Distant Relative (4.4)

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No need to know! · Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:01 am

Agree with some of the earlier posts that it would have been better or i say even top notch with a 2 hour episode. This one as a 2 hour start to the season followed up by Home from the Sea, now that would have been perfect.
But the episode still is very good indeed.

Frodoleader · #32 Post by **Frodoleader** » Wed Aug 25, 2010 6:28 pm

One thing I appreciated in this episode was when Rick stated that if any guys came within 100 feet of the girls at the college the "whole 5th Armored Division would come down on them!" I appreciated this since my father served in the 5th (Victory Division) during WWII.
This episode again showed how MPI changed the TV lanscape, with the totally unexpected death of Rick's sister. Although I always felt the scene with "Rick as Rambo" was a little over the top, I liked it. It also has one of the absolute best endings: TM shooting down Higgin's Spitfire with the shotgun! That was great!!

IKnowWhatYoureThinking · Wed Aug 25, 2010 8:58 pm

I too concur with the ending. I think the shooting down of the Spitfire, and Magnum blowing up Higgins' Bridge Over the River Kwai are two of the funniest Magnum moments.

robspace54 · #34 Post by **robspace54** » Thu Sep 30, 2010 3:46 am

Rick dodging over the lava filed looking like he was running on eggs... Egad! Carol Channing in a punk club?

The 'drama' of Rick over his sister's death was so unrealistic. Only when TM gioes to see Higgins and tells him what has happened is there any believable emotion.

And 'they had it coming' when the bad guys get caulked was over the top and I think the jeep explosion was too much. But little police investigation?.

Of course the shotgun blast at the end restore balance to the whole thing.

Not my fav episode. I gave it an 8. Did you check out the computer the police seargent was using - an Apple II with TWO external drives. Wow! Big deal in 1986.

timm525 · #35 Post by **timm525** » Thu Oct 21, 2010 3:35 am

I really loved this one. 9 for me.

I have a few picks though. First is Rick getting an Uzi and shooting up the bad guys. How did he explain having an automatic Uzi to the feds??? ATF would have been all over him like they were at the end of season 7 for that.

Also, who the H*ll stitched up his forehead at the end of the ep???

Frankenstein's zipper looked favorable to that hack job.

I can't believe no one here mentioned that. It stood out like a sore thumb to me when I saw it.

I loved the shooting of the plane at the end my Magnum with the shotgun.

steveadl · #36 Post by **steveadl** » Tue Nov 09, 2010 5:57 am

Watched this one again last night. I think the opening scene of this one with the toy air planes would have to be one of the funniest of the series for me.

burny · #37 Post by **burny** » Tue May 03, 2011 4:45 am

man,,,,,i have such a hard time watching the rick-centric episodes.

i like larry as rick when his character is just normal and casual.
but when his character is pushed into being emotional - angry, sad....
i find larry's acting really hokey and teeth-grittingly painful to watch.
the other 3 really outclassed him as an actor. i do avoid the rick-ish
episodes because of this.

just my opinion - not meant to bum out any rick fans! to each his own.....

MaiTaiMan · #38 Post by **MaiTaiMan** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 6:25 am

This episode is awesome, and one of my favorites from season 4! It's also one of the more shocking (in my opinion) than most!

There were times when Magnum was at odds with his friends...but nothing compared to this! "Distant Relative" captivates me everytime I watch it, and Tom Selleck and Larry Manetti give superb performances throughout!

The very first time I watched this one, I never expected Wendy to actually be killed...that was the most shocking!

Then getting Rick to understand that his sister was a (pardon the crude phrase

) ho-bag, wild-child was interesting and even bizarre! It's like, dude...your sister isn't 5 years old--she's 22!

Part of me truly realizes that Magnum didn't really do anything...nor could he have done much different to prevent Wendy from running out on him, and getting herself killed during a drug deal. But, part of me also understands where Rick is coming from, and I can't totally blame him for choosing Thomas to blame for his sister's death.

