Magnum Rewatch Ep11 - Thicker Than Blood

[Graham]

TC is acting very strange, and unless Magnum solves the case, it'll be too late for his friend. Meanwhile Graham and Kathleen revel in the works of ace-TV composer Mike Post.

[DaMage]

This really felt like one of those 'darker' episodes again. Some pretty serious topics in this episode and the ending, as described by Kathleen and Graham, is gold.

Those drugs were not hidden very well....they were just packed into all the openings. It makes no sense that the coastguard did not search the helicopter. That was the only bad writing I felt was in the episode.

Rating: 7.5/10 (5/10 for Logic, 10/10 for character development)
Count Updates.
Murder Count: 3 (+0)
That's Racist Count: 3.75 (+0.25)
Different Era Count: 2 (+2)

I like the Different Era count, fits those situations like 'taking a gun to an airport' really well. We'll see if it sticks around.

[SoSo_Tsundere]

So, for the most important issue raised in this episode:

*69, the Last Call Return feature, was broadly introduced (in North America at least) along with other vertical service codes in the early to mid 90's, as most phone systems were upgraded to VoIP. There is no specific date, it depends on when each area/company/individual phone was upgraded, but took place over the 90's. Quite a lot of phone lines are still connected to the old analog public switch system on the last mile, this feature became available once core networks went digital.

*dons Groucho Marx glasses*

[dragoon3zero]

when I lived in Hawaii, I first heard of *69 in the year 1997. I remembered it was that year because I was 11 years old at the time

[ritchards]

I'd be interesting in hearing what happens if you try to upload this to youtube... oh the copyright claims...

[7SecondsLeft]

The only one true Stingray theme (not written by Mike Post)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E06cNv55jTs

[ritchards]

Mike Post also did the theme to a series I vaguely remember... Riptide!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMq59GCaIfw

[Darth Malber]

Mike Post is also responsible for the "Donk Donk" sound on various Law & Order shows. The retelling of how he developed that cue is pretty interesting.

http://youtu.be/Vqx-p1xSnqg?t=18m25s

http://soundandthefoley.com/2013/05/13/donk-donk/

[empath]

Okay, here's some anachronisms that those young'un podcasters might not have noticed:

Mac & Magnum talking about using the top secret KH-11 satellite during its passes over the Hawaiian island chain to check the shipping in the area TC was around...

...and then Magnum getting Higgins to develop film that has the relevant ship (oh and 'blowing up' one exposure to get the name - a precursor to "the Enhance Button"?)

So....HOW exactly did Magnum get FILM from a satellite in orbit?

(additionally one that had the bleeding edge digital electro-optical imaging ...although it's not exactly likely that the show's writers also were aware of a top secret satellite's capabilities in addition to its designation)

Whoops?

[Master Gunner]

Actually, while the KH-11 series used digital photography, earlier reconnaissance satellites did take pictures on film, and they carried a limited number of "re-entry capsules" that the film would be loaded into and launched back to earth. The capsules would then (ideally) be snagged be a passing airplane after their parachute deployed during reentry, and brought down to be developed.

Now, that doesn't fix the likelihood that the satellite would be 1) passing over Hawaii at just the right time, 2) taking pictures of Hawaii (film being rather limited in space, they weren't just constantly taking pictures) and, 3) happen to launch the reentry capsule within a few hours afterwards, and then have it reenter over Hawaii to be captured (things reentering tend to go sideways quite rapidly, not straight down).
Also, the negatives from those satellites were likely considered extremely-highly classified and guarded. Even all of Magnum's charm shouldn't have being able to get him those.

[Lord Chrusher]

To first order, the Hubble Space Telescope is a KH-11 pointed in the 'wrong' direction.

[empath]

To first order, a KH-11 is the Hubble Space Telescope pointed in the 'wrong' direction.

FTFY.


And after remembering the capabilities of analog film, it occurs to me that taking high-quality film and making impressive enlargements may well have been the source for the "Enhance button" trope regarding digital photography - since we'd been able to do it 'back in tha day' with darkrooms, and computers are supposed to make things better, it just follows, right?

[Kathleen]

Okay, here's some anachronisms that those young'un podcasters might not have noticed:

Mac & Magnum talking about using the top secret KH-11 satellite during its passes over the Hawaiian island chain to check the shipping in the area TC was around...

...and then Magnum getting Higgins to develop film that has the relevant ship (oh and 'blowing up' one exposure to get the name - a precursor to "the Enhance Button"?)

So....HOW exactly did Magnum get FILM from a satellite in orbit?

(additionally one that had the bleeding edge digital electro-optical imaging ...although it's not exactly likely that the show's writers also were aware of a top secret satellite's capabilities in addition to its designation)

Whoops?

I didn't even think of that. HUH.