Death of the Flowers (7.12)

[mandolabar]

When watching this episode, I was reminded of "Home From the Sea," in the fourth season--the same artful editing. Or at least similarly artful--Home From the Sea had the best visual pacing I've ever seen, but this one did a very good job of folding the different stories in with each other. It was beautifully done.

[Waterbug Blue]

A great episode that's got a lot to do with growing up... the episode itself is quite grown up, and yet we realize that growing up is a process that never ends, not even at Icepick's age - his relation towards his mentor has not really been mentioned yet...
As far as leis are concerned - is it just me, or is Carol actually donning the (a??) precious 'Kapu'-shell lei??? And does hat really go unnoticed so shortly after it having been an important part (in many ways) in a previous episode?

[Croix de Lorraine]

"CHICAGO 1958......................................Just...with modern cars..................................Ach never mind! Look, there's a coffin!"

[Croix de Lorraine]

This is one of my least favourite episodes. I'm not a big fan of Carol, but that's not all. There are just some things I don't like and some things that don't make sense.

First, I don't feel like I need to know that much about Icepick. I like the character as a shady character. He's a bit of a scoundrel that probably has a good heart, but he's still up to some questionable activities. This episode sort of changes him into a 'nice guy'.

There are a few things that are confusing and don't make sense, but top of the list is how Carol seems to become the most important person in the judge's life after he dies. Sorting through his personal belongings? The last person at the funeral? Somehow, I think his family would be a little perturbed by such an intimate presence of a former student at such a personal time!

Also, even if Higgins relented and actually allowed the KKC to host a party for a known organized crime boss (he never would), would he go as far as to help Magnum break into the flower warehouse and put the flowers for Icepick's fete on the KKC account?

BTW, what's up with the outrageous leaf "lei" at the funeral? Is that a traditional Hawaiian accoutrement worn at funerals?

All your observations are very pertinent. I found myself thinking the same things as I watched the episode.

[SignGuyHPW]

This was an odd one for me. I both did and did not like it at the same time for various reasons. It seemed to have a great theme going, but didn't get fleshed out all of the way I think.

The main thing that bothered me was that they wreck the established age that Wendy supposedly was in the episode where she was killed. Doing the math they give in this episode wrecks it. It also kind of makes Rick's age closer to Magnum's when it always appeared that way despite it varying over the series. They also left a few things open. What did Icepick end up doing since he went with the police and Grace? How did Magnum get out of that office and drive past the store so quickly? If Rick was the one reserving the party room then why would the KKC board even have to know whom he was honoring at the party? Did they intend to imply that the guy they arrested at the end was the guy that killed the judge? I also didn't like how Magnum was treating things like a big game where they played 20 questions and ate burgers and using a game to get Higgins to help instead of a serious case. With what Carol told him he should've known it wasn't some big joke.

I did like how they had the mentor theme going through the whole episode with the various characters. I think it was also the best use of Icepick in the series as you really got to see a different side to him. Higgins trying to improvise ways to keep Grace from getting to the office to buy Magnum more time was really great too. It was interesting to see them wrap up the show with a musical montage and no real dialouge.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

"How many TV shows would even come close to mentioning/quoting/referencing people like William Cullen Bryant, Thomas Gray, or Raymond Chandler ever, let alone in the same episode? None! The answer is none!"

JJ,
I will see your Bryant, Gray, Chandler and raise you Carl Sandburg, John Donne, Makepeace Thackeray, Voltaire, Faulkner, Tennessee Williams and Billy Shakespeare, from the CBS show Route 66.
Route 66 is without doubt the most literary series ever made, along with its companion series Naked City. In Route 66, a pair of 20 somethings, one a Yale grad and the other a Hells Kitchen cool Jazz type, travel America in their Corvette, every episode filmed on location, capturing a vanished America from the early 1960's with a guest cast of future stars that rivals Twilight Zones'.
Tod the Yale guy to his pal Buz, on how to bag a college girl English major he's panting for:
"Tell her your a Existentialist"
"What if she asks me what it is?"
"Tell her you don't talk about it, you live it"
Not a belly laugh but the above will get a knowing smile, as head writer Stirling Silliphant assumed the audience had a nodding acquaintance with at least some book learning.
But the show wasnt aimed at effete geeks either, there was plenty of uber-babes, bars and fights along with some of the most layered, sophisticated scripts you will ever come across, they are used even today in writing classes.
But I digress.
I agree with you, JJ, that Magnum PI mentioning Chandler etc is very much to its credit and underlines how Magnum is so much better than the Babes and Cars and sexy lead character that so many people assume it is.
On the contrary, I think Thomas Magnum is just about the most deeply developed character ever, given all the things we learn about him by series end. We not only have Thomas the patriotic warrior, loyal friend and all those other good things but also a man with many demons who could have just as well embraced "the dark side of the force".
I have said it before, but being a stone killer is a part of his nature that he has never fully vanquished, TC especially being aware of that, that knowledge deepening their friendship in a intimate way that leaves Rick and Higgins on the outside.
Of course maybe I'm wrong.
Dobie Gillis
"Thats Dobie with a 'B' not 'P'...Dwayne Hickman

