Squeeze Play (4.7)

[Honolulu Lulu]

J.J.,

I'm glad you heard it, too! I agree that with all the names the character had, it would be easy to make the mistake without anyone on the set catching it!

[burny]

I kinda noticed a little flub.

When the gang is practicing you can see in the background T.C.'s van, the Jimmy AND the Ferrari?

Who brought the Jimmy? Higgins never drives it... so it couldn't be him.

actually - i have noticed the jimmy and the larger blazer/bronco type
vehicle parked in the background in many scenes in the series. i have no
doubt they actually used the vehicles doing the production as well as actually
being in the show. also - did you ever notice every time there is a large
almost semi type truck in a scene - it is always the same one? that white and
grey sixties or 70's truck is used over and over throughout the lifespan of the
show. i am sure it was the main production truck and they just used it
whenever they needed a large truck in a shot. its always the truck on the
road in any of the car chase scenes. basically, whenever a scene requires
a large truck, it is always that white/grey truck. if memory serves correctly,
that is true for all 8 seasons.

minor flub - at the beginning - the funny scene where rick takes it on the
family jewels with the softball - rick is on the mound - its covered with spare
balls and he sorta trips over them, then suddenly there are no balls, then
the balls are back in different positions.

[MaiTaiMan]

This is not one of my season 4 favorites either! Robin Masters really ticked me off, and I lost some respect for the dude in this episode.

How could Robin be so stupid to not realize or think that Buzz was probably cheating to begin with? Hello!! Think about who you're playing a high-stakes card game with!

Also, it just seemed that Robin had no second thoughts or trouble betting the estate in that stupid softball game...like he didn't care what would happen to Higgins, or Magnum, or any of the other staff if he lost. Just think of yourself only, Robin...as long as it didn't immediately affect you, no big deal...right?

Then the rest of the episode is basically reduced to the softball game and the goof-ball players that Magnum, Higgins, T.C., and Rick have to deal with to try and win. Whatever...can we not come up with more serious and captivating episodes than this??

[J.J. Walters]

Have you completely forgotten about the Buzzettes?





Dick Shawn, Eddie Deezen, Softball... Come on, this episode is a hoot!

[MaiTaiMan]

Have you completely forgotten about the Buzzettes?





Dick Shawn, Eddie Deezen, Softball... Come on, this episode is a hoot!

No I had not forgotten about the Buzzettes. But, they were not in the episode that much, and I suppose in the 80's this was more the style...but to me the Buzzettes look a little "old" (maybe it's the bad 80's hairdews??) for what I would've thought Buzz would have surrounded himself with.

I also did not watch an episode of "Magnum" to see a goofy softball game, and again Robin Masters didn't seem to care about anyone or anything...until the very end when he realized he had been cheated! But, until then he didn't seem to give a crap about anyone or anything else.

This just isn't the type of episode for a show like "Magnum" that I like...too much slap-stick, goof-ball, ridiculousness makes it almost like an old "SNL" spoof of a "Magnum" episode.

This and that supermarket one ("Limited Engagement") with the old ladies, are really not the "finest" for season 4.

[Styles Bitchley]

I suppose in the 80's this was more the style...but to me the Buzzettes look a little "old" (maybe it's the bad 80's hairdos??) for what I would've thought Buzz would have surrounded himself with.

Back then, women were actually acceptable as "hot." Unfortunately, these days it seems, hot chicks on TV have to be teenagers!

I see your point on the slapstick nature of this episode. But I find for these episodes I'm able to suspend my belief and enjoy the ride. Goofing it up once in a while makes me enjoy the show more. While some episodes can be fabulously dark (Did You See..., Death and Taxes, etc.), it doesn't take itself too seriously. That's what gives TM's personality such depth.

On the RM bit and being selfish for betting his estate, I doubt many multi-millionaires anywhere think twice about the fate of their staff when deciding to buy, sell...or gamble.

[MaiTaiMan]

I suppose in the 80's this was more the style...but to me the Buzzettes look a little "old" (maybe it's the bad 80's hairdos??) for what I would've thought Buzz would have surrounded himself with.

Back then, women were actually acceptable as "hot." Unfortunately, these days it seems, hot chicks on TV have to be teenagers!

I see your point on the slapstick nature of this episode. But I find for these episodes I'm able to suspend my belief and enjoy the ride. Goofing it up once in a while makes me enjoy the show more. While some episodes can be fabulously dark (Did You See..., Death and Taxes, etc.), it doesn't take itself too seriously. That's what gives TM's personality such depth.

On the RM bit and being selfish for betting his estate, I doubt many multi-millionaires anywhere think twice about the fate of their staff when deciding to buy, sell...or gamble.

Oh I totally agree that "women" were more acceptable back then on TV...and most were more acceptable to me than the teenage, alcoholic, drug addict, ho-bags that are a lot of what you see in the media today. I like the original version, so-to-speak, as I find a lot of the so-called celebrities of today worthless (ex: Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, Britany Spears, etc...)!

I just thought the Buzzettes on this "Magnum" episode looked a little "hard" themselves--smokin' a little too many of Buzz's cigarettes and drinkin' a little too much of his booze.

