Resolutions (2) (8.13)

[J.J. Walters]

Great insights revaddict and dizforprez! Welcome to the site!

[Artie Canoe]

I don't know if this has already been posted but when TC, Rick, Higgins and TM come out after their bar brawl there's a poster for "Cleo The Exotic Contortionist"

[Artie Canoe]

I also just noticed that the fake Grady Walker (one in the hospital) from (8.4) Tiger's Fan is at the wedding!

[N1095A]

maybe not so shocking, but a flub none the less. When TM is pouring a drink for his grandfather, we briefly his left wrist, and the watch band is clearly a Jubilee style. seconds later in the next shot he's wearing his usual Oyster band. When he cuts the cigar, the Jubilee is back. Then while he's lighting the cigar, the Oyster is back.

[Seaver41]

I grew up watching MPI, but season 8 aired during my first year of college, so it was hard to follow it while away from home. To make matters worse, I had set my family's VCR to take the final episode for me...but there was a screw-up and it didn't get recorded properly. I never saw the final episode of one of my all-time favorite shows until last night--20 years late!

So I finally got to see how it ended. I must admit I felt a little disappointed. Looking back on season 8, the whole season felt kind of contrived. It definitely stands out from the other seasons of MPI. A number of episodes get so introspective and somber that they don't seem to go anywhere.

The irony of "Resolutions" of course is that very little is resolved. The show ends without us really knowing if Rick gets married, if TC and his ex work things out or if Higgins is Robin Masters (my vote is No, for what it's worth).

But by the time we get to the end of season 8, the episodes have broken the MPI mold so much that this goofy ending didn't bother me that much. I guess I just felt relieved that it was over.

lol.........that final season took place for me as well at college and I remember watching the finale 'movie' in a room of people that was at times noisy. I have NEVER seen that episode since its' original run. I never came across it in syndication......mostly because I got a good fill of Magnum in syndication while the series was still ongoing........but even in the years since I have never been able to coordinate finding that one. That said, my impressions are 20 years old.....so bear with me..........what I HATED about it was the lack of the Thomas Magnum voiceover........to me that was an essential piece of the show. Was there a more classic line than "I know what you're thinking" ? The lack of the voiceover left me then with a feeling of second rate production. We all know the show was a different product the final couple seasons as Cosby was dominating the scene, but still........I loved those characters in Hawaii. So much about that finale felt forced fed that I never really looked hard to see it again.

I'm ok with him re-joining the Navy.....it made sense........and I will slightly disagree with the extensive introspection of several posters about the meaning of it......to me it was simply Magnum growing up. Magnum to a large extent kept his colleagues from growing up as well and leaving Hawaii would be necessary for all to do so.

The whole girlfriend thingy felt weird.

The Lily resolution worked.........and we got to see that soulful look in his eyes........red and watery that 'made' some of the best episodes of that series.

[J.J. Walters]

Nice spot on Grady Walker at the wedding Artie.

...what I HATED about it was the lack of the Thomas Magnum voiceover........to me that was an essential piece of the show. Was there a more classic line than "I know what you're thinking" ? The lack of the voiceover left me then with a feeling of second rate production.

I tend to agree as well. It really changed the feel of the episode. The previous episode "Transitions" featured quite a bit of narration, much more so than usual. Maybe the lack of narration in "Resolutions" was meant to convey a deeper meaning (i.e. it's time to stop "talking" and reflecting about change, it's time for action; resolutions)?

[IKnowWhatYoureThinking]

When Magnum and his grandfather are in the guesthouse smoking cigars I found another flub. When Magnum clips the head off his cigar there is no band on it, but when he lights the cigar there is a band.

[Seaver41]

Nice spot on Grady Walker at the wedding Artie.

...what I HATED about it was the lack of the Thomas Magnum voiceover........to me that was an essential piece of the show. Was there a more classic line than "I know what you're thinking" ? The lack of the voiceover left me then with a feeling of second rate production.

I tend to agree as well. It really changed the feel of the episode. The previous episode "Transitions" featured quite a bit of narration, much more so than usual. Maybe the lack of narration in "Resolutions" was meant to convey a deeper meaning (i.e. it's time to stop "talking" and reflecting about change, it's time for action; resolutions)?

interestingly enough..........I recently watched 'All for One' off my DVR from the Sleuth channel........and it did not have much of Magnum's voiceover until the very end..............and in retrospect, I can see why this didn't resonate well with some fans here...........they tried to make a mini movie of the show and this one didn't do well. The little voice was used well throughout the series.........it would disarm immediate skepticism over a scene, plot, character, etc.. The lack of it in Resolutions left us with skepticism over scene, plot, character, etc..

