Don't Say Goodbye (1.15)

[J.J. Walters]

[N1095A]

No worries James. Still funny though in that Jesus loves you, but not enough to let you make this jump and get away.

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"But Higgins, I can explain."

[Jay-Firestorm]

Friday seems to have become double review day… this is my second of the day! I like this episode.

[TV.com rating=9.5; Cleverly Plotted]

An elderly blind woman, whom Magnum once helped reunite with her granddaughter, hires him after receiving blackmail threats, asking him to pay off the blackmailer and dispose of the information. But the woman suffers a series of ‘accidents’. Good episode…

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This review contains spoilers.

After a couple of more average episodes (‘All Roads Lead to Floyd’ and the take-it-or-leave-it ‘Adelaide’), things move up a notch here with this enjoyable story.

By this point, the template of a Magnum-Higgins debate had become something of a regular (Higgins proving very popular with audiences); in this case, it is Magnum seeming to not pay his phone bill, leaving Higgins to become his ‘answering machine’. Although not given as much screen time as similar b-plots in other episodes would be given, it none-the-less plays out nicely, and has a humorous conclusion.

We learn in this episode that Magnum has previously dealt with the elderly, blind Agatha (not to be confused with Higgins’ recurring friend Agatha, seen from the third season onwards) and her granddaughter Amy, when he reunited the pair. It’s nice to be given some background to a previous case (presumably set before the series started), but naturally, we would never hear mention of them before or since this episode!

This episode is notable for featuring Ted Danson, before he really hit the big time (amongst other things, he would go on to co-star alongside Selleck in 1987’s ‘Three Men and a Baby’). From the off, it’s pretty clear he’s the real bad guy, but it’s still fun seeing T.M. find out for himself.

Although “Amy” (Andrea Marcovicci) seems a little plain for Magnum, the pair have a good spark between them, and for the most part I bought their history.
The elderly Agatha, played by Mercedes McCambridge, is a little grating at times with her monotone voice and stiff acting, but even so, it’s hard to totally dislike her.

When the blackmailer is shot dead, the following sequence with Magnum racing after the gunman in the Ferrari is great – fast car, nice scenery… what more could you want?

A good scene is when Magnum visit’s ‘Fat Jack’s restaurant, who promptly tries to set him up with his overweight daughter (or is it sister? It wasn’t overly clear). It is a vintage MPI scene with lots of amusing lines and touches to it.

The story, which at first seems to be a routine blackmail case, unfolds to be a very interesting one, and upon first viewing, it comes as quite a surprise when the truth about the real Amy emerges. And Stewart (Danson)’s demise is one of the more memorable ones of the series.

On a personal note, this is the first episode of ‘Magnum’ that I ever watched. Although most of the 1980s shows that I love (‘The A-Team’, ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’, ‘Knight Rider’, ‘Airwolf’, etc.) I watched since I was a kid, I didn’t get into MPI until a little while later. In the early 1990s, I was off school (!) with Chicken Pox, and the ITV regions here in the U.K. were repeating a mixture of first and second season episodes (with no real pattern to them). I saw it billed and thought I’d give it a go. I’ve never looked back since.

Overall, this is a very good first season episode, and one that I enjoy re-watching.

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Other notes, bloopers and misc.:

* During the opening scene, when Higgins gives Magnum the message from Agatha, he says “…get your bollock to the phone…”. I assume this means ‘head’, but in the U.K., “bollocks” has a far ruder meaning. (Surprisingly, when the scissor-happy Channel 5 broadcast this episode in 2002, they didn’t edit this line out).

* As Magnum jumps into the Ferrari to race after the gunman, on the 180 that he pulls, it is clear to see that it is a stunt driver dressed as Tom Selleck.

* When Magnum is in the queue of traffic and trying to catch up with the gunman, when he goes to overtake, the road is not clear – there is a car coming the other way! In the next shot, it is gone.

* Just an observation, but what were those tops that Magnum and T.C. were wearing in the helicopter? They looked like life reserves. They weren’t seen in any other episode.

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JAY FIRESTORM

Facebook: Jay Gathergood / Twitter: Jay_Firestorm NEW BLOG: http://thea-teamcaptured.blogspot.com/

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!!

[Agatha]

Nice review, Jay! As usual!

I happened to be watching Don't Say Goodbye today. I think Higgins says that the woman waiting on the phone wants Magnum "get his bod to the phone so I can breath heavy." His body...she wants him to get his body to the phone.

I think you're right about the life jackets. I don't remember noticing them before...and don't remember them wearing life jackets in any other episode either. Hmmmm. Maybe Higgins has one on when he jumps in to save Thomas in Home from the Sea. Now I'll have to watch THAT one again!!

This stuff is ADDICTIVE!!

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

[Jay-Firestorm]

[Agatha]

OK...I won't ask! lol!

When my daughter was a Girl Scout, we had an English Girl Guide stay with us for a week one summer. It was very interesting to listen to her talk and to realize that, while we all spoke "English", it was clear that we used our english words very differently. Very interesting...and fun. I guess because words are fascinating to me. And it wasn't just a slang issue. I wish I could remember some examples but it's been too long!

Anyway...keep up the good work with your reviews. I made the committment to review each episode, too. I got as far as Season 1 and seem to be taking a break. Part of it is that I feel like most everything has already been said...even though I like to add my feelings to the pot. The other part of it is that we're starting to have some nice weather and I want to be out in it.

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

[Jay-Firestorm]

Glad the reviews are appreciated; I like reading other people's views too - part of the appeal of MPI is that it has such a range - comedy, drama, action, etc. - there really is something for everybody!

Also, even after all these years watching, people still spot things that I hadn't picked up on.

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JAY FIRESTORM

Facebook: Jay Gathergood / Twitter: Jay_Firestorm NEW BLOG: http://thea-teamcaptured.blogspot.com/

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!!

[Agatha]

Too true. And...even after watching the episodes as many time as I have (about a gazillion!) I still find things that I don't remember seeing before!

Amazing...and fun!

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

[Dewey]

I was looking at the name Jim Reynolds on the internet and correct me if Im wrong. I thought I read that JR passed in 1987???
Also, in this episode during the Quotes between TC and Magnum the man you need to take that to a church was cut out on tv rerun?

Also thanks for posting the pics of the houses and boat trivia this stuff if pretty cool.

[dergilb]