Past Tense (3.5)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the third season

Moderator: Styles Bitchley

How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
2
2%
9.5 (One of the Best)
4
4%
9.0 (Excellent)
18
18%
8.5 (Very Good)
31
31%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
26
26%
7.5 (Decent)
12
12%
7.0 (Average at Best)
3
3%
6.5 (Not So Good)
4
4%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
0
No votes
5.0 (Just Awful)
1
1%
 
Total votes: 101

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Croix de Lorraine
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#46 Post by Croix de Lorraine »

Why do cars in TV shows explode at the slightest crash? It rarely ever happens in real life yet it's virtualy impossible to see an explosionless crash on TV. It annoys me to no end! :evil:
Last edited by Croix de Lorraine on Tue Jun 05, 2012 6:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Croix de Lorraine
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#47 Post by Croix de Lorraine »

*sorry, double post*

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Styles Bitchley
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#48 Post by Styles Bitchley »

Croix de Lorraine wrote:Why do cars in TV shows explode at the slightest crash? It rarely ever happens in real life yet it's virtualy impossible to see an explosionless crash on TV. It annoys me to no end! :evil:
It's just exciting. I have a parody in mind, but I can't remember what it was. A car zooms along but slows to a snail's pace and then taps the bumper of a car and the two of them erupt into a fire ball. What movie was that again?
"How fiendishly deceptive of you Magnum. I could have sworn I was hearing the emasculation of a large rodent."

- J.Q.H.

Braddah Kimo
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#49 Post by Braddah Kimo »

Top secret. By the Zucker brothers. Starring Kurt Russell as an ersatz Elvis. wacky fun! A jeep taps a Pinto's bumper and buh-LOOWEEE!


don't believe me? watch the nazi's learn of Quality Amerikkkaner automaking...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT0J0rcJTLo


looka dat nazi in the back self explode.

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Styles Bitchley
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#50 Post by Styles Bitchley »

Braddah Kimo wrote:Top secret. By the Zucker brothers. Starring Kurt Russell as an ersatz Elvis. wacky fun! A jeep taps a Pinto's bumper and buh-LOOWEEE!


don't believe me? watch the nazi's learn of Quality Amerikkkaner automaking...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT0J0rcJTLo


looka dat nazi in the back self explode.
That's it! Wasn't Val Kilmer in that too? I guess it was more poking fun at the Pinto than the hilarity of cars blowing up in movies and on tv. Funny nonetheless.
"How fiendishly deceptive of you Magnum. I could have sworn I was hearing the emasculation of a large rodent."

- J.Q.H.

Braddah Kimo
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#51 Post by Braddah Kimo »

e kala mai. I'm sorry. it WAS Val kilmer. not russel.

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ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)
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#52 Post by ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan) »

Braddah Kimo wrote:e kala mai. I'm sorry. it WAS Val kilmer. not russel.
Braddah Kimo must have TOMBSTONE on his mind. Hence confusing Kurt Russell with Val Kilmer. :?

Anyway this episode was excellent - easy 9.0 from me. After the terrific "Did You See the Sun Rise?" we got two mediocre-to-fairly-good episodes "Ki'i's Don't Lie" and "The Eighth Part of the Village". Here we're back at the top of the game again - lots of outdoorsy action, helicopter flying, prison breaks, revenge plots, awesome jogging opening with the car explosion, and great chemistry between T.C. and Higgy-Baby. Even a cool showdown in an old WWII bunker.

Anyway, the next 3 episodes are even more terrific than this one. Amongst my all-time favorite MPI's in fact! Season 3 seems to be shaping up as the best season of the show!

Kudu buck
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Re: Past Tense (3.5)

#53 Post by Kudu buck »

I raise up this post about one year after.
The third season is a great season even this episode is one the weakest and James Wainwright is an outstanding and tough villain. So my vote is 8.
I enjoyed to find the yet unknown (or at least I think so) location of the Halawa prison. The real Halawa Correctional Facility is located on Moanalua Road, but the fictional location is at 475 22nd Avenue. They used the facilities of the hawaiian Department of Education.

Image Image
They filmed in the parking of the department. yeah this is definitely a parking. look at the stripes :o
Image

By way after the chopper accident they evidently lost the path during the "Death march". Infact during the episode we can see some brief footages showing different hawaiian locations. They must have walked all around the islands :D
Here is the Waipio Valley and Hiilawe Falls on Big Island
Image
Here is Halawa Bay on the east shore of Molokai
Image
i wasn't able to find this one. help!
Image

marlboro
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Re: Past Tense (3.5)

#54 Post by marlboro »

I liked this episode and didn't find it that confusing.

Three years earlier Lyden had been selling weapons to mercenaries. Magnum infiltrates his organization and busts him.


Was the prison break implausible?

The multiple links to Helicopter related prison breaks have already dispelled that question.


