#deals with nuzo's death

[disappearinginq]

So, I have just recently gotten into the Magnum 2018 Fandom and am wondering if you write soulmate AU's? Or prephaps like a magic AU prompts?

I don't really know what this idea falls under. But this I have this idea that Rick, T.C., Nuzo, and Magnum are all connected. Like they can read each other's minds and/ or being near each other gives them instant relief from all sorts of pain.

I don't know what else could go with it though... I also don't know if you write for that Fandom anymore. Just thought I'd ask.

I hadn't until THIS VERY SECOND.

I think the closest I got to a non-reality based AU was an idea randomly floated in response to an ask/prompt on a song about how Rick makes a deal with Death to get them out of Afghanistan to become a reaper - and if he refuses, bad things happen to his friends.

Buuuuuut....I like this idea. I especially like the idea of them choosing whether or not they can accept that connection or not, and Thomas being difficult about it, always insisting that he's fine even though they know he's not, but he doesn't want them to feel what he feels....or if they want to keep secrets from one another.

It's also not that I don't write for the fandom, I just haven't really written anything lately (or at least, nothing complete enough to post in any context, which is how Snippets was posted).

Hmmmmmm.......imagine the chaos they can cause. How effective they would be as a team. Ouch. How much it would've hurt to have Nuzo die if they had a connection like that.

This is going in the Idea Folder - because I think I can do a one shot (any suggestions?) Instead of an epic length alternate timeline, which is how I keep getting bogged down in current works.

[magnumdays]

Magnum PI 4.18 - Shallow Grave, Deep Water review

My goodness this was good! Like I don’t even know where to begin with it, good.

Part of me didn’t even want to write this review, I just sort of wanted to sit with this episode and soak it in. But after some thinking I did realize I had stuff to say.

I’m just going to list things that stuck with me, from the top of my head  in no particular order. 

Getting a reason for Magnum being a bit stuck and not really changing as a character. Love that. HIm having it be it survivor guilt about Nuzo... it makes me... well not happy, but it makes me have feelings that are not-bad because they would explain a lot. Yeah. I like the idea of giving him some angst that is not just subtext and in this episode sort of having him deal with it.

So yeah, end was beautiful and I was legit all tearing up and stuff, feeling all the feels. 

Gordon and Magnum going at it. That was “nice”, I like conflict between people who are friends. It’s dynamic and interesting when we can see and understand where both of them are coming from.

Juliet be looking smoking in the dress walking away from the funeral. Magnum not so shabby either in his uniform!

Nuzo’s ghost/Magnum’s subconscious being very pro Miggy and totally being like “you got a perfectly good flesh and blood person to talk to and yet...” and just all around pointing out he was being a wacky for not taking Higgy up on talking.

Magnum going “And I’m still here, alone.” That was as heartbreaking as the ending for me somehow.

#sadboi

Higgy seeing the dead people in the shipping container. Also the contrast of her being almost a little excited as she helped Magnum to maybe find a treasure (and answers for Thomas...and getting to very hands-on help him get dive-ready) to reaction she’s having to the container. IDK, even though Gordon and Magnum look very troubled and upset, I thought Perdie nailed the murderous, sad and upset, horrified vibe.

Speaking of the case... horrible. The teddy bear in the shipping container was heartbreaking, like how depressing and and unfair our world is (but sort of made for a beautiful tie in with the whole “life is unfair, death is unfair” at the end which... is there anything truer?) 

Our dynamic duo kicking ass at the end was brilliant though. That was a really cool and fast phased action sequence. 

Higgy being really in-tune with Magnum, realizing he knew about the guy and lied to Gordie, going after to check on him and then later offering to be there to talk. She’s really, as Nuzo and Magnum points out too, come a long way from the Ice Princess of the pilot.

Speaking of the pilot - the mirroring of the funeral with Nuzo’s funeral - that’s some good stuff.

