re: Magnum PI

When it first came out I didn't watch it. I thought it was a joke of a beefcake show for horny middle aged house wives.

For some reason, I tuned in one day, and this episode was on: Home From the Sea

quote:

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Thomas' annual July 4th solitude takes a turn for the worse while on his surf ski. His time spent on the water shifts between present and his childhood time when his father left for the Korean war. Rick, T.C. and Higgins each feel something is wrong, just in the nick of time.

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I had know idea how deep the character was, how much the writers worked at crafting a true world with layered and intertwined story arcs that wove together in to a pretty great show.

The Viet Nam flashbacks were much more impactful back in 1983 when the war was still fairly fresh in the country's consciousness.

I also liked that there was just a touch of the mystical influence in this episode, Magnum's struggle with staying afloat, calling out to his dad, the shark that keeps him in a constant state of panic, and how his buddies sense that somethings wrong.

Yep, I was hooked after that. I think I've probably watched the whole series since.