Compulsion (5.14)

[mandolabar]

We just saw this last night--whole family was watching--and there was spontaneous cheers and applause at "Last one in the copter is a rotten egg!" They were also very pleased with themselves for having spotted who the bad guy was.

I know there's flaws with it, but I gave it a Perfect based on how much the kids got into it. Also with the superb acting from John Hillerman.

[Sisophous]

Wow, I can't believe I didn't post this when I first joined the forum but the actress that plays "Sunshine", Susan Swift, was a friend of one of my brothers when they were in high school. I met her quite a few times and then she went off to do The Chisholms tv show.

Any episode featuring Kathleen Lloyd (Carol Baldwin) is an automatic killer. Just seeing her wants me to turn it off the show she is so annoying.

I got around to watching this episode last night and really the only thing appealing was to see Susan Swift again. She didn't have many lines in her appearance but her acting skills seem as good as others who have become stars. It makes me wonder why some people who have average looks like a Meg Ryan or a Julia Roberts become mega stars while others seem to fade away. Perhaps she got bored with acting.









And what is that thing in her hair???????

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Yes, I too immediately knew John Pleshette was the stalker the moment he appeared on screen.

Even before I saw his mannerisms or his fondness for Carol it was obvious to me that it would be him. It's usually the friend that you work with that turns out to be the creep in these types of shows. Plus I vividly remember John Pleshette playing a stalker psycho in the excellent 5th season episode of THE ROCKFORD FILES "Black Mirror" -- it was a 2-part episode with Kathryn Harrold guest-starring as a blind woman who Jim Rockford befriends on the beach, who begins to be stalked and terrorized by Pleshette. I'm almost positive that someone remembered his performance in that episode when they cast him as the stalker here. Of course he was much more creepy and menacing in his ROCKFORD appearance.

[Kalai-pahoa]

In the episode 'Squeeze Play' (4.7) we learn that Higgins has a Victoria Cross (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Cross).
Not sure but I guess in this episode we can see that VC for the first time. (top right corner of this pic)


Ehy I thought the complete Higgins' name was 'Jonathan Quayle Higgins III'!
Maybe a little flub?

[marlboro]

I didn't care for this one. There was no mystery since the bad guy was obvious from the start and only became more so as the story unfolded. It was just one "damsel in distress" scene after another.

Carol has been so manipulative in her previous appearances that i was surprised that she didn't fake twisting her ankle at the end.

Why doesn't Magnum carry a gun anymore? There have been several instances this season where it's obvious that he will need a weapon and, yet, he repeatedly walks into dangerous situations unarmed. A lazy way to create suspense and danger by the writers imo.

The Higgins subplot was the highlight of the episode. Which has become very common this season. And maybe even in season 4.

[charybdis1966]

I was none too impressed with this episode and gave it an "average at best" rating. I know what your thinking, my oft repeated dislike of Kathleen Lloyd has just made me prejudiced against this episode, but you're wrong. The villain of the story was obvious to even a total duffer at spotting the bad guy like me so once that had been discovered there was little else to hold interest. Except for the faint hope that the bad guy would do away with the woman with greying pubes as hair, Carol.

I was actually more interested in the Sandhurst/Higgins sub plot and as said before the lol moment was "last one in the chopper is a rotten egg" and the way TM, TC and Rick pitched in to help impress the Sandhurst old boys was a nice character touch.


I did notice the episode guide refers to a picture of Higgins with Churchill, but I thought it was Lord Mountbatten ?

Other than that.........arghh, that damn annoying Carol!

[Stelth]

I hate Carol too.

[charybdis1966]

I hate Carol too.

It's a shame she was in so many episodes, I'd rather have seen more of Digger Doyle.

[Stelth]

I hate Carol too.

It's a shame she was in so many episodes, I'd rather have seen more of Digger Doyle.

Hell yeah! She's much easier on the eyes.

[J.J. Walters]

Hello! That's some sassy satin right there!

[charybdis1966]

I hate Carol too.

It's a shame she was in so many episodes, I'd rather have seen more of Digger Doyle.

Hell yeah! She's much easier on the eyes.

I wish it was 1980 again........sigh

[Stelth]

[/quote]I wish it was 1980 again........sigh[/quote]

I'd prefer the 80s to today as well.

[Neil Peel]

Higgins' photo is not of Churchill nor Mountbatten, it is Field Marshall Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein. It's not a particularly well-faked photo either - the facial shadows do not correspond. A thoroughly enjoyable episode though, particularly the scene where Higgins' Sandhurst 'chums' arrive at the estate, which was wonderful.

[Milton Collins]

I'm not a big fan of this episode. There were some nice touches and I enjoyed watching it, but the moment I saw John Pleshette, I knew he was the creep. Maybe it's just because he often plays creeps, but there was something so obvious about the very existence of his character. If he wasn't be bad guy in the story, what was the point of his character and why was he getting so much screen time?

I liked the Sandhurst side story, especially when Higgens comes home to find Magnum the butler, Rick the chef and TC his personal helicopter pilot. Great stuff that saves this episode.

I agree completely! I couldn't get too into this one. I usually love the creepy/scary episodes but not this time. I just felt the little guy who ended up being the stalker was just way too predictable. And cmon, how easy would it have been for Magnum to take him down without that elaborate plan using Carol as bait and jumping down from a tree? That could have easily backfired. I realize he had a gun but still TM could have gotten the jump on that guy when he was getting water so much easier. Regardless, very glad he saved Carol, I really like her character.

Now the Higgins subplot, that was fantastic! I loved the guys acting like they were his employees (Magnum a butler, Rick a chef, he he he). That was a very fun side story.

[Mrs. Higgins]

Just occurred to me...didn't Binky and the chaps notice the giant RM on the entrance gates to the estate? Should've sent up a red flag, don't ya think?