L.A. (2) (7.2)

[J.J. Walters]

Not a big David Sanborn or Carl Anderson fan, huh?

[Croix de Lorraine]

Not a big David Sanborn or Carl Anderson fan, huh?

Is that who it is? I though it was one of those stock versions they use so often on the show due to copyright issues. Personally I'm partial to the Lenny Welch version. I find it much more soulful.

[marlboro]

Magnum's having better luck with women in season 7. Sure she stood him up, but at least she didn't marry a Vietnamese general or shoot herself in the head. Babysteps.




I think this two parter would have worked better as a single episode. You could have chopped out the standup comedy routine, the Hawaiian subplot and several of the "building chemistry" scenes between Magnum and Dana Delaney without ever missing them.

There seems to be a pretty big divide between the folks who think they had chemistry and those that didn't; you can put me in the "no chemistry" section. After watching 6 seasons of watching Magnum being driven crazy by his female guest stars it's kind of weird to see one who is so friendly. Too friendly. She's so bubbly and perky. And that marriage proposal... it almost felt like I was watching a back door pilot for a potential "Magnum and Wife" series.

[No need to know!]

Not my favourite two-parter. This one and Deja Vu are the weakest of them.

I actually think there are some chemistry between Cynthia and Tom. But not as lovers or something. More like a brother and sister relationship. So to me it was a total shock when he proposed.

You might have guessed that i´m not a big fan of Dana, and you are right. But to her defence i haven´t seen her that much. I couple of episodes of Desperete Housewives, but i always remembered her from that "stinker" Exit to Eden.

I´ll admitt that she is naturally beautiful though. She looks even better these days. Maybe it´s that ugly 80´s hairstyle or something. Turns me off.

[EZiller]

This is my least favorite MPI 2 parter, for many of the same reasons others have given. To me it doesn’t make any sense to take the show out of the locale we all love, along with Robin’s Nest, and Higgins with all his eruditeness and pretentiousness. Plus the Ferrari, TC and his Chopper, Rick and the KKC. Also we didn’t have TSM doing the voice-over, which was a brilliant plot device that kept the audience in his head. Also the side-story back in Hawaii with TC, Rick and Hig was a complete waste, just some crap thrown together to eat up screen time.

Now I have nothing against occasionally going elsewhere, as in the episode when TSM and Higgins go to the UK (I would have enjoyed a couple more with Hig back in his true environment) or when TSM went back home to Tidewater, which gave them a chance to conclude with one of the most moving endings ever, TSM visiting the Vietnam Memorial in DC and seeing the names of the many he served with who didn’t return including his stepbrother. But instead they stuck this episode in LA of all places, the locale for so many endless PI or cop shows of the 70’s and 80’s and used a familiar script, chasing evil drug dealers. Would have rather seen TSM go to St. Louis for some reason and run into Luther Gillis.

Dana Delaney, aka Dana Delicious. I’m a huge fan. Incredible sexy and sweet smile, great figure. Stuck with a bad script and her romance with TSM just seems completely awkward. Part 2 of this comes off better than Part 1. Still, they could have just used her as a love interest in a Hawaii episode. Which could have been a good excuse to get her in a lengthy swimsuit scene. 7

[TSMIV]

Did anyone else notice the other (albeit very minor) Australian element that was added to this episode? (i.e. besides the valley girl’s reference to INXS). There’s one scene where TC is using a boomerang to point to a specific location on a map! (maybe there was an Aussie working on the set decorating team… )

[thechickinthemiddle]

LOL!

I'm guessing T.C. doesn't have to point to maps all that often, so he just grabbed the first thing lying around.

[Big Kahuna]

From the Episode Guide... "The Region 1 DVD version of this episode inexplicably omits a one-minute foot chase scene. The scene occurs just after Magnum is shot at by two uzi-toting henchmen. After his rental car is blown up, Magnum runs through several backyards to escape. In one of the backyards, Magnum encounters Playboy "Playmate of the Month" Kimberly McArthur (January 1982) in a hot tub and briefly talks to her! A few moments later there is also a brief scene with her being interviewed on the news, in which she states that a man nearly attacked her in her backyard (in fact, Magnum just stood there and told her that he's "not the sushi man"). This entire scene is missing on the Region 1 DVD (at the 32:52 mark, you can hear the musical score end abruptly). Oddly, this scene IS included in the standard syndication airings on television (and is included in the German DVD)!"

