Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the fifth season

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
0
No votes
9.5 (One of the Best)
1
1%
9.0 (Excellent)
2
3%
8.5 (Very Good)
20
26%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
22
28%
7.5 (Decent)
13
17%
7.0 (Average at Best)
9
12%
6.5 (Not So Good)
4
5%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
3
4%
5.0 (Just Awful)
4
5%
 
Total votes: 78

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golfmobile
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#21 Post by golfmobile »

Agatha,

You're welcome! But you're right -- got a question? -- Google it or just look on the internet. The answer is probably there!

Not to Hawaii till September, hopefully. Larry has a few days off next week, so we're trying to stir up a short jaunt down to St. Thomas, USVI.

golf
"Portside, buddy."

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IKnowWhatYoureThinking
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#22 Post by IKnowWhatYoureThinking »

If you've never been to St. Thomas you'll love it. Go have a few beers at the Greenhouse.

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Jay-Firestorm
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#23 Post by Jay-Firestorm »

Another not bad but not perfect episode from the mixed fifth season, IMO.

[rating=8.0]

Magnum is approached by a young Vietnamese boy, an illegal immigrant and living on the streets, to find his long lost G.I. father for him. But when another of Magnum’s clients is murdered, the two cases intertwine with each other. Fair but not outstanding…

-----

This review contains spoilers.

The fifth season trend of passable but not outstanding stories continues with this offering. It is a perfectly watchable episode, and has some very good moments, but ultimately feels sub par compared with some of the clever episodes that have appeared in previous seasons.

Tran Quoc Jones of the title is played by young Ronald Harrah III, in his first credited role. He went on to several more TV roles (including playing Le Van ‘Half Pint’ Hawke in two third season episodes of Bellisario’s ‘Airwolf’), before sadly committing suicide in 1995, aged just 22. (There were also several other young actors of the time, including John Louie, who appeared in ‘Gremlins’ and the first season ‘Riptide’ episode ‘Long Distance Daddy’, who might be confused with Harrah).
Harrah gives a very decent performance as Tran Quoc – as per usual, the series chose its young actors well – but there are also some over-cutesy moments which some may not like too much.

The episode also marks the return of ‘Mac’ mk. II, otherwise known as ‘Jim Bonnick’, after Jeff MacKay returned to the series in ‘Mac’s Back’ earlier in the season. It is quite a turnaround that, after Magnum continually conned the original Mac in the early seasons, from now on the ‘new’ Mac will con Magnum – here getting him involved with a scheme to dupe a protection racket out of their money.

Deborah Pratt also makes her final of several appearances as T.C.’s sometimes girlfriend Gloria; other it is the last time that Pratt is seen on-screen in the series, she would go on to write ‘Little Games’ in a couple of episodes time, as well as the seventh season’s excellent ‘Little Girl Who’.

Anyway, as for the storyline itself… it is a fair one, and I found Tran Quoc’s search for his father, whom he has never met, to start off quite interesting. But I find that the plot is just too over-complicated and has too much going on; in some episodes they manage the multi-thread storylines quite well, but here, I found it a little confusing in places.

But T.C.’s budding friendship with Tran Quoc (“T.Q.”) is well played out, and gives Roger E. Mosley something to get his teeth into.

Then there is another great episode ending, as Tran Quoc dumps his new clothes and returns to living on the streets. I found it a little hard to believe that the gang – especially T.C. - would not try and find him again, but even so, it make a good ending to the story.

All-in-all, I WANT to like this episode, and there are indeed sections that are very good. But it just lacks the polished touch of earlier seasons, and as I say above, the story is a bit over-complicated in places.

-----

Other notes, bloopers and misc.:

* Unless I’m much mistaken, Rick Lenz (Dick Halsey) is the brother (or husband?) or Kay Lenz, who appeared in the fourth season’s ‘Let the Punishment Fit the Crime’.

* Regarding Mac wearing the hat that Higgins made in the fourth season’s ‘Operation: Silent Night’ – they are similar, but I don’t believe they are the same hat. This one is smaller, a different colour (Higgins’ was green) and has a rougher finish.
JAY FIRESTORM

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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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#24 Post by nha trang »

Good review, firestorm, I agree on all counts!

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#25 Post by MaiTaiMan »

This episode was pretty good...I enjoyed the heart-touching, poignant attatchment T.Q. ends up having with T.C.--and Magnum. The action, and suspense of figuring out who and/or why someone was trying to kill either the kid or the politician was fairly entertaining.

However, the back-story of T.Q., and what was really the truth is still a little "fuzzy" for me?? :? Was he really illegal or was his mother really killed...or was that just another story he told Magnum?

Also, the small, idiotic other storyline with Fake Mac putting another con over on Magnum was pointless and could totally have been left out! :roll:

This is not one of my favorites by any means...but it's not that bad either.
"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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#26 Post by miltontheripper »

Magnums Little Voice wrote:Not a bad episode but I found TQJ a bit annoying (perhaps it was just me!), also the Mac gag of conning Magnum is getting a bit lame too. :?


