Deja Vu (2) (6.2)

[MaiTaiMan]

Awesome...one of the best, and I rated it as such! Although, I think season 5's 2-part premiere was a little better, and a little more suspenseful, than "Deja Vu"--this is still a superb season opener for season 6!

As I've stated several times before...I love anything suspenseful, bizarre, spooky, eerie, psychological, etc...! Like "Echoes of the Mind", "Fragments", "Compulsion", "Black & White", etc..."Deja Vu" rates up there with the best of 'em in those genres!!

I love the plot...with the bizarre and disturbing dreams Magnum has, the locale change to London (somewhere I would have never thought of), the on-the-edge moments and action scenes, the strange plot twists, and Of course Higgins' family past--and him coming to grips with seeing his father after 40 years!

This was sort of like Magnum meets Sherlock Holmes...and it was done in a captivating, fascinating way! "Deja Vu" is probably my favorite episode/s of season 6--and it has the perfect ending!

(I put this same review for Part 1)

[miltontheripper]

I remember really despising this episode in the past but have to say that as I recently watched it (as I go through the series in order) I found it to be quite good. Not going to lie that I found the little kid in the sailor suit that kept appearing and smiling at the camera to be really stupid and annoying though! I loved TC's sideplot and wish they had focused on it more, it was great! And Rick was good as always too, no to mention Higgin's little war with the young would be major domo. The end where Magnum kidnaps Higgins and takes him to meet his father is priceless. I can't watch the scene of his father who is OBVIOUSLY John Hillerman with a funny makeup job coming to the door without absolutely cracking up! The second half does drag a bit though!

[mandolabar]

The series contradicts itself in this episode, as Geoffrey is implied to have been involved in the assassination of Sadat in 1981. But in "Did You See The Sunrise?", it was suggested that Ivan had been responsible for the attack.

However, we could still assume that more than one team was involved in the plot, or that Geoffrey was yet another of Ivan's pawns that he had used to do a job.

Thank you! We just watched this last night, and that was the little niggling detail in the back of my mind, the "I've heard this before" that was a little bit distracting. You've saved me hunting through to find which other episode had it...and I followed the same mental path to resolve the conflict! LOL

[mandolabar]

I also think that John Hillerman did an absolutely superb job in this episode. It called for quite a range of emotion, which he carried off perfectly. I wonder if he was at all intimidated to be working with so many true Brits? Probably not...after six years of this, he was probably pretty confident in the characterization, accent included.

Totally watching it again tonight.

[mandolabar]

Here's something that does'nt make sense. Flub perhaps?

At the end of the episode when Magnum "kidnaps" Higgins, he puts a hood over Higgin's head so that he would not be recognised. He then drives Higgins to the Higgins estate to see his father. As they pull up in front of the house Higgins demands to know who has kidnapped him and then Magnum takes off the hood. Higgins then opens the car door on his own...........so his hands were'nt tied? Then why did'nt he take off the hood for himself?

We watched this last night, so I can answer--Magnum unties his hands first, and then takes the hood off...you can see it in the way he moves, and then when he sits back after taking the hood off, he has both the hood and a rope in his hand.

Also--the lady mime, of the two in that street fair that they ran through--was that Jillie Mack? Was she cameoing? I don't know her face all that well, but especially in profile, it reminded me of her, so I thought I'd ask, in case anyone had checked this before. It would make sense, if she went along on the trip...

~Amanda

[Doc Fred]

Remember when Tyler McKinney was trying to talk Thomas and TC and Rick into helping him rescue JJ Kincannon from Cambodia? He said something about how Thomas used to be the best at "going in and bringing back the scalps." I didn't understand that reference at the time...thought he meant bringing back information...like reconnaissance. But now I think he was talking about the assasinations that Thomas and Geoffrey's team did. Yes? No?

I don't know! What does anyone else think about this?

I agree with you. When I first heard "bring back the scalps", I immediately thought it referred to terminated enemy.... even more reason to like Magnum.

[Doc Fred]

A very positive part of this two-parter was Higgins evaluating the young and hopeful major domo. Hig was more than critical with everything the man did, until Hig reflected on how his father had never approved of anything he did as a child and young man. Once reflecting, Hig changed and told the younger man that he'd be a wonderful major domo for the estate in England. I very much liked the writers showing that an honorable man like Higgins could recognize a fault of his and adjust it.

Also, the conversation Magnum and Higgins had as they walked around the lake was exceptionally well done, and again told us that there was considerable respect shared between them... I liked that.

[marlboro]

I hate the idea of Psychic Magnum, so this episode was doomed from the start. Not much point in having a detective show when all the clues just magically pop into the detectives head, is there? Even if I liked the concept, I'm pretty sure I'd still find these episodes fairly dull.

As has happened all too often, the scenes involving Higgins have become the real reason to watch the show. Unfortunately, even that was ruined by Magnum in this episode. There have been a lot of great exchanges of dialog between Magnum and Higgins over the years that have shown that they have a very strong relationship and truly understand one another. This would have been a perfect opportunity for a callback to "Home From the Sea" with Magnum and Higgins discussing their relationships with their fathers. So why in the heck couldn't the writers come up with some way of resolving the plot than having Magnum throw a hood over Higgins' head, trussing him up and dragging him to his families estate? Why not just pistol whip him, hogtie him, and ship him to his daddy in a steamer trunk?

