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Reflections on Magnum P.I.

For the last few weeks I've been taking a leisurely stroll down memory lane and watching one of my favorite TV shows, Magnum P.I.

The length of the run and episodic nature precludes binge-watching, but it's nice to take in an episode or two each evening.  It was the last show I could watch before bed time growing up, so there's the same continuity.

As to the show itself, some parts have aged well while others haven't.  The first season was a bit rough, but in season 2 they seem to have found a nice rhythm.  The characters are fun, though Higgins' back story seems to change with every episode, which is part of the charm.  As a kid, I didn't know enough to tell that half the time he sounded like he was making it all up.

It's clearly a thing.

I'm also enjoying seeing people who went on to bigger shows doing guest spots that I totally forgot about. 

But perhaps the biggest thing that has stuck with me is the patriotic paranoia of Magnum and his pals.  They're proud Americans, served their nation, but know that the people in charge are often absolute crooks and don't trust them. 

That's as it should be.  I don't like to bring politics into the blog, but I've noticed a lot of "how dare you accuse US employees/agents/officials of wrong doing!" going on of late.  When I was growing up, everyone had a healthy distrust of power.   We still should.

Thus, in the show, the CIA is a bunch of snakit's oes, the FBI isn't to be trusted and a bunch of the military are utter idiots.  Yet for all that, it's still very pro-American and pro-military.  Serving with honor is a thing, and "the brass" are the ones that screw it up.

And yes, the 'mystery' in each episode isn't exactly hard to figure out, but that's not why you watch.  It's to enjoy the quirks and twists along the way.

Plus, the cast is great.  But you know that.

 

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