Laura getting to make a come back. I like it, but I also didn't. Because where has she and Jake been for the past four years? They have not been in one scene and suddenly she’s there? If she’d  for example moved to the mainland that would have made more sense. But I kind of liked how they explained her distance away with “it hurt when I saw you but it’s better now?” too. So little torn, but it’s always nice to see old characters come back so I say it’s a win despite the whole 4+ years later...

We got to see TR Bell again (the boat not the woman). Boats and Miggy always make me a little extra excited these days. Higgy being a very hands-on helper is also...nice.

And of course, the last few moments where we get the words from the promo (and they are actually about Juliet and Magnum rather than a fake-out) and he looks over at her and we end with his little sort of relieved smile; maybe he really can let go of the past and be happy. Only problem is now we have to wait 3 weeks to get the next episode!

Anyways, those were some of my favorite bits just at the top of my head.

This was an episode with a lot of emotions for sure, and I liked that they had conflict on a lot of levels. Gordon and Magnum about him lying and pursuing the case differently, Magnum and Juliet about her wanting to be there for him and him holding back which really tied more in with the internal conflict of Magnum being a tiny bit worried Nuzo had done it. Which really was a big thing.

I almost would have liked to have Magnum find evidence that Nuzo did killed the guy (on his own) and having to struggle with his own feelings, who Nuzo was. Maybe even if he would compromise his own moral code by covering for Nuzo if he was a killer. It would have been a very different episode (and show even) if they had done that, and I’m glad they didn’t but it would have been interesting.

The flashback and Nuzo stabbing a guy and that being part of why Thomas was having some doubts... that was maybe the one scene I wasn’t too in love with. Because I feel like maybe during war this would be pretty standard? Or maybe that’s just because I’ve watched to much super brutal stuff lately so this barely registers as even a bit shocking?

Magnum dealing with being lonely and separate despite being with the Ohana, which is sort of hinted at through out the show, (for some reason the cross-over episode when TC asks Juliet to dance and he watches them comes to mind), was shown and explored here more. Both with Nuzo in the car but also with the empty bar for their last talk. Him also going “I’m fine” to Higgy which has been what he always says when he’s not.

I do hope we get some follow up on this, him letting go of his guilt with Nuzo, talking to the guys about it and not just on his sort of revelation that he wants to peruse something with Juliet. I mean, my Miggy loving self of course wants all the Miggy fluff but some Magnum character development + bonding is always welcome.

Besides I feel like they have to plan to address the Miggy feels the last two episodes. Just a tiny bit. Why else have that last scene end like that? So I’m feeling real good about things to come.

Side note: Is it just me or do both Jay and Perdie look thinner and a bit tired as of late? As the mains (and Jay had Covid around this time right?) I guess they work some pretty grueling hours? I’m glad they get a break now for some RxR until next season.

Other fun things:

Gordy owning a motorcycle and showing up at a crime scene with it!

Kumu being awesome and just downing her drink.

Rick and TC struggling at the gym was nice comic relief, especially as they came to complain about it to Higgy (who could probably do five hours at the gym without dying). 

Higgy looking fine with the bold lip look there at the end...

I guess I’m either just in the best mood or this was just one of the absolute best episodes of the entire series. Go Jay! Go the writing and production team and just everyone. I’m so excited for the two last episodes of the season and I can’t wait for sneak peeks and the promo for 4.19!

[disappearinginq]

Songbird + Magnum, PI?

Angel by the Wings by SIA - hmmm. Oooo...this could be a fantasy AU that I had no idea I wanted until this moment, highly influenced by the latest season of Vox Machina, and these specific lines:

Just take an angel by the wings Beg her now for anything Beg her now for one more day Take an angel by the wings Time to tell her everything Ask her for the strength to stay

Fantasy world where gods and angels walk amongst us - and while Thomas and the guys are prisoners, Rick makes a deal with goddess for them to live. The trade off is that she is the goddess of life and death, and that means balance. For the guys to stay alive, Rick has to agree to maintain the balance - by taking the lives of others that the goddess chooses. He fails the first time (or refuses, thinking he can get out of it, or some other variation of not doing it), which is how Nuzo winds up getting killed. Rick is now acting as a reaper, and instead of a scythe, has his sniper rifle, and is trying not to let the guys find out the high cost of their survival (and maybe he keeps making deals with the goddess, because Thomas does seem in a hurry to die sometimes).

