Going Home (6.7)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the sixth season

Moderator: Styles Bitchley

How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
13
14%
9.5 (One of the Best)
11
11%
9.0 (Excellent)
13
14%
8.5 (Very Good)
18
19%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
14
15%
7.5 (Decent)
9
9%
7.0 (Average at Best)
5
5%
6.5 (Not So Good)
8
8%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
2
2%
5.0 (Just Awful)
3
3%
 
Total votes: 96

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J.J. Walters
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Going Home (6.7)

#1 Post by J.J. Walters »

This is the official MM thread for Going Home (6.7). 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: 10/31/1985
It's a bittersweet homecoming filled with remembrances and reprisals when Magnum attends the funeral of his beloved grandfather.
Last edited by J.J. Walters on Fri Dec 28, 2007 4:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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J.J. Walters
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#2 Post by J.J. Walters »

This is the third time I've seen this episode (although truthfully, it's probably been about ten years since I last saw it) and I get the same reaction every time: "Whoa, Magnum had a half brother that was killed in 'Nam!?"

Another unusual episode (No Hawaii, no Higgins, no T.C., no Rick), which takes places entirely in the Tidewater Region of Virginia (based on the on location shots seen, it's more correct to say "The Hampton Roads" area of Virginia), Magnum's hometown. Broadway legend Gwen Verdon is great as Magnum's mother. I love the Don Eddie Rice character. He would be fun to hang out with. And Frank Peterson is a jerk. Thomas should have slugged him. ;)

And of course there's the great ending with Magnum at the Vietnam Memorial while Joe Cocker's version of Bob Dylan's I Shall Be Released plays up front in the audio mix. Man, I love that scene! I'm so glad they included it in the DVD!

Not a great episode, but a good one all-in-all.
Last edited by J.J. Walters on Thu Apr 12, 2007 10:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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Shermy
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#3 Post by Shermy »

Another case of the ending raising the entire episode up a few notches. Who the hell is Joey? I don't know, but seeing Magnum at the war memorial is still a pretty terrific scene.

This is also one of the few where no real crime occurs, although...how did Dick Cheney end up as Magnum's stepdad?! :lol:

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#4 Post by Doc Ibold »

I may be wrong, but I believe Joey is Magnum's 1/2 brother through his mom and Frank Peterson's marriage. The episode was pretty vague on that touchpoint, and it took me a few viewings of the episode before I came away with that conclusion

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#5 Post by J.J. Walters »

Shermy wrote:This is also one of the few where no real crime occurs, although...how did Dick Cheney end up as Magnum's stepdad?! :lol:
LOL! Yeah, he does look just like him!

Doc, I could be wrong, but I believe Shermy was being sarcastic when he says "Who the hell is Joey?". Six seasons into the show and we find out he had a half brother who was killed in 'Nam!? Outside of this episode, we never hear a mention of him again.
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Shermy
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#6 Post by Shermy »

Yeah, I was just kidding around with that post. :)

One of the strengths of the show was its willingness to address death and its consequences, but the small cast meant they usually had to invent someone to kill off!

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#7 Post by J.J. Walters »

True, unless of course your name is Tanaka, or Michelle, or "Mac", or Keoki (not killed, but sent off to prison for armed robbery and never seen again), or Magnum (thankfully the fans literally brought him back to life)! ;)

Joey Peterson is Magnum's version of Chuck Cunningham with Happy Days, although with Joey it's even more extreme, because the character is introduced six seasons in to the show's run, for one episode only, and we only see him for about three seconds! And then ..... we must never speak of it again. :?
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Shermy
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#8 Post by Shermy »

Yeah, I guess it does all balance out, since they really went for broke in later seasons. :shock:

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frog480
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#9 Post by frog480 »

I liked this episode, it's a very grown up theme, a long way from the playboy, fast car, helicoper flying action that Magnum is based on. I think eps like this confirm the general quality of this TV show over many others.