[Steve]

"How many TV shows would even come close to mentioning/quoting/referencing people like William Cullen Bryant, Thomas Gray, or Raymond Chandler ever, let alone in the same episode? None! The answer is none!"

JJ,
I will see your Bryant, Gray, Chandler and raise you Carl Sandburg, John Donne, Makepeace Thackeray, Voltaire, Faulkner, Tennessee Williams and Billy Shakespeare, from the CBS show Route 66.
Route 66 is without doubt the most literary series ever made, along with its companion series Naked City. In Route 66, a pair of 20 somethings, one a Yale grad and the other a Hells Kitchen cool Jazz type, travel America in their Corvette, every episode filmed on location, capturing a vanished America from the early 1960's with a guest cast of future stars that rivals Twilight Zones'.
Tod the Yale guy to his pal Buz, on how to bag a college girl English major he's panting for:
"Tell her your a Existentialist"
"What if she asks me what it is?"
"Tell her you don't talk about it, you live it"
Not a belly laugh but the above will get a knowing smile, as head writer Stirling Silliphant assumed the audience had a nodding acquaintance with at least some book learning.
But the show wasnt aimed at effete geeks either, there was plenty of uber-babes, bars and fights along with some of the most layered, sophisticated scripts you will ever come across, they are used even today in writing classes.

Great post Dobie and you are not alone as I am a huge Route 66 fan as well......

[ConchRepublican]

"How many TV shows would even come close to mentioning/quoting/referencing people like William Cullen Bryant, Thomas Gray, or Raymond Chandler ever, let alone in the same episode? None! The answer is none!"

JJ,
I will see your Bryant, Gray, Chandler and raise you Carl Sandburg, John Donne, Makepeace Thackeray, Voltaire, Faulkner, Tennessee Williams and Billy Shakespeare, from the CBS show Route 66.
Route 66 is without doubt the most literary series ever made, along with its companion series Naked City. In Route 66, a pair of 20 somethings, one a Yale grad and the other a Hells Kitchen cool Jazz type, travel America in their Corvette, every episode filmed on location, capturing a vanished America from the early 1960's with a guest cast of future stars that rivals Twilight Zones'.
Tod the Yale guy to his pal Buz, on how to bag a college girl English major he's panting for:
"Tell her your a Existentialist"
"What if she asks me what it is?"
"Tell her you don't talk about it, you live it"
Not a belly laugh but the above will get a knowing smile, as head writer Stirling Silliphant assumed the audience had a nodding acquaintance with at least some book learning.
But the show wasnt aimed at effete geeks either, there was plenty of uber-babes, bars and fights along with some of the most layered, sophisticated scripts you will ever come across, they are used even today in writing classes.

Great post Dobie and you are not alone as I am a huge Route 66 fan as well......

I have never seen an episode. In the famous words of Capt. Tony Taracino (via Jimmy Buffett) "There's still so much to be done".

[BWheelz54]

Hey Dobie!

Ah, thanks a ton for mentioning Route 66. My father used to tell me all the time when I was studying English at college (my first life) that I would LOVE that show. I had forgotten about it, and your post brought it back to mind. I have to get hold of that ASAP.

You know, I often think I like MPI so much because the series is full of nods to nerdy lit folks, like me. I'm always catching some wink and nod to the writing world, a reason why the episode "Kiss of the Sabre" is one of my favorites. Though that episode might not be a favorite of a lot of folks, that episode is full of little laughs English majors can get a kick out off.

But thanks for mentioning Route 66 again. I am going to run to that show!

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Hey Dobie!
Ah, thanks a ton for mentioning Route 66. My father used to tell me all the time when I was studying English at college (my first life) that I would LOVE that show. I had forgotten about it, and your post brought it back to mind. I have to get hold of that ASAP.
You know, I often think I like MPI so much because the series is full of nods to nerdy lit folks, like me. I'm always catching some wink and nod to the writing world, a reason why the episode "Kiss of the Sabre" is one of my favorites. Though that episode might not be a favorite of a lot of folks, that episode is full of little laughs English majors can get a kick out off.
But thanks for mentioning Route 66 again. I am going to run to that show!

