Little Girl Who (7.7)

[Tuan Vu]

Another great episode and ending! So heart-touching and sad, but wonderfully acted, even by the little girl:

https://vimeo.com/243481635

[Milton Collins]

I hadn't seen this one in years and really enjoyed it! It's really emotional for me and I thought there were a few highlights:

Michelle coming back after 5 years was awesome! I just love her character and feel so sad that she and Thomas can never be together, crushing as they obviously love each other!

Introducing Lilly Katherine and obviously pointing to the fact that she was Thomas' daughter given the time frame from season 2 Memories Are Forever is really cool to me.

Always like the Buck Greene/Maggie/Navy episodes so cool!

I was surprisingly a bit sad when General Hue was executed. I thought he showed a lot of character in Memories Are Forever and was obviously fighting for change in Viet Nam.

I love how TC and Rick and Higgins are all about jumping to TM's aid when they find out its about Michelle. I love how Higgins goes from ripping him in the beginning and then Magnum running off and then again and after coming back to the estate with Lilly but suddenly softening when he found out it involved Michelle.

Higgins directing the Mona Lisa just cracked me up too. I love all his committees and causes he's involved with.

It was also hilarious when he was doing the acting for Lilly and Magnum walked in and saw him and he pretending he dropped a coin. He has such a big heart but doesn't always show it!

The end with Michelle saying "Maybe in another time when the world is different" and then walking away with Lilly almost brings me to tears. It just KILLS me that they can't be together.

I saw some posts about Michelle's ethnicity and I definitely remember somewhere along the way it said that she was French and Asian. Regardless of what she is, she is one beautiful woman wow! I always have loved her and Thomas together, seems like they would fit as a couple in real life too!

[K Hale]

Great summary, agree 99%. Only disagreement I have is I've never really been a fan of Michelle, she kinda used Thomas.

[Milton Collins]

Great summary, agree 99%. Only disagreement I have is I've never really been a fan of Michelle, she kinda used Thomas.

Thanks K Hale! And you know what, I have had that thought too! Here was her ultimate opportunity to be with him (obviously they couldn't stay in Hawaii and would have to be relocated) and yet again, no dice! I almost feel like she toyed/used him and have had some frustration with her as well!

[sandbiscuits]

Great summary, agree 99%. Only disagreement I have is I've never really been a fan of Michelle, she kinda used Thomas.

Thanks K Hale! And you know what, I have had that thought too! Here was her ultimate opportunity to be with him (obviously they couldn't stay in Hawaii and would have to be relocated) and yet again, no dice! I almost feel like she toyed/used him and have had some frustration with her as well!

Milton, I agree with your summary, too. Well done!

I was never too bothered about Michelle "using" Magnum. He could have been more insistent, too. I think she was trying to look out for everyone in the best way she could. I was sad about seeing Magnum and Lily separated, though. To me, that was much more affecting.

Minor complaint about this episode: no TC or Rick! (I guess they appear secondhand briefly in conversation and photos, but I probably can't complain too much... this was all about Magnum.)

[K Hale]

I've always considered this to be one of the best episodes of the whole series. Really, I have no complaints about it. The only really minor complaint I have is that Higgins seemed especially rude to Agatha in this one.

Is SignGuy still around? He hasn't posted since last August. I'm curious to know what he means by this. If I had to guess, I'd say he's referring to the way Higgins kept brushing off Agatha's attempts to speak to him about who he had cast as Mona Lisa? But that was because he was going to surprise her with the fact that he had given her the role.

[K Hale]

Re: "Oriental"

In regards to the word, its meaning also differed depending on who and where was using it. In the UK, it's historically meant India and its surrounding area. I don't think most people consider it as bad as the "N" word, but it's been used by white people and old advertising to stereotype (especially East) Asians, and in the age since independence from colonialism, there are probably more accurate terms nowadays to refer to the person, i.e. East Asian, their country, etc.. It's also a good way to avoid awkwardness concerning territorial and other disputes (i.e. mistaking a Taiwanese or Malaysian for Mainland Chinese), as a lot of these still have old wounds for people. That said, in a lot of Asia itself, they probably would be confused too as to why it's seen as offensive.

