Smaller Than Life (4.3)

[zebra3]

Just an okay episode, the fight at the end had some cheese to it, Magnum struggling with that woman and then the outcome was funny. Rick certainly can carry an episode better than most of today's secondary characters. It just goes to show that even if he isn't the main character, they all share an importance to the show.

[AmandaByNight]

J.J. that was a neat tidbit about Anthony of Red Hot Chilli Peppers and his dad! Thanks!

I liked this episode. I'm sweet on any Rick episode because I'm in love with him...

[nha trang]

I think I've seen some worse episodes so far, for instance with the precocious little basketball playing girl, but waldo doesn't exactly pull off the Nicholas Cage "National Treasure" bit in any manner resembling convincing.

I don't know if you'd consider it a flub, but evidently waldo doesn't do his own stunts, as can be seen to horrifying effect ( ) in the fight scene in the dark mansion where waldo brandishes a cane kung-fu style, as he has quite clearly become possessed ala some Steven King "the shining" effect...

I can't believe they start season 4 with home from the sea, then luther gillis (tacky but I like it for the humor) and then this episode?

It makes me wonder if they came up with episode ideas just to pick up ratings, like this week on magnum we'll have a really short little person ninja guy?

[Honolulu Lulu]

It makes me wonder if they came up with episode ideas just to pick up ratings, like this week on magnum we'll have a really short little person ninja guy?

In Larry Manetti's book he says J. Rickely Dumm wrote this story line after Larry told him how much he wanted to work with little people. I guess Larry was tired of being the shortest member in the cast.

And for those of you who have read Larry Manetti's book, did you wonder what happened to the scene he referenced in his episode guide in which he "got stuck in a chimney with the little guy and had to go on a diet afterwards"?

I guess after that fiasco they changed the storyline all together to show Waldo emerge from the chimney alone while Rick breaks into the house with Higgins. Bummer, I was looking forward to seeing Rick and Waldo in a chimney!

[MaiTaiMan]

The action, plenty of humor, and even Higgins getting in on the action makes this a fairly enjoyable episode I like to watch when going through season 4.

However, to be honest, for the most part this episode is really outlandish! This midget/dwarf dude (that supposedly has been working for the CIA since he was a kid??--yeah, right! ) pops in and tells all of these wild lies...then of course everyone ends up believing him at the end. Also, his name cracks me up...Waldo? Was this "Magnum's" ode to the idea of "Where's Waldo?"

But, the other aspects I mentioned above help this one for me a bit...I rated it as "pretty good".

[miltontheripper]

Love your comments about the fight scene in the mansion nha trang. I almost started crying when his ridiculous stunt double had the kung fu/cane fight with the other guy. what a horribly ridiculous scene. as if higgins would help them break in to that mansion? i mean, come on what a stupid (but funny!) episode. I do love Rick though he did a good job of carrying the episode even though I didn't like it very much.

[AmandaByNight]

The fight scene is indeed hilarious. I didn't really notice the obvious stunt double until I watched the episode with a friend of mine, who was quick to point it out. I felt a bit like a dolt, but when I watch a lot of shows, I just tend to immerse myself in them and I miss a lot of flubs or obvious, silly things. Now it's all I can see when I watch the scene. It hasn't lessened my love for the episode though. I don't think anything could!

[MaiTaiMan]

The fight scene is indeed hilarious. I didn't really notice the obvious stunt double until I watched the episode with a friend of mine, who was quick to point it out. I felt a bit like a dolt, but when I watch a lot of shows, I just tend to immerse myself in them and I miss a lot of flubs or obvious, silly things. Now it's all I can see when I watch the scene. It hasn't lessened my love for the episode though. I don't think anything could!

I usually purposely try to immerse myself in an episode of whatever show I'm watching...not caring about whatever so-called mistakes or flubs may or may not be in it. Noticing or being made aware of every single flub or mistake there might be sort of ruins the epsiode for me, and I don't like that.

Nothing's perfect...so just watching and "going with it" is the best way to enjoy a show. If all you do is look for mistakes or flubs...you miss out on the show and purpose of the episode completely! All you're doing is watching for the slightest mistake possible, just to point it out. Most of the time, I really don't care!

But, sometimes certain mistakes or obvious flubs are funny and/or even entertaining! This stunt double scene was one of those...and I not only laugh when that scene comes on, but I laugh and shake my head throughout most of this episode!

[miltontheripper]

I agree with you completely MaiTaiMan. If you focus only on errors, you don't really enjoy the show and it's too great not too! This (the midget stunt double) was my first "flub" I have ever brought up and I only did because I agree with you that it compeletly enhanced the episode for me and I laughed my ass off. Most of the humor of the show comes from some of the ridiculousness of it lol. BTW I think were watching the seasons in order at almost the same pace as this is my most recent episode so enjoy! Lots of great ones ahead.

[MaiTaiMan]

I agree with you completely MaiTaiMan. If you focus only on errors, you don't really enjoy the show and it's too great not too! This (the midget stunt double) was my first "flub" I have ever brought up and I only did because I agree with you that it compeletly enhanced the episode for me and I laughed my ass off. Most of the humor of the show comes from some of the ridiculousness of it lol. BTW I think were watching the seasons in order at almost the same pace as this is my most recent episode so enjoy! Lots of great ones ahead.

Exactly! Some flubs are okay or funny to point out...I don't really care that much. But, some members or posters primarily focus on mistakes and that's all they report or post on. That's what I don't care for and usually chose not to read those posts.

Actually I'm part way into season 5 now...so it's been at least a couple weeks since I've seen this episode. But, I still found it humorous and fairly entertaining.

[Seaver41]

have to agree....and being a child of the 70's and 80's.........most shows had horrible stunt action filmed........body doubles were readily visible as being the stunt people.................so for me it's just something I readily dismiss unless really obvious.

All in all.......like someone else posted, very watchable. Had a few laughs as well.

Sensors must've had the hand on the panic button in that scene with Magnum's girl describing the sensation of skydiving..........wow that was some inuendo.

[Stelth]

This was not a great episode. I gave it a 7.

[charybdis1966]

Like others before me I started to find the Waldo character annoying after quite a short time, even the way he said "figurine" I found annoying.

Plus points were that Rick comes across as quite a likeable, decent guy and TM's rather silly attempt to impress the thrill-junkie girlfriend although Higgin's appears to behave out of character in agreeing to assist in a breaking and entering felony.

Marked a 7.0.

[Neil Peel]

Both this episode and the previous one "Luther Gillis: File #521", contain scenes where a dead body, standing upright, falls flat on the floor after a door has been opened.

[marlboro]

^^^^

I just finished "Echos of the Mind part 2" and it has the same thing.