Murder 101 (5.8)

[J.J. Walters]

This is the official MM thread for Murder 101 (5.8). 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: 11/15/1984
It's "Professor Magnum" when the charismatic P.I. moves to the head of the class to teach some local students the do's and don'ts of investigation work.

[J.J. Walters]

Professor Magnum teaches a boring class to some boring, badly stereotyped canned characters, with some long, drawn out, well, boring scenes! Hillerman and good 'ol Gary Grubbs save this from the 'awful' bin, for me.

One of the few things I like about this episode is watching a young Tom Shadyac as the surfer stoner dude, Danny. Tom would later go on to be a big time Hollywood producer and director (he started Jim Carrey's career and made several movies with him).

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Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

[IslandHopper]

I actually like this episode. Magnum finally gets to convey his investigatory knowledge to a willing audience. Magnum has always talked about writing a book on How To Be A World Class Private Investigator, but for some reason never got around to actually putting it onto paper. This combined with the way he narrates most episodes, and explains what he is doing, or how to spot a tail, etc., makes the part-time teaching position a good fit for Magnum. I thought he was very believable in his role as a new adjunct instructor. You can see the eagerness in his face and in his mannerisms (the way in which he wrote his name on the chalk board), and the desperation and disappointment on his face when he thought he might lose the class due to Merle's withdrawal.

I thought the plot was pretty good, although I didn't buy Ted Haslett's reasoning for thinking the Treasury Agent had gone bad simply because no one else in the Agent's office was aware of Ted's tip. I'm sure each Agent has his or her own case files to work, and when they receive new tips, they don't suddenly announce it over the office PA system, like a Ferrari salesman who has just won a sales contest for an all expenses paid vacation for 4 to Waikiki.

There was a great scene at the bar. After Magnum announces that all the drinks are on him, a big guy comes up to the bar and starts pounding beers.

In many episodes we see Rick, TC and even Higgins berate Magnum for never paying them for anything, i.e., bar tab, gas money, bottles of wine, etc. However, at the end of the episode after Ted gives Magnum an envelope full of cash, Rick and TC go up to the front of the class and are discussing the case with the class, and as they are talking, both Rick and TC take money out of the envelope and Magnum is left with what looks like $20.00. So, Rick and TC finally get paid for their services. Actually, TC has done this to Magnum before. In "Don't Say Goodbye," TC took all the money paid to Magnum by his client, about $1,500. I think he may have done the same thing in "The Elmo Ziller Story."

The only flub I can remember is when Magnum is in the classroom for the first time and someone asks him how he got his investigation experience, the older gentleman, Albert, says that Magnum was a Lt. Cmdr. in Naval Intelligence. The flub is the fact that Magnum was never a Lt. Cmdr. He resigned as a Lieutenant, and when he was reinstated in "Memories Are Forever" and again in "Blood And Honor," he was Commander.

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The answer is obvious, old man. Logic is irrelevant. It's simply Tropical Madness. (J.Q. Higgins)

[golfmobile]

I liked this episode too, though it seems to get short shrift from a lot of reviews/opinions.

However, I do have one slight quibble with Magnum's being a "world class investigator." IN MY OPINION, Magnum's success as an investigator was unattainable without the assistance of Rick (and via him, Icepick's sources) and TC and TC's helicopter. That's the one thing that has ALWAYS rather irritated me about TSMiv -- he took all the credit, short-changed his buddies (can you say "user"?), and, even though you all know I'm a big fan of the show, I find this to be a perennially unlikeable character trait of TSMiv. I guess his Chapter 1 in his book should be "How to Get Your Buddies to Assist You Free of Charge"!

I know, I know: it had to be that way to make a successful TV series AND give the supporting actors a way to get screen time.

