Round and Around (6.6)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the sixth season

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
0
No votes
9.5 (One of the Best)
4
5%
9.0 (Excellent)
6
8%
8.5 (Very Good)
9
12%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
22
29%
7.5 (Decent)
18
24%
7.0 (Average at Best)
7
9%
6.5 (Not So Good)
5
7%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
4
5%
5.0 (Just Awful)
1
1%
 
Total votes: 76

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Jay-Firestorm
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#16 Post by Jay-Firestorm »

It’s weird – just as others liked the previous episodes (‘The Kona Winds’ and ‘The Hotel Dick’) and I wasn’t too keen on them, I actually like this episode, whereas others don’t seem to.

[rating=9.0]

A good friend of T.C.’s is shot dead when he walks in on an armed robbery. As T.C. and Magnum try to find those responsible, T.C. attempts to fix a family feud with his deceased friend’s son that had emerged before the shooting. A pretty good episode…

-----

This review contains spoilers.

Although some aren’t too keen on it, I personally find ‘Round and Around’ a step up from the previous couple of episodes. It is by no means a classic, but I personally found the story reasonably engaging and well played out.

It is another one of those episodes with an ‘old friend’, never to be mentioned before or since this episode, that bites the dust. Although in this case, instead of just being a friend of Magnum’s, Ron is closer to T.C., and this makes a refreshing change from the several ‘old friends of Magnum being killed’ plot device. I liked the scenes between T.C. and Ron before Ron was killed, and really bought into the pair being good friends.

Ron is played by Bob Minor (here credited as Robert L. Minor), stunt co-ordinator for the series, and Roger E. Mosley (T.C.)’s stunt double. Minor had previously played a bad guy in the third season’s ‘Legacy From a Friend’. As some have commented, it is quite amusing that during the climatic fight in the druggies’ den, that it is Minor in place of Mosley for most of the fight – almost as if Ron had returned to avenge his death!

Anyway, although not one of my outstanding favourites, the story is one of the slightly better examples of the sixth season. I wasn’t too sure about Ron’s son, Ron Jr. (Larry B. Scott) not attending his father’s funeral – although it was shown that he was angry that his father never spent much time at home, I never fully bought into the family feud that existed.
I also found it too convenient that one of the culprits involved in the shooting worked at the same pedicab company as Ron Jr. – it just seemed over convenient.

The episode is virtually comedy-free. Although I like good comedy in an episode, and believe it is one of the hallmarks of the series, I didn’t mind it being absent in this one, as the story didn’t need it.

This is a very T.C.-based story, and I think for me it ties with the fourth season’s ‘A Sense of Debt’ as my favourite T.C. story. Rick only gets one scene, and Higgins isn’t doing much other than logging books at the Estate – although we do get to see the rarely used library set for the first of just a couple of times in the show’s run.

There is also a good twist when it is revealed who really shot Ron – I didn’t see it coming, but once it was revealed, it seemed very believable.

All-in-all, a very reasonable episode. By no means one of my favourites, but I enjoyed watching it enough to give it a very reasonable 9.0 rating.

-----

Other notes, bloopers and misc.:

* Ron’s gravestone says that he was killed on September 3rd 1985.

* As mentioned in my review, Rick only has one scene in this episode.

* When Five broadcast this episode in 2002, they edited down T.C.’s fight in the druggies’ den. It cuts from T.C. hitting one of the stoners, just after he’s been hit with the chair, to the next scene, of T.C. forcing them out of the hut.
JAY FIRESTORM

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IKnowWhatYoureThinking
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#17 Post by IKnowWhatYoureThinking »

There is also a little known fact that Ron's son changes his name to Lamar, turns homosexual, and joins Lambda Lambda Lambda Fraternity.

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Styles Bitchley
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#18 Post by Styles Bitchley »

IKnowWhatYoureThinking wrote:There is also a little known fact that Ron's son changes his name to Lamar, turns homosexual, and joins Lambda Lambda Lambda Fraternity.
My thoughts exactly!

