The Return of Luther Gillis (4.16)

[Milton Collins]

I recently watched and completely enjoyed this one, an 8.5 for me! Another in season 4's streak of good funny episodes (Limited Engagement, Squeeze Play, this one, etc.) Right from the beginning and both TM and Higgin's mail argument and then mutual despair at the arrival of Luther this one totally cracks me up. I thought Blanche (Sheree North) was FANTASTIC!

- The horror that Higgins showed when she was going to cook up the kielbasa from the deli was great! He was absolutely mortified.
- The scene where she and Higgins were tied up and first he scolds her for babbling on and on and then she gives it right back was hilarious. I also loved the failed "karate chop of doom" and then Blanche delivering the knockout punch he he he.
- I also love when Higgins tries to talk him out of killing them "But you've rehabilitated, you have a trade, hot dogs! If he was thinking of changing his mind throwing that insult at him sure wasn't going to help!

Good to see old Luther again, I liked this one MUCH better than his original episode in this same season. And Geoffrey Lewis is such a good character actor (my fav performance is as Stacey Bridges in the Clint Eastwood Western, High Plains Drifter, love it!)

- The convention scene where Luther was ripping on Lloyd DeWitt's hot dog shirt was priceless! So dumb and cheesy yet so funny lol.
- His battle with Big Sally was outstanding!! I love her smacking him with the frying pan and then hearing his incoherent babbling. Then on his second visit he hits her and it doesn't do a thing, hilarious!! She was one scary broad!!

I guess the only thing I didn't like was Luther leaving poor Blanche (even after crying outside the hot dog stand after he thought she and Higgins had been killed lol) at the alter but given that he is a total heel this hardly suprises me lol. This was a semi-ridiculous but very fun and comedic episode. I love how they mix these in now and then to give the show some variety.

[thechickinthemiddle]

Luther: Who's dot matrix, and what's she got to do with this?

They totally predicted Spaceballs by just three years!

[TSM308]

Luther: Who's dot matrix, and what's she got to do with this?

They totally predicted Spaceballs by just three years!

Best line of the episode...

[KingKC]

Sheree North made this episode. Otherwise it was a weak, weak episode despite the fact that I loved Eugene Roach as Luther Gillis.

[thechickinthemiddle]

Sheree North made this episode.

Lol poor Higgins. Every one of his digs at Blanche went right over her head. At least Magnum always understood what Higgy Baby was saying.

[Danny Lin]

In this episode Thomas does something that´s kind of weird and that I can´t explain. If someone could provide an explanation that would be very much appreciated.

Here´s what he does:

In the first scene with Thomas, when he´s lying in the hammock, he takes a beer from the cooler and opens it with an opener that is held in his right hand. He takes the crown cork from the bottle with his left hand, leans back on a pillow in the hammock, holds the crown cork in front of his eyes, taking a closer look at it, then takes it in his right hand and seems to position it between his right shoulder and the pillow.

What! on! earth! is he doing there??!!

If this is something that explains from earlier episodes I will eventually come across an explanation but until now I really don´t have a clue.

Perhaps it´s only that in Jororo we don´t do things like that and everyone else knows what it is good for?

[thechickinthemiddle]

Good question. My guess is it's probably a goof. I can understand him wanting to put the cork behind his shoulder to keep it in one place, but it wouldn't surprise me if the opener just disappeared into thin air due to continuity.

[Danny Lin]

Good question. My guess is it's probably a goof. I can understand him wanting to put the cork behind his shoulder to keep it in one place, but it wouldn't surprise me if the opener just disappeared into thin air due to continuity.

Nice to find someone wondering with me.

But if he just wanted to keep the crown cork in one place, why wouldn´t he just put it on the table? Why would he store it between his back and the pillow?

I don´t really get what you mean by the opener disappearing into thin air due to continuity. Could you please explain? Did you rewatch the scene?

[thechickinthemiddle]

Ok so I rewatched the scene, and after uncapping the bottle Magnum leaves the bottle opener on the table. I'm guessing in Magnum's mind, keeping the cap/cork behind his shoulder on the hammock would keep it from rolling away or keep it within his reach. Still, I think he could have just left it on the table with the opener too! Maybe with reading War and Peace after a while, his muscles would fall asleep or he'd forget where the cork/cap was if he didn't feel it on his back. Magnum can be sure weird sometimes.

[Danny Lin]

Hi, Thechickinthemiddle!

See, even if Magnum wanted to keep the crown cork within his reach (and why would he?) the question still is why he doesn´t just put it on the table. Using his left hand he wouldn´t even need to lean forward, because the table stands near enough. He needs to reach out towards the table anyway any time soon since the freshly opened bottle of cool and tasty Coops is standing there.

Even the close look he takes at the crown cork is still a mystery.

However, I´m happy that I´m obviously not the only one having a problem to convincingly explain the scene.

Thank you for rewatching and trying to solve the riddle with me!

If anyone has further suggestions or even is able to come up with an all convincing explanation: you´re very welcome!

This is just puzzling...

[thechickinthemiddle]

It's possible Selleck just ad-libbed that part too and the producers liked it because it was so unusual. You'll never see Higgins doing that!

[marlboro]

Maybe he's hoping for a visit from the bottle cap fairy?




I have no clue. That is definitely weird though. Is there a chance that it could be something that was a fad that kids used to do? One of those little childhood things that has gotten lost in the mists of time.

[Danny Lin]

It's possible Selleck just ad-libbed that part too and the producers liked it because it was so unusual. You'll never see Higgins doing that!

Perhaps. But would the director really let something go through that the audience doesn´t have a chance to understand and would leave them clueless and perhaps even with the feeling that the makers of the show weren´t willing to put enough effort into it?

...

I have no clue. That is definitely weird though. Is there a chance that it could be something that was a fad that kids used to do? One of those little childhood things that has gotten lost in the mists of time.

Yah, I was thinking at that direction too in a way. It could be something that totally makes sense for some people but leaves others clueless.

I´m always thinking that there must be a convincing explanation because what Magnum does is the only action on the screen at that time (with the camera zoomed in on it) and the audience is forced to notice it and to interpret it in some way...
On the other hand, if it is something that only very few people understand, this would mean again that the vast majority of the audience is left clueless...

Any further attempts to explain this, someone?

[Danny Lin]

The wall hanging we see at the side of the front door in Big Sally´s house is the same that we saw in the conference room in the KKC in "The Curse of the King Kamehameha Club".

[RamblerReb]

In this episode Thomas does something that´s kind of weird and that I can´t explain. If someone could provide an explanation that would be very much appreciated.

Here´s what he does:

In the first scene with Thomas, when he´s lying in the hammock, he takes a beer from the cooler and opens it with an opener that is held in his right hand. He takes the crown cork from the bottle with his left hand, leans back on a pillow in the hammock, holds the crown cork in front of his eyes, taking a closer look at it, then takes it in his right hand and seems to position it between his right shoulder and the pillow.

What! on! earth! is he doing there??!!

If this is something that explains from earlier episodes I will eventually come across an explanation but until now I really don´t have a clue.

Perhaps it´s only that in Jororo we don´t do things like that and everyone else knows what it is good for?

What he's doing is a bottle cap flinging trick wherein the cap is placed between the thumb and middle fingers and the cap is flung away using a finger-snapping motion. He did not get the distance desired, hence the grimace.