Somebody, please point out to me all the times Magnum helped TC and Rick at his own inconvenience, discomfiture, or expense! I know there were a FEW times (and even those didn't "cost" TM anything, not the way Rick and TC "paid" and were always inconvenienced for the privilege of being TM's buddy), but the scales balance, to my recall, was much more in TM's favor. Yeah, yeah, he was the star. It's just a shame his PERSONAL generosity to cast AND crew never migrated to the episodes. See what I mean? I honestly think it would not have detracted from the series for him to be as good to them on screen at least occasionally as they were to him ALL the time, on screen, over 7-8 years (yes, TC bitched, but he always did it anyway, didn't he?)!

JMO, okay?

(and watch out, Island Hoppers! I'm creeping up on you in number of posts! Other than our Fearless Leader with nearly 1,000 posts, I'm within less than 20 of your number of posts -- and you and I have the most otherwise. Which says . . . . something or other . . . . )

golf (who loves the show but who can see its faults -- hey, just like family, right?) (am I about to get booted for heresy?)

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"Portside, buddy."

[Shermy]

Unless I'm mistaken, Magnum's teaching career would ultimately spin out into the same alternate universe as Joey's memory. The idea resolves itself quite naturally when the class is cancelled, yet the show still goes out of its way to tack on a 'happy' ending. So Magnum not only ends up with a full roster for the 20 hour class, but proudly announces a "201" class for the following semester. Exactly when does he plan to do all this- especially considering the time, energy, and money the class has already taken out of him? And if that's not enough, it's even implied that Rick and T.C. are continuing to attend classes!

But it's a fun idea for an episode, even if the overall result is fairly routine. Much like Computer Date or The Hotel Dick, it's a rare opportunity to see Magnum attempting to take on a little more responsibility. There's also a clever in-joke at the end, as the students each take an opportunity to poke holes in the plot.

Btw, during the final showdown, keep an eye on Rick. He suddenly transforms into the much taller "Magnum GI Rick", so that a bad guy can promptly knock him down. As he is getting back on his feet, we cut to Magnum being hit by an opening car door. Magnum injures his right knee, and it takes him a few moments before he can recover.

Later, when we finally see Rick stand from his desk at the end, he is also having trouble with his right knee. The episode guide chalks this up to a real life accident on the part of Larry Manetti, but I say it's further proof of the psychic bond between two old `Nam buddies. (See also: Home From The Sea; Kapu; etc.)

[Doc Ibold]

[J.J. Walters]

In "Echoes of the Mind", Magnum gave Rick his two best-seats-in-the-house Lionel Richie concert tickets. I think that makes him "even", don't you?

I love how everybody gets something different from a Magnum episode. It's amazing how an episode can be despised by some, yet loved by others!

I don't think I'll ever really enjoy this episode, but I will always get a kick out of watching a young Tom Shadyac do a bad Jeff Spicoli imitation!

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Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

[rubber chicken]

[Herman]

[Tralfaz]

Part of Magnum' charm are his flaws. The character would never have been as interesting if he was infallible and perfect.

Clearly he 'uses' and manipulates his friends and acts in a childish way, but this in my opinion is a means to show his subconcious attempt to be young again, to recature his youth, that he feels he lost or was stolen from him. Waking up 32 and realizing he had never been 22. People deal with what happens to them in wartime in different ways.

He watched friends die in Vietnam, he was a POW,he loses Michelle, if this happened to me I doubt I would get out of bed again. Combine these war experiences with the loss of his father in another war and leaving the Navy becomes obvious.

He' s a big kid, living at his parents (Robin's) rebelling against authority (Navy/Higgins) etc. Is he acting like a kid to pretend all these things never happened? Who knows? but it certainly is a possibility.

The reality though is that when the &*^%^% comes down his character , integrity, and 'Sense of Fair Play' come thru in spades.

Rick, TC and I think particularly Higgins understand Magnum as they experienced many of the same trials, etc.

While the shows sometimes makes parallels between Rick and 'Rick' from Casablanca, it is really Magnum that is Rick. He is the one who loses his love to another man (that she thought was gone). They both fight for others, they both leave the fight disenchanted, and in the end they both return. You half expect Magnum to tell Lily that it is a beginning of a beautiful friendship as they walk down the beach

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"..outasight!.." - Tyler Peabody McKinney