That said, one one compliant as others have said, it's poor continuity not to ever mention Joey before or after this episode, it should have been a key point to TM's back story.

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#10 Post by eeyore »

What I find so sad about this is, when Magnum is shown at the wall near the end of the show, it is at the very tail end of the wall. For those who may not know , the names on the wall are in the order of date they were killed, so Joey was one of the very last casualties. He almost made it, It brings tears to my eyes. Those of my generation barely escaped Viet Nam, as the war ended as we were of the age to be called up. So even though I never lost any one close to this war I still feel a bond. Almost a guilty feelign for having "lucked out". Such a complex and violent war IMHO. Did it accomplish ANYTHING?

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#11 Post by eeyore »

What I find so sad about this is, when Magnum is shown at the wall near the end of the show, it is at the very tail end of the wall. For those who may not know , the names on the wall are in the order of date they were killed, so Joey was one of the very last casualties. He almost made it, It brings tears to my eyes. Those of my generation barely escaped Viet Nam, as the war ended as we were of the age to be called up. So even though I never lost any one close to this war I still feel a bond. Almost a guilty feelign for having "lucked out". Such a complex and violent war IMHO. Did it accomplish ANYTHING?

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#12 Post by salmon58 »

I love this episode. Especially two scenes - Billy saying goodbye to grandpa and Thomas saying goodbye to Joey. Who knew that when TM was talking to Billy about saying goodbye to grandpa that he was actually still dealing with Joey?

Other reasons that are purely personal for liking this episode:

- I'm not sure I've ever really said goodbye to my dad and he died more than 20 years ago. Not sure that I want to.

- I was too young for Viet Nam but my uncle lost his brother. I finally saw the Memorial last year and found his name. That was a moving experience. The whole setting is profoundly moving, regardless of your feelings about the validity of the war.
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#13 Post by SelleckLover »

I know what you mean eeyore. My husband did four tours of duty in Viet Nam and he STILL feels guilty because he made it back, and a lot of his buddies didn't. His number was about to be called in the draft, so he enlisted. I haven't really thought about if that war accomplished anything or not. While he was overseas serving in the military, he went around the world 4 times, flew on a cargo jet at 30,000 feet and saw the curvature of the earth, got court-martialed 3 times (back then, a court-martial wasn't a big deal) was stationed in Japan for a year, China for a year, and Hawaii for the remainder, and racked up some of the best "sea stories" you'll ever hear.

http://www.ussconstellation.net/forum/v ... 8c7d73f9d1

Click on the above link, and start reading beginning with the story titled, "MIG Hunt"

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#14 Post by Steve »

I have to concur with others about this episode. I liked seeing the home movies with TS's real Father playing his Grandfather and to compare his looks to Tom's, thought that TM gave a great eulogy for his Grandfather and loved the ending at The Vietnam Memorial Wall with Joe Cocker playing. My problem was also with a step brother (Joey) being mentioned for the first and last time and for that matter a step father as well, although Frank was mentioned by TM's mother in I think in Limbo or Infinty and Jelly Donuts. I also felt uncomfortable with Frank Peterson being portrayed as such a bully, but I guess they wanted to show TM has family conflicts as many do......

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#15 Post by MPS »

This has always been one of my favorite episodes from the series. The long time separation of TSM and his mom just breaks my heart. My kids are spread all over the US now and any visit is important. TSM staying away for 15 years speaks loudly of his feelings about Frank Peterson.

The ending, at the wall, is also fraught with emotion. The first time we visited, I left in tears and my husband was pretty shook up. He was a student during the war and has the same survivor guilt and fascination with the war that many guys his age have. We both have friends who went to Nam and were lucky enough to come home.

This episode allowed the viewer to get a glimpse at a younger TSM. Even with the Joey inconsistancy, it works well.
Higgins: You've washed the car?! How extraordinary. Why would you do such a thing?

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