Solo Flight (7.16)

[J.J. Walters]

This is the official MM thread for Solo Flight (7.16). 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: 2/4/1987
Alone on a mountaintop, Magnum begins to question his own judgement in a case and is almost killed while lost in reflection of his past.

[IslandHopper]

Another solid episode from season 7. I remember watching this episode when it first aired and I always had a problem with the character played by Norman Fell. At that point, I had never seen Norman Fell in anything other than on "Threes Company" and his spin-off show, "The Ropers" and always liked him on those shows. He was always funny. He could be a grouch to his wife and the roommates, but when it came right down to it you knew he was a nice guy underneath. However, when I first saw him in this episode all those years ago, I was blown away by how mean his character was. It's funny, I had the same impression when I watched this episode last night. I guess I will always think of Norman Fell as Mr. Roper.

The one major flub in this episode is that the airplane that traps Magnum is not a P-40 (Warhawk/Tomahawk/Kittyhawk) as indicated by Magnum during his narration. The vertical stabilizer of the P-40 is shorter and rounder in appearance than the stabilizer seen on the plane in this episode. The fuselage of the P-40 is also longer with the cockpit/canopy set in the middle, unlike the plane in this episode. In addition the fuselage of the P-40 is more linear than the plane we see in this episode. You will notice that the plane featured in the episode has a triangular section right behind the cockpit/canopy where the pilots head would be and that it descends downward at an angle (appx. 35 degrees) until it mees the main part of the fuselage, and then the fuselage continues until it meets the vertical stabilizer. The P-40 does not have this characteristic. The lines of the P-40 are much cleaner and do not abruptly rise in a steep angle (3 feet from the stabilizer) until it mees the cockpit/canopy. The wing tips also seem to narrow to belong to the P-40. The part of the fuselage that houses the engine is also inconsistent with the P-40. Additionally, the P-40's at the time were typically painted OD-Green and many had the famouns "sharks teeth" painted at the front of the fuselage.

On a different note, I still think that the sound effect of the fly is the same sound effect used in "I Do" (season 3).

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

[Doc Ibold]

The ending rocked for this one!

I love how he smacks the fly on his neck and then realizes the significane of it!

Although, it does seem a bit weird that once he saw the hunters he didn't have them get help and walked ALL the way back to the estate.

Also, he was rock climbing up half the mountain, but after he escaped from under the plane, he just seemed to be walking down a hill.

Now, I'm not a big fan of heights, but if I wanted to climb a mountain, I'd rather just walk up it instead of climbing up a wall! Why wouldn't he just go up the way he came down?



All things aside, really a classic ep, in my opinion. I loved that fact that TC/Rick/Higgins DIDN'T rescue him, even though I was hoping they would throughout.

[Shermy]

The beginning of this one makes it seem like a pale imitation of Home From the Sea. And they go to great lengths to get you to make the connection, with lots of footage from the earlier episode. But what really makes this episode stand out for me is the surreal quality it quickly develops. The flashbacks become more random, and Magnum's dialogue takes on a stream-of-consciousness style.

There's also a very clever moment where the centipede bites Norman Fell's character. The writers let you forget all about it, until later you see his neck beginning to develop a bizarre looking bulge. It's a really nice touch, and perfectly adds to the dreamlike quality of the scene.

I like that Tom Selleck has to carry the entire show- even more than he did in Home From the Sea. After the brief intro, it's essentially a one man play in which a guy lies on his back and acts lightheaded. But he knows the character so well by this point, he somehow makes the whole thing work. My only real complaint is the manner in which they trap Magnum under the plane. For some reason, the execution just always seemed a little too forced to me.

Overall, this is a solid character study of Magnum where we see him beginning to stand on his own. As Doc mentioned, it's also another classic ending. If there's one thing the MPI writers knew how to do, it was how to close the show.

[J.J. Walters]

Wow, great episode reviews guys! IH, amazing breakdown of the plane wreckage!

This is a Top 5 episode IMHO, and made a big impression on me when I was a teenager. Poignant, unconventional, gripping, and filled with all sorts of wonderful little touches and details. As screenplays go, this is probably my favorite of all the episodes. References, analogies and metaphors are everywhere! And Selleck carries this episode from beginning to end flawlessly!

The scene where Magnum salutes the "Sleepy-Time Gal", with flashbacks to his fathers funeral ....... biggest emotional punch I've ever been hit by in the show!

