Magnum Rewatch 22 - Memories Are Forever

[Graham]

A ghost from Magnum's past suddenly reappears, Kathleen talks extensively about Vietnamese food.

[plummeting_sloth]

Not to take a minor quibble with an otherwise excellent podcast, but as likely the only forum user who is also a War of 1812 Naval reenactor, I do take small issue with the downplaying of Sailor Impressment as a cause of the war. Indeed, if the American side of war was to be said to have a rallying cry, it would have been that of "Free Trade and Sailors Rights"



(the free trade referencing both British and French efforts to prevent American shipping from tending to the ports of one side or the other)

While no doubt Canadian acquisition was on many a mind in the War Hawk party (with Jefferson, among them, saying the annexation would be 'A mere matter of marching') in the formal declaration of war, one of the main reference point was the Chesapeake incident, wherein the HMS Shannon raked the USS Chesapeake's deck with fire, forcing it to stand to so it could inspect it's crew and remove those that the US was at least convinced were American citizens. It was argued by many that since that incident and lack of proper apology for it (although such apology was forthcoming in the agreement that had juuust failed to reach Washington before the war was declared) that an informal state of war had already existed with Britain.

As this may be the only time I might bring my knowledge in this area to bare in context to an actual episode of yours (unless some time in the future you decide to give the hilariously named Admiral Cockburn the send-up he deserves) I felt it was my duty to raise such issue.

With Kindest regards

Plummeting_sloth
Able Seaman
USS Constellation
(Mrs)

[winterpanda]

I know In Colombo, they reused an actor a few times as the victim, so I think it might be an '80s thing.

Also, a bit off topic, but I recently did edited a video for a studio course I'm taking and as much as I enjoyed it, it made my appreciate a lot more the work you put in this stuff.

[DaMage]

Movie length magnum is best magnum, and the podcats was just as good. I watched this episode a few days ago and I swear I can remember a 4th wall break at one point...but I may be mistaken.

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Quick Count Update:
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Rating: 9/10

Murder Count: 8 (+3)
That's Racist Count: 6.75 (+0)
Different Era Count: 6 (+1)
4th Wall Breaks: 17 (+0)

Dif Era: Using "Oriental"
Murder x3: Magnum kills all the bad guys
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[TheMoatman]

So I'm watching this on US Netflix and it has the episode as a 2-parter. So far, it looks like they've cut out at least one scene (the part between Magnum waking up and him walking in on Higgins is all that's missing so far) and the episode ends after Michelle talks to Greene in the confessional booth.

[Moussefilledkitten]

So, while they may change Magnum's birthdate, the age of 35 does make sense. He says in the pilot (a year after he left the navy) that he "woke up at 33 and realized he had never been 23". Which implies that he's 34 in the pilot. Assuming that time moves relative to real time in the series, that would make him 35 at the start of season 2.

[Zyme]

While I am not a reinactor, I am likely one of the few amateur military historians among the fanbase. One thing not mentioned by Plummeting sloth was one of the issues that you also had that was referred to was one William Henry Harrison (later the 9th prez) fighting for Prophetstown in the battle of Tippecanoe. What the big deal was that after this skirmish in which the americans got rather mauled by the natives (though they reported a glorous victory back to Washington) where they suffered 20% casualties (killed or wounded). Now we get to the part where the story hinges on the start of the war of 1812. When the battle was over and Prophetstown was thoroughly burned to the ground to make way for white settlement they found british muskets among the stores. This was listed as one of the main causes for the war in Monroe's letter to congress.

One thing to keep in mind that although this was listed in Monroe's letter asking for a declaration of war, the rallying cry was around the impressment of sailors. The thing was that many who made up the US merchant navy and regular navy were former or deserted english sailors. As america lacked a navy and many skilled hands they offered over double the wages that a british merchanman would pay or a royal navy man would get.