[disappearinginq]

Because it won’t let me send in a message, and I am entirely too lazy to put it in an email - for @amandagaelic 

“What exactly do you want me to do?” Thomas asked, bracing the cell between his ear and his shoulder as he tried to pull one of his shoes on. “That’s the beauty of it,” Dalton said, overly cheerful. “Absolutely nothing.” Thomas frowned at that. “Nothing?” Jack Dalton sighed, and Thomas could hear him shift the phone as if he was trying to keep someone else in the room from listening in. “Look Mag, the kid is on burnout mode. And I don’t mean he’s going to burnout, I mean he’s a seagull on fire in a death spiral out to sea.” “That sounds like he needs therapy, not to come…do nothing on the beach.” Thomas almost dropped the phone as he straightened, hunting around for the Ferrari keys. Hopefully, Higgins hadn’t re-appropriated them to the main house. If the kid’s plane was due when Jack said it was, he was going to just manage to get to the airport if he obeyed the speed limit. If he had to explain to Higgins why he needed the car, or why this friend Thomas had never met couldn’t take a cab, or why he hadn’t run it by her first, it would be tomorrow before he managed to leave. There was a derisive snort. “Yeah. He does. But he won’t go. Doesn’t think he can take the time off, because the world needs him.” Thomas’s frown deepened. “Then how’d you convince him to come here for R&R if he has to save the world?” Dalton coughed at that, muttering something unintelligible under his breath. Thomas could guess though. “Jack,” he said, drawing out the ‘A’. “Does he know why he’s coming here?” “I said he needed to. Which isn’t wrong. I just…maybe…fudged the deets slightly.” This is what Thomas remembered about the former DELTA soldier. Details were erroneous, as long as the mission got done. Thomas hit the phone lightly against his own forehead. Jack was a great guy. Definitely someone he would want his side any day of the week. He reminded him of if someone took Nuzo’s common sense and Rick’s ne’er do well attitude together and made one person. But his suspicious nature of pretty much anyone that wasn’t his adopted daughter or the EOD kid he picked up on his final tour in Afghanistan meant ‘need to know’ became ‘need to know at the last possible second’. TC just snorted when Thomas had complained about it during a shared op. “Oh no,” the pilot said with mock pity. “Finally, you know what it’s like to deal with you and Orville.” “Look, Dalton, I am all for helping out a friend, but if you lied to get him here, how’s he gonna take it when he finds out?” “To be fair, the kid is a certified genius and probably already knows I’m full of shit, but the fact that he went anyway means he knows he needs the break as much as I know he does. I’ve just given him an excuse.” The doorbell rang just as Thomas found the Ferrari keys underneath his mail from the day before. “Look, I gotta run, my landlord is here and I…” Thomas stopped short when he opened the door, expecting Higgins. In retrospect, the fact that the doorbell was used and she hadn’t just walked in probably should’ve tipped him off that it wasn’t her. “Jack, your buddy wouldn’t happen to be oh…” Thomas ran an estimating eye over the kid on the lanai, “Five ten, hundred and fifty pounds, classically boy scout-ish and maybe like Kumu is going to adopt him the second she sees him, and now looking super judge-y about the half of the conversation he can hear?” The kid offered a smirk that told Thomas Jack was dead on knowing that he’d been ‘tricked’ into coming here. “Huh. His flight landed pretty early then…” Magnum looked at his watch, back at the kid, and rolled his eyes. “Jack, did you calculate the time difference from California, or from wherever the hell you are when you guessed the ETA?” “You know what, I don’t have to dignify that with a response, Magnum. But seriously…just, keep an eye on him, would you? That kid is gonna be dead from a stroke by the time he turns 30 if they keep running him they way they are.” Magnum didn’t have a chance to respond. There was a high pitched whine from the cell before the line went silent, signaling the end of the call. Thomas shook his head, stuffing it into his back pocket.