T.Q. wrote: ↑Thu Nov 03, 2022 6:43 pm
November 4th, 1982
Magnum, P.I.
Flashback
Episode Number: 47
Season Number: 3.7
Air Date: 11/4/1982
Magnum dreams he's in 1936 - populated with versions of his friends - where he's working for a young woman whose father, a union leader, has been accused of the murder of a construction magnate.
Guest Stars: Anne Lockhart (Brenda McCutchen), Irene Yah-Ling Sun (Marissa), Rosemary Murphy (Marion Danforth), Lee Patterson (Drew Danforth), Robin Strand (Young Drew Danforth), Michael Hasegawa (Ito), Earll Kingston (Maitre'd)
My question was answered by this episode! What's with the crazy hat? (TM's cap in his 1936 regalia.) I didn't realize the time era when I first saw the photo. But of course it represents how baseball hats might have been way back then.
How stunning a clothes horse Selleck is!!! In this episode in particular some of his fashion is so superb but accentuated by his good looks and so on. You know, even in real life he doesn't let it go to his head. Surely TM's character benefits and is part of the show's allure for people. I understand Selleck had full reign with the TM character, but I wonder how much of the pleasing characteristics of TM were a natural product of Selleck's own doing. A lot I'm sure but it would be interesting to see the actual pre-production script for the vision held by the show's creators.
This episode is another triumph by the scriptwriter(s). I enjoyed the travel back in time. Despite the fantasy I thought it held up well. Speaking of fantasy, @308GUY shared with us on another thread this video of the creator speaking about the character Mac:
http://youtu.be/5HsmOUMARVY?t=210
In it Donald Bellisario shares a dilemma he had trying to allow actor McKay (character Mac) to return to the MPI show. McKay wanted to continue being Mac but Bellisario replied he couldn't return as Mac, say, through a sunburst from the sky or something. That would strain believablility. As many fans probably know, McKay does return but not as Mac.
I bring it up because believeability is an issue recognized by the creator(s). How close does
Flashback come to violating it? How often does MPI use fantasy? Probably not often as MPI is not considered in the SF genre. Fantasy can sometimes be abused by scriptwriters by escaping their job to produce logical or realistic stories. Not that this happens with MPI as far as I know, but genre restrictions are real. Question about the use of fantasy is not a simple matter. It would be interesting to hear how MPI so consistently had well developed scripts (as far as I know!).