pretty sure it is a Rambler like others have mentioned. I remember the first time I saw this episode and I was thinking, "Wow, I haven't seen a Rambler in a long time." Once there were many of those American Motor Company cars on the road. Boy how times have changed.
Who's Dot Matrix, and what has she got to do with this?
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golfmobile
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Jay-Firestorm
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I know it’s a silly story, and very predictable, but I liked this one – definitely one of the better season five offerings IMO.
[rating=9.0]
While Magnum tracks down a shady investment company that swindled Agatha and her friends out of $100,000, Higgins attempts to make his distant punk rocker cousin into a lady before she marries into a society family. Silly, but one of the season’s better eps…
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This review contains spoilers.
‘Professor Jonathan Higgins’ is a very silly episode, especially when compared to some of the clever and high quality stories that the series offered up in previous seasons. Thankfully, it is also a lot of fun, and stands as one of the generally weak fifth season’s better instalments.
Jillie Mack puts in a rather stereotypical but enjoyable performance as Higgins’ distant cousin, punk rocker Sally. Her ‘cockney’ accent is a bit over the top, and she can be slightly irritating at times, but personally, I found it forgivable in an episode that doesn’t take itself too serious.
(Mack, in case you don’t know, had previous appeared as different characters in season four’s ‘Rembrandt’s Girl’ and, uncredited, in ‘Fragments’ earlier this season, and went on to marry Tom Selleck in 1987).
The episode is fully of nice touches – such as Magnum coming fourth in the pizza competition, and his popcorn maker – which have been sadly lacking for much of this season. The whole story just feels more alive, more like the episodes of the previous seasons.
The only bit of the story that I was the wrap up – it just seemed far too coincidental that Sally’s missing husband-to-be was behind the scam that ripped off Agatha and her friends, that Magnum has been investigating all episode. This just seemed to come out of nowhere, and could at least have had a few hints at this before in the story. It is the only element of the episode that doesn’t work for me.
But other than that one gripe, I personally found this a very enjoyable story. It’s certainly not one of the show’s most sophisticated episodes, but it is all good fun, and stands as one of the better episodes from the fifth season – though bearing in mind some of the season’s other offerings, maybe that’s not saying much!
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Other notes, bloopers and misc.:
* Rather unusually (but welcome), the opening trailer of this episode doesn’t focus on the Magnum elements of the story, instead featuring Higgins trying to reform Higgins. In other such stories, Magnum is given prominence in the trailers, even when he is barely featured (see season four’s ‘Holmes Is Where the Heart Is’, for example).
* Near the beginning of the story, Magnum goes to collect the mail from the front of the Estate, and as he goes in, the gate closes behind him. A few moments later, Agatha drives in, with no-one buzzing her through the gate! (Maybe as she is such a trusted friend of Higgins’, he gave her a remote for the gate, like the one Magnum has?)
* By the way, regarding Agatha’s car, we also see it in ‘Echoes of the Mind’ Part I. I don’t recognise this car as ever being sold in Britain (though I’m no car expert), but whether it was or not, this particular model is not British, as British cars have the steering wheel on the opposite site,
* The song that Sally sings at the party on the Estate, ‘The Lambeth Walk’, is a famous Cockney song recognised in the UK (I don’t know if it’s known Stateside). Read about it here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeth_walk.
* There are a lot of “bloody”s and “bleeding”s in this episode, especially from Sally, but (maybe surprisingly), when Five broadcast this episode in 2002, they left them intact – despite editing smaller usage of the words on other occasions.
[rating=9.0]
While Magnum tracks down a shady investment company that swindled Agatha and her friends out of $100,000, Higgins attempts to make his distant punk rocker cousin into a lady before she marries into a society family. Silly, but one of the season’s better eps…
-----
This review contains spoilers.
‘Professor Jonathan Higgins’ is a very silly episode, especially when compared to some of the clever and high quality stories that the series offered up in previous seasons. Thankfully, it is also a lot of fun, and stands as one of the generally weak fifth season’s better instalments.
Jillie Mack puts in a rather stereotypical but enjoyable performance as Higgins’ distant cousin, punk rocker Sally. Her ‘cockney’ accent is a bit over the top, and she can be slightly irritating at times, but personally, I found it forgivable in an episode that doesn’t take itself too serious.
(Mack, in case you don’t know, had previous appeared as different characters in season four’s ‘Rembrandt’s Girl’ and, uncredited, in ‘Fragments’ earlier this season, and went on to marry Tom Selleck in 1987).
The episode is fully of nice touches – such as Magnum coming fourth in the pizza competition, and his popcorn maker – which have been sadly lacking for much of this season. The whole story just feels more alive, more like the episodes of the previous seasons.
The only bit of the story that I was the wrap up – it just seemed far too coincidental that Sally’s missing husband-to-be was behind the scam that ripped off Agatha and her friends, that Magnum has been investigating all episode. This just seemed to come out of nowhere, and could at least have had a few hints at this before in the story. It is the only element of the episode that doesn’t work for me.
But other than that one gripe, I personally found this a very enjoyable story. It’s certainly not one of the show’s most sophisticated episodes, but it is all good fun, and stands as one of the better episodes from the fifth season – though bearing in mind some of the season’s other offerings, maybe that’s not saying much!
