L.A. (2) (7.2)

[J.J. Walters]

Glad to see some love for "L.A."! It really is a breath of fresh air. An underrated episode for sure.

[MagnumsLeftShoulder]

I watched this one last night. I"m kind of on the fence about it. It's not the best nor the worst episode. I did think Thomas and Cynthia made a cute couple, but I'm glad they decided not to make her a regular character. Her "I knew I should have stayed home today" line was hilarious! Thomas says in this episode he has always considered himself married. One question I've always had about the show is what exactly IS Thomas Magnum's marital status? He married a woman who was presumed to be a widow, then her susposedly dead husband reappears, US forces (including Thomas) leave Vietnam and she susposedly dies in a bombing, then she shows up alive in Hawaii 7 or 8 years later, only to disappear from TM's life again. I guess for a while TM was a widower, but it turns out she's alive. So is he divorced, seperated, annulled, or never legally married in the first placed? I guess if this was a current show, when someone asked TM if he was married he would answer "It's complicated!"

[Carol the Dabbler]

I'm amazed to see that I've never posted anything on this thread. So --

It's been a while since we've watched this episode, but we really liked it! True, we would not want the series to turn into Magnum's Business Trip of the Week, but this particular change of pace was very nicely done, kind of cute without being cutesy, and (as I believe someone already said) refreshing. Cynthia is a free spirit, but I didn't think she was at all ditzy, just a good match for Thomas's impulsive nature. And the proposal, while a bit of a surprise to me, was not at all out of character, considering the "fox-hole" circumstances.

I just wish their relationship had gotten a fair shake in "Out of Sync," and I like to think that they gave it another try later. Who know, they may even have decided (after the series ended) to get married.

[nha trang]

This was one of the times I settled in to watch my Mag episode and realized it was going on extra long...then figured out it was a two parter.

I don't really know if this one needed to be a two parter...I rated it "decent" and that may be just a tad harsh...

This episode really struck me as some possible Magnum made for TV movie or something. Perhaps it was just because the plot would be horrific or at least, awkward, for such an endeavor. The two parter does have its moments, however, and I agree that Dana Delaney really adds to the episode. She is surprisingly attractive and although sometimes I find her acting style vs the leading man to be annoying or predictable (she always seems to do that, "hey lets take a walk together while I make good eye contact with you at poignant moments as I verbalize where I'm coming from emotionally") she does have a star power that I feel was sadly lacking in many of the female characters on Magnum.

(I wish Dana Delaney had a recurring role instead of well...Carol)

One part of this episode that really bugged me was how it switches from Magnum discovering his spontaneous-fun fast-friend dead in his shower and then he's on to this relationship with Delaney. I was getting into the episode at that part, and contemplating how poor Magnum is always surrounded by death, how agonizing his existential situation is, tormented psyche, living this groundhog day of eternal death, in general really getting into the episode, but then we have the Kurt-Douglass-Tombstone like romance with Dana Delaney("well if that's not lady like, I guess I'm not much of a lady")....like I said, I don't know that this needed to be a two-parter. To me it was like the story shifted from first to fifth gears.

Having said all that, it's really a decent episode that has its moments.

[Styles Bitchley]

I wish Dana Delaney had a recurring role instead of well...Carol

Have to agree with you on that one. But I disagree that this was a lacklustre episode. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Hey, I like Carol! (And I'd probably still like her even if she didn't have such a great name.) And I like Cynthia.

But I do agree that some of Magnum's women of the week seem a bit lacking in charm, to the point where I wonder why he's attracted to them. It's not like they're the only women on Oahu!

[Styles Bitchley]

Hey, I like Carol! (And I'd probably still like her even if she didn't have such a great name.)

Hahaha. Sorry Carol. Something about her reminds me of one of my aunts who annoys the hell out of me. Maybe its the perm?

[nha trang]

The episode is definitely above average, I shouldn't have rated it decent.

The thing about Carol, it almost seems like they went to great lengths to make her as unlikeable or nagging as possible. In my opinion, almost every episode she's in is the same. She asks Magnum for a favor and threatens him with not paying or something. Then she nags...lol

I'm sorry if you like her that's just my opinion only.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Well, Styles, sorry I can't do anything to change your aunt!