I love the action towards the end...especially where Rick smashes through the window of that old beach shack with the uzi--awesome!!

That scene was later implemented within the montage of pics during the starting theme song.

"Distant Relative" is a very touching and heart-felt episode that gave a bit of seriousness to the several other goof-ball episodes of the season. This and "Letter To a Duchess" are two of my favorite episodes of season 4!

miltontheripper · #39 Post by **miltontheripper** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 9:24 pm

Agreed with all of you who liked this episode. The beginning where Thomas wakes up to Higgins and Agatha flying the remote control airplanes and then Higgins crashing his with Magnum laughing hysterically is one of the funniest scenes of the entire series. And almost as good is the end where Magnum blows the airplane away, love it! I thought the anger/feud between Magnum and Rick was very well played and very realistic. Overall, a gritty and very entertaining episode that I've enjoyed more and more over the few times I've seen it.

MaiTaiMan · #40 Post by **MaiTaiMan** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 1:36 am

miltontheripper wrote:Agreed with all of you who liked this episode. The beginning where Thomas wakes up to Higgins and Agatha flying the remote control airplanes and then Higgins crashing his with Magnum laughing hysterically is one of the funniest scenes of the entire series. And almost as good is the end where Magnum blows the airplane away, love it! I thought the anger/feud between Magnum and Rick was very well played and very realistic. Overall, a gritty and very entertaining episode that I've enjoyed more and more over the few times I've seen it.

Exactly! I like how you entertwined gritty, humorous, and entertaining together...this episode was exactly all of those!

mandolabar · #41 Post by **mandolabar** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 7:30 pm

I'm working my way through the DVDs, and I found this episode just amazing. Devastating, hysterically funny--whoever called it a rollercoaster ride was right.

I didn't see anyone mention this, so I wondered what you all thought--when Magnum is walking in to the morgue to see if the girl is, in fact, Wendy, the shot opens low, you see his hand, and then moves out. I had initially thought he might be crossing his fingers (that it not be her), but I think he's touching his team ring. Maybe for luck?

Anyone else see that, anyone have an opinion?

~Amanda

#42 Post by **Styles Bitchley** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 1:03 pm

mandolabar wrote:Anyone else see that, anyone have an opinion

I don't remember seeing it, but for some reason I can see him touching the ring as a sort of "fraternal" gesture. Sort of like, "I'm doing this for you buddy."

#43 Post by **Styles Bitchley** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:21 pm

Probably the best example of the Magnum giggle in the whole series.

Sam · #44 Post by **Sam** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 6:38 pm

Styles Bitchley wrote:
mandolabar wrote:Anyone else see that, anyone have an opinion
I don't remember seeing it, but for some reason I can see him touching the ring as a sort of "fraternal" gesture. Sort of like, "I'm doing this for you buddy."

I don't have this episode so I can't comment but one thing I have noticed..With or without a ring..Selleck is always rubbing his ring finger with his thumb.

Little Garwood · #45 Post by **Little Garwood** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 12:13 am

robspace54 wrote:Rick dodging over the lava filed looking like he was running on eggs... Egad! Carol Channing in a punk club?

The 'drama' of Rick over his sister's death was so unrealistic. Only when TM gioes to see Higgins and tells him what has happened is there any believable emotion.

As a kid, my friends and I called this episode "Rick Goes Nuts." I even wrote that title on the VHS tape when I recorded it off of TV in 1995!

I think the writing for Rick's character let him down. The whole "We got 'em guys, didn't we?" is like a line of dialogue from a 1940s WWII movie and wouldn't even do the likes of Olivier or De Niro any favors! Manetti did well, especially when he slumps in despair after they take out the jeep. Larry doesn't get much credit in fandom, but he excelled at the body language to convey what he's feeling. Another example of that is his stunned look at the end of S3's Faith and Begorrah.

Another aspect of the writing I didn't care for was Thomas and T.C. hiding the fact that Wendy was in fact a drug "mule."

I voted Distant Relative an [8.5]

Distant Relative (4.4)

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