Magnum, P.I.'s final season - is it real?

[Mr. Laser Beam]

So is it fake or not?

Meaning, was Magnum "really" shot dead in the events of "Limbo" (the 7th season finale), as some fans apparently insist? Is there any evidence that what we saw onscreen is anything other than what it should be? I could never find any inconsistencies in the 8th season (nor any evidence that the final episode takes place in the afterlife, which is another thing I heard people say about it), but then again, I wasn't a stickler for detail back then.

If Magnum really was killed off in the 7th season, then, what does this mean for the 8th? Was it all a dream experienced on Magnum's deathbed? Was it a prequel? Or just all written-off as non-canon?

 

[CaptainOogy]

The end of the 7th season was initially intended as the series finale. As such, they decided to kill of Magnum and make it a real hum-dinger of an episode. However, they later decided to bring the cash cow show back for a truncated 8th season (about half the normal amount of episodes, if I recall correctly).

Even though it was fairly clear in the 7th season finale that Magnum died and went into the white light, they just retconned that away by starting the 8th season in the hospital, and jabbering on about how he "really thought he was dead there!"

So while the fans who says Magnum was shot dead at the end of season 7 are right, they are wrong to say that the 8th season takes palce in heaven or whatever. they were normal, real-world episodes just like before. The magic behind the scenes!

-CaptainOogy

P.S. Remember that Tom Selleck was originally cast as Indiana Jones, but couldn't get the network to budge when it came to giving him some leeway in his contract. As I understand it, most television stars these days have standard clauses written into their contracts which allow any sort of project so long as it's on hiatus. It used to be that the networks "owned" the actor such that they could prevent them from working on other projects. Just like how Roger Moore was supposed to be the original Bond but couldn't because of The Saint, and how Pierce Brosnan was originally going to be Moore's replacement, but couldn't get permission from the Remmington Steel folks, paving the way for Timothy Dalton.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I have heard some people say that there are clues in the final episode that supposedly indicate that Magnum is dead, but for the life of me I can't find any.

 

[wamdue]

never seen Magnum PI, but it all sounds a bit Life on Mars, a investigator shot, possibly on his death bed, not knowing if he is alive, or if what he is living is a coma fantasy on his death bed.

 

[golakers]

They also backtracked on Higgins being Robin Masters in season eight. IIRC, Higgins fessed up to being Masters during season 7 then he opened it back up for doubt when they added the extra season. That pissed me off.

Higgins IS Robin Masters, dammit!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

never seen Magnum PI, but it all sounds a bit Life on Mars, a investigator shot, possibly on his death bed, not knowing if he is alive, or if what he is living is a coma fantasy on his death bed.

That only happened after 7 seasons, in this case.

 

[auntiehill]

Yes, the 8th season is real. They thought the show was over, and planned to kill him off, but came back for a few last episodes in season 8. It's very much "real." It was part of the actual show, after all.

He was in a coma---dying--and started towards "the white light" but came back. He had to protect Michelle and find out who tried to kill him. I love the episode where, after Tom's near-death experience, he and Higgins end up trading roles. The poor dogs didn't know what to do!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

So none of you can find any supposed clues in the final episode either (that retroactively established Magnum's death in S7)? That's good, at least I'm not alone.

It does make me wonder what Quantum Leap would have done with all this, though. (There was at one point going to be a QL episode where Sam leaps in as Magnum. How they would have reconciled this with the earlier QL ep where a character is seen watching Magnum on TV, I have no idea.)

 

[auntiehill]

^ That would've been so cool if they had done it. But it was doomed from the start. There is no way on Earth that two competing networks would have ever allowed it.

 

[TGTheodore]

Shortly after watching the original airing of "Limbo", I was inspired to write a follow-up spec script. 18 hours later I had my "comeback" script done. Called "A Stitch In Time" (long before DS9 was even a phrase). In mine, Magnum physically died for a few moments, but was saved by another Vietnam buddy who was a medic (we learn that's where TC was going in the chopper as we hear "Looking for Space" by John Denver). And all the loose ends in "Limbo" were tied up.

