This is the official MM thread for Old Acquaintance (6.3). 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: 10/3/1985
An old friend has Magnum and T.C. in a political conundrum by chasing after a well-trained dolphin that has been loaded down with explosives.

It's hard for me to imagine a less likable, more annoying, acquaintance of Magnum's than Goldie Morris! A career, militant protestor who knows no boundaries. She burns down high school goalposts at halftime just for the fun of it. And just how on earth did she burn down a goalpost?? So, she's extremely dangerous, too! What on earth did Magnum see in her in high school. He's getting ready to enter the Naval Academy and she's protesting all over the place. Nice match there.

A dolphin is almost blown up. Another over-the-top African dictator. Meh, not such a good episode for me.

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

James, you're right on. I guess, the attraction was supposed to be that she got Magnum through English Lit, or some other class. But, if she despised football, the military, etc., then why would she help Magnum in the first place. Today, a high school kid might be able to burn down a goal post and get away with it, but in the early 60's, there would have been severe consequences. This was a stretch for me also.

True, but exactly HOW could she burn down a metal goalpost? And during halftime?! What, was she packing a cannister of rocket fuel and a blowtorch in her backpack? A goalpost would be really hard to "burn down". It's just funny.

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

If Magnum graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1967, then he would have been in high school from about 1959-1963. This was before my time, but back in those days (50's-60's), some football fields used wooden goal posts. You know, the goal post's shaped like an "H." I just assumed the goal posts referred to in the episode were wooden. I don't recall how specific Magnum was about the goal posts in the episode. I was born in the 60's, but I remember some of the football fields I played on during my "Pop Warner" days had wooden goal posts. Some even used "PVC"...real high-tech.

I always assumed they were wooden also. As a kid in the 80's, I remember visiting some schools that still used them.

LOL! Oh man, don't I feel stupid! You guys are absolutely right. I don't remember seeing any wooden ones in the 70s when I was a kid (although I'm sure there was some), but they most certainly did have wooden goalposts back in the late 50s, early 60s!

It's still funny, though. Thomas is leading his team into the locker room after a tough first half on the gridiron when all of a sudden, Goldie Morris is streaking across the field with a can of gasoline and a Zippo lighter! Oh no, she's set the goalposts on fire, and she's shouting something about 'football is oppressive'! An Offensive Lineman taps TM on the shoulder, "Hey Tom, isn't that your girlfriend? What the hell is she doing?" [Magnum covers his head and runs for the locker room].

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

It's okay James. With all the great work you have done on this site, you have earned a pass or two.

I have to say I found Goldie, rather annoying. Also the history between her and TM didn't really make sense, as others have said.

I never thought Goldie was an actual former girlfriend of his, just someone that happened to tutor him in English Lit. in high school. Probably during the time of the tutoring she was active in civil disobedience-type activities on campus which as I remember, was popular during the late 60's.


________________

Baseball only lasts a summer, however long that summer lasts. ~Magnum to Mad Buck Gibson