Best and weakest seasons!

[Chris109]

I prefer the earlier seasons to the later ones. They are all great, but season 7 and 8 seem to be much darker, more serious...I blame Miami Vice. Genesis music and all.

What about dudes wearing shoulder pads under their sport jackets?

[Aloha Friday]

Yep, that and the t-shirts with suits and slip on shoes with no socks.

[Thomas Tinto]

I rank the best and worst episode of all seasons according to my taste.


Season 1:
Best "Skin Deep 1.6"
Worst "Missing in action 1.9 (probably my least favorite episode of the entire series)".

Season 2:
Best "Computer date 2.14"
Worst "Dead man's Channel 2.2".

Season 3:
best "Past tense 3.5" (I don't know why many hate it)
worst: "Basket case 3.15".

Season 4:
Best "Limited engagement 4.5"
Worst: "A sens of debt 4.8"

Season 5:
Best: "Luther Gillis: File 001 5.10"
Worst "Blind Justice 5.7 (I know, some like it but for me how it unfolds is damn boring)"

Season 6:
Best "The treasure of Kalaniopu'u 6.9"
Worst "Going home 6.7".

Season 7:
Best "Paper war 7.8 (My favorite episode of all time)"
Worst: "Limbo 7.22"

Season 8:
Best "Pleasure principle 8.2"
Worst: "The love that lies 8.6 (Another one that others like , but when I look at it I'm bored to death)"


I made a thread about it: https://magnum-mania.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4740

[SwissMagnum]

New here from switzerland. Thought i could start with this thread

Best Seasons for me are 3 and 4 because everything was working like a charm and well oiled machine.
Close behind is Season 2. That was the season when the show found its strength but its not on the level of 3 and 4.
After that comes Season 1. Its amazing how good this season is for a first season.
Season 7 would be next cause its almost as good as the first four after a decline in quality.
Speaking of that decline i of course think of Seasons 5 and especially 6. Season 5 is mediocre but season 6 feels somehow tired with only few good episodes.
Season 8 is also not the best but overall enjoyable.

So the Ranking Best to worst is for me:
3+4 (same quality for me)
2
1
7
8
5
6

[Pahonu]

New here from switzerland. Thought i could start with this thread

Best Seasons for me are 3 and 4 because everything was working like a charm and well oiled machine.
Close behind is Season 2. That was the season when the show found its strength but its not on the level of 3 and 4.
After that comes Season 1. Its amazing how good this season is for a first season.
Season 7 would be next cause its almost as good as the first four after a decline in quality.
Speaking of that decline i of course think of Seasons 5 and especially 6. Season 5 is mediocre but season 6 feels somehow tired with only few good episodes.
Season 8 is also not the best but overall enjoyable.

So the Ranking Best to worst is for me:
3+4 (same quality for me)
2
1
7
8
5
6

Very nice analysis. I would argue that season 2 was better than 3 or 4, and 1 was best simply because the pilot was so incredible and the lighthearted feel of the show was established there.

I also agree that 7 surpassed the slump of seasons 5/6. Season 8 was a last minute inclusion after TM had requested to end the series. It’s remarkably good considering that. I remember watching all of these season in those years!

[SwissMagnum]

Very nice analysis. I would argue that season 2 was better than 3 or 4, and 1 was best simply because the pilot was so incredible and the lighthearted feel of the show was established there.

I can absolutely see why you see it like that.
For me i just like the formula they had with seasons 3 and 4. It seems the most consistent time during the shows run. Everything works like a charm.
But thats only me of course.

Its always interesting to read different opinions.
Whats very interesting ist that most people have their problems with season 5 and 6. Thats pretty consistent almost everywhere i found season rankings over the years. Most people dont feel this seasons, including me

Season 8 was a last minute inclusion after TM had requested to end the series. It’s remarkably good considering that.

Yes its fine and has at least a couple of really good Episodes too.
And for fun i love the indiana jones one
Especially considering tom was set to play indy.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

I'm close to finishing season 5 and while I will agree that maybe it's not as strong as the previous 4 seasons I still see plenty of solid and entertaining episodes. Good mix of the serious and silly episodes, as had been the case from the very beginning. So I honestly don't see a significant drop in quality.

Some of my favorites from season 5:

Echoes of the Mind
Under World
Blind Justice
Compulsion
All for One

I just noticed that all those above are the more serious episodes and I typically do tend to gravitate more towards those as I feel there's more meat on the bones there. But I also really enjoyed the more silly episodes like:

Murder 101
Luther Gillis: File 001
Professor Jonathan Higgins

"Murder 101" was especially enjoyable because Magnum gets to teach a class and take it on a "field trip" - really enjoyed that! And "Professor Jonathan Higgins" was another really fun one because Jillie Mack (Mrs. Selleck) was just great in it (love her Cockney accent) and Higgy's attempts to transform her were really funny! Of course Luther teaming up with Higgy was always bound to be enjoyable - can't go wrong there.

The only real disappointment I guess was "Kiss of the Sabre" - all the more because I'm a big James Bond fan and a clever Bond parody should have made for one of the best episodes. Yet the whole thing just came across so flat and uninspiring. Very by-the-numbers. The digger in the parking lot attacking Mag in his little car should have actually been in the alternate/Bond universe, not in the real world (because it's so ridiculous). The other real surprise for me was all the praising of "Mac's Back". I saw a lot of folks had this as one of the best of the entire series. I think someone even said it was their #1 episode. I think it started well with a brooding Mag trying to get over Diane's suicide but quickly descended into silly comedy with the new Mac/Bonnick character (whom most doesn't care for anyway) so I didn't get all the love for this episode. I'll admit that after a few more of Bonnick's appearances he's kind of grown on me (but that's more due to Jeff Mackay's likeability than anything else) but I still don't understand what makes "Mac's Back" such a loved episode.