Magnum Mania!

I just finished "A Pretty Good Dancing Chicken," and in one scene, Rick and TC go to a lingerie store to follow a lead. While going in, TC remarks, "Rick, I can't even look in the windows of this place." All of a sudden, I realized that TC doesn't seem to drink, either. While Magnum sips on the omnipresent "Coops," TC never seems to indulge. I was just wondering, was there any backstory to this prudishness offered during the show's run? If not, we're left to speculate on the character's behavior traits. Any pop psychologists out there willing to offer an explanation?

In the pilot TC was a little less "prude-ish", but if I recall correctly, I believe Roger Mosely wanted to develop the TC character into more of a role model or something and that is why, later in the series, he seems to have a more pious persona.

Thanks for the information. I thought there might have been something going on behind the scenes, but I just didn't know. TC makes a nice counterweight to the supposedly flippant Magnum...while Thomas is reliving his twenties ("I woke up and realized I was 32 and never had the chance to be 22") and can be downright teen-like in his behavior, TC seems to be the more settled and responsible one of the bunch.

The directors / producers / writers of the show seem to have managed continuity well with regard to this part of TC's persona throughout the show's run.

Can anyone think of one single instance where TC imbibes?

Welcome back DH,

I don't know the episode but this is from the opening credits.

That's from the pilot movie. I believe T.C. drinks a couple more times in the early first season episodes, although, truthfully, I'm not entirely sure! I can't seem to find anything more on it in the Dracos III mainframe.

Like Rick, they changed his character a bit after the pilot. In addition to drinking in the pilot, he also seemed to be kind of a philanderer (i.e. the Snow Palace scene).

I'm not sure I'd call T.C. a "prude". He's just a man of high morals and traditional values. I kind of get the sense that he used to drink when he was younger. Magnum mentioned some wild time that T.C. had at Madame Woo's that involved a sword-swallower from the Lotus festival!

Come to think of it, TC also become entangled with a bad-girl type who came back to "haunt" him in a episode where she went over a cliff. Can't remember the specifics of their affair, but she seemed to be a somewhat toxic relationship for him if memory serves me correctly.

I love TC...he's a wonderfully-complex character. I guess that's what I've always loved about the show--the characters are definitely not cardboard.

Yes, a couple of first season epi's he's drinking beer and very soon after nothing but coffee or juice. I like TC, always have. But then again I love all of the characters in MPI.

I like the character too. Just a really good guy you can count on. But without the back story on the drinking, you're left wondering if he's a recovering alcoholic or just principally against it. Heck, maybe he's a mormon!

You can see that they really wanted the character to be a good role model - e.g., all the work he does with kids, etc. - but it came off a little hokey at times. But, how about when we discover out of the blue that he actually has two kids that he's never spoken of - not the best dad!

Maybe he had a bad experience in 'Nam

J.J. Walters wrote:I kind of get the sense that he used to drink when he was younger. Magnum mentioned some wild time that T.C. had at Madame Woo's that involved a sword-swallower from the Lotus festival!

That's right. I always assumed TC had some kind of trouble that made him re-think drinking. That and working around the kids I'm sure he felt he needed to be pretty clean around them, etc.

Remember, TC always was the "voice of reason" if you will. How many times did he give Magnum a "Thomas..." in a fatherly sort of way?

J.J. Walters wrote:Like Rick, they changed his character a bit after the pilot. In addition to drinking in the pilot, he also seemed to be kind of a philanderer (i.e. the Snow Palace scene).

Not only in the Snow Palace, but in the chopper with TM. I believe he tells Magnum to "Check out the 'bazooms' on that one" or something very like it when they fly past a recreational boat near Kahoolawe.