Higgins of course was stationed in a lot of colonies, so it's not surprising that that's the term he'd use. I joke with my mother occasionally for her using the word (she's Han Chinese from Beijing). She says she can use it of course, and her English was originally taught by British people during the era of Wade-Giles for transliterating Chinese.

The issue many have with the word is that "the Orient" is not a place, it's a direction. It means "that area to the east." Well, east of what? Europe, of course. Okay, so why is Europe the center of the world and we measure directions based on where places are located compared to Europe? If you put China, the world's most populous country, in the center of the map, suddenly North America becomes the Orient. It's a throwback to the era of Eurocentrism which is falling out of favor now.

Asia and Asian are much more descriptive words that mean the same thing. It is the name of a place. I don't find "Oriental" offensive, just old fashioned/dated, but that's not for me to say since I'm not of Asian descent. It's not at all surprising that Higgins would use that term since he's from the generation where it was commonplace. He does not mean it in a negative way, it is an accurate characterization for him. He also uses "Jerry" for Germans which nobody uses any more.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Re: "Oriental"

In regards to the word, its meaning also differed depending on who and where was using it. In the UK, it's historically meant India and its surrounding area. I don't think most people consider it as bad as the "N" word, but it's been used by white people and old advertising to stereotype (especially East) Asians, and in the age since independence from colonialism, there are probably more accurate terms nowadays to refer to the person, i.e. East Asian, their country, etc.. It's also a good way to avoid awkwardness concerning territorial and other disputes (i.e. mistaking a Taiwanese or Malaysian for Mainland Chinese), as a lot of these still have old wounds for people. That said, in a lot of Asia itself, they probably would be confused too as to why it's seen as offensive.
Higgins of course was stationed in a lot of colonies, so it's not surprising that that's the term he'd use. I joke with my mother occasionally for her using the word (she's Han Chinese from Beijing). She says she can use it of course, and her English was originally taught by British people during the era of Wade-Giles for transliterating Chinese.

The issue many have with the word is that "the Orient" is not a place, it's a direction. It means "that area to the east." Well, east of what? Europe, of course. Okay, so why is Europe the center of the world and we measure directions based on where places are located compared to Europe? If you put China, the world's most populous country, in the center of the map, suddenly North America becomes the Orient. It's a throwback to the era of Eurocentrism which is falling out of favor now.
Asia and Asian are much more descriptive words that mean the same thing. It is the name of a place. I don't find "Oriental" offensive, just old fashioned/dated, but that's not for me to say since I'm not of Asian descent. It's not at all surprising that Higgins would use that term since he's from the generation where it was commonplace. He does not mean it in a negative way, it is an accurate characterization for him. He also uses "Jerry" for Germans which nobody uses any more.

Hi Guys,
I have never in my life heard someone use "Oriental" as a insult. It's a term indicating a geographic location. I would just like to know when the convention is held
where the leading intellects of the world decide such things, and why.
If they have a reasonable argument and point out that a given word has historically been painful to a given group, fine, count me in.
However the peoples of the "East" own failures when it comes to racist behavior is a litany of horrors, far beyond their own insulting terms for other nationals.
The Japanese literally decided to starve to death over one million! Vietnamese during WW2 for no discernible reason, other than for sadistic kicks for "inferiors",
which may help explain why Vietnamese Nationalism just as much as Communism was such a important motivator in fighting successive armies from France,
the United States, plus South Koreans and Australians.
The noble samurais of Nippon used the Chinese for daily bayonet practice. Villages were constantly raided for women, then hundreds of Japanese would line up in formation, on the parade grounds, and each in turn rape them till merciful death came, or even worse at a point when they were beyond degraded they tossed them in cesspools to drown, to much laughter.
The Indian partition/civil war in 1948, East Timor(saved by the Australians from genocide by Timors Asian brothers, the Indonesians), I could go on and on.
Not knowing any of this, the self styled Censorship Police instead fall in a faint from horror if someone in a 30 year old TV show mentions the Orient in passing.
The mere act of doing so raises them to a elevated place where they are the ones passing judgement on us lesser mortals and old TV episodes.
Though not one could find Laos or East Timor on a map.
How about instead they put their energies into the REAL World and actually help victims, like the Karen in Burma who have been slaughtered by the Maoist
government for decades for being ethnics who are also Christians. Just a thought.
I am now going to go read Huck Finn, I keep it in a brown wrapper lest it offends some 110 pound English Lit major and he throttles me.

