lutherhgillis wrote:To add to the flub about the choppers being different, you can see that the FAA ID number on the top side of one chopper is N5034A and the other is clearly N1095A. Also, the 500C has no FAA ID on the bottom in large white type like the 500D which clearly had the N1095A.
How sure are we that one helicopter was shown as N5034A? According to the FAA, this registration has apparently belonged to a Cessna 172 (a very common small fixed-wing airplane model) since 1956*! If both are true, this would mark the first known time in the show that an aircraft displayed a fictitious registration.
*Additional note: This is only the 35th Cessna 172 built. The Cessna 172 is one of the most popular models ever, with over 43,000 built so far.
I don't see N5034A anywhere in this, or any, episode. N1095A and N58243 are featured in this episode.
N58243 is the chopper that crashed during the filming of "Skin Deep", so the brief clips of it in this episode must be re-used stock footage. N58243 is also the number on the refurbished 'Magnum Chopper' that flies out of Turtle Bay (Paradise Helicopters).
I liked the concept and the idea behind this episode. I did not like the execution of it. It was almost like someone told the writer to have an episode where the guys have to find Rick who is danger, but make it a comedy episode and the writer didn't know how to do it. It was all over the map with things that had potential, things that made no sense, and things that were just bad.
The opening on the yacht was a bit confusing since we didn't know whom all was with Rick or whom it was boarding the yacht. The character of Gordon was absolutely horrible. He'd go back and forth between the John Wayne impersonation for no real apparent reason. He does things that would get an actual police officer fired immediately without reason or consequence. The scene where they are looking at slides really bothered me. They were trying to get as much information as they could so they could find Rick alive, but they were playing it for laughs. They didn't seem to care that it was the only leads they had regardless how bad the pictures were. It's like Thomas and TC were treating Rick being missing like a game of hide and seek where there wasn't any danger. The part where Higgins brought the young lady, Lily, to the estate to ask her for that favor went no where in this or any other episode and really made no sense whatsoever. It was like they were short on time and did this scene to make it work time wise without it affecting the rest of the show. I also found it odd that Gordon had been able to get on the island to set up his sound system and wasn't caught yet Magnum and TC were caught in seconds.
I liked the premise of the show where it's Rick mssing and they have to find him based on almost no clues whatsoever. I also liked how they tied Rick's past into why he had taken out some sketchy people on the club's yacht. I think the Gordon character would've worked better as a private investigator or personal security that was mentally off rather than a cop. It just doesn't seem logical the department would keep someone like that, but if he had PTSD and was able to get by enough to work in the private sector I could see it. The part where Higgins had relocated someone to Hawaii when he was in the British service could have been a good thing to revisit. There was an episode or two that they could've pulled out of it for sure.
This episode never stands out to me as being a really good one but it also isn't bad either in my opinion, and I gave it a 7.5. Gordon K was pretty silly but I thought the actor made it bearable (as long as you know it is coming and to expect how dumb it is, the first time I watched this one I absolutely HATED him lol). A few things that stood out:
- Is it just me or is Carol pretty hot in this one? No gray hair and she seemed to be dressed better than usual. Anway, just something I noticed.
- I loved how Rick saw the writing on the wall and got off that boat, those guys clearly wern't fooling around and were going to kill everyone on board.
- Is that a new room where they watch Carol's projector and then have the planning meeting with the chalkboard trying to figure the situation out? I'm not sure that I've seen it before but now that I think about it, it could be the room from "Photo Play" where Higgins is watching his snooker tournament. It sure looks a lot like it but I can't say for sure.
- That fights scene on the rooftop was RIDICULOUSLY funny! The whole scene is pretty cheesy for a show that usually did a very solid job on fight scenes. And if they had only pushed Gordan a little farther off the building..........totally kidding. He was very ridiculous and somewhat annoying but I wouldn't have wanted him to fall off the building, he wasn't that bad!
Anyway, not a very memorable or significant episode but not all that bad either. Just one that kind of comes and goes and fades back into season 6, which is a season I happen to like. There are far better ones from this season that make it a solid season in my opinion.
I rather liked this episode, even with the parts where Rick was in it (found him annoying at times not as much as Agatha or some of the female actresses on the show such as the one who fantasized about Magnum being a character she made). Honestly I felt he was believable as a police officer yeah its obvious he's not someone who will do things by the book and that he quotes John Wayne and wants to make a name for himself, lots of people do heck Magnum tried acting like Mrs. Marble in order to solve a case and that was kinda annoying.
Personally I would've loved to see more episodes with Gordon in them like maybe more serious ones where it shows why he did quote the Duke all the time. Maybe the childhood hero. To me I'd give it the 10 rating but that's just again me.
I think the only thing memorable about this show was the John Wayne wannabe's impersonations. I didn't say he was good or that the episode was good...I just said he made it memorable.
Contrasted to other episodes, I didn't think the characters showed a believable concern or urgency for a friend who was missing - other than the trip to the morgue. It's like everyone was going on about their business. You would think they would think Rick was dead and had been tossed overboard (which I have to ask why not do that with the other bodies).
I can hardly stand this episode or the irritating John Wayne guy. So much about it made no sense. Its only redeeming feature is the slideshow scene where they are laughing at the bad pictures. And yes I think that was the same room that the satellite TV was in.
I didn't realize you were so addicted to pool. It's not pool. Billiards. Snooker! Snucker. SNOOKER!
I too must have blocked out this episode since I had only seen it once before. I also misremembered it as a "Higgins being stranded" episode, having confused it with "Autumn Warrior".
Katsumoto as a character is not the best fit here, given how episodes like "Under World" treated its plot with far less comic relief. He fares much better in "A.A.P.I" (where even he plays "straight man" to Luther Gillis ).
The hotel "on the west shore" that Carol referred to is actually the Ilikai Hotel, near the Ala Wai Boat Harbor. Note the distinctive blue decks, noticeably different from the decks of the Waikiki Beach Hotel, which was the actual location for the rooftop fight.
It will show up again as an exterior location for the P.I. convention in "A.A.P.I.".
I still really enjoy this episode and don't find the John Wayne character to be as grating as some here do. They probably went a little too easy on the girl though, considering she already knew about the location of the island the first time Magnum and "John" visited. All in all, a nice little story wrapped up neatly with a lot of camaraderie shown among the main cast.
My favorite part is when Carol is showing the photos of the supposed gangsters:
"Which one is he?"
"The one in the back, with the hat on."
"I forgot my loincloth and spear." - Luther H. Gillis
I just watched this episode this morning (my three times a week stationary bike workout) and found it fun if you didn't think too hard. I also picked up on a funny coincidence... the name of the lead guest actress, Jenny Sherman (quite easy on the eyes despite the typical 80's shoulder pads and make-up by the pound) was the name of the Hawaii five O secretary in the original series for much of it's run.
You guys summed this one up well, I rated it "7.5" this time around. My DVD S6d4 skips a bit on this episode and the previous one so I missed a few seconds of the action (didn't see Rick after his boat was boarded etc).
Not very good but yes memorable, potential cult favorite, hey memorable is better than forgettable!
A few things before I leave:
Why is Carol pretty hot in this episode? (I usually don't care for her)
Jenny Sherman is a babe, even in the 80's garb
TC's chopper takes off to see Rick with short skids and the skids miraculously grow while flying out to sea!
Why do I have amnesia about ever having seen this living room set before?
Nha Trang
Last edited by nha trang on Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:18 am, edited 1 time in total.