Moreover anyone who had been formerly british at any point was not recognized to no be british anymore. If you sounded british or irish or scottish and you were found serving aboard an american vessel you were liable to be press-ganged back into the royal navy. At its height in 1807 dozens of ships were stopped and man former british citizens (now americans) were forced back into serving in the merchant and royal navies.

Essentially the whole thing was a dishonoring of the USA. All it did humiliate Americans as showing they could not protect their own citizens and create an oppressive former enemy to focus ire on. The irony of the whole thing as it was one of the main items on Monroe's list for war is that the practice has not been in practice for some time when war was declared but any information that could have communicated this secession of the practice was not receive until after war was declared. Even if this information had been received in time it is unlikely that it would have been any use as its effect as the lighting rod issue that sparked the flame against an oppressive former overlord was one ball you could not stop from rolling.

[FredCheckers]

Just posting as an American who has basically an average-to-bad history education from high school (it's not required for science majors in college,) that the Canadian version is indeed not our cultural memory of the War of 1812. For one, almost all high school text books and even several government produced tributes assert that America WON the war of 1812. Many consider Vietnam our only defeat, counting the fact that North Korea is not the only Korea and the fact that we didn't have to unconditionally surrender in the War of 1812 as victories. We also consider it a war between the US and Britain. We just count Canada as Britain up to that point. We blame the British for totally asking for it when we declared war too.

Also, we had a draft in both World Wars, the Civil War, and Vietnam.

[AdmiralMemo]

I will pretty much confirm what Fred said, as an average American.

[7SecondsLeft]

Great to see the podcast back! I must admit that I completely missed that his wife was supposed to be French. I spotted that she didn't look very Vietnamese, but that could have just been bad casting. It didn't make any difference to my enjoyment of the episode though.

Just posting as an American who has basically an average-to-bad history education from high school (it's not required for science majors in college,) that the Canadian version is indeed not our cultural memory of the War of 1812. For one, almost all high school text books and even several government produced tributes assert that America WON the war of 1812. Many consider Vietnam our only defeat, counting the fact that North Korea is not the only Korea and the fact that we didn't have to unconditionally surrender in the War of 1812 as victories. We also consider it a war between the US and Britain. We just count Canada as Britain up to that point. We blame the British for totally asking for it when we declared war too.

Also, we had a draft in both World Wars, the Civil War, and Vietnam.

As an average Britain, I thought your war with us ended when someone went running around with a lantern shouting "The British are Coming", and I'm sure most of that knowledge came from Hollywood as opposed to actually getting taught about it in school. I had no idea you were still going to war for another 30 years afterwards and blaming that on us as well!

[Lord Chrusher]

The War of 1812: an excellent example of how different countries view the same history.

One party to the War of 1812 did clearly lose: the indigenous peoples west of the Appalachian Mountains. The war saw the defeat of the these people as political force and the end of the war saw the removal of their support by Britain. These defeats allow the United States to expand west and to disposes the indigenous peoples of their land.

[7SecondsLeft]

Legnum PI?
https://ideas.lego.com/projects/109667

It only needs another 9676 people to show support before Lego will consider making it for real...

[Darth Malber]

Not sure if it was in this podcast or the previous one, but either Graham or Kathleen pondered what Tom Selleck looked like without his trademark mustache. Well you can find an un-mustachioed Selleck in the Kevin Kline, Frank Oz directed movie In & Out. In it he plays Peter Malloy, a tabloid journalist who tries to help the central character played by Kline come out.

Also, for Netflix viewers in the US who can no longer view it: Magnum P.I. is available on OnDemand on Comcast through Encore. It may be available on other providers, but I have no way to check.

[Darth Malber]

For some reason, when I watched this episode I thought that Michelle was half Vietnamese, half French.

Maybe I watched too much China Beach.

[Trisha Lynn]

Maybe I watched too much China Beach.

There is no such thing. Also, maybe when Graham and Kathleen are done with Magnum, they can do China Beach.

[Steamcastle]

The Murder Count is wrong, he shoots 3 people before killing Colonel Ki.