Mixed Doubles (3.10)

[J.J. Walters]

This is the official MM thread for Mixed Doubles (3.10). 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: 12/2/1982
Magnum plays bodyguard to a young and bratty tennis star who is receiving death threats. The assignment reunites him with an old flame - who is also the prime suspect in the case.

[J.J. Walters]

Despite having Playmate of the Month (May 1973) Anulka Dziubinska in it, this is probably my least favorite episode of Season Three. Plots revolving around spoiled, bratty, teen tennis stars just don't do it for me, even if the "star" in question is Kim Richards. And the pace of this episode is slower than an Andre Agassi serve!

I tell ya what though, watching Rick hit a tennis ball is pretty darn funny. Probably the highlight of the episode.

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

[IslandHopper]

[lutherhgillis]

They hired the actors for their speaking ability not their tennis. Those guys swung like old women! Selleck had the only believable stroke on the court. (The guy who played Kenny Phelps also had a good stroke but he was not in very much of the episode).

I like TC in this episode. Roger Mosley gave the show a boost. His portrayal of TC is so convincing. TC was an anchor character in my opinion. Very stable, logical, reliable, and very funny at times.

[Jean-Claude Fornier]

Interesting episode. I think it was ahead of its time about the teen tennis phenomena of the 90's and of nowadays (Hingis, Kournikova, the Williamses, Sharapova, etc..)

[Shermy]

I actually like this one for a number of reasons. First, it's a somewhat lighthearted case where we get to see Magnum as the overgrown kid he is. Gotta love the number of times he hangs his head in defeat. And while Carrie is annoying, they at least stay true to the character all the way through. There's no attempt to make her fall under Thomas' spell or become his friend. Instead, she simply admits, "No, he's right, I really am kind've a bitch."

It's also great to see Henry Gibson visiting the islands. Despite his long career, my favorite role of his will always be Dr. Werner Klopek in The `Burbs. ("My brother...the Dok-tor!") There's a nice scene where Ronald finally begins to tip his hand, and you can literally see Magnum's little voice trying to warn Thomas that, "Hey, there's something 'off' about this guy!"

The ending is another one of those that manages to close out a routine episode on a memorable note. After insisting he wasn't much of a hero ("The guy was five-foot-three!" ), Magnum's final "goodbye" to Ginger is surprisingly poignant. Granted, it's not a great ending, but there's enough truth in it to stick with you longer than it should.

I'm a sucker for the endings where Magnum faces up to disillusionment or loss (ie. Double Jeopardy; Texas Lightning; etc). The show was never afraid to let reality disrupt the fantasy. This is one of the reasons why the show still manages to resonate today, and holds up much better than most of its 1980's peers.

[IslandHopper]

[SelleckLover]

Here's what Wikipedia has on Tracy Austin, for what it's worth....

Tracy Austin
Country Flag of the United States United States
Residence Rolling Hills, California
Date of birth December 12, 1962 (1962-12-12) (age 44)
Place of birth Palos Verdes Peninsula, California, U.S.
Height 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Weight 120 lb. (54.4 kg)
Turned Pro October 23, 1978
Retired July, 1994
Plays Right-handed
(two-handed backhand)
Career Prize Money $2,092,380
Singles
Career record: 335-90
Career titles: 30
Highest ranking: No.1 (1980)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open QF (1981)
French Open QF (1982, '83)
Wimbledon SF (1979, '80)
U.S. Open W (1979, '81)
Doubles
Career record: 13-16
Career titles: 4
Highest ranking: ?

Infobox last updated on: N/A.

Tracy Ann Austin Holt (b. December 12, 1962, in Palos Verdes, California) is a former World No. 1 women's professional tennis player from the United States who won the women's singles title at the U.S. Open in 1979 and 1981 and the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 1980, before a series of injuries cut short her career. Her older sister, Pam, and her older brother, Jeff, were also professional tennis players, as were brothers Doug and John Austin. She is the sister-in-law of fitness author Denise Austin. She is married to Scott Holt and is the mother of his three children.

[IslandHopper]

Thanks for posting that SL. I forgot, her career was cut short due to injuries not due to burn out. I thought I remembered an interview where she talked about the pressures of being a young tennis star, but, it was so long ago I'm not sure anymore. She made quite an impact on the tennis world in those few years in the late '70s to early 80s.

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

[J.J. Walters]

Indeed, there wasn't many teen tennis stars circa early 1980s. Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger, that's about it. Steffi Graf made the Top 10 in 1985 at 16, as did Gabriela Sabatini in 1986.