I agree that TQJ was annoying and completely did not enjoy this episode. And yes the fact that Mac keeps conning Magnum is dumb. Magnum is a PI and very intelligent for gosh sakes. I can't imagine he'd keep falling for Jim Bonnigs stupid pranks even if he probably does still feel like he owes "Mac" for all the times he conned him before his death. I noticed some of the previous comments discussing some of their least fav characters of the series and repeatedly see Basketball Willie, Waldo the midget, and Tran Quac Jones reappearing in recent posts. In my opinion, Id take Waldo first anyday even though he was a pretty stupid character as well. At least it was funny when he turned into a possessed, sadistic, ninja at the end of "Smaller than Life" The other two are just plain boring in my opinion.

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#27 Post by miltontheripper »

I hate to beat a dead horse but I was only two thirds done with Tran Quac when I wrote my previous post and the last third really sealed the deal (id seen it before but forgot how bad the end is). This is in my top 5 least favorite episodes of the entire series. The scene where tran quac is handing out farewell gifts and everyone is near tears is ridiculously over emotional (come on, it's Magnum not a soap opera!) I appreciate TC's concern for the kid but he got carried away with his "overacting" again in my opinion. His over intensity about the kid and his ridiculous commitment of being lifelong friends really annoyed me. I dare say I really didn't care for this episode and I would like to change my rating to just awful.

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#28 Post by J.J. Walters »

Come on, the kid was unceremoniously dumped back out onto the street at the end. Cut the kid (and the episode) some slack. ;)

Still, not one of the highlights of the show that's for sure!
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#29 Post by Agatha »

Not one of my favorite episodes, either but that has always bothered me...VERY uncharacteristic of Higgins to allow Tran Quoc to just disappear like that. Maybe that's what bothers me about the episode...it didn't seem to "fit together" very well.

It does have one redeeming scene tho. I can't hear Tran Quoc explain to Thomas about the short little man who sits outside one's door...but sometimes they're inside...without a chuckle!!

(I know I didn't get that quote quite right...it's been a while since I've watched this one...)

:)
Isn't the ocean beautiful at sunset? So soft....so peaceful...so romantic!

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miltontheripper
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#30 Post by miltontheripper »

J.J. Walters wrote:Come on, the kid was unceremoniously dumped back out onto the street at the end. Cut the kid (and the episode) some slack. ;)

Still, not one of the highlights of the show that's for sure!


Ok ok, I'll have a heart (a little lol)! Just didn't care much for the episode is all.

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#31 Post by MaximRecoil »

In Did You See the Sun Rise? Magnum says that TC doesn't chew gum:

Magnum: "Nuzo was always giving TC gum; TC doesn't chew gum!"

In this Tran Quoc Jones episode, not only does TC chew gum, but he has his own pack.

In any event, I've never liked this episode. I find Tran Quoc Jones to be the most annoying character ever on MPI, edging out basketball Willie and that Jororo prince kid for the "honor". Kid actors annoy me in general, even when I was a kid, though there have been some exceptions. I'm glad a kid never became a permanent cast member on MPI (like happened on many other shows, i.e., "there's a new kid in town"). That would have ruined the show.

And I know that the actress that played Willie was technically an adult, but she looked, sounded, and acted like a kid.

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Re: Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

#32 Post by Stelth »

This episode had too many threads but it was OK...better than most of what I see on TV now. I especially like the ending where the politician was reading his hollow speech while Tran was going back to his life on the street: it was an interesting contrast.

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#33 Post by Doc Fred »

rubber chicken wrote: You should definitely see that ("Hard Times") if you're interested, it's pretty darn good. Even has an IMDB rating of 7.2 which is way up there.
"Hard Times" is one of my favorite flicks... to me, it's the all-time greatest macho movie. Unfortunately, some of the editing was faulty, with left and right reversed several times during fight scenes.

I must have watched the DVD 50 times, and I never tire of it. Bronson and Coburn were a great combination..
Woof, woof... thirty years uglier!... woof, woof...

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#34 Post by Doc Fred »

ConchRepublican wrote: I really liked the convictions TM and TC showed regarding their time served in Vietnam and the gangs concern for TQ.
Yes, they were both terrific in how they played the roles; they convinced me they weren't acting.
Woof, woof... thirty years uglier!... woof, woof...

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Re: Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

#35 Post by Doc Fred »

I can see I'm very definitely in the minority on this one. I haven't seen anyone say they really liked the episode, but I sure did. I was happy to see Thomas and T.C. really rip the guy who, in his own way, gave aid and support to the enemy when we were in 'Nam... I thought Hasley looked a lot like John Kerry, and I am wondering if this was intentional. Portraying Hasley's main assistant as a slimy politician was excellent, and very well done.

The only thing that bothered me was letting TQ just walk off at the end. After the way T.C., particularly, reached out to him and told him he'd always be there for the boy, it seemed strange that there wasn't some time used at the end of the show to change the ending. I can't see T.C. just letting him go and forgetting about him.... Magnum either.
Woof, woof... thirty years uglier!... woof, woof...

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