Magnum Mania!

I don't know why it has started bothering me, but the more I watch Magnum use his friends the more it annoys me. He is always "borrowing" something from either Rick, T.C. or Robin. He is always using T.C.'s chopper, and Rick for his underworld connections. And, he never pays his tabs. It also seems like every time he makes a promise to help out with the estate work he doesn't do it.

Anyway, maybe it's just my sour mood lately that is making me notice it.

But all you have written is what made Magnum so endearing! Despite his two best friends saying they were never going to do anything more for him, they always relented. I loved the storylines where the things he borrowed usually ended up broken or missing. And as for him escaping Higgins little get togethers, who could blame him?!!

Pals is pals.


--Sammy

Anyway, maybe it's just my sour mood lately that is making me notice it.

Now, what can we do to make you feel better?!
come on, name it.....
you see, that`s what friends are for....

TM seemd to have some sordid incident that happened in Saigon over Rick's head to help out, TC just seemed to do it because he had a very kind heart (I've always hoped that TM was at least partially paying back TC for all of the windows that were shot) and of course Higgins help came with "negotiations". Most of all, I sensed that they all loved to get involved no matter how much they protested as they were all War Veterans that still needed some type of excitiement in their current lives.......And, it made for great TV!

I always got the sense that Magnum did try to pay back his debts. He just made so little money that he was never able to "even the score". But yeah, T.C., Rick and Higgins sure cut him a lot of slack, that's for sure!

[cue up Burt Bacharach's "That's What Friends Are For"]

I think it is one of the things that makes him so endearing to everyone. He is a guy they really want to help and, evn though they give him a load of crap, I don't believe they expect or want payback. They know TM will be there for them when needed.

Up until the last coupel of seasons TM was a 17 year old in a 35 year old body. But, having said that, I never doubted TM's loyalty to his friends. He may have been materially selfish but never selfish about his loyalty. And to betray that loyalty, woe betide the fool.

Magnum's constantly "using" his friends bothered me a bit in the beginning. I then realized that TC, Rick and Higgins are all adults and could have told Thomas "no" at any time. They seemed to enjoy getting involved in his cases. Being chased or being shot at, would get the old adrenaline going

I think this is part of why the show the works, these characters are best friends, a friendship forged in war. Even Higgins gets included in this as the show develops. These guys don't just tolerate Magnum, the love him. They love him a lot more than the annoyance of his mooching can ever offset.

I have the feeling that Rick & TC got to know the ultra-intense Magnum (See Unfinished Business) in Nam, and kinda like having the much mellower (most of the time) one around.

Well, I can't say that I find mooching endearing, but that's how Magnum's character was intended to be. He was supposed to be the beach bum type.