Magnum Mania!

China Doll

Episode ID: 3
Episode Number: 1.3
Air Date: 12/18/1980
Writer: Donald P. Bellisario
Director: Donald P. Bellisario
Producer: J. Rickley Dumm
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Recurring Characters

Remi Abellira (Moki)

Guest Stars

Susie Elene (Mai Ling), George Cheung (Choi), Yankee Chang (Han Ling), Lee de Broux (Duffy), Roland Nip (Pin Ling), Marvin Wong (Ho Ling)

Plot Outline

Magnum is hired by a beautiful Chinese antiques dealer to protect an ancient vase known as 'The Soul of Soong' until its buyer arrives in Hawaii to collect it. What he doesn't know is that the vase is also wanted by a Tong gang and a deadly martial arts assasin who will stop at nothing to get it for them.

Rating

8.5 (19 votes) MM Episode Forum Thread & Poll

Notes

1 This episode won a 1981 Edgar Award for Best Television Episode.

2 There are several noticeable differences between the "Pilot Movie" and this episode, the first official episode of the series:

• The license plate on the Ferrari is now 'ROBIN1' (instead of '56E-478') and will remain so for the rest of the series. Oddly, the '56E-478' license plate will also continue to be seen for the rest of the series, in the opening title sequence (the "ferrari glance" shot, from the "Pilot Movie").
• The interior of the main house at Robin's Nest has changed significantly - the "Pilot Movie" was shot inside the real estate, but starting with this episode, soundstage sets will be used from now on (the Higgins study/office set is used for the first time here).
• Rick now runs the King Kamehameha Club, with no explanation given as to what happened to his glitzy discotheque (Rick's Café Americain, aka "The Snow Palace") from the "Pilot Movie".

3 In the opening credits, after Tom Selleck's starring credit, the credit before John Hillerman's name is listed as 'co-starring'. Starting with "Skin Deep" (1.6), this will change to 'also starring'.

4 Magnum wears his Detroit Tigers baseball cap for the first time!

5 The famous Magnum "look back" shot [pic] is seen at the end of this episode. There are actually two different "look backs" in the same scene. In the first one, he turns his head to the right (this is the one used in the opening title sequence for all seasons). In the second one, he turns his head to the left.

6 Magnum is trilingual - He speaks English, French and Vietnamese. The French part will be contradicted in "Little Girl Who" (7.7), where it's clear that Magnum does not speak French.

7 Waikiki Beach, Kapiolani Park, the beach at the Outrigger Canoe Club, and the Manoa Chinese Cemetery in the Manoa Valley are used as filming locations. The cemetary is home to Chang Apana, the real life inspiration for Charlie Chan. [map]

8 Chinese enforcer Choi (George Cheung) lays some serious hurt on the main characters. T.C. suffers some "busted ribs" and a broken collar bone after tangling with Choi one-on-one. At the end of the episode, Choi throws a Shuriken (a throwing star) at Magnum, which lodges in the back of his right hand! Ouch! Magnum also suffers a bruised left knee. Choi was no match for Magnum's .45, however.

9 When Magnum returns to the graveyard to search for the buried vase, pay attention to the soundtrack. Twice, for no apparent reason, the "bionic" sound from The Six Million Dollar Man can be heard in the background. Magnum is not jumping when the sound occurs, he's simply walking. During the second one, he almost seems startled by it! (Noted by Shermy)

10 The couple that take a ride with Magnum and T.C. in the chopper is the same couple that is turned down by Rick for a pedicab ride (while he waits for Choi to arrive). (Noted by seahawks1)

11 In 1962 in Cairo, Higgins was briefly attached to the British Museum there and learned a thing or two about repairing vases.

Quotes

1
(to Ho Ling)
Magnum: Hi, Ho!
(makes funny face, looks at camera)

2
Rick: What do you think this is, Guys and Dolls?

3
T.C.: I'm going to Lucky's for a beer! (T.C. doesn't become a teetotaler until later in Season 1)

Flubs

1 Early in the episode, the male relative that Mai Ling runs the Treasures of the Dove antique shop with is refered to by Magnum as (her) Uncle Ho, but later he is refered to as Cousin Ho.

2 The scar that was seen on Magnum's left shoulder in the "Pilot Movie" is nowhere to be seen in this episode. The scar will return (and disappear again) in future episodes.

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