Nha Trang, I see what you mean, it just doesn't strike me the same way. If I had any criticism of Carol, I'd say that she can be a little whiny sometimes. On the other hand, she frequently has good reason to be a little whiny, nagging, etc. Thomas will ask her to do "a little favor" for him, promising to do some free investigation for her in return -- which of course he never does. Any time she tries to call in the favor, he's short on cash and asks if maybe she could pay him this time, and he'll do the freebie next time. Sort of like Wimpy and his hamburgers.

Besides, we hardly ever see her on a good day -- only when she's in trouble up to her eyebrows. That's enough to make anyone a little irritable.

[burny]

i liked DD with TM - she is fun, cute and quirkey. she definitely added to the
"feel" of the story. no, chemistry isn't amazing, but its perfectly serviceable
and it definitely didn't annoy me like some of "the girls" do. too bad they didn't
make the Hawaii subplot with the rest of the gang stronger - with such a
strong and well developed cast by season 7, they deserved something more
significant. over the years, a big portion of the "magnum women" were
quite annoying - but some were standouts as well - combining coolness,
intelligence, and that "x-factor"....imo, mimi rodgers, dana delany, and
wendy girard were standouts in the series and i would call them my "top 3"
fave "mag women".

[Carol the Dabbler]

.... over the years, a big portion of the "magnum women" were quite annoying ....

Burny, I definitely agree about many of the women that Magnum seemed attracted to -- I couldn't see what it was all about. But then that's sort of like life, isn't it? Say, you get friendly with someone at work, so you invite them and their spouse over for dinner, and you don't hit it off with the spouse at all.

....imo, mimi rodgers, dana delany, and wendy girard were standouts in the series ....

I had to look up the other two women, so just in case there's anyone else who can't quite place the names, here they are:

Mimi Rogers was Margo Perina in "Italian Ice" (2.16),

Dana Delany was of course Cynthia Farrell in "L.A." and "Out of Sync,"

and Wendy Girard was Marion Hammond in "Dead Man's Channel" (2.2).

It's been so long since I've watched the other two episodes that I can't comment, but I really like Dana / Cynthia in this one!

[AmandaByNight]

I rewatched this one last night and I really, really enjoyed it. It's probably one of my favorite episodes. It's fun and I love Dana Delany. I think I figured out why I like her matchup with Magnum so much. One of the best features about Tom Selleck is that he's gorgeous, almost unearthly, but also has a really approachable "everyman" quality to him, and while I don't think Delany is quite unearthly, she is very beautiful but still remains a relatable presence. I've always liked that about her, and I buy them as a couple.

I also think the character is really cute and smart and knows when to be silly and when to be serious. She's pretty well written.

The end of the episode always gets to me when she tries to tell him how she feels and can't and he says, "I love you too..." Oh, tears! I get them every time.

I agree with the poster who said they wished Delany had faired better in Out of Sync. I would have liked to have seen Magnum end up with her.

[MaiTaiMan]

I was somewhat disappointed with this season premiere. All the other 2-part premieres had been awesome...this one just never quite makes it.

The plot, and subsequently the episode, just sort of jumps around all over, and is even bizarre in other parts. The possibility of Magnum marrying the Dana Delaney character was strange and seemed very "forced".

Dana Delaney is a beautiful actress and was enjoyable to watch in this episode/s. There was some decent action and suspense scenes too. But, other than that...this one was a "dud" for not only a 2-parter but as a season premiere too.

(I put this same review for Part 1)

[miltontheripper]

[quote="lutherhgillis"]In my opinion, the LA episodes while good are the weakest of season 7 for me. If you guys like them, that's certainly Ok but for me, when you remove Magnum from Hawaii and the estate, and the friends, and the ferrari, and the surfski... I think you get my point. MPI was sort of an escape package for me. When you separate the parts of the show, they begin to lose strength. quote]

Couldn't have said it better myself. The LA episodes are not bad but are missing some of my favorite elements of the show (TM in Hawaii, friends, estate, ferfari, etc). And the seperate story lines of TM in LA and TC, Rick, and Big Hig in Hawaii made for a less than stellar story. With all this being said, TM's relationship with Diana D. Made for an interesting "love interest" and I like the episode coming up where she visits Hawaii.

[Croix de Lorraine]

I really, really liked the ending for this episode. It's realistic, it's touching, and it's very effective with the Sandborn/Anderson song. Well done.

It would have been more touching had they used a good version by Lenny Welch or Laura Lee instead of that rancid stock version.