There were also a couple of questions about the prison break earlier in the thread:.

How did he start the riot?

Obviously, Lyden payed a few of the inmates to set those dumpsters on fire. Prisons are powder kegs. I don't think it would take much to set the rest of the inmates off.

Who was the man in Lyden's cell?

The man in the cell was a minor crook (a paper hanger) who he had previously convinced/coerced to slip into his cell in his place when the guards were locking down the prison during the riot. That way the authorities would spend time looking for the wrong man - they believed the paper hanger had escaped when all the while he was just sitting in Lyden's cell. This would give Lyden plenty of time to kill Magnum and make his escape.

Why didn't Lyden just shoot Magnum on sight?

Lyden still considers himself a soldier and not just a criminal - he tries to pretend that he was doing a noble thing by selling guns to the mercs. Magnum destroys his facade by pointing out that he left another group of soldiers to be wiped out because they couldn't pay him enough. I think Lyden knows that he is just a crook with blood on his hands but he doesn't want to admit it. He wants to punish Magnum for the mercenaries death, but deep down he knows he is really at fault. His desire to erase his own guilt is why he doesn't just waste Magnum on sight.

What did the car wreck at the beginning have to do with Lyden's plan?

Lyden combines his plot to escape prison and his quest for revenge into one stratagem. While his men are kidnapping TC he simultaneously sends his associate with the French sounding name to deliver a message to Magnum. Presumably, that message would be "I have TC, come to this location if you want to see him again alive. Do not contact the authorities or else" His plan falls apart when his associate is killed by the reckless driver before he can reach Robin's Nest. He expected to have enough time to eliminate Magnum and make his escape,while the authorities were still looking for the minor crook who was pretending to be Lyden in his cell. When the Frenchman was killed Lyden's plan was already ruined. He wasn't able to set magnum up the way he wanted, and he lost his only means of escaping the island.


How did he know Higgins?

He's a smart guy. He knew about Robin's Nest. It isn't a stretch that he would get as much info on Magnum's friends as possible.

Why didn't the bad guys just kill Higgins and TC?

They would have if it had been up to the "hired muscle." They thought the plan was just to escape and secure a weapons cache. But Lyden knew he would need at least one or both of the the hostages to keep Magnum from coming in with guns blazing. TC would have been the ideal hostage, but he was wounded and likely dying so Higgins had to be kept as insurance.


Just my thoughts. I may be wrong about all of it. ;)

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Doc Ibold
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Re: Past Tense (3.5)

#55 Post by Doc Ibold »

marlboro wrote:I liked this episode and didn't find it that confusing.

Three years earlier Lyden had been selling weapons to mercenaries. Magnum infiltrates his organization and busts him.


Was the prison break implausible?

The multiple links to Helicopter related prison breaks have already dispelled that question.


There were also a couple of questions about the prison break earlier in the thread:.

How did he start the riot?

Obviously, Lyden payed a few of the inmates to set those dumpsters on fire. Prisons are powder kegs. I don't think it would take much to set the rest of the inmates off.

Who was the man in Lyden's cell?

The man in the cell was a minor crook (a paper hanger) who he had previously convinced/coerced to slip into his cell in his place when the guards were locking down the prison during the riot. That way the authorities would spend time looking for the wrong man - they believed the paper hanger had escaped when all the while he was just sitting in Lyden's cell. This would give Lyden plenty of time to kill Magnum and make his escape.

Why didn't Lyden just shoot Magnum on sight?

Lyden still considers himself a soldier and not just a criminal - he tries to pretend that he was doing a noble thing by selling guns to the mercs. Magnum destroys his facade by pointing out that he left another group of soldiers to be wiped out because they couldn't pay him enough. I think Lyden knows that he is just a crook with blood on his hands but he doesn't want to admit it. He wants to punish Magnum for the mercenaries death, but deep down he knows he is really at fault. His desire to erase his own guilt is why he doesn't just waste Magnum on sight.

What did the car wreck at the beginning have to do with Lyden's plan?

Lyden combines his plot to escape prison and his quest for revenge into one stratagem. While his men are kidnapping TC he simultaneously sends his associate with the French sounding name to deliver a message to Magnum. Presumably, that message would be "I have TC, come to this location if you want to see him again alive. Do not contact the authorities or else" His plan falls apart when his associate is killed by the reckless driver before he can reach Robin's Nest. He expected to have enough time to eliminate Magnum and make his escape,while the authorities were still looking for the minor crook who was pretending to be Lyden in his cell. When the Frenchman was killed Lyden's plan was already ruined. He wasn't able to set magnum up the way he wanted, and he lost his only means of escaping the island.


How did he know Higgins?

He's a smart guy. He knew about Robin's Nest. It isn't a stretch that he would get as much info on Magnum's friends as possible.

Why didn't the bad guys just kill Higgins and TC?