Image

Love that movie!

This episode is middle of the road for me. Don't love it, don't hate it. There were some moments that appeared to drag on, suggesting they were short on story. The scene were Ron went into the market then came out and went back in took a long time - and you knew when they pulled up that Ron was going to get killed.

For the record, I didn't notice TC's stunt double in the fight. I think that shows two things: 1) I'm not very observant when it comes to details and 2) I bet most casual observers of the show probably didn't notice this in the first run either. [/img]
"How fiendishly deceptive of you Magnum. I could have sworn I was hearing the emasculation of a large rodent."

- J.Q.H.

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nha trang
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#19 Post by nha trang »

This is a decent episode. Having grown up in only a moderately rough area, I realize that things like the killing in this episode do actually occur. I like how the episode tries to capture this fragility of life and wrap it all around something so simple as a bottle of orange gatorade, or the decision to get out of the island hopper van and go get it. Is it absurdity or is it meaningful? One things for sure, don't take things for granted.

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#20 Post by AmandaByNight »

I really like the TC episodes. Although Rick is my favorite (and Distant Relative is probably in my top 5), the TC episodes always have kind of a dark edge to them... I'm not great with titles, but the Leslie Uggams episode is amazing.

This one starts off with the tragedy and Roger is so good at making you feel his loss. What a wonderful actor.

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#21 Post by MaiTaiMan »

I thought this episode was pretty good...not one of the most memorable, but still a good one.

It was a heart-touching, poignant one for T.C.--and I thought Roger E. Mosley was excellent. Interesting plot twist at the end...first time I ever saw this I didn't see that coming. :o

The fight scene with Bob Minor, as supposedly T.C., was somewhat goofy and ridiculous...it's like he returned from the grave and possessed T.C.! That scene was not well thought out. :roll:

But, overall this is a good "serious" episode, and an enjoyable T.C. one for sure.
"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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miltontheripper
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#22 Post by miltontheripper »

Shermy wrote:A very surreal moment occurs near the end, as Ron Pennington Sr. (or rather, Bob Minor) literally returns from the grave to avenge his own death!! :lol:
Hah ha ha! I'm so glad that others noticed this. I laughed so hard when I noticed Ron Pennington coming back from the dead to avenge his death. Did anyone else find it odd that as tough and battle hardened as TC is that the young, much smaller druggie in the shack basically fought him to a draw until the last couple punches? I have a hard time believing that TC would have had that much trouble beating that guy up. Regardless, I think this is a pretty decent episode. I always love spotting a reacurring actor playing a different character and watching the three on three basketball in the beginning was priceless! You can tell Tom Selleck was a good player in real life.

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Styles Bitchley
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#23 Post by Styles Bitchley »

miltontheripper wrote:Did anyone else find it odd that as tough and battle hardened as TC is that the young, much smaller druggie in the shack basically fought him to a draw until the last couple punches?
Yep, that just didn't fit. But I guess they were just looking for some extra tension.
"How fiendishly deceptive of you Magnum. I could have sworn I was hearing the emasculation of a large rodent."

- J.Q.H.

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Sisophous
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#24 Post by Sisophous »

Just watched this one again.

A few things caught my attention.

1. TC is sitting in his car listening to the radio. It is none other than an imitation of the famous 80s American Sex Therapist, Dr. Ruth Westheimer who was a cultural icon at the time. Her limitless enthusiasm and having an accent only a psychologist could have made her a hit that decade.

2. The death of TCs friend from a random shooting inside the convenience store is almost surreal. TC seems actually nonchalant about it. Call it a case of poor acting by Roger Mosley or his amateurish skills, it seemed bizarre. Show some emotion or distress or some anger, but to act so emotionless when they are removing his friend in a body bag minutes later seemed surreal.

