After the positively dismal sixth season, Magnum P.I.: The Complete Seventh Season roars back into form with one of the series' strongest seasons. At the time of production, the makers of Magnum P.I. thought this season would be the very last one, and it's obvious the writers, cast and crew made an effort to go out with a bang -- literally. I'm not spoiling any surprises by recounting it here (after all, there was another season to follow), but at the end of Season Seven, Thomas Magnum dies from an assassin's bullet. In the final episode, appearing as a ghost, he ties up loose ends among his family and friends, and walks off into the clouds (a cheesy moment in an otherwise excellent season). Numerous episodes from Season Seven are all-time fan favorites, with Tom Selleck and company putting to rest the bad memories from weaker Seasons Five and Six.

By the start of the 1986-1987 season, the once-powerful Magnum P.I. ratings machine had already fallen far from the Nielsen Top Thirty. The producers, Tom Selleck being one of them, decided to give the series a final send-off worthy of earlier seasons, with the Magnum character maturing and coming to terms with his romantic past, his war-time experiences, and with the memory of his dead father. Magnum P.I.: The Complete Seventh Season is a remarkably contemplative season (while still packing a lot of action and laughs), with the Magnum character undergoing significant emotional experiences. Age is certainly a factor in this seventh season. Despite the wish of many viewers to basically keep Magnum an overgrown adolescent, the producers put Thomas (and us) on edge by constantly referring back to Thomas' upcoming fortieth birthday. Playing into this theme, Magnum is even shown failing in physical endeavors (his leg goes out during running exercises; he fails to outrun assassins in the season's final episode), as well as doubting his ability to pull in the chicks like he used to in his salad days.

Magnum's wartime experiences are again fodder for good drama, with the terrific Solo Flight episode expertly blending in the meditative themes that run through this season. Magnum, trapped under plane wreckage on top of a mountain and delirious from an insect bite (a mountain he wanted to climb alone, in order to think through his life), recounts not only his brutal war memories (there's a truly horrific flashback to Magnum and his friends in cages, being tortured by the North Vietnamese), but also his deeply sad, mournful feelings about his father, who died in the Korean War. As well, recollections of treachery concerning his wartime friend Philippe "La Bulle" Trusseau (Robert Loggia) haunt unrelated cases, such as Death and Taxes, an exciting episode where a psychotic murderer of prostitutes tries to impress Thomas with his skills.

Thomas' romantic past is also a source of pain for Thomas. His relationship with his ex-wife Michelle (Marta DuBois) is again revisited here, with Thomas coming to the painful realization that her child, supposedly by her current husband, is most probably Thomas' and that he won't ever be able to raise her as his own. Indeed, during the final episode, Thomas, now in limbo after being shot and killed, goes about fixing Michelle's romance with John Beck, while saying goodbye to his little girl. As well, Thomas almost gets married again this season, to Cynthia Farrell (Dana Delaney). Thomas, packed and ready at LAX airport to take Cynthia back to Hawaii, is dumped by Farrell - another indication of the producers' efforts to round out the Magnum character, and further distance him from the established image of the playboy, sure-shot scorer with women.

Despite all this morose sturm und drang, Magnum P.I.: The Complete Seventh Season still has time for plenty of Magnum hijinks, with fun episodes sprinkled throughout the season. Top of that list is one of the series' funniest episodes, Paper War, where Magnum and Higgins engage in a rapidly escalating series of practical jokes that wind up having deadly consequences for both of them. There's a nice edge of meanness to both characters here; they're like deadly little boys who aren't screwing around, even though they're just playing practical jokes. And even though the episode is played mostly for laughs, there's a surprisingly resonant ending, where Thomas and Higgins, stuck together in an elevator, get down to some truths about each other that they may have wished stayed hidden. Murder By Night is a nicely realized, snappy film noir piece - with Selleck looking perfect in period dress. And for the first time, Murder, She Wrote's Jessica Fletcher teams up with Thomas for a energetic two-part crossover, Novel Connection, with the Murder, She Wrote follow-up Magnum on Ice included as a bonus episode. Angela Lansbury seems to enjoy mixing it up with Selleck very much; they're an inspired team with Jessica Fletcher providing the deductive reasoning (versus Magnum's frequent hunches), and Thomas providing the brawn.

As the season draws to a close, the mood becomes darker again, with a sensational turn by Frank Sinatra (that's right, the Frank Sinatra, pallie) in Laura, showing again what a fine, intuitive actor he was as he portrays a tortured retired cop trying to track down the molester/killer of his granddaughter. And of course, there's the season finale, Limbo, which was intended to be the series finale. I remember when this final episode aired; CBS took a lot of flak from dedicated fans of the show, and through a strenuous letter-writing campaign (as well as a slight bump in the ratings), the series was brought back for one final go-around. Knowing that, it makes Limbo seem rather quaint (not helped by the cloud walk-out by Thomas), but emotionally, it fits in perfectly with where the producers of the series were taking the Magnum character in Season Seven. Magnum, dying by the sword so to speak, and limited by his limbo status in not being able to directly speak to or be seen by his loved ones, gently guides them to accepting his death, as he accepts this grim fact himself. The ghostly guide is a stock plot convention to be sure, but Selleck's underplayed emotion and the sensitive script impart a sense of passing that's surprising considering we're talking about a fictional TV detective. Off hand, I don't recall any episodes specifically from Season Eight, but Limbo indeed is a fitting "final" tribute to one of the most iconic television detectives of the 1980s.