Hi BWheel,
You are welcome, I am just spreading the word, like I do with people who have somehow never seen Magnum PI.
Anyway, Route 66 must have something going for it if orange, 3 feet tall aliens from the planet Melmac like it too:

Willie Tanner - "Say, uh, where'd you ever learn about fixing cars anyway?"
Alf - "I used to watch Route 66. You pick things up."
Willie - "That's amazing."
Alf - "I'll tell you whats more amazing. That George Maharis never got another series."

Okay, I admit it, I am a low brow who also enjoys ALF on occasion.
I would like to share the below passage from Route 66, the last line of which I have used a few times as when my buddy Bob dwelled far too long(6 years) on the passing of a loved one to the point of turning her into a morbid dream instead of a loving memory:

Tod to Linc(the 4th season replacement for Buz/George Maharis, who like Magnum was a Special Forces vet in Vietnam and now just wants to grab up all those years of fun he missed):
"The Greeks lied about Narcissus. He didn't fall in love with himself.
He'd never known what love was. So he couldn't accept it or reject it.
He could just look for it.
When he saw his own image reflected in that pool of water, he didn't fall in love with
himself, he fell in hate with himself."
Linc to Janie: "Stop looking in mirrors, Janie. There are windows all around."

[Steve]

Just look at the titles of the Episodes of Route 66 and you get an idea this series was written and produced by a couple of geniuses. I find it interesting that the show takes place during our "advisory" years in Viet-Nam when it was just a far away place we knew nothing about, and Magnum takes place 5 years after we pulled out and after this Country was torn apart by the politics of it. Great writing, amazing guest stars and fun to watch what our country and cities looked like in the early sixties...............

[308GUY]

Picked up the entire series last year as a "daily special" on Amazon. I did also watch it sporadically in the 60's as a teen. (Yea, I'm old )

Another note-worthy thing, (IMHO), is all the location filming in different parts of the country.

I know a guy in Grants Pass Oregon who I mentioned watching an episode that was filmed there to, and he told me he actually remembers when the film crew was there and him going down to watch them shooting the show, course he was very young at the time , but none the less, he remembered it and also has the entire series on DVD. Did I mention that he also has rebuilt from the ground up a beautiful 62' Vette? He's a master craftsman and is currently restoring a 59' Chevy to pristine condition, other than the Corvette drivetrain.....

Don't watch it all that often, (no time), but I do pop in an episode occasionally and take a trip back in time! As was mentioned above, the list of guest stars that later went on to greater fame, is quite impressive!

Maybe this should be in the "Other TV Shows" thread?

[T.Q.]

I also think I found Judge Hannibal Kearns' house. It's located here in - you guessed it - Kahala. Magnum really should have just taken an apartment there. It's a shame he so often had to drive all the way down from the "north shore." The beautiful tree is gone, and the pool may or may not have the same corners (hard to tell with the fuzzy image) but otherwise it's a very good match.


Just watched working out.

Backyard of Judge Kearns house looks like same house of another movie or show and I can’t place it.

Was a house set in Costa Rica where some mobsters were hit. Goodfellas?

Might be totally wrong but looks like same house*.

* Just found the scene online... Yeah, not even close. LOL

[Sam]

I also think I found Judge Hannibal Kearns' house. It's located here in - you guessed it - Kahala. Magnum really should have just taken an apartment there. It's a shame he so often had to drive all the way down from the "north shore." The beautiful tree is gone, and the pool may or may not have the same corners (hard to tell with the fuzzy image) but otherwise it's a very good match.


Just watched working out.

Backyard of Judge Kearns house looks like same house of another movie or show and I can’t place it.

Was a house set in Costa Rica where some monsters were hit. Goodfellas?

Might be totally wrong but looks like same house.

Hi TQ.. you are right that is the house I'm curious have you seen Rubber Chickens location guide?

http://magnum-mania.com/A_Rubber_Chicken_Guide.html

[T.Q.]

Backyard of Judge Kearns house looks like same house of another movie or show and I can’t place it.

Was a house set in Costa Rica where some monsters were hit. Goodfellas?

Might be totally wrong but looks like same house.

Hi TQ.. you are right that is the house I'm curious have you seen Rubber Chickens location guide?

http://magnum-mania.com/A_Rubber_Chicken_Guide.html[/quote]

Yes. Love it. Downloaded for Google Earth once.