Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the fifth season

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2
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20
26%
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22
28%
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13
17%
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9
12%
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5%
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J.J. Walters
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Tran Quoc Jones (5.9)

#1 Post by J.J. Walters »

This is the official MM thread for Tran Quoc Jones (5.9). All discussions and reviews for this episode should go here. If you wish to rate the episode, please do so with the poll. The avg. score will be the official 'community rating', which will be used on the episode page (updated monthly).

This thread is also linked in the episode page of the Episode Guide.


Original Air Date: 11/29/1984
Magnum finds himself surprisingly attached to his young client, a small Vietnamese boy who lost his mother and whose only hope in the world is to find his missing G.I. father.
Last edited by J.J. Walters on Fri Dec 28, 2007 4:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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N1095A
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#2 Post by N1095A »

In the opening scenes there is a man wearing a cap that says "VT-21". VT-21 is a US Navy training squadron nicknamed the Red Hawks based at NAS Kingsville, Texas. V stands for fixed wing, T stands for training.

On Magnum's hat rack is the Detroit Tigers away cap worn only once during the entire run of the series in "Squeeze Play" 4.7 along with the red University of Southern California cap, also worn only once in "Squeeze Play"

The hat that "Mac" is wearing at the pinapple stand appears to be the one Higgins made during their stay on Frenchman's Island in "Operation Silent Night" 4.10

After TQ and Hasley are attacked on the beach, TC is seen looking for him on a remote beach. If TC had run in either direction from the estate, the beach would have been lined with houses and other buildings as the Anderson Estate has neighboring properties for miles in both directions.
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J.J. Walters
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#3 Post by J.J. Walters »

Hey, great episode notes N1095A! Much appreciated!

N1095A wrote:After TQ and Hasley are attacked on the beach, TC is seen looking for him on a remote beach. If TC had run in either direction from the estate, the beach would have been lined with houses and other buildings as the Anderson Estate has neighboring properties for miles in both directions.
Ah, but in the show Robin's Nest is on an isolated stretch of the North Shore. :? The show used "creative geography" several times to make it seem like it wasn't in a populated area of the island.
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#4 Post by Magnums Little Voice »

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. :?

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#5 Post by J.J. Walters »

As Doc Ibold once said....
"The Gang" lets Tran Quoc go back to the streets?! Are we supposed to believe they wouldn't try to find this kid after all they did to try to reunite him with his family?! Especially T.C. who, 1) Is about ready to kick some @ss for this kid, 2) Talks about searching for aunts and uncles, 3) Says to have TQ call him WHENEVER he needs him. I mean, lets look at his resources, 1) Higgins - who is in with charities for wayward boys and whatnot, 2) Rick - who has underworld connections and can keep an eye on the street, and 3) Magnum - who has experience in, A) Finding Delta Force operatives who have been missing for 10 years, B) Locating con artists in the witness protection program, C) Solving decades old murder cases using his freakin' dreams! Tracking down Hungarian orintologists who haven't been seen since the 1940s, D) Knowing when emotionally unstable women are about to be attacked by dogs, E) Tracking down the murderer of his friend using psychic clues, F) Taking down a revolutionary army with his 3 friends. Um, Yeah, I have a little hunch that they could find this kid!
:lol:

Another semi-famous local Hawaiian musical artist can be seen here...

Guitarist/Singer Glenn Pinho (as one of the extortion enforcers)

Image

This guy has a really nice, powerful voice. He kind of reminds me of a cross between Lou Rawls and Neil Diamond.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BtvD-cvzEE
http://hanaboy.com/index.html
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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#6 Post by rubber chicken »

I've just happened to see two movies in the last month in which Robert Tessier appeared. (Pictured below.)
Image

He had an interesting life, born in New England in 1934, he was of "Algonquin Indian descent." He served as a paratrooper in the Korean War, earning a Silver Star and Purple Heart, worked in the circus as a motorcycle dare devil, and was an "accomplished furniture maker" who made pieces to give to his co-stars.

He appeared in a large number of films and television shows, some of which include The Longest Yard, Breakheart Pass, Hard Times, The Cannonball Run, Little House on the Prairie, Kung Fu, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Starsky and Hutch, The Fall Guy, The A-Team, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Incredible Hulk, CHiPs, Amazing Stories, and was Mr. Clean in television commercials. youtube has two Midas Muffler commercials with him from 1983, and 1985.