[charybdis1966]

I watched both parts of this last night and this story stands out from the rest of the MPI canon like a sore thumb, primarily for the obvious reason of the setting.

Having lived in the London area for nearly all my life it was disconcerting to see MPI with no Ferrari, no beaches, (virtually)no sunshine, no Island Hopper and no beach babes as the setting was all too familiar to me.

The interior and exterior of Covent Garden market were locations I know very well as were the shots of commuters getting on and off trains as I was one of those for about 20 years or so before /I relocated away from the big smoke.

It was odd to see Peter Davison, one of the incarnations of Doctor Who, as a bungling trainee major domo; out of interest his other major role was that of Tristram in the TV version of the James Herriot novels about a Veterinary practice in rural Yorkshire in the 1950's.

The appearance of the Robin Reliant was a LOL moment as all Brits associate that vehicle with Delboy trotter in the classic UK sitcom Only Fools and Horses, as has been mentioned previously.


Ok, I'm trying for another flub here, when TM approaches the newspaper stand in Marylebone station you can hear an announcement over the tannoy referring to "..trains to Edinburgh" - Marylebone has never had trains to Edinburgh, it only serves Birmingham. Oxford and the west Midlands and Buckinghamshire. All Edinburgh/Scottish services run out of Kings Cross.

Come on JJ, do I get in to the flub section this time ?

[J.J. Walters]

Maybe it was the Hogwarts Express?

No, I think you got one charybdis1966! I'll add it to the episode guide soon. You're still a long way away from reaching the Hall of Fame, though.

[charybdis1966]

Maybe it was the Hogwarts Express?

No, I think you got one charybdis1966! I'll add it to the episode guide soon. You're still a long way away from reaching the Hall of Fame, though.

That's top hole stuff JJ; even though I had to rely on local knowledge for this small(ish) flub I'll take this one bit of flub spotting glory.

(Does knee slide and fist pump )

[J.J. Walters]

Ok, I've added the flub. Good spot.

Since you're a life long Londoner (and a Magnum Maniac), I'd like to get your opinion on a scene that happened in Season Three's "Foiled Again", if that's alright. When William Troubshaw (a Brit) meets Higgins he says, "Long time old knob" (or "Long time old nob"). There seems to be several different interpretations about this very British phrase (some of them quite funny). Several people chimed in on this phrase in the Episode Forum thread (http://magnum-mania.com/Forum/viewtopic ... 6&start=27).

Thoughts?

And of course right after this line Troubshaw says, "You're looking well... well fed that is", which is well-remember by many Magnum fans. The way he says it is just hilariously funny. Of course if somebody said that me... Bam!

[charybdis1966]

Just one flub spotting mention will do me JJ as it means I've made a contribution to your commendably well-structured and comprehensive tribute to MPI, the show we love so much after all these years.

I make minor contributions (and even they take a lot of time and effort) to a couple of sports blogs and know how much time it takes to maintain a website to the quality of Magnum Mania.

I recall reading the discussion on the use of the term "old nob" on the Foiled Again thread and my take on it is that someone of Troubshaw's background (public school educated and middle-aged) would be trying to convey he is being friendly to Higgins.

He does this by using a semi friendly/familiar greeting of "long time old nob", which when used by someone of that background and in that context, on face value, would be where "nob" is merely being used as a term for someone of the nobility, but knowing that Troubshaw takes every opportunity to belittle Higgins his use is not friendly but condescending, especially as he probably believes Higgins is not actual nobility.

The speaking style Troubshaw et al employed is used a lot in the series of PG Wodehouse books "Jeeves and Wooster", a TV adaptation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeeves_and_Wooster ) of which you may have seen starring Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry, the former of which did a reverse John Hillerman, i.e. a Brit pretending to be an American.

When he follows that up with that classic line "you look well...." it confirms he is only using that opportunity to undermine JQH. That reminds of something I heard at a school reunion of mine (not said by or about me I hasten to add) "so what have you been doing all these years...apart from eating ?"

[J.J. Walters]

Very interesting charybdis1966, thanks! I'm relieved to know that he wasn't calling Higgins an "old knob".

[Pahonu]

Very interesting charybdis1966, thanks! I'm relieved to know that he wasn't calling Higgins an "old knob".

Hey JJ,

After almost five years on this forum, I just realized your profile says you like to body surf! I love body surfing! I have a surfboard and several body boards, as do my kids, but I still love bodysurfing the best. Right down in the water where you can feel the wave. We have some good spots here in SoCal, in Laguna and "The Wedge" in Newport (if you're young and crazy). Where do you bodysurf in Suburbia USA? Those are great scenes in "The Curse of the King Kamehameha Club" and "Lest We Forget" with Charlie and Maku.

Sorry if I hijacked the thread. This was the one I was reading when I inadvertantly hit your profile button.