Ki'i's Don't Lie

Episode Number: 43
Season Number: 3.3
Air Date: 10/7/1982
Writers: Philip DeGuere, Bob Shayne
Director: Lawrence Doheny
Producer: Douglas Green
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Guest Stars

Jameson Parker (A.J. Simon), Gerald McRaney (Rick Simon), Morgan Fairchild (Catherine Hailey), Liam Sullivan (Harold Sands), Branscombe Richmond (Gerald Akoa), Gillian Dobb (Mabel), Ron Wood (Attendant)

Episode Brief

Magnum's security services for an antique auction are tested by San Diego-based P.I.'s A.J and Rick Simon's task to steal back a Ki'i - which seems to carry a death curse - for its previous owner who feels his declining health will improve if it's returned to its origin.

Rating

8.3

(50 votes)

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Notes

¹ This episode is the first part of a special "crossover story" with the Simon & Simon (1981-1988), which concludes in the episode "Emeralds Are Not a Girl's Best Friend". The episodes originally aired back-to-back on the same night. The crossover episodes were an effort on CBS' part to boost ratings for Simon & Simon, which included moving the show to a new time slot immediately after Magnum P.I. on Thursday nights. Simon & Simon's ratings improved dramatically after the Magnum P.I. crossover story and time slot change.

² There are actually two different versions of this episode - the original broadcast version and the syndication version. The syndicated version is a stand-alone episode with a different ending (Catherine Hailey is caught at the airport before she flees to South America). The syndicated version allows this episode to be shown in syndication without having to view the Simon & Simon episode.

³ After being blown up in the previous episode, the Ferrari 308 GTS is back, with no mention of it by anybody. Robin must have simply replaced it.

⁴ Branscombe Richmond (Gerald Akoa) makes his second appearance on the show. He will appear in 5 episodes total.

⁵ The opening scene at Harold Sands' antique store was shot on location at the Century Plaza Towers in Century City, Los Angeles. (Noted by rubber chicken)

⁶ Gillian Dobb has a small role in this episode as Mabel. In a very short time, Gillian will begin her role as the recurring character Agatha Chumley, starting with "Black on White" (3.6).

⁷ Gerald McRaney (Rick Simon) will appear with Tom Selleck in the critically acclaimed 2004 television movie Ike: Countdown to D-Day.

⁸ Morgan Fairchild (Catherine Hailey) appeared with Tom Selleck in the 1979 television movie The Concrete Cowboys.

⁹ T.C. wears his blue and white Hughes Helicopters baseball cap for the first time.

¹⁰ For many years, the IMDB (and other sources) incorrectly credited Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood as appearing in this episode (as Attendant), as well as three other Magnum P.I. episodes. The correct Ron Wood was added to the IMDB in 2007.

Quotes

¹
T.C.: Mention what? What did Orville do?
Magnum: Oh, it's something that happened in Saigon, but I promised Rick I would never mention it again....What was that snake lady's name again?
Rick: That's not fair Thomas! That's really not fair!
T.C.: What's not fair?
Rick: It's personal.
Magnum: It's funny, you know. It's kinda like what happened to you [T.C.] that time in Madame Woo's...With that sword-swallower from the Lotus festival?!
T.C.: Ahh...(startled look)

²
Higgins: Magnum! The look on your face is even more vacuous than usual. You've failed havn't you?

Flubs

¹ When Magnum jumps the wall (and falls) to tell Higgins about Catherine, Higgins' mouth is seen yelling at Magnum with no sound. Then a few seconds later the camera is on Higgins and you can see what he was really saying. It looks like the same shot shown again from a different camera angle. (Noted by John M.)

² In the scene where Rick, A.J. and Harold are casing the estate, when Rick looks through his binoculars at the front gate, the film has been flipped. (Noted by Sam)

³ At the end of the episode, when Magnum and T.C. are in the chopper, the cursed Ki'i doll falls out of the box and the chopper's engine starts to fail. T.C. says the fuel mixture was "too rich". This would apply to a piston aircraft, but not one with a turbine engine like T.C.'s!
(Noted by mc25a)

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