Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I'm happy to report my Fourth Season DVDs played fine. More importantly, the series really comes into its own during its fourth year on the air. While most programs designed for an hour slot, Magnum and Higgins' characters have enough depth to them that each hour is something of a glimpse into their lives. In particular, you can't watch this season without appreciating something about Magnum's past influences, his father, author Raymond Chandler, Agatha Christie and others. While all of this is wrapped in the sometimes dated trappings of an '80s TV show, a lot of the substance of the show survives.
This season includes what may be the best hour of television writing of its era, the Home from the Sea episode. As another reviewer mentioned, this is the "treading water" episode and it cemented many viewers' bond with Selleck's character. No staged fist fights, no explosions, no Ferrari chases. Not many episodes come close to this.
Other memorable episodes include Distant Relative, which focuses on Rick, Rick's sister and Magnum as a "babysitter" for a not-too-innocent twentysomething. Letter To A Duchess, in which Higgins has a crush on a British woman who falls for Magnum, also stands out: all the right sets, enough action, and it illuminates the Magnum-Higgins relationship that turns out to be the show's core.
Vietnam always lurks not far below the surface in the series, and The Look is an interesting (but dated) tie in to Magnum's past, with a female disc jockey who plays a role similar to Tyne Daly's female-friend-in-Vietnam from the excellent "Jororo Kill" episode in season two.
Another brilliant episode: Operation Silent Night, in which the main characters are marooned on Christmas Eve on an island used for Navy gunnery practice. By this point in the series, the writers no longer had to rely on props like the Ferrari and the bikini babes at the King Kamehameha Club to make it work.
On Face Value also rises to the top. An unexpected twist in a car chase puts Magnum into a wrenching situation, possibly the most affecting since Vietnam. An intense 'hour', all about character and inner struggle, with amazing performances by Selleck and Hillerman (Higgins). Overshadowed only by Home from the Sea.
The fourth season includes some of the best, and some lesser material -- although even the Luther Gillis episodes have their moments. There are a few here you'll only watch once, but more that are lifetime keepers.
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Item Name: Magnum P.I. - The Complete Sixth Season; Studio:Universal Studios
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