Magnum, P.I. (TV Series) Pleasure Principle (1987) User Reviews

Freaky Friday

[safenoe · 7/10 · 15 May 2023]

This is the second episode of the final season of Magnum, P. I., and it's kind of bittersweet seeing the return of Mac (in a ghost form) and repeating his bittersweet and poignant line at the end to Magnum, "I'll see you in another 40 or 50 years" which ranks alongside "Luke, I am your father" in poignancy.

Anyway, this episode draws on Freaky Friday in a way, with Magnum becoming like Higgins and vice-versa, with Higgins becoming like Magnum. This leads to some hilarious moments, and this episode is quite surreal, knowing that this is the final ever season.

Anyway, wonderful to see Mac back.

Nonsensical

[lbowdls · 6/10 · 23 August 2019]

This episode with Magnum and Higgins seemingly changing personalities with each other, would make more sense if it all turned out to be a dream, or if Magnum was still in his coma. In fact until more than halfway through we dint really know what is happening? Is it a fantasy etc. It's a fun episode, but it doesn't take things far enough with the whole swapping thing. They could have really amped up the comedy but instead the whole thing goes from confusing to wishy washy then to completely nonsensical! They just -it seems - couldn't work out where to properly steer the story. Whether to make it serious or funny, so unfortunately doesn't work in either level. There is still Thomas seeing "Mac" as a "ghost", weird interaction with Carol and Rick and especially TC acting strange by following around Magnum. Even though it still has fun with the characters it could have been a lot better and as if a therapist would actually take her client out dancing as part of that therapy? It's like they had one script at the start, heading in one direction then someone came in at the last minute and re wrote it without really knowing how it should end. Weird!

Did You See?

[Far_Out · 6/10 · 1 February 2024]

There were two moments in this ep which I found to be top shelf. One was when Magnum's therapist outlined Tom's Peter Pan-ish avoidance syndrome. I took it as a seminal moment and a major piece of foreshadowing the end of the series. I felt, in the moment, that he really internalized those observations, which may have jumpstarted his decision to go back to wearing the uniform again.

Second was when Mac asked him if he saw the sun rise? Whoa! My mind went into overdrive trying to grasp why this iconic question was asked in this ep. They never followed this up. It was a massive hole in a script that itself was Suisse fromage. But man, what a moment!

The device which annoyed me no end was his off/on use of a British dialect affectation. It was used too randomly and unevenly employed. The tilt of the head/one eye closed bit seemed to have some logic to it, not unlike the famous Calvin and Hobbes comic where Hobbes the tiger was always shown to be a plush toy when others were around, but was always large and vibrant when he was with Calvin alone. When Magnum changed to a normal mien, he was always fully rational and in the moment. Actuality was the rule in those moments. In any event, it was perhaps the worst acting piece by Selleck in the entirety of the series.

Overall, this was a fun concept and poorly executed by Bellisario.

Nonsensical is right

[feindlicheubernahme · 4/10 · 30 December 2023]

Yep, I can't help but agree with the reviewer who called this episode nonsensical. At first, it seems to be going quite well, with a return to comedy after too many serious episodes. But it turns into ridiculousness when we find out what the true story is.

Dr Esteverdes is the world's most unethical psychiatrist. Not only does she start a relationship with and eventually marry a patient, she freely admits that she tried to turn another patient, Higgins, into a clone of him after they broke up. It's not easy to identify with a love story between a pathological swindler and a psychiatrist who should most definitely be barred from practising. And by the way, what bride would wear a wedding dress that exposes more of her breasts than it covers? Is she getting married or auditioning for a job as a stripper?

In the end, nothing of any real interest or importance has happened. Even worse, nothing entertaining has happened. I'm praying that the series comes out of the qualitative nosedive that it went into after the first few episodes of season 7 and goes out on the high that it deserves, but I'm beginning to lose hope.