By pure luck, I somehow was able to ID the movie that Magnum is watching at the beginning! It's the 1958 Korean War movie The Hunters, starring Robert Mitchum and Robert Wagner! Another nice touch that helps explain why he kept rewinding and watching the scene where the plane crashes to the ground.

[IslandHopper]

My son and I watched this episode again and we caught a few more flubs.

1. Magnum is wearing “Lieutenant Commander” subdued rank insignia (brown oak leaves) on the collar of his jungle-fatigue-jacket. The flub is that Magnum was never a “Lieutenant Commander” in the Navy. He resigned as a Lieutenant, and when he was re-activated (Memories Are Forever), he was promoted to “Commander.” He skipped the rank of “Lieutenant Commander" altogether. The subdured rank insignia of Lieutenant Commander are brown oak leaves worn on each side of the collar. Subdued rank insignia are either flat black or brown depending on the rank represented. The purpose of the subdued rank insignia is for camouflage and concealment purposes. Typically rank insignia of officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines are either silver or gold in color. The silver and gold rank insignia are worn on dress uniforms (Class “A”), class “B”, or utilities not worn in combat situations. Because the silver and gold rank insignia are shiny and reflect light, and could give away your position in a combat situation, the subdued rank is worn instead. In “Blood and Honor” (season 6) Magnum is a full “Commander.“ He is seen wearing a khaki uniform with the silver oak leaves of a Commander (0-5), not the gold oak leaves of a Lieutenant Commander. Therefore, the rank insignia on Magnum’s fatigue jacket should have either been the rank of “Lieutenant” (two black bars-subdued) or “Commander” (black oak leaf-subdued). I think Magnum may have worn this same fatigue jacket in “Unfinished Business” as well. The Navy’s Officer rank through the rank of Commander is as follows:

(0-1) Ensign-Single Gold Bar............................Subdued color-Brown
(0-2) Lieutenant JG-Single Silver Bar................Subdued color-Black
(0-3) Lieutenant-Two Silver Bars......................Subdued color-Black
(0-4) Lieutenant Commander-Gold Oak Leaf......Subdued color-Brown
(0-5) Commander-Silver Oak Leaf....................Subdued color-Black

2. After Magnum becomes trapped under the plane and he sees the spider web for the first time, you can tell the web is a prop, which looks to be made of fishing line or string. The web is very symmetrical and flawless in appearance. However, when you see the shot of fly struggling to escape and the shot of the spider in the web going after the fly, the web is very thin, barely visible, and its pattern seems to be random exhibiting no symmetry at all. The shot appears to be older stock footage.

3. My son noticed this next flub involving the “Sleepy-Time-Gal” (girl painted on the plane). When Magnum first discovers the airplane and looks at the “Sleepy-Time-Gal” on the plane, as well as when he first becomes trapped under the plane you will see four rivets going from left-to-right just underneath the girls dress. The third rivet is actually on the girls left lower leg. However, after nightfall, Magnum is awaken by a dream of Higgins telling him to “stop the bleeding.” Magnum wakes up and tries to keep from falling asleep and tries to think of songs he can sing to keep himself awake. He asks “Sleepy-Time-Gal” if she has any requests and the camera cuts to a close-up of the girl on the plane. You can see that this is not the same girl as on the original plane as you will see two rivets on her right leg (upper thigh & knee) as well as a rivet on her left elbow. These rivets were not present on the girl from the original plane.

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

[J.J. Walters]

IslandHopper! Wow!

You, my friend, are the master!

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

[AJL]

Wow I'm speechless, having watched almost 7 seasons so far, this was the worst so far, just awful in so many ways... And you guys loved it???? Maybe this show isn't for me anymore.

_________________
Was vaccinated with a phonograph needle one summer break
Same summer that I kissed her on her daddy's boat
And shot across the lake
Singing all the way...
Oh I say mama
Living Ain't a luxury
Oh I say mama
And a lil' ain't enough for me

[MPS]

Liked the episode, but it was a bit intense at times. It's one of a few that has stayed in my memory since viewing 20 years ago. Among all of the flubs found so far, it seems that no one has mentioned that the postion of the plane before Magnum is trapped and after he is trapped is exactly the same!





TSM couldn't have gotten into that postion unless a crane picked up the plane and put it on him.

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Higgins: You've washed the car?! How extraordinary. Why would you do such a thing?

[IKnowWhatYoureThinking]

I liked this episode as well. It may be considered like Home From the Sea but I believe it is good in it's own right.