The first movie I caught him in was Hard Times where he plays a very intimidating bare knuckle fighter who goes up against Charles Bronson. I didn't know at the time that Tessier had been on Magnum P.I. so I didn't get any screen shots, but he can be seen for quick flashes in the trailer for Hard Times (he's the bald guy).

And in The Deep he's "family" to the treasure hunter character of Robert Shaw (Quint from Jaws). The movie also stars Nick Nolte, Jacqueline Bisset, and Louis Gossett Jr. Magnum P.I.'s Bob Minor also appears in the movie, which I mentioned in this post.

Here he is at right, the man in the background is Earl Maynard, and the two get into a life or death fight involving an outboard engine!
Image Image
Last edited by rubber chicken on Wed Sep 09, 2009 4:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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#7 Post by J.J. Walters »

Yeah, Tessier was one of the best tough guys ever! A real character. I still havn't seen the infamous Bronson film Hard Times, so I'll always remember him for his roles in The Longest Yard and The Deep. He apparently was also MR. CLEAN for a while! LOL!

I see that sadly he passed away in 1990 at the age of 54. :(
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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#8 Post by rubber chicken »

Yes, it was cancer. I decided to leave that out of the post, I'd like to imagine he's still being a badass someplace, somewhere.

And he really was awesome, which I didn't stress enough in my post. There was something that stood out about him. Once I read about his Algonquin ancestry I said to myself "oh, that's why his looks are so unique." Surprising that they can show through so plainly - really gives him an aura of being from another time and place. And his role in Hard Times is pretty cool, he had a unique fighting style in which he used the top of his head to take blows without hurting himself, while also injuring the hand of his opponent. You should definitely see that if you're interested, it's pretty darn good. Even has an IMDB rating of 7.2 which is way up there.

I've seen The Longest Yard, but it was awhile ago now and I don't remember his part. Maybe I'll have to get it again.

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#9 Post by J.J. Walters »

A weird looking editing flub occurs during the "Little Round Top" scene. Just after T.C. snatches the papers from Tessier (the henchman), Magnum gives chase and does a flying leap-tackle. His VM0-2 hat flys off and lands several feet away on the hill....

Image

A quick closeup cutaway shot comes next, where we see the hat is now a mere inches away....

Image

The quickness of the cutaway makes it appear that the hat has moved UP the hill! It's really strange looking.
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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#10 Post by ConchRepublican »

I watched this episode last night as fun watching before the debate and really enjoyed it. It was semi-light, yet real, with a meaningful storyline. I really liked the convictions TM and TC showed regarding their time served in Vietnam and the gangs concern for TQ.

As a Raider fan, I was disappointed to see TC wear both 49er and Raider caps in the episode. That's just not right . . .

This episode also shows, at least from what I could see, that the steps to the beach always had that problem with sand washing up. When TM and TC run to the beach after Hasley and TQ are attacked, it looks like the sand extends right up to the lawn, no steps in sight.
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#11 Post by jetranger »

Started watching this episode tonight and noticed a flub starting at about 04:00 minutes in.

When Magnum, TC and Rick are discussing Robin Master's political fundraiser for Dick Hasley the bottles of liquor lined up behind the bar suddenly change at the scene cut at about 04:12 to the bottles with the green pourers that were just on the other side of the bar!

It's also the first time I think I've seen Magnum at a bar with a coffee cup?!?!

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#12 Post by rubber chicken »

Here's screenshots of jetranger's observation. First the left image then the right, and they're only one frame apart!

Image
Last edited by rubber chicken on Sun Sep 06, 2009 4:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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#13 Post by jetranger »

Exactly....thanks rubber chicken for posting the screen grabs! :)

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#14 Post by J.J. Walters »

LOL! That is hilarious! I'm trying to imagine what would have caused them to switch the location of the bottles in-between takes, but I can't think of any logical reason! :)

Great spot jetranger!
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#15 Post by golfmobile »

Don't know if this is the reason the switch-around was done, but might it have had something to do with showing brand names? With the bottles without the green stoppers close to the guys, you can better see the names of the liquor -- Kahlua particularly stands out. Now, granted, it would be hard to show a real bar without showing a single identifiable bottle of booze, but if that were the case, it just seems they should have re-shot the scene where the labels showed to one where the green-topped bottles were in place, replacing the first shot with the second one with the green pourers closer to the actors. Of course, that could have been done and then editing dropped the ball.

I just suggest this because we have previously discussed how they went to great trouble NOT to show the real name of a beer.

Just an idea . . . . Off the top of my head, I can't think of another reason for the switch.

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