-----
Other notes, bloopers and misc.:
* Rather unusually (but welcome), the opening trailer of this episode doesn’t focus on the Magnum elements of the story, instead featuring Higgins trying to reform Higgins. In other such stories, Magnum is given prominence in the trailers, even when he is barely featured (see season four’s ‘Holmes Is Where the Heart Is’, for example).
* Near the beginning of the story, Magnum goes to collect the mail from the front of the Estate, and as he goes in, the gate closes behind him. A few moments later, Agatha drives in, with no-one buzzing her through the gate! (Maybe as she is such a trusted friend of Higgins’, he gave her a remote for the gate, like the one Magnum has?)
* By the way, regarding Agatha’s car, we also see it in ‘Echoes of the Mind’ Part I. I don’t recognise this car as ever being sold in Britain (though I’m no car expert), but whether it was or not, this particular model is not British, as British cars have the steering wheel on the opposite site,
* The song that Sally sings at the party on the Estate, ‘The Lambeth Walk’, is a famous Cockney song recognised in the UK (I don’t know if it’s known Stateside). Read about it here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeth_walk.
* There are a lot of “bloody”s and “bleeding”s in this episode, especially from Sally, but (maybe surprisingly), when Five broadcast this episode in 2002, they left them intact – despite editing smaller usage of the words on other occasions.
JAY FIRESTORM
Facebook: Jay Gathergood / Twitter: Jay_Firestorm NEW BLOG: http://thea-teamcaptured.blogspot.com/
My A-Team site - http://thea-team.org aiming to be the most detailed A-Team site on the Net - if I ever get around to updating it!!
Facebook: Jay Gathergood / Twitter: Jay_Firestorm NEW BLOG: http://thea-teamcaptured.blogspot.com/
My A-Team site - http://thea-team.org aiming to be the most detailed A-Team site on the Net - if I ever get around to updating it!!
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J.J. Walters
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VERY interesting! Another nice nugget of trivia to add to the episode guide.Jay-Firestorm wrote:* The song that Sally sings at the party on the Estate, ‘The Lambeth Walk’, is a famous Cockney song recognised in the UK (I don’t know if it’s known Stateside). Read about it here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeth_walk.
Thanks Jay!
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!
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Styles Bitchley
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OK, Mack's cockney is over the top - I agree. But she's very hot as an 80's punk, so I forgot all about it very quickly.
The story is a bit flimsy, but it's a thoroughly enjoyable ride. I like how Rick and TC actually get involved in this case as though they are an investigating team. They must have really wanted that trip to Disneyland!
A few things didn't quite make sense, but the one that was most outstanding was how trigger happy the bad guy in the office was. Would he really be willing to go from embezzling to murder without hesitation?
Overall a decent episode.
The story is a bit flimsy, but it's a thoroughly enjoyable ride. I like how Rick and TC actually get involved in this case as though they are an investigating team. They must have really wanted that trip to Disneyland!
A few things didn't quite make sense, but the one that was most outstanding was how trigger happy the bad guy in the office was. Would he really be willing to go from embezzling to murder without hesitation?
Overall a decent episode.
"How fiendishly deceptive of you Magnum. I could have sworn I was hearing the emasculation of a large rodent."
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Styles Bitchley
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I know I'm kinda becoming the car guy, but here it is anyway. Obsessed Agatha fans might want to pick up this '63 Rambler American on ebay in Arizona: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... &viewitem=
Looks awesome!
Looks awesome!
"How fiendishly deceptive of you Magnum. I could have sworn I was hearing the emasculation of a large rodent."
- J.Q.H.
- J.Q.H.
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Danno
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We somehow missed seeing this episode because it was on the next screen on the DVD menu. DUH... the effect was like having an Episode Easter Egg though. Much enjoyed parts of it- although more to do with the significance of Jillie Mack/Tom Selleck being on screen together. 'You're a bit of alright?!'
Her accent was painful.
... but are there really that many British in Hawaii?!
Her accent was painful.
... but are there really that many British in Hawaii?!
Help protect Hawaiʻi's Green Sea Turtles http://malamanahonu.org
Decent, and humorous episode where Higgins and Agatha have to make a "true" British lady out of an 80's punk wild-child. Love the orange hair! 
I love the ending where Sally ends up tricking her "moronic" finace and helping Magnum and Higgins.
Not wonderful, but still a silly, humorous, and entertaining episode for season 5.
I love the ending where Sally ends up tricking her "moronic" finace and helping Magnum and Higgins.
Not wonderful, but still a silly, humorous, and entertaining episode for season 5.
"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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miltontheripper
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MaiTaiMan wrote:Decent, and humorous episode where Higgins and Agatha have to make a "true" British lady out of an 80's punk wild-child. Love the orange hair!
I love the ending where Sally ends up tricking her "moronic" finace and helping Magnum and Higgins.
Not wonderful, but still a silly, humorous, and entertaining episode for season 5.
Couldn't have said it better myself!
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Croix de Lorraine
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That's one of my pet hates with the show. If your only source of knowledge for all things Hawaiian was Magnum PI, you would be forgiven for thinking that at least 80% of the islands' population is British. It really takes a lot of suspension of disbeliefDanno wrote:... but are there really that many British in Hawaii?!
Speaking of pet hates, once again Magnum prances about like a raving homosexual. The trigger this time is the chance to meet Donald Duck. He's not the only Disney fan though - Rick and TC are ready to get killed for the privilege.