[MyGod!]

Sigh. Just watched this, and I've now made it through all 8 seasons on DVD. I have to admit I rated this episode quite poorly, frankly, I want to act like it didn't exist.
Wow, the writing feels so rushed, they tried to cram so many things in, felt very unnatural in my opinion, i.e., TC and wife reconciling, (great idea, but why not earlier in the season) terrible murder sub-plot, what happened with TM and the ever sexy Linda Lee Ellison, grandpa sub-polt, etc.

I did love the strip club fight scene, Rick's nervousness, and Higgins playing with TM's mind, and of course the reunion with Lily was great! Overall, I'm just gonna try and pretend this episode didn't happen, and start fresh at season 1! I get the sense quite a few people feel the same way.

[Italian Ice]

I agree with you "MyGod!"

I can't say I liked this episode much. When I used to watch the episodes "at random", I thought this one was "in the middle" and that there was more. It wasn't until I started reading online and discovering sites like this one that "this was the finale". Well done, but too many cliffhangers that were never resolved. If I had seen this during the original airtime, I would have been disapointed with the ending.

TV movie anyone?

[MyGod!]

It's so frustrating that we'll never see the proper ending that Magnum deserves, especially since Magnum was such a great show for continuity and creating a large web of stories, experiences, and themes.
I heartily endorse a TV movie with the original cast.

[J.J. Walters]

When Magnum and his grandfather are in the guesthouse smoking cigars I found another flub. When Magnum clips the head off his cigar there is no band on it, but when he lights the cigar there is a band.

Hey, nice flub spot IKWYT! I've added it to the episode guide. Thanks.

[IKnowWhatYoureThinking]

Thanks James. I guess I am a stickler for detail when it comes to cigars. It would have made sense had the band been on when he clipped the cigar but been off as he smoked it since some people take the band off while smoking.

[MACattack]

I have to agree with everybody's opinion on the finale. They should have followed up with a TV movie 2 years later. The reunion scene with Lily was excellent though. This was still a better ending than Magnum dying, though. What everybody seems to forget, is that Tom Selleck co-wrote the script for this episode, so I feel this is what he wanted for his character. They could have squeezed in a couple gunfights for excitement, though!

[Agatha]

I watched both Resolutions for the first time on Thursday. Well, not for the first time because there was enough that was familiar to me that I'm sure I saw it when it first aired.

Now I'm feeling depressed. "NO MORE MAGNUM"!! Which isn't true because, as Carmen says, I have DVDs and will most certainly either start over or maybe drop back to a favorite season to pick up my spirits.

But it is true in the sense that I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO EVERYONE!! And I feel that more now that I've seen the last episode.

Have read the discussions for these episodes and agree with most of what's been said. The pace was REALLY different...I think because they were trying to wrap up so many threads. Some of the "resolutions" do seem contrived...but not necessarily unrealistic. I guess I remember how "taken" Thomas was with Lee...so I guess it made sense to use that storyline. And if Tom wrote it and he wanted it to go like that, then I'm willing to go along. I don't get much into flubs or things that don't make sense...mostly I just bob along, watch Tom Selleck and enjoy!

BUT....BUT...BUT...NOBODY mentioned a REALLY glaring discrepancy in these two episodes!! Not a single one of you flubspotters and reasonableness discerners even MENTIONED....that THE DOGS ARE DIFFERENT!!

In all the episodes of all the seasons, Zeus and Apollo are very similar in size with subtly different markings. In these two episodes, one of the dogs is GIGANTIC...with a HUGE chest that makes his legs look like toothpicks...widely spaced TOOTHPICKS!! He's positively SQUARE in front! Oh...My...God!!

OK. That's about it for my "spotting" abilities. I've got Season 6 coming in a few days. Maybe I'll watch Season 5 again until it gets here and see if I can dispell this sense of loss that I'm feeling.

Remember in Professor Jonathan Higgins when Agatha shows up after finding out that the money she invested on behalf of the hospital auxillary is gone? And she's crying and her mascara is running? Well, if I wore mascara, mine would be running, too.

Maybe I'll go out and pull some weeds.

Sigh!