DISC ONE:

L.A.
Magnum sees the not-so-glamorous side of Hollywood when he looks into the death of a young comedienne with the help of an attractive entertainment lawyer.

One Picture is Worth
Art proves to be a very expressive medium when magnum protects a deaf painter from the killer who knows she witnessed his last crime.

Straight and Narrow
Nothing comes between sisters when a former call girl hires a reluctant Magnum to find her missing sibling.

A.A. P.I.
It's time for celebrations and sleuthing when a murder occurs as Magnum is receiving the Local P.I. of the Year Award.

DISC TWO:

Death and Taxes
A crazed killer with unnerving information on Magnum's time in Vietnam communicates his fiendish plans through nursery rhymes.

Little Girl Who
Magnum's fatherly instincts kick in when his ex-wife goes on the run and leaves him in charge of her little girl.

Paper War
It's the ultimate battle of wills when a feuding Magnum and Higgins are trapped in a building elevator that is set to be demolished.

Novel Connection
It's a case of he said-she said when Magnum must deal with Murder, She Wrote's Jessica Fletcher after an attempt is made on the life of one of Robin Master's guests. (The concluding Murder, She Wrote episode, Magnum on Ice, is included here).

DISC THREE:

Kapu
When a beautiful island girl witnesses a murder, Magnum finds himself protecting her and the old native ways of Forbidden Island as the killers try to catch up to them.

Missing Melody
T.C.'s past comes to haunt him when his daughter is kidnapped, and he attempts to sell his helicopter to raise the ransom.

Death of the Flowers
After a devastating fight at a florist, suspicion blooms in both Carol and Rick as they question whether their respective mentors may be involved in illegal affairs.

Autumn Warrior
It's survival of the fittest when Higgins takes a group of boys from prison camp for a weekend outdoors and somebody tries to sabotage the experience.

Murder by Night
Everything old is new again when Magnum takes on a 1940s mystery in this film-noir trip to the past.

DISC FOUR:

On the Fly
A case of mistaken identity has Magnum fighting back against two rival Mexican crime families who both want him dead.

Solo Flight
Alone on a mountaintop, Magnum begins to question his own judgment in a case and is almost killed while lost in reflection on his past.

Forty
With the big 4-0 looming around the corner, Magnum is concerned that the loss of his lucky $2 bill will hinder him in the investigation of a top-secret arms smuggling case.

Laura
Revenge is bittersweet when Magnum helps a retired New York police officer chase the two men who murdered his granddaughter.

DISC FIVE:

Out of Sync
The path of true love doesn't run smoothly when Magnum's plans with his on-again, off-again fiancée are ruined by an actress who wants his help in catching a porn director.

The Aunt Who Came to Dinner
Family matters command attention when Magnum's beloved Aunt Phoebe is convinced she's being followed by someone who wants to kill her.

The People vs. Orville Wright
Rick just can't seem to catch a lucky break when he is arrested for the murder of a hit man contracted to kill Icepick.

Limbo
When Magnum is trapped in a state between life and death, he struggles to save his ex-wife and break through to his friends before it is too late.

The DVD:

The Video:
The full frame, 1.33:1 transfers for Magnum P.I.: The Complete Seventh Season, are all over the place. Some episodes look bright and clear, while others, such as One Picture is Worth, look grainy and washed out. A decidedly mixed bag.

The Audio:
The Dolby Digital English 2.0 mono soundtrack accurately reflects the original television presentation. English subtitles and close-captions are available.

The Extras:
Two bonus featurettes are included here in the Magnum P.I.: The Complete Seventh Season disc set. First, a six minute Inside the Ultimate Crossover is included, with Angela Lansbury and other members of the production crew discussing the Magnum/Murder, She Wrote crossover episodes. And America's Top Sleuths, a thirty-minute promo reel made by Universal/NBC, is included (I believe this was already included on a previous Murder, She Wrote or Magnum set).

Final Thoughts:
Stronger than ever, Magnum P.I.: The Complete Seventh Season is a socko return to form for the primo 1980's detective series. Surprisingly reflective and downbeat at times, this intended final season of the series has a number of fan favorites, including the highly-charged final episode, where a deceased Magnum strolls out among the clouds (don't worry; he'll be back for Season Eight). There are still a lot of laughs and thrills in this contemplative season, taking Magnum through an emotional rollercoaster ride while serving up plenty of gun play and Magnum 'stache wriggling. One of the best seasons of the series. I highly recommend Magnum P.I.: The Complete Seventh Season.