Poll: Is Higgins Robin Masters? Why or Why Not?

[stever]

I voted no. I think Doc Ibold said it best, I bet at some point they wanted to have Orson Wells on there but he passed away. After he passed was one the series started to lean towards the Higgins is RM idea.
SR

[Tran Quoc Jones]

Higgins may be RM, but what most of us don't know is that Chuck Norris is actually Higgins.

[IKnowWhatYoureThinking]

I think the Robin Masters question is the one and only thing that kills me about the show! There are just too many inconsistencies! Magnum is always questioning Higgins about being Robin. He even does so in Resolutions. Last night I watch The Treasure of Kalaniopu'u again and Magnum talks about how he drove Robin around on scouting missions for book research.

[Nifty]

I don't and never thought JQH was RM.

Besides Doyle and Birdman, the episode where Robin's nephew or whoever shows up to be trained, well, a nephew would have to have seen his uncle at some point wouldn't he?

I think in the Big Blow one of the guests knew Robin before, or it was implied.

Had the writers known real early in the show's start this speculation would become a debate, they could have centered more episodes around who is RM and not includes so many indications RM was indeed someone else.

[Jodykmg365]

I don't think Higgins is Robin. First, if he was, wouldn't R.J. have known it?

[ConchRepublican]

I always thought there was a simple reason why Robin was not Higgins.

Didn't Magnum get the "estate security gig" because he helped Robin in 'Nam? I have always been under the impression they had met each other "back in the day". even if it was in passing, I'd think Thomas would know/remember Higgy-baby.

[Doc Ibold]

I always thought there was a simple reason why Robin was not Higgins.

Didn't Magnum get the "estate security gig" because he helped Robin in 'Nam? I have always been under the impression they had met each other "back in the day". even if it was in passing, I'd think Thomas would know/remember Higgy-baby.

Hey Conch Republican,

Nope.

Magnum met Robin at some point (and set up his gig) after he resigned his naval commision and became a private investigator, and there's never really been any in-depth reason of HOW the two came together (save Robin hiring him to do security checks, which turned into a full-time gig).

There's no mention of the two serving together in Vietnam in the show.

[Olivier]

Is Higgins Robin Masters?

Yes 13% [ 4 ]

No 86% [ 25 ]

I think it' s clear. Doubts are still allowed ?

[ConchRepublican]

I always thought there was a simple reason why Robin was not Higgins.

Didn't Magnum get the "estate security gig" because he helped Robin in 'Nam? I have always been under the impression they had met each other "back in the day". even if it was in passing, I'd think Thomas would know/remember Higgy-baby.

Hey Conch Republican,

Nope.

Magnum met Robin at some point (and set up his gig) after he resigned his naval commision and became a private investigator, and there's never really been any in-depth reason of HOW the two came together (save Robin hiring him to do security checks, which turned into a full-time gig).

There's no mention of the two serving together in Vietnam in the show.

Wow, really? I've been under that impression for the last 20 something years! I could have sworn Robin was paying Thomas back for something. I never understood the Higgins/Robin question due to that.

I am obviously a mere apprentice who needs more time studying at the Temple of the Winds before becoming an adept!

[MaximRecoil]

I think the answer is "yes...and no".

Imagine this scenario:

Robin Masters, a real writer, strikes gold with his first novel or maybe first couple of novels, but then hits a slump. He maybe writes a few stinkers, or perhaps, can't seem to write anything at all to completion, and it is beginning to seem like he was a flash in the pan that got lucky.

While discussing his misfortune with Higgins, Higgins offers to help by doing research, reading over his manuscripts and giving suggestions on how to improve it, etc.

Robin Masters becomes a success again, and it is primarily due to Higgins' work. Eventually, very little of what Robin Masters churns out is his own work, essentially being ghost-written by Higgins. Higgins, being no fool, makes sure he is getting most of the income from the novels, but sees value in keeping the Robin Masters image around, to keep his own name from being associated with the lurid novels, along with the fact that the name recognition of Robin Masters helps publicity and sales.

By the end of the series, Robin may still technically own the estate, but we also know that Higgins has "Power of Attorney" over Masters' affairs, which is a huge step above simply being the "majordomo" of the estate (for example, he can withdraw money, e.g. $300,000 in one episode, from Masters' account without needing his consent).

So maybe, in effect, Higgins gradually becomes Robin Masters for all intents and purposes, in that, he's the one that, by the end of the series, actually writes the novels and calls the shots.

This theory doesn't violate any of the continuity of the series and also allows for Magnum to be right in a sense when he claimed that Higgins was Robin Masters.

[tidal pool]

MR, I think you're on to something!

[MPS]

MR, you may have missed your calling......have you thought about writing??

Absolutely great way to tie up the is he or isn't he question .

[J.J. Walters]

I think the answer is "yes...and no".

Imagine this scenario:

Robin Masters, a real writer, strikes gold with his first novel or maybe first couple of novels, but then hits a slump. He maybe writes a few stinkers, or perhaps, can't seem to write anything at all to completion, and it is beginning to seem like he was a flash in the pan that got lucky.

While discussing his misfortune with Higgins, Higgins offers to help by doing research, reading over his manuscripts and giving suggestions on how to improve it, etc.

Robin Masters becomes a success again, and it is primarily due to Higgins' work. Eventually, very little of what Robin Masters churns out is his own work, essentially being ghost-written by Higgins. Higgins, being no fool, makes sure he is getting most of the income from the novels, but sees value in keeping the Robin Masters image around, to keep his own name from being associated with the lurid novels, along with the fact that the name recognition of Robin Masters helps publicity and sales.

By the end of the series, Robin may still technically own the estate, but we also know that Higgins has "Power of Attorney" over Masters' affairs, which is a huge step above simply being the "majordomo" of the estate (for example, he can withdraw money, e.g. $300,000 in one episode, from Masters' account without needing his consent).

So maybe, in effect, Higgins gradually becomes Robin Masters for all intents and purposes, in that, he's the one that, by the end of the series, actually writes the novels and calls the shots.

This theory doesn't violate any of the continuity of the series and also allows for Magnum to be right in a sense when he claimed that Higgins was Robin Masters.

Aaah! This would fit nicely, would'nt it! I like it MaximRecoil.

Oddly enough, this scenario closely resembles something that happened in real life. It was revealed not too long ago that the first 15 novels (1987-2003) of lawyer-turned-"author" Robert Tanenbaum's legal thrillers were actually ghostwritten by his cousin Michael Gruber. For years, this cat jet-setted around the world, went to hundreds of book signings, talk shows, the whole nine yards, acting like he actually wrote the books. The guy apparently was just a horrific writer.

But after two cracks at non-fiction, Tanenbaum decided to try his hand at writing a novel. According to the story recounted at the blog Nobody Knows Anything, Tanenbaum sent the manuscript to his first cousin, one Michael Gruber, and he got a very interesting answer back:

Tanenbaum's a relative of his and had a nonfiction bestseller (about one of his cases??) c. 20 years ago. Decided to get into legal thrillers, wrote a book, asked Gruber to critique it for him. Gruber said it was so bad that for half the money he'd write a whole new one for Tanenbaum. And so it went from there.

The arraignment on the profits was 50/50, but they predictably eventually had a falling out, and Gruber went public with the whole charade. Very interesting story!

Masters/Higgins situation could be very similiar, with the difference being RM actually wrote a couple of novels, then came down with a J.D. Salinger-like case of writers block.

[Lily]

Very good MR, and I think your explanation is the best by far! Its a great pity before the end of Resolutions, that something like this was not explained, so that there were no loose ends at the closing of the series.

Again...great theory...thanks!