3. One of the best Higgins quotes ever in this series took place in this episode. While sitting in the Robin Master's library room, and Magnum and Higgins not facing each other:

Higgins: "Rick did call an hour ago to say the Chaps at the Chop Shop had no idea how to reach the House Boys who ditched the Continental".

Magnum: "It's Home Boys".

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Re:

#25 Post by Doc Fred »

J.J. Walters wrote:
Shermy wrote:A very surreal moment occurs near the end, as Ron Pennington Sr. (or rather, Bob Minor) literally returns from the grave to avenge his own death!! :lol:
Man, you're not kidding! What a bizarre, surreal situation! You've got this long fight scene where it's painfully obvious that the same guy who was killed early in the episode appears to have somehow transformed into T.C.'s body, and is slugging it out with two guys that inadvertently caused his own death! He's come back from the grave! It's so obvious that it's Bob Minor, and not Roger E. Mosley, that it almost throws you for a second - You almost think that maybe it really is supposed to be Ron! They were close friends after all. The show does have a subtle paranormal element to it, you know. ;)

Only on Magnum, folks. You'll never see this kind of stuff anywhere else! :)

Kind of strange that they would pick this episode to have a long fight scene (with lots of face shots) with Bob Minor! Still, awesome fight scene! And another good denouement - with T.C. and Magnum sitting on the bench together after playing hoops, and T.C. offering TM some of his gatoraide. I love how the show does these little touching scenes of friendship. Good stuff.

Most of the episode was pretty weak, however. Below average for sure.
Amen to that.... I was going to write about it, but y'all have done such a great job, it doesn't need repeating. That was eerie!
Woof, woof... thirty years uglier!... woof, woof...

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Re: Round and Around (6.6)

#26 Post by Doc Fred »

Just a few short comments...

I was disappointed TC wasn't more shaken by his friends death, especially considering he basically witnessed it. I don't blame Roger for that, as I feel certain it was how the script was written.

How did that mid-size guy stay with TC in the shack??? TC is a brute, and we've seen him in action taking down big, strong guys easily.
Woof, woof... thirty years uglier!... woof, woof...

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Re: Round and Around (6.6)

#27 Post by Styles Bitchley »

Doc Fred wrote:I was disappointed TC wasn't more shaken by his friends death, especially considering he basically witnessed it. I don't blame Roger for that, as I feel certain it was how the script was written.
They seem to have done this purposefully on Magnum. Maybe to keep the tone lighter somehow? I think it's even more pronounced when Rick's sister is killed in Distant Relative (Season 4).
"How fiendishly deceptive of you Magnum. I could have sworn I was hearing the emasculation of a large rodent."

- J.Q.H.

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Re: Round and Around (6.6)

#28 Post by Doc Ibold »

Even Magnum was sort of meh about the whole thing. I think he was far more go getting with Kacey in "Wave Goodbye", and that relationship consisted of him basically just saying Hi to her on the beach a few times when he was jogging.

At least Ron and his wife knew Magnum well enough to have him over for dinner!

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Re: Round and Around (6.6)

#29 Post by charybdis1966 »

For some reason this is the latest episode shown over here in the UK on ITV4 before we go back to "Don't eat the snow in Hawaii" strangely enough.

I concur with the view that there is cringeworthiness in the totally visible stunt double in the long drawn out fist fight but I should say this episode did try to be slightly different in that it focussed a bit more on family conflicts in a dysfunctional unit.

That being said I didn't particularly enjoy this attempt at "Little House on the Prairie" style preachiness although that probably says more about my shallowness than anything else - I just want neat plot twists, the Ferrari, beach babes and occasionally goofy comedy with TM/Higgy/Rick and TC.

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Re: Round and Around (6.6)

#30 Post by Croix de Lorraine »

Higgins on wheels:

'Death'

'Death'

'Death'

Anyone else noticed how TC turns up at the funeral with a girlfriend we never see before or after, not even during this episode?

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