Anyway, I too do enjoy some of the humor and even corniness...that's also part of reality and many times a fun or enjoyable part. You are right, this does help counteract some of the more "dark" or depressing episodes--the two you listed are perfect examples of that.

But, some episodes go beyond and overboard with humor and slap-stick...then it just becomes ridiculous and dumb. Although not many, these are the ones that irritate or annoy me.

I'm sure in reality no millionaire or billionaire would give a crap about anyone or anything but himself...but this was "Magnum, p.i." and Robin Masters supposedly really liked or cared for Higgins and Magnum! He should have thought more of them in this episode. But, then again there were episodes that sort of gave the impression that Masters wasn't always that intelligent when it came to common sense...so maybe this was just one of those?

[miltontheripper]

I agree with you guys that this was a ridiculous and goofy episode but I had to say I enjoyed it. Higgins as third base coach, loved it! I like to appreciate the lighter ones now and then to counteract the darker ones (which are by far the best in my opinion!) The nephew, the buzzettes, very entertaining!

[Doc Fred]

I'm luke warm on this show, but I love the scene where the girl batting nails Rick in the gonads with the baseball. The look on Magnums face is priceless when she rushes up to rick who is on the ground writhing in pain and asks him if it's his stomach!

I had something very similar happen in a fast-pitch softball game... I was on third and we had a suicide squeeze play on, except the batter didn't know it, and drilled a liner down the third base line. There was no time to move and I caught the rising liner right in the 'nads... felt like they were driven right up into my stomach, and my eyes felt like they were exploding out of my head. I was writhing in agony on the ground and everyone gathered around.... not a dry eye in the bunch, male or female... It was terrible! I managed to get home and after showering laid on the couch for days. The 'boys' swelled up to at least triple size and that didn't go down for weeks, and I could barely walk..... Well, that was 45 or so years ago, and whenever I go back to the old hometown and meet someone who was there, they inevitably ask if I remember what happened.... Heck, I almost lost my manhood; how could I ever forget!!!

Why is it that we always laugh when someone gets hit there???

[Doc Fred]

IH wrote: "We also see Magnum bat left-handed, which is a little unusual as he is right-handed. "

It's not that unusual in baseball. I played for years and encountered many people who fielded from one strong side and batted from the other. You also see the phenominon of switch hitters where people hit equally well from both sides while fielding from one side only.

Just trying to help...

You can easily in the episodes that Tom Selleck was an excellent athlete... and he had a real fine swing with the softball bat...

[Doc Fred]

I thought the same thing when I saw the team play. Especially Lola playing 2nd base. Killer says "she plays a mean 2nd base." She is terrible. I don't know who is worse. Lola playing softball or Carrie Reardon playing tennis in "Mixed Doubles."

There is no shame with not being very good at softball or tennis, but when the script calls for that particular character to be excellent at what he or she is supposed to be doing then at least cast somebody who can perform those particular tasks, i.e., play softball, tennis, etc. In Lola's defense, Rick was probably worse than Lola, but Rick was supposed to be bad. He was the guy everyone made fun of.

I had some high school JV softball players who were better than many of the people on that field.... And Rick, oh my gosh is a horrible runner....

[Doc Fred]

One more thing about sports on TV before you guys kick me off the board. TS was very believable in the softball, basketball, tennis, and volleyball scenes. Not so much in the golf scene during "Forty Years From Sand Island". He is obviously very athletic.

Right you are about TS's athletic ability...... I'd not be surprised if he didn't have professional ambitions.. perhaps with baseball. He looked awfully good in his action sequences.

And you're also right about his ability with golf.... He is just an every-day hacker. But, I know that golf is the most difficult of all sports. I had chances to be a pro in four different sports, including baseball where I had offers from the Phillies, Mets and strangely enough, from the Tigers. I have batted against major league pitchers and will tell everyone that hitting that little white golf ball with success is the most difficult thing I've ever tried in sport... and I was able to play in the US Senior Amateur..

[Doc Fred]

MaiTaiMan... you wrote "Oh I totally agree that "women" were more acceptable back then on TV...and most were more acceptable to me than the teenage, alcoholic, drug addict, ho-bags that are a lot of what you see in the media today. I like the original version, so-to-speak, as I find a lot of the so-called celebrities of today worthless (ex: Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, Britany Spears, etc...)! "

You are dead-on balls accurate with that.... can't stand a one of the ones you named at the end of your post.

[Pahonu]

Just watched this one again and I have a funny (bad) story about this episode which otherwise I really like. When I was in high school back in the 80's we had co-ed PE and once when we were playing softball I was pitching to my own team like we used to do, and a freshman girl nailed it right into my privates. I hit the ground, not unlike Rick, and I swear the girl ran up to me and thought she had hit me in the stomach. I don't remember exactly what she said then, but several of my buddies who were there teased the hell out of me for the next few days. She was this tiny little girl and she apologized so many times to me later. Eerily similar circumstances!

[IKnowWhatYoureThinking]

Selleck played backetball at USC. I've also heard one time Mickey Mantle said he could've been a baseball player had he focused his energy on the sport.