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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Milton Collins
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Re:

#41 Post by Milton Collins »

MaximRecoil wrote: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.
Good post! I forgot to mention in my first post that Tran Quac was a bit on the annoying side. And it did feel forced how sappy and emotional the guys got over him, especially at the end when they didn't even look for him at the end. Oh well, not perfect but was not a bad episode even still.

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Re: Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

#42 Post by Hawaii Winds »

Its so sad to hear that Roland Harrah III who played Tran Quoc Jones passed away at such a you g age. May he rest in peace....

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Re: Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

#43 Post by SignGuyHPW »

I actually rather enjoyed this one. There was a lot going on in the episode, but they made it tie together fairly well by the end of it. I didn't really have an issue with the Tran Quoc Jones character being annoying. I thought he did a fairly solid job with it.

I'm not sure if this counts as a flub or not, but Tanaka showed up to bust the guys running the protection racket. It was never mentioned that they'd killed anyone so why was a homicide detective on this case? TC having a pack of gum in his pocket also bugged me since they'd established that he doesn't chew gum in a previous episode. I was REALLY thrown by their casting for the supposed father. If he was an American named "Jones" then why did they hire a rather Asian looking actor for the part? It also wasn't explained why the guy that murdered Honey wasn't worried about Tran Quoc being able to identify him. I kept expecting that they'd figure out the shot could have been for the boy instead of the politician and they never really explored that.

Overall, I think they made a lot of different plots mesh together well. There were some holes in it, but nothing that made me unable to enjoy the episode. Jim Bonnick coming through with the info that they needed out of NIA despite conning Magnum on the other deal was great. It gave reason for them to have a little bit of trust in him in future episodes rather than getting sucked into an easy con knowing he wasn't trustworthy at all. I know a lot of you hated the ending and questioned why they'd not go after him, but I was ok with that part. The reason being I can see them accepting that Tran Quoc had become accostumed to that type of lifestyle and wanted to go back to it. Without knowing for sure if there were any other relatives or how they'd react to him there would've been a strong chance deportation would be an issue. Knowing the father was dead changed things in that they weren't helping a boy reunite with his lost father and would've been illegally assuming custody of an illegal minor. They'd have been in hot water for that. Another strong point for me was how they explored what Magnum and TC felt about draft dodgers. They'd not really talked much about that before and they had clear feelings on the matter.

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Re: Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

#44 Post by magnum1911 »

My wife is a huge horror movie buff and goes to the conventions. I tagged along one time and was able to meet Terry Kiser. He plays Dennis Redfield the assistant to Hasley in the episode. His most notable role is the ever lifeless Bernie in the film series Weekend at Bernie's. Everybody there was to meet him for some horror movie role he had made. I walked up to him and said the words Tran Quoc Jones. He grinned and told me I was the only person he ever remembered wanting to see him due to that role. He told me all about how they put him up in some fancy hotel in Hawaii and about all the cast and crew. I got the feeling that he actually enjoyed the conversation. Anyways heres a pic with me and Terry. So now I make my wife try to find out any of her horror movie actors that had Magnum appearances no matter how tiny the role.

Image

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Doc Ibold
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Re: Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

#45 Post by Doc Ibold »

That's awesome!

I'm glad he recalled the role with such gusto. Plus.. I'm sure it set you apart from the others who recoginized him as "Bernie"

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Re: Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

#46 Post by terryfromkerry »

magnum1911 wrote:My wife is a huge horror movie buff and goes to the conventions. I tagged along one time and was able to meet Terry Kiser. He plays Dennis Redfield the assistant to Hasley in the episode. His most notable role is the ever lifeless Bernie in the film series Weekend at Bernie's. Everybody there was to meet him for some horror movie role he had made. I walked up to him and said the words Tran Quoc Jones. He grinned and told me I was the only person he ever remembered wanting to see him due to that role. He told me all about how they put him up in some fancy hotel in Hawaii and about all the cast and crew. I got the feeling that he actually enjoyed the conversation. Anyways heres a pic with me and Terry. So now I make my wife try to find out any of her horror movie actors that had Magnum appearances no matter how tiny the role.

Image
Welcome aboard magnum1911 great picture. I would love to ask him how he managed to keep a straight face ( I mean without laughing out loud) during the filming of " Weekend At Bernie's". :lol:
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Re: Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

#47 Post by J.J. Walters »

That's cool, magnum1911! Terry Kiser was in a boat load of TV shows over the years, particularly in the 70's and 80's. He was probably at the horror convention because of his appearance in Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood.
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Tesza
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Re: Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

#48 Post by Tesza »

A linguistic detail that could be added to the "fun fact" list: Tran Quoc in Vietnamese would actually be pronounced like "chan-quook" and means "defense of the homeland". There is also a pagoda called Tran Quoc in Hanoi. I don't know if this is a coincidence ("let's just make up a name sounding typically Vietnamese") or if there is a special intention. :)

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Re: Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

#49 Post by Big Kahuna »

Does anyone think that this is more or less the back story of Short Round from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom..?

The kid looks identical, is about the same age and of American/Asian decent and he's grown up on the streets pulling scams to survive.

Add to which the air date of this episode is November 1984 and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was released in the summer of 1984...and we know that Magnum P.I. and the Indiana Jones movies have links...
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Re: Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

#50 Post by marlboro »

That's a pretty interesting theory, BK.

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#51 Post by K Hale »

Agatha wrote:This episode is another great example of the show's committment to the Viet Nam war...and the issues surrounding it. It also includes one of my MOST FAVORITE lines!!

Thomas doesn't think Higgins will be happy to have Tran Quoc stay on the estate and...he knows that he's missed meeting with Higgins about Robin's fundraiser so...they sneak onto the estate so Thomas can hide Tran Quoc in the guest house. Just before they go inside, Thomas checks to see if Higgins has seen them and then...

TQ: Where's your HoTe statue?

TM: What?

TQ: Your Good Luck statue. You know. The short, round little man? Don't you keep one outside your door?

Door opens. Higgins steps out of the guest house.

TQ: Uuuuuuuh. Some people keep them inside.

I LOVE IT!!

:)
This was an awesome moment. And I did look up Ho Tai statues, and the short, round little man is way rounder than Higgins. LOL
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Re: Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

#52 Post by T.Q. »

Not a lot of love for me. :?

:lol:
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Re: Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

#53 Post by J.J. Walters »

What? This was YOUR episode Tran Quoc! :)

Higgins: This lad, this mere child, is your client?
Magnum: Well, in a manner of speaking, yes.
Higgins: How on earth do they find you?
Tran Quoc: The Yellow Pages.
Higgins: Of course, I should have guessed.
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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Re: Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

#54 Post by K Hale »

Forgot to mention what I actually thought of this ep, lol. I found it dreadfully sappy and preachy. The scene towards the end of Tran Quoc giving the guys their gifts was unbearably saccharine. The idea that they would not look for him after he ran away was utterly unbelievable.

It had its moments, and the boy himself did a good job, but overall... meh.
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Re: Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

#55 Post by J.J. Walters »

I know, it's so bizarre. They were just like, "Oh well, good luck Tran Quoc!" No call to social services, no hoping in the car to try and find him. The kid was like 10 years old and T.C. was in tears. I guess with him being a street kid and all, they just trusted that he could take care of himself. :shock:
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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