[K Hale]

Hi Guys,
I have never in my life heard someone use "Oriental" as a insult. It's a term indicating a geographic location.

Not really, as I explained, it's a direction, not a location.

I would just like to know when the convention is held where the leading intellects of the world decide such things, and why.

I'm not a leading intellect of the world. I just think there is a more accurate term for people from Asia... Asians.

But the self styled Censorship Police fall in a faint from horror if someone in a 30 year old TV show mentions the Orient in passing. The mere act of doing so raises them
to a elevated place where they are the ones passing judgement on us lesser mortals and old TV episodes.

Who are you talking about?

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Hi Guys,
I have never in my life heard someone use "Oriental" as a insult. It's a term indicating a geographic location.

Not really, as I explained, it's a direction, not a location.

I would just like to know when the convention is held where the leading intellects of the world decide such things, and why.

I'm not a leading intellect of the world. I just think there is a more accurate term for people from Asia... Asians.

But the self styled Censorship Police fall in a faint from horror if someone in a 30 year old TV show mentions the Orient in passing. The mere act of doing so raises them
to a elevated place where they are the ones passing judgement on us lesser mortals and old TV episodes.

Who are you talking about?

Not you as such, KHale. I got caught up in a rant and got angry, I went from responding to your letter to getting up on my soapbox.
Asians is a better term, you are right. However, Orient/Oriental has fallen out of use in any event. But as I said, in some quarters if
one used it(my nephew had a fit) in all innocence, you are suddenly a bad citizen because you never got the memo it is now a
racist term.
I asked my nephew, exactly on what date was that determined, where the day before it was okay and by some alchemy the next day it is now bad.
However he is not you, KHale, you were reasonable but I painted you with the same brush as I was irate at a nephew.
Mea culpa, KHale.

[K Hale]

Well, it's a pity he approached it with you in the way he apparently did. There are better ways to bring things to people's attention than doing it in a manner that gets their back up. Who benefits from that?

I've noticed that Higgins says "Jerry" but he never says "Jap." Once commonplace, by the 1980s it was already out of favor.

[Mad Kudu Buck]

Re: "Oriental"

In regards to the word, its meaning also differed depending on who and where was using it. In the UK, it's historically meant India and its surrounding area. I don't think most people consider it as bad as the "N" word, but it's been used by white people and old advertising to stereotype (especially East) Asians, and in the age since independence from colonialism, there are probably more accurate terms nowadays to refer to the person, i.e. East Asian, their country, etc.. It's also a good way to avoid awkwardness concerning territorial and other disputes (i.e. mistaking a Taiwanese or Malaysian for Mainland Chinese), as a lot of these still have old wounds for people. That said, in a lot of Asia itself, they probably would be confused too as to why it's seen as offensive.
Higgins of course was stationed in a lot of colonies, so it's not surprising that that's the term he'd use. I joke with my mother occasionally for her using the word (she's Han Chinese from Beijing). She says she can use it of course, and her English was originally taught by British people during the era of Wade-Giles for transliterating Chinese.

The issue many have with the word is that "the Orient" is not a place, it's a direction. It means "that area to the east." Well, east of what? Europe, of course. Okay, so why is Europe the center of the world and we measure directions based on where places are located compared to Europe? If you put China, the world's most populous country, in the center of the map, suddenly North America becomes the Orient. It's a throwback to the era of Eurocentrism which is falling out of favor now.
Asia and Asian are much more descriptive words that mean the same thing. It is the name of a place. I don't find "Oriental" offensive, just old fashioned/dated, but that's not for me to say since I'm not of Asian descent. It's not at all surprising that Higgins would use that term since he's from the generation where it was commonplace. He does not mean it in a negative way, it is an accurate characterization for him. He also uses "Jerry" for Germans which nobody uses any more.