I'm watching from what is evidently a Region 1 burn then...'cause this scene was not in it! It sounds from the above description like something straight out of Ferris Bueller's Day Off! Was the accompanying music March of the Swivelheads by English Beat..?!

Ferris Bueller's Day Off did open in June 1986 and this episode first aired in October 1986, so it's entirely possible.

Does anyone know if this scene is anywhere on YouTube..?

Many thanks.

[thechickinthemiddle]

Hi BK
Luckily, the UK Blu-ray release has the above scene fully intact. A helpful user posted torrents from it a while back. Here's the full version of "L.A.".

[brianw]

An OK ep. By season 7, the better episodes were fewer and farther between. I do like Dana Delaney a lot, and they were good together. But the proposal was silly and I am glad they never actually married. Not really a fan of the non-Hawaii episodes, it was very 80's Los Angeles cheesy.

I missed the part where TC and Tanaka rescue the tap dance kid (Carlton) (Alfonso Ribiero), and I dont remember what happened there. Can anyone fill me in please? Thanks.

[nha trang]

Finally broke the seal on Season 7 on my second series-rewatch. LA has a lot of bizarre elements, is it Noir perhaps? (Comedy club-kid chop shop with bonus Carleton!)

Nevertheless, it ventures into pretty good rating territory, interesting pacing and cinematography, Dana Delaney is lovely but yes stuck with a bad script, the ending with the Mag walking alone out of the airport secures an 8.0 rating from me.

As I sometimes mention, the occasional bizarre MPI episode is a bonus for me, and this episode has it in spades. It's like the left hemisphere of the writer's brain was under anesthesia, like a dream, but hey Dana wants to go scuba, don't wake me up!

Nha Trang

[ENSHealy]

Also nice to see that breaking the fourth wall is still alive and well. In season 6 I'm sure he only did it once (Mad Dogs and Englishmen I think).

In Season 6, he also breaks the 4th wall in Rapture: https://vimeo.com/643945891

[ENSHealy]

EPISODE: 7.2. L.A. (2)

Famous guest stars: 1 Dana Delany & Alfonso Ribeiro (half point each for future fame)


Hawaiian shirts:
Tigers Cap:
Island Hopper shirts:
Shirtless Magnum:
OMG:
Higgins Organizations:
Higgins musings:
Negotiations:
Gun Play: 1
Bullet wounds:
Little Voice:
I know what you’re thinking:
When I write HTBAWCPI:
Investigator corrections:
4th wall breaks:
Magnumometer: 2
Magnumometer Moments: https://vimeo.com/648071539

The second hour of the two-parters have been steadily decreasing in Magnumometer content:
1.2 Don’t Eat the Snow in Hawaii: 11.5
2.6 Memories Are Forever: 9
3.2 Did You See The Sunrise: 5
5.2 Echoes of the Mind: 3
5.6 All for One: 3
6.2 Deja Vu: 0
7.2 L.A.: 2

[frao51]

Hallo, please can anyone help me to understand a couple of things? On the site it is stated that there are 162 syndicated episodes (148 one-hour episodes and 7 two-hour episodes) but, looking at the original airdates, I see 6 two-hour episodes broadcast as two-hour movies: 'Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii', 'Memories Are Forever', 'Did You See the Sunrise?', 'Deja Vu', 'L.A.', 'Resolutions' while the two parts of 'Echoes of the Mind' and 'All for One' were shown in two installments. If so, maybe there are 150 one-hour and 6 two-hour episodes or I'm wrong?

[ENSHealy]

It's hard to believe, but it looks like there's a mistake on the Episode Guide page about how the episode count is broken up. It says "162 syndicated episodes (148 one-hour episodes, 7 two-hour episodes)".

But there are clearly 8 two-hour/two-parters:
1. Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii
2. Memories are Forever
3. Did You See the Sunrise?
4. Echoes of the Mind
5. All for One
6. Deja Vu
7. LA
8. Resolutions

That's 16 hours of content, and 162-16=146, not 148. But you are right about there being 6 two-hour movies, and 2 2-parters, and I guess that does mean 150 one-hour episodes, technically. Maybe it should say 146 one-hour episodes, 6 two-hour episodes, and 2 two-part "to be continued" linked episodes. But I'd be OK with 150 one-hour episodes and 6 two-hour episodes also.