As we've discussed before, seasons five and on introduce the whole "Magnum needs to grow up" storyline that we find with increasing frequency and I guess that manifests itself in this episode, too.Carol the Dabbler wrote:A lot of you have commented on this being an atypical Magnum episode. It struck me that way, too. In fact, it seems more like a Rockford episode that Magnum wandered into by mistake.
For one thing, since when was Magnum ever all that worried about his finances? Sure, he'd like to have more cash, and sure it'd be nice to get Rick, TC, and Higgins off his back -- but those have never seemed to be major priorities. It's not like he has to pay rent or anything. Now, all of a sudden, he's willing to give up his flexible lifestyle for the foreseeable future, just to have a more reliable income. Huh?
The Hotel Dick (6.5)
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I think that the drabness of the hotel was by design. If things looked cosy, colorful, and delightful at Thomas' new job, we could understand why he'd leave Robin's Nest, the battles with Higgins, the lads, and another "tawdry divorce case"! By portraying the hotel gig as dull and colorless, not to mention that cruddy boss, Thomas--and the audience--can appreciate what he's left behind.Jay-Firestorm wrote:The set of Magnum’s room in the hotel is intended to be small and dingy, but even so, I found it a very boring and dull set. Considering that a large percentage of the story takes place there, surely they could have done something more with it.
And talking of settings, the hotel itself is never really used to it’s full extent, in my opinion. They could have done so much more, introducing many more areas of the hotel, but the whole thing just comes off feeling limited and stuffy to me.
Last edited by Little Garwood on Wed Nov 10, 2010 7:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Don't really care for this episode...pretty boring and dumb, in my opinion.
Almost the whole episode focuses around this hotel, where Magnum is hired on as sort of this "flunkie" to try and catch this goofy cat burgler.
The hotel manager annoyed the heck out of me, and so did the plot. Not one of season 6's best...I rated it "Not So Good"--because it wasn't. But, this is just my opinion...to each his or her own!
Almost the whole episode focuses around this hotel, where Magnum is hired on as sort of this "flunkie" to try and catch this goofy cat burgler.
The hotel manager annoyed the heck out of me, and so did the plot. Not one of season 6's best...I rated it "Not So Good"--because it wasn't. But, this is just my opinion...to each his or her own!
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I have always really liked this episode. Magnum onsite at a hotel after a cat burgler! The hotel manager was definitely annoying though lol. I liked the fact that TM was assessing his life and thinking it might be better to "move on" and get a real job but then decided to go back to being a private investigator. Overall, I think this was a very good episode and am thoroughly enjoying season 6.
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I'm totally with you. This is one of my faves...but I'm not sure why.miltontheripper wrote:I have always really liked this episode. Magnum onsite at a hotel after a cat burgler! The hotel manager was definitely annoying though lol. I liked the fact that TM was assessing his life and thinking it might be better to "move on" and get a real job but then decided to go back to being a private investigator. Overall, I think this was a very good episode and am thoroughly enjoying season 6.
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Two possible flubs:
-At he party, Rick and Higgins are impersonating waiting staff, yet somehow they are not spotted by their colleagues or bosses.
-At one point, the prostitute tells Magnum something about returning to the estate and his old job with Higgins, yet, for all we know, he's only told her he used to be a private investigator, but he hasn't told her about Higgins or the estate.
Also we see yet another British character, a really unrealistic quirk in this show.
-At he party, Rick and Higgins are impersonating waiting staff, yet somehow they are not spotted by their colleagues or bosses.
-At one point, the prostitute tells Magnum something about returning to the estate and his old job with Higgins, yet, for all we know, he's only told her he used to be a private investigator, but he hasn't told her about Higgins or the estate.
Also we see yet another British character, a really unrealistic quirk in this show.
Re: The Hotel Dick (6.5)
It was enjoyable and different..
I loved Magnum slugging Clyde!
I also enjoyed Leslie; thought she was a fun character.
Did anyone notice they showed the scene of the big, heavy guy jumping into the pool twice... both of them the same exact shot?
I loved Magnum slugging Clyde!
I also enjoyed Leslie; thought she was a fun character.
Did anyone notice they showed the scene of the big, heavy guy jumping into the pool twice... both of them the same exact shot?
Woof, woof... thirty years uglier!... woof, woof...
Re: The Hotel Dick (6.5)
Loved the curtains covering a bare wall rather than a window in Magnums office
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Re:
Almost as if they were running out of plots for new episodes...IslandHopper wrote:I've always thought that this episode had one of the thinner plots. I know that this is fiction for TV, but c'mon. For example, the robberies in the hotel always occur in the honeymoon suite with a guy rappelling down into the room. Despite knowing this the cat burglar continues to do the same thing. Magnum does wait in the room when a call interrupts his stakeout and scares the burglar away. However, the burglar always takes the same escape route, and ultimately jumps onto an adjoining roof top and descends down a ladder. You would have thought that Magnum would have had an associate with a radio who he can call to wait for the burglar when he descends down the ladder and before he could escape, or maybe stakeout the roof of the hotel and nab him before or while he is rappelling.
I realize that this would have messed up part of the story, but I think the writers should have mixed it up a little by having the burglar take an alternate route or something, or at least address some of those issues.
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Re: The Hotel Dick (6.5)
I can't put my finger on it but I've always really liked this episode, an 8.5 for me. As many of you have mentioned, a very non typical and unorthadox episode: no estate, Magnum gets a "real job" (as Higgins would put it), and we see some of TM's personal insecurities and his frustration with some things in his life as a private investigator. The end was awesome, kindv'e like an "early life crisis" as TM goes from being a younger man to an "older" younger man and wanted to know if he still had it! This motivates me as I'm 35 and like to stay in shape and it's not as easy as it used to be so I love how he "went for it" and took the leap at the end, awesome! I COULDN"T STAND Clyde the hotel manager and it was so fun to see TM punch him out at the end. I loved the slow build up with him taking off his coat and Clyde getting more and more scared with each second. I did however enjoy the Leslie character played by Candy Clark. She was fun, funny, and while she drove Magnum crazy you could tell he really liked her deep down. I liked the other episode with her in it as well, season 7's "Straight and Narrow." I checked her out on IMDB and she was cute back then but it also showed one recent picture and she still looked pretty good. Anyway, an overall fun episode with an awesome hotel setting, a cat burgler that could show up at any time, and it still incorparated all the guys (I loved Rick as the pompous rich hotel guest with Cleo on his arm) which made it all the better!
Re: The Hotel Dick (6.5)
I'm working through the entire series now, and I think yesterday was the first time I've ever seen this episode. It was pretty low in my book, because of the very things that Milton mentioned: no estate, no Island Hoppers, no Ferrari. I see Milton's point about TM's character development, but still ranked it pretty low for those earlier reasons.
To me, it was like the first of the Daniel Craig-as-007 movies, which were missing the critical elements of theme song and intro.
To me, it was like the first of the Daniel Craig-as-007 movies, which were missing the critical elements of theme song and intro.