There was some very clever wiggle-room left for Magnum NOT to be dead because they wanted the door open for Magnum TV-movies or features if the right script and timing ever came along. Then all were surprised when CBS said they were renewing the show.

I'm convinced Thomas Magnum was dying but "not dead yet".

While the final season had a slightly different look and feel to it, I think it might have been because some of the staff had moved on, thinking "Limbo" was it.

To this day I can't hear John Denver's "Looking for Space" without getting a little misty eyed.

--Ted

 

[Roshi]

Higgins IS Robin Masters, dammit!

Hear, hear!


I love how Higgins pulled TC out of coma by rambling on!
"Higgins, shut up!!!!!"

 

[biotech]

There are plenty of supernatural stories in Magnum, he had that freind Mac who was a ghost in quite a few episodes.

But no, I think if he was dead for season 8, they would have shown it, they just wanted a happy ending, Magnum with his daughter, rejoining the navy, and finally finding out about Robin Masters, kind of.

 

[Star Wolf]

There are plenty of supernatural stories in Magnum, he had that freind Mac who was a ghost in quite a few episodes.

But no, I think if he was dead for season 8, they would have shown it, they just wanted a happy ending, Magnum with his daughter, rejoining the navy, and finally finding out about Robin Masters, kind of.

Which seemed kind of strange for a show that took chances few others did. I can think of no other outright hero character like Magnum was who comitted outright premeditated murder. He had his reason but on just about anyother show another character would have killed before Magnum was able to. Or he would have lowered the gun at the last moment saying something like you're not worth it.

 

[JoeZhang]

Which episode is this? (where he murders someone?)

 

[wamdue]

never seen Magnum PI, but it all sounds a bit Life on Mars, a investigator shot, possibly on his death bed, not knowing if he is alive, or if what he is living is a coma fantasy on his death bed.

That only happened after 7 seasons, in this case.

wasnt the final season of Roseanne all a dream or something?

 

[ST-One]

never seen Magnum PI, but it all sounds a bit Life on Mars, a investigator shot, possibly on his death bed, not knowing if he is alive, or if what he is living is a coma fantasy on his death bed.

That only happened after 7 seasons, in this case.

wasnt the final season of Roseanne all a dream or something?

Everything after Dan's heart attack was part of a book Rosanne was writing.

 

[auntiehill]

Which episode is this? (where he murders someone?)

The end of "Did You See The Sunrise, prt 2."
I was just a kid at the time when it first aired, and it was the first time I remember being really shocked by something on a TV show.

eta: here's the final scene w/Ivan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXa9wipv6j8

 

[Star Wolf]

Which episode is this? (where he murders someone?)

The end of "Did You See The Sunrise, prt 2."
I was just a kid at the time when it first aired, and it was the first time I remember being really shocked by something on a TV show.

eta: here's the final scene w/Ivan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXa9wipv6j8

I was also shocked early in the series run. Before the theme music was changed. Magnum went up against this martial arts guy. In any other show the cop/detective would have went hand to hand and somehow get the upper hand or pull the Indiana Jones move of just shooting as a joke. Here Magnum was getting beat and instead of the guy giving up when he pulled his .45, Magnum blows the guys head off as the screne went to black.

 

[auntiehill]

I think that was "China Doll," (season 1, ep. 3)That was the first full episode after the 2 part pilot (Yes, I am THAT big a geek).
That one didn't really bother me; I'd seen the bad guy get killed before. It was a kill or be killed moment. But having Tom getting the crap beat out of him, and having him stay beat-up through the rest of the episode, was not very usual in these types of shows. I liked that about "Magnum." Whenever he got beat up, he wore that bruise, bandage, whatever for the rest of the episode.

 

[J.T.B.]

But having Tom getting the crap beat out of him, and having him stay beat-up through the rest of the episode, was not very usual in these types of shows. I liked that about "Magnum." Whenever he got beat up, he wore that bruise, bandage, whatever for the rest of the episode.

It was also a feature of "The Rockford Files," where Jimbo would frequently get used as a punching bag by the bad guys and then limp around bandaged for the rest of the episode. Tom Selleck has said he loved doing "Rockford" and really looked up to James Garner and how he approached his character.

--Justin