Hi Guys,
I have never in my life heard someone use "Oriental" as a insult. It's a term indicating a geographic location. I would just like to know when the convention is held
where the leading intellects of the world decide such things, and why.
If they have a reasonable argument and point out that a given word has historically been painful to a given group, fine, count me in.
However the peoples of the "East" own failures when it comes to racist behavior is a litany of horrors, far beyond their own insulting terms for other nationals.
The Japanese literally decided to starve to death over one million! Vietnamese during WW2 for no discernible reason, other than for sadistic kicks for "inferiors",
which may help explain why Vietnamese Nationalism just as much as Communism was such a important motivator in fighting successive armies from France,
the United States, plus South Koreans and Australians.
The noble samurais of Nippon used the Chinese for daily bayonet practice. Villages were constantly raided for women, then hundreds of Japanese would line up in formation, on the parade grounds, and each in turn rape them till merciful death came, or even worse at a point when they were beyond degraded they tossed them in cesspools to drown, to much laughter.
The Indian partition/civil war in 1948, East Timor(saved by the Australians from genocide by Timors Asian brothers, the Indonesians), I could go on and on.
Not knowing any of this, the self styled Censorship Police instead fall in a faint from horror if someone in a 30 year old TV show mentions the Orient in passing.
The mere act of doing so raises them to a elevated place where they are the ones passing judgement on us lesser mortals and old TV episodes.
Though not one could find Laos or East Timor on a map.
How about instead they put their energies into the REAL World and actually help victims, like the Karen in Burma who have been slaughtered by the Maoist
government for decades for being ethnics who are also Christians. Just a thought.
I am now going to go read Huck Finn, I keep it in a brown wrapper lest it offends some 110 pound English Lit major and he throttles me.

I was shocked and disgusted to find out that the word "Oriental" had suddenly become offensive. The first place it became offensive was the US, not in the Far East. It took a few years to become offensive in Canada, now it's becoming offensive worldwide. The Orientals themselves were not offended until the media told them it was offensive. When I was in Korea, nobody considered the term Oriental offensive. I've met many who prefer the term Oriental to "Asian".

I consider an "Asian" to be someone from central Asia, like an Afghan or someone from central Russia - people without Oriental features. South Asians are Indian Subcontinent types. Asia is too big a place to use one term to describe all races. Yes, Oriental people are technically Asian, but that's like calling people from North America racially North American.

I utterly refuse to call an Oriental person an "Asian". I'm not going to participate in this manufactured politically correct nonsense.

[Chris109]

I consider an "Asian" to be someone from central Asia, like an Afghan or someone from central Russia - people without Oriental features. South Asians are Indian Subcontinent types. Asia is too big a place to use one term to describe all races. Yes, Oriental people are technically Asian, but that's like calling people from North America racially North American.

I utterly refuse to call an Oriental person an "Asian". I'm not going to participate in this manufactured politically correct nonsense.

Does this mean I have to get rid of my Oriental rug and buy an Asian rug? Where does one buy them?

[K Hale]

I was shocked and disgusted to find out that the word "Oriental" had suddenly become offensive. The first place it became offensive was the US, not in the Far East. It took a few years to become offensive in Canada, now it's becoming offensive worldwide. The Orientals themselves were not offended until the media told them it was offensive. When I was in Korea, nobody considered the term Oriental offensive. I've met many who prefer the term Oriental to "Asian".

I consider an "Asian" to be someone from central Asia, like an Afghan or someone from central Russia - people without Oriental features. South Asians are Indian Subcontinent types. Asia is too big a place to use one term to describe all races. Yes, Oriental people are technically Asian, but that's like calling people from North America racially North American.

I utterly refuse to call an Oriental person an "Asian". I'm not going to participate in this manufactured politically correct nonsense.

There's really no reason to be this offended. If you're so invested in using the word "Oriental" that you're redefining continents, then by all means, continue to use it. It's not worth raising one's blood pressure.

[No need to know!]

I am not going to join your discussion.

I will just say that this episode is now one of my favourite episodes of Magnum P.I
It used to be in my top 5 of this season. Maybe i thought it was to sentimental when i was younger, but nowadays this is my cup of tea, and i love the flashbacks back to Memories are forever, another truly great episode with Michelle.
Great script! Superb acting from everyone.