Magnum's dark side

[ConchRepublican]

Hi MagnumFan,

Did You See the Sunrise? would definitely fall into this category!

Yep. Being where he was supposed to have been, and doing what he was supposed to have done....changes you.

I always thought TS portrayed this very well, and these "darker" moments gave him the opportunity to display his talent and the depth of his empathy and ability to express it.

Good post MF, always kind of wondered why this hadn't been discussed before. Maybe it has....this place has an overwhelming amount of info and endless topics to explore.

Kinda like going to one of the big long established museums or historic "complexes"....you really can't see it all in one day!

I think we see this side of TM in several other episodes, which I'm sure others will think of and relay here, but Death and Taxes comes to mind, just the mind-set he adopts kind of reflects it for me....or maybe it's just the music?

I agree, I like the darker episodes as well and feel like they add that other layer to the show, that character complexity that gives the show the specialness that it has. Thomas Magnum, as well as TC, Rick and Higgins, are three-dimensional - they have emotions, moods, off days, good sides and dark sides.

I'm also glad they didn't delve too deeply into it too often, that would have changed the tone of the series. To me we saw a touch of "dark Thomas" in the first real episode after the pilot movie, China Doll. When he takes on the Tong and blows his head off, well that wasn't something a TV detective/Private Investigator/law enforcement officer did before. We got a peek at his ruthlessness. They hinted at it in Never Again ... Never Again (I believe he killed Lena) and then they waited until Did You See the Sunrise? to really hit us in the face again. That careful use gave that much more power to those episodes when they aired.

[knight8882]

Hi MagnumFan,

Did You See the Sunrise? would definitely fall into this category!

Yep. Being where he was supposed to have been, and doing what he was supposed to have done....changes you.

I always thought TS portrayed this very well, and these "darker" moments gave him the opportunity to display his talent and the depth of his empathy and ability to express it.

Good post MF, always kind of wondered why this hadn't been discussed before. Maybe it has....this place has an overwhelming amount of info and endless topics to explore.

Kinda like going to one of the big long established museums or historic "complexes"....you really can't see it all in one day!

I think we see this side of TM in several other episodes, which I'm sure others will think of and relay here, but Death and Taxes comes to mind, just the mind-set he adopts kind of reflects it for me....or maybe it's just the music?

I agree, I like the darker episodes as well and feel like they add that other layer to the show, that character complexity that gives the show the specialness that it has. Thomas Magnum, as well as TC, Rick and Higgins, are three-dimensional - they have emotions, moods, off days, good sides and dark sides.

I'm also glad they didn't delve too deeply into it too often, that would have changed the tone of the series. To me we saw a touch of "dark Thomas" in the first real episode after the pilot movie, China Doll. When he takes on the Tong and blows his head off, well that wasn't something a TV detective/Private Investigator/law enforcement officer did before. We got a peek at his ruthlessness. They hinted at it in Never Again ... Never Again (I believe he killed Lena) and then they waited until Did You See the Sunrise? to really hit us in the face again. That careful use gave that much more power to those episodes when they aired.

Yup, hit the nail on the head there about careful use of his dark side in the writing. You know, everybody these days seems to think that older shows like MPI (although it does stand head and shoulders above other classic shows) are terribly written and acted, but I think just the opposite. There are a lot of well-acted shows on television these days, but when you think about it, most of the characters are pretty one dimensional and predictable. In every episode of MPI, we never knew which Magnum or Higgins we were going to see this time. That was something special.

[Mr. Keoki]

Is it literally Magnum's surf ski or does it belong to the estate? I recall in "Letter to a Duchess" Magnum expected Higgins to pay for the replacement paddle.

I agree with you that prank wars never wind up tit for tat.

Magnum owns nothing, so I assume the surf ski is Robin's. In "Letter to a Duchess", I remember him asking Higgins about needing a paddle, and in an attempt to rid Magnum he just says put in on the KKC account (or something to that affect). OTOH Magnum did strap the surf ski to the chopper and take off from the estate. As irritated as Higgins was that TC landed there, you figure he would have made some sort of retort about taking "ROBIN's surf ski".... I guess we'll never know. HA!

The surf ski is definitely Magnum's. Magnum has been paddling alone on the ocean since Vietnam days. Why would Robin Masters keep a surf ski - just one - for guests? If it was for guests, he would have at least two or three of them and Higgins would be in charge of them. Magnum wouldn't be allowed to keep it lying around the guest house without Higgins saying anything. The final proof is that whenever Higgins says anything about the surf ski, he says to Magnum, "your surf ski":



"A pressing date with your surf ski or are you rendezvousing with one of your divorcee clients just beyond the breakers?"
"Your surf ski, clothing, and footprints are on my beach."

In "Letter to a Duchess", he was just using the Robin Masters benefit race as an excuse to get Higgins to have the estate cover a replacement paddle so Magnum wouldn't have to pay for it. Higgins, being distracted, misunderstood what Magnum was asking and just wanted to get rid of him.

In Vietnam when TC drops him off he was using a paddle board... Also when they do that throw back episode with the female surf champ magnum drives a VW bug, not sure how he would get the surf ski around town. haha. Like I said who knows! haha. Magnum does seem like the guy that would sink his remaining funds into a surf ski however. His possessions include Al Kaline glove, gorilla mask, Navy dress whites, a .45, and a rubber chicken.... and maybe a surf ski. hahaha.

[Hawaii Winds]

I think in 'Paper War,' there is a side to Magnum that I don't like. Quite petty, vicious and unfeeling. I know this is kind of a lighthearted, funny episode, but I IMO Magnum goes too far with his spite toward Higgins in this episode.

I thought so too...blowing up the bridge?

[K Hale]

I think in 'Paper War,' there is a side to Magnum that I don't like. Quite petty, vicious and unfeeling. I know this is kind of a lighthearted, funny episode, but I IMO Magnum goes too far with his spite toward Higgins in this episode.

I thought so too...blowing up the bridge?

To say nothing of all the ugliness in the elevator.