They would have if it had been up to the "hired muscle." They thought the plan was just to escape and secure a weapons cache. But Lyden knew he would need at least one or both of the the hostages to keep Magnum from coming in with guns blazing. TC would have been the ideal hostage, but he was wounded and likely dying so Higgins had to be kept as insurance.


Just my thoughts. I may be wrong about all of it. ;)
I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head. Like you said, I didn't find it too confusing, and it is one of the "buddy episodes" which really showcases the bond. To me, the plot leading up to it is kind of secondary.

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Milton Collins
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Re: Past Tense (3.5)

#56 Post by Milton Collins »

I'll agree that this plot was a little unbelievable and hard to follow but I think this was a pretty solid episode. I instantly recognized Lyden as the actor from an Incredible Hulk episode where he played a character called "Papa Hemingway" who was an escaped mental patient. As I had recently watched that Hulk episode it was hard to picture him as a griseled and coldblooded ex soldier and killer. Anyway, I liked the split of Higgins/TC and TM/Rick. It was fun to see them split into teams and work together. Higgins continued storytelling and babbling was quite hilarious as well. This was one of the first Magnum's I ever saw so maybe that's why I can withstand the weak plot lol.

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Milton Collins
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Re: Past Tense (3.5)

#57 Post by Milton Collins »

I'll agree that this plot was a little unbelievable and hard to follow but I think this was a pretty solid episode. I instantly recognized Lyden as the actor from an Incredible Hulk episode where he played a character called "Papa Hemingway" who was an escaped mental patient. As I had recently watched that Hulk episode it was hard to picture him as a griseled and coldblooded ex soldier and killer. Anyway, I liked the split of Higgins/TC and TM/Rick. It was fun to see them split into teams and work together. Higgins continued storytelling and babbling was quite hilarious as well. This was one of the first Magnum's I ever saw so maybe that's why I can withstand the weak plot lol.

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Re: Past Tense (3.5)

#58 Post by SignGuyHPW »

I thought that this one was good, but a bit confusing. The interplay with TC and Higgins was pretty interesting as they were really defending each other.

What confused me was how the guys were all connected and how the plan was supposed to happen. What was the guy in the wreck supposed to have done had he not been killed a few yards from Robin's nest? How was Lydon able to organise that precise of a jail break from inside using mainland muscle? How did he know Higgins so well since he'd have been in jail the entire time Magnum knew Higgins? Why was he not in a federal prison if it was the Navy that arrested him?

The interaction between Tanaka and Magnum plus the interaction between TC and Higgins really made the episode for me. Both were really strong. The uniform cop that was doing the report showing a bit more logic than Magnum was kind of a unique twist as well. It was one of the few times that Magnum didn't figure out the legal aspects by himself. Higgins being worried about Mr. Master's cameras right after the crash landing was classic too.

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Derek
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Re: Past Tense (3.5)

#59 Post by Derek »

I really liked this episode despite it's shortcomings (landing in a prison with a helicopter to rescure an inmate is not realistic IMO, yes, however, lots of similarly unrealistic scenes can be found in the series and we love it anyway).

Past Tense is one of my favorites because while watching, I immediately recognized Waipio Valley, which I visited during my trip to Hawai'i. That was such a nice day trip! I'll be there again if there's a chance to get back to HI. I went down to the valley with a rental Jeep Wrangler Sport (it's only permitted for 4WD) and encountered some of the wild horses there. While taking some pictures after getting out, one of them started rooting through my backpack, wich was still in the car in front of the passengers seat! There is even a picture of the horse putting its head through the window... I should really start to prepare some pictures for my posts:)

A similar incident happened later when going back from the beach to the place where the car was parked. All of a sudden, I found myself surrounded by those horses, but I could bribe them into letting me through by giving them some bananas.

So, this post does not really focus on the series, but it probably explains why I like this episode :)
Oh, and Higgins' stories are enjoyable, too.
I know what you're thinking. And you're right.

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Milton Collins
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Re: Past Tense (3.5)

#60 Post by Milton Collins »

Just watched this one again. I find this plot/connection to be very vague/complex and hard to understand. This was probably the fifth or sixth time I've seen this one over many years and I think i finally put together all the connections between Magnum and Lyden and the French guy who got killed in the car accident. Why go to all the extreme effort of rescuing Lyden and then kidnapping Higgins and TC and traipsing them all across the island just for a machine gun vs pistol clad Magnum showdown? Meaning was this the point? If it was it was pretty stupid as he could've easily left and gotten away after killing his partners. And if he wanted revenge that bad why not just blow TM away on arrival? Oh well, when I ask too many questions like this I remind myself "it had to happen for there to be this episode" and I love Magnum to death so I'll just shut up lol. Not a bad episode as I gave it an 8. Loved the Higgins and TC scenes while they were captive. But certainly not a top or favorite episode. Season three is so damn outstanding (my personal fav season) that this isn't one I watch very often.

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