Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2)

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#1 Post by **J.J. Walters** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 12:33 am

This is the official MM thread for Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2). All discussions and reviews for this episode should go here. If you wish to rate the episode, please do so with the poll. The avg. score will be the official 'community rating', which will be used on the episode page (updated monthly).

This thread is also linked in the episode page of the Episode Guide.

Original Air Date: 10/6/1983
You can't teach an old detective new tricks, but Magnum does find that teaming up with veteran Private Eye Luther H. Gillis has its benefits in his most recent kidnapping case. Unfortunately, both men are arrested on suspicion of murder when they stumble upon a dead drug dealer in a seedy motel room.

N1095A · #2 Post by **N1095A** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 4:22 am

While in jail after being arrested at the cockfight, a funny exchange between Luther and TM takes place reminicent of the Three Stooges. Luther is on the bottom bunk yelling at TM who is suffering from a headache on the top bunk. TM leans over to yell back at Luther, and then jumps back on the bunk crushing Luther's fingers because he had his hand between the springs and frame of the top bunk.

After losing the car that was tailing them, there is an interesting scene with the Ferrari sitting in a traffic jam among (averege) cars from the period, and 20-30 year-old junkers. It sort of proves Luther's point when he told TM that he "Stands out like King Kong on the Empire State Building".

For the first half of the episode TM wears the Chronosport watch, After Tanaka releases them from jail for the second time, he's wearing the Rolex GMT.

In jail after being arrested the second time, and in Tanaka's office, TM is wearing the olive green military shirt, and Chronosport watch. In the next scene (supposedly right after being released from jail) Luther and TM are in the Ferrari, and TM is wearing a white, banded collar dress shirt, and the Rolex GMT. Logic would beg the questions, Where did he get a change of clothes, and since the police hauled them in, how did he get the Ferrari?

lutherhgillis · #3 Post by **lutherhgillis** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 6:53 pm

I like the 'Luther' episodes. Not only do I like the absurdity of the character and his flaws, I also like the way Magnum seems to be afraid he is viewing his future when he looks at Luther. The Three Stooges style of slap stick is also very funny. Tanaka is great as usual. MPI had some very good occasional actors that really lifted the show in places where it could have suffered otherwise: Mac, Tanaka, Maggie, Agatha, Kika.

IslandHopper · #4 Post by **IslandHopper** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 11:51 pm

lutherhgillis wrote:I like the 'Luther' episodes. Not only do I like the absurdity of the character and his flaws, I also like the way Magnum seems to be afraid he is viewing his future when he looks at Luther.

I agree luthergillis. I think that is what made the scene where Magnum discovers Luther's book So You Want To Be A Private Eye so funny. Luther is a great character.

#5 Post by **Doc Ibold** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 1:34 pm

At first, I didn't like the Luther Gillis episodes AT ALL.

But now the more I watch them, the more I like them.

Especially the juxtaposition of Luther as a foil for Magnum.

A terrific example of the quality of writing on the show.

IslandHopper · #6 Post by **IslandHopper** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:54 am

The one thing I always wondered about this episode was the title, "File #521." I was under the impression that Luther had been a PI for about 40 years (after WWII). Thus, it would seem that in 40 years he would have had more than 521 cases. That would average out to be about 13 cases per year. You would think that Luther would have had more than 13 cases per year, considering that he had a partner (Chucky) for 10 years of that time.

#7 Post by **Doc Ibold** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:22 pm

Well, we're also looking at this compared to the sheer volume of cases Magnum gets.

However, you need to consider that Magnum has his cases, and then there's the stuff he does for Higgins/TC/Rick/Robin Masters which aren't technically "cases", but still require him to use his investigave prowess.

Examples:

Rick: Distant Relative
TC: Under World
Higgins: Tropical Madness
Robin: J. Digger Doyle, or even THIS episode

So, Magnum has a lot more cases, but most of them happen to be circumstantial.

So, 13 cases a year doesn't seem TOO bad, assuming that most cases take a month or so to complete...

Steve · #8 Post by **Steve** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 10:44 pm

I loved the Luther H. Gillis episodes as well, they were all some of my favorites, everytime Luther calls Higgins, The Butler, I crack up.
I recall when the series originally ran, and there was a big build up for the final episode with talk of many of the recurring characters appearing, being very dissapointed that there was no sign of Luther. Oh well, he lives on in the reruns!

Steve
Chicago

#9 Post by **J.J. Walters** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 11:06 pm

This is my favorite Luther episode. I love how Magnum is somewhat woozy (with a pounding headache) throughout most of the episode after having a bullet graze his forehead! It makes for some truly hilarious scenes later on.

http://magnum-mania.com/Video/Luther_Gillis_PI.html

Italian Ice · #10 Post by **Italian Ice** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 6:46 am

This is one of the episodes that I haven't seen yet, just finished watching it....

One question I have is why would the driver that hit Luther and has their windshield crack simply drive away? Either he felt guilty or didn't want a hit and run charge. Not easy to see out of a cracked windshield either....

Also, too bad they didn't show a gun fight with Magnum and Luther vs Artie Canoe and his cronies! All you could hear was a barrage of bullets while Rick and TC were tied and gagged....

brunoffrance · #11 Post by **brunoffrance** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 3:30 pm

Hi the community;
As each sunday familly dinning, we watch an episode and today was this one and we have voted... only 8 ! Not the best one or the more sentimental...
A correct story and luther is more present than TM... even in the speaking back.
some great situation as the one where Luther hit the old lady learning Kun-fu with Higgins...
note that the Honolulu reputation is shown a bit wrong about prostitution... and some views are a bit sexy....

Bruno.

MACattack · #12 Post by **MACattack** » Fri May 22, 2009 12:43 am

Seems to me that the writers were asleep when they wrote this episode. And sleep is what I did when I tried watching it!

MACattack · #13 Post by **MACattack** » Sat May 23, 2009 2:37 am

In retrospect, my opinion of Luther Gillis might be a little harsh. He's no worse than Lance White (Tom Selleck's character on Rockford Files.)

I just feel that Luther Gillis needed his own show. His character seemed forced and crammed into the Magnaverse. Higgins already provided enough comic relief. Gillis was such a loud mouth, not smooth and cool like Magnum.

N1095A · #14 Post by **N1095A** » Sat May 23, 2009 3:14 am

At first I found Luther very annoying. The more I watched the Luther episodes, and grew to understand that Luther was annoying to TM the way TM was annoying to Higgins, the more I grew to like the character. I'm now sorry there weren't more Luther episodes. The expression "Stuff it Scrungo", is one I find myself throwing out there from time to time. Eugene Roche was great. RIP.

MACattack · #15 Post by **MACattack** » Mon May 25, 2009 8:35 pm

Yeah, I found Luther to be annoying as well, but I guess he's ok. He did have some interesting one-liners with that Korean cop with a John Wayne complex in the episode "A.A.P.I."

Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2)

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Luther Gillis: File #521 (4.2)