Luther Gillis: File #001 (5.10)

[K Hale]

The problem with it is that it's out of character for Magnum, who is protective or even overprotective of JQH when it comes to safety issues. Consider these examples:

* "You better not drive the Ferrari, it might get out of control"
* "You shouldn't be climbing trees to trim them, it could be dangerous"
* "You should have had me move that lawn roller out of the truck, you could have hurt yourself"
* "Agatha is lying on the floor of the Vanagon with a couple broken legs, but are YOU all right?"
* "Stop putting bombs in the mongoose holes, you'll hurt yourself"
* "Are you bombing the mongooses again? This is how you got hurt before!"

Etc... so, for Magnum to snicker at obvious injuries rings a fairly false note IMO.

[Mad Kudu Buck]

Yes, I agree. That's why I don't really watch this episode.

[☨magnum.t]

I was never bothered by the injuries thing, I think them walking and moving of their own volition was enough for Magnum to know neither were serioisly hurt or injured. And I think TM being concerned with Higgins' welfare was more of a way to poke fun at him, kind of like a child calling their parents old but not meaning anything other than a joke to get a rise out of them. Also TM has been SHOT before and nobody seemed to pay him much mind lol

[K Hale]

I almost rated this "Not So Good"...as once again it's a Luther Gillis episode. I can't hardly stand him or the Fake Mac.

However, I ended up rating it "Average at Best"...just because some of the scenes with Gillis and Higgins working together were somewhat hiliarious.

However, once again...it's still Luther! He still mostly annoys the crap out of me. Also, I wasn't real pleased with Magnum and how cavalier he treated Higgins and his case. I realize that he felt an obligation to Robin Masters, but...it was Higgins! Higgy Baby had never hired Magnum personally before...hello!

Out of all the Luther Gillis episodes, this is one I can somewhat stand to watch and be entertained...but it's still not really one I love watching when going through season 5.

I will watch the pool hustle at any time any day until the crack of doom. One of my top 5 favorite scenes in the entire show.

As for Magnum blowing off Higgins' problem, you have to remember Higgins himself told Magnum it wasn't a big deal and to give Robin's case all the priority. Naturally Magnum would have behaved differently if he had understood just how personal the connection was.

[KingKC]

If any character annoyed me it was Susan Johnson played by Carol Burnett. Carol Burnett is iconic but not in that role.

[KingKC]

Just got through watching this one again and I still loved it. I did not care much for TM laughing (in his high pitched voice) at Higgins and Luther when they were beat up. Maybe it was his way of responding in kind for the way Higgins always condemned TM for getting beat up. If you think about the time line of Higgins life there is no way it is possible for him to be as young as he is in the series. And for baseball fans Luther being in St. Pete for the St. Louis Browns in the spring of 1954, well that is impossible since the Browns moved to Baltimore in the late fall of 1953 and became the Orioles. In any event Eugene LaRoche/Luther Gillis added so much to this series even though he was rarely seen. (Five episodes I think)

[K Hale]

If you think about the time line of Higgins life there is no way it is possible for him to be as young as he is in the series. And for baseball fans Luther being in St. Pete for the St. Louis Browns in the spring of 1954, well that is impossible since the Browns moved to Baltimore in the late fall of 1953 and became the Orioles.

Some things you just have to put down as script errors; the St. Louis Browns thing is one of them. As for Higgins' age, one has to suspend disbelief and just accept that Hillerman was 12-13 years too young for the role -- but worth it anyway!

[Pahonu]

If you think about the time line of Higgins life there is no way it is possible for him to be as young as he is in the series. And for baseball fans Luther being in St. Pete for the St. Louis Browns in the spring of 1954, well that is impossible since the Browns moved to Baltimore in the late fall of 1953 and became the Orioles.

Some things you just have to put down as script errors; the St. Louis Browns thing is one of them. As for Higgins' age, one has to suspend disbelief and just accept that Hillerman was 12-13 years too young for the role -- but worth it anyway!

They only missed the Browns by a year, but Hillerman was only 12 when WWII ended! Maybe because he looked and behaved so much more maturely than Magnum's character it seemed plausible at the time. I do remember thinking as the final season or two aired, that he seemed not as old as many of the WWII veterans that I knew at the time. Of course, by then I was 17 and understood a lot more than when the show started and I was 9.

[K Hale]

If you think about the time line of Higgins life there is no way it is possible for him to be as young as he is in the series. And for baseball fans Luther being in St. Pete for the St. Louis Browns in the spring of 1954, well that is impossible since the Browns moved to Baltimore in the late fall of 1953 and became the Orioles.

Some things you just have to put down as script errors; the St. Louis Browns thing is one of them. As for Higgins' age, one has to suspend disbelief and just accept that Hillerman was 12-13 years too young for the role -- but worth it anyway!

They only missed the Browns by a year, but Hillerman was only 12 when WWII ended! Maybe because he looked and behaved so much more maturely than Magnum's character it seemed plausible at the time. I do remember thinking as the final season or two aired, that he seemed not as old as many of the WWII veterans that I knew at the time. Of course, by then I was 17 and understood a lot more than when the show started and I was 9.

When they cast him they just needed a good actor who could play the role. I doubt anyone expected the show to go on as long as it did or get into as much depth. No one gave thought to Higgins having a big backstory. I just imagine it as being a very compressed time frame and suspend disbelief — or else imagine Higgins passing through a secret Tibetan time portal that took 12 years off his age!

[K Hale]

In fact as I understand it he might have been the last person to be cast. They had had several older British actors in to read for the part and they didn't like any of them. Finally in some meeting, they were going over how hard it was to find somebody to be Higgins and who else to try and Selleck's agent said, "Have you considered John Hillerman?" So they had him come in, even though he was a little too young and from Texas and he blew everybody away. Bellisario said later that his mind was made up by the time JH was done reading the first line; he was exactly what he had had in mind. Two hours after JH left, they called him to say he got the part.

[brianw]

Meh, this one is just ok. The pool scene was funny. But the ending... TM was fighting with the bad guy, but they never show how it ended. The scene ended with really funny Higgins stunt double pushing the other guy off the ship.

[Laohu]

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Bad Laohu, bad!
This is just wrong, putting that scrung-o fraud of an actor's picture on display as Luther Gillis. The script was even worse, an insult to all Magnum Mania
fans, so bad that one wonders if the producer has any respect at all for the original series.
Please consider deleting your post out of respect to a wonderful character and the actor who brought him to life.

[K Hale]

This is appearing in several threads, and it’s all being done for attention.

[308GUY]

Yea...c'mon guys....THAT is NOT Luther Gillis!

I'm one of those who not only "tolerates" the new show...but really tries to like it...for what it is...and NOT going to start that again!

But geeeez luweez....KEEP THE STUFF RELATED TO THE "NEW" SHOW IN THE REBOOT SECTION...PLEASE!

This site did not come into being to support PLenkov and crew...there's been an entirely new section added to accommodate it...so do all of us a favor and keep it there?

"TIA for your understanding and cooperation."

It would be good if these "cross" posts would disappear from where they don't belong.