The Ugliest Dog in Hawaii (1.8)

[TankTop44]

I think I put this in the wrong spot earlier, but I just finished this episode and while I enjoyed it, I thought the chase scene through the banana field and the dock went a little long. I will have to go back and watch for the dog magically getting into the Jimmy.

[Jay-Firestorm]

Another day, another review. People either love or loathe this one, but personally I like it.

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[TV.com rating=9.5; Another great instalment]

Higgins persuades Magnum to protect a socialite's quarantined dog, which for some reason an aging mobster is determined to dognap. Soon, Magnum and a quarantine inspector, and the dog, are on the run from the mobster and his cronies. A goofy but fun ep...

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The previous episodes 'No Need to Know', 'Skin Deep' and 'Never Again... Never Again' were all quite serious affairs; here things let up with this silly but likable light-hearted story.

(As has already been commented), this is probably the sort of episode you’ll either love or hate. Personally, although it is indeed very silly, I quite like it. Not one of my all time favourite MPI episodes, but one that I can easily sit through time and again and enjoy.
For all its goofiness, I find the episode enjoyably daft, and it is a testament to the quality of the first season that it comes off as well as it does. (If it had been from late seasons of the show, it would probably just be a forgettable ep at best).

There are a few firsts in this episode: We see T.C.'s Island Hoppers Volkswagen van for the first time; Magnum wears his Detroit Tigers cap for the first time (he would be a Tigers fan throughout the series), and, most notably of all, Mike Post and Pete Carpenter's more familiar theme for the show is heard for the first time, first in the in-episode score, and then on the closing credits. And just in case you didn't hear it the first time, the end credits loop the theme over and over and OVER again!
The theme would be heard on closing credits until it was added on the opening credits from 'Thicker than Blood' onwards in a few episodes time.

We also get to see the GMC Jimmy, Robin 3, in action for the first time. It had been seen in the background in 'No Need to Know', but this episode is the first time we see it being driven.

Although his raspy voice becomes a little annoying at times, I like Michael V. Gazzo as aging mobster Victor DiGorgio, infuriated by his younger relations' more modern ways of being a mobster (!). Of course, many of these 'modern' ways are themselves dated all these years later – for example, one of them sits outside typing up finances on a very dated typewriter; it would be a laptop nowadays!

I also like Shawn Hoskins as Sharon, who – in typical humour of the series – is a dog inspector who is afraid of dogs!

I find the plot, although silly, to still be an engaging one, especially as Magnum and Sharon are pursued through the banana growing fields. Unlike some later episodes, the pace doesn’t let up and sag at any point.

Also to look out for are the end credits, which include a few outtakes from filming – I would have loved to have seen such outtakes on more episodes.

This episode is unlikely make anyone's Top 10 favourite episodes, but for what it is – a silly, humorous story – it's a fun watch, and a nice change from some of the more serious tales of the season.

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Other notes, bloopers and misc.

* On the opening trailer, there is a shot of the mobsters firing from their Sedan at the Jimmy, but no gunshot sound effect is heard.

* On the DVD of this episode, the first commercial break does not have a gap (i.e. plays right through to the next scene). All subsequent commercial breaks have the gap.

* In the scene where Zeus and Apollo leap out of the back of the van, we hear Higgins’ voice command “Now, lads”. This is clearly dubbed on in post-production, and Higgins is nowhere to be seen in the rest of the sequence.

* As mentioned above, this is the first episode where we see T.C.’s van (as well as the first mention of his baseball team), the first episode where Thomas is seen wearing his Detroit Tigers cap, and, of course, the first time the regular theme is heard.

[Jaybird]

Carol,
I think you are correct. I'd bet the studio added the scene to avoid catching grief. I was in the Navy and served in 'Nam' as a helicopter pilot and I cannot envision anyone that was over there making a big deal out of it. That whole scene was a classic. One recurring character trait....TM can talk himself out of just about any situation (con artist?) whether it is to avoid conflict or gather info. Then there is TC as the straight guy saying, in essence, " Look at what a fine mess you've gotten us into!" Right out of Laurel and Hardy.

I also thought the ending was excellent. Just why was Michael Gazzo trying to capture the dog? $4mm, that's why!

Again, I'll say it! It is so much fun to revisit these episodes months or years after seeing one for the first time. They are just as enjoyable or maybe more so!

[Higgy_baby]

Again, I'll say it! It is so much fun to revisit these episodes months or years after seeing one for the first time. They are just as enjoyable or maybe more so!

I second that Jaybird. I missed the early years in first run (and I've been kicking myself since 1986 when I finally started to watch). I've since watched about half of them in early syndication. Years later I am now slowly going through the early DVDs and on occasion, savoring each episode that is still 'NEW' to me. It'll be a sad day when I can no longer look forward to any new episodes.

Flub note for James:
While the old mobster shoots through the door on the pier, TC comes to the rescue. As the chopper lands, an empty concrete helipad is visible. Magnum and Sharon then board the chopper on an ashphalt section further up the pier. The copter in then seen taking off from the square concrete pad.

It's interesting how many of these continuity flubs get through on the edit table. This one isn't even sublte as the shots are back to back with nothing between to distract you.

[SelleckLover]

Agatha wrote:

I'm a dog lover and always get a kick out of why people feel that they need to be "afraid" of dogs.

I am also a dog lover. I have owned, taken care of, and loved many dogs in my life. I was never "afraid" of dogs before this past February, just 4 weeks after my open heart surgery. I was in the elevator of our building and rode up with my next door neighbor and her dog. I was making small talk about the weather when her dog decided to attack me in the elevator!! This attack was not provoked by me in any way. I never even as much as made eye contact with this mean nasty dog! Well, I ended up in the emergency room because I couldn't get the bleeding stopped because of all the blood thinners I'm taking! I got a tetanus shot, and had to take oral antibiotics plus pay for an ER visit! I now avoid all dogs because I never know if this will happen again. BTW, I asked this person to pay for my medical expenses and she REFUSED! I didn't want to have to do it, but I had to threaten to take her to small claims court to recoup my expenses. She finally paid, but made me sign a paper that stated that she did nothing wrong!!! Wow, I guess people don't want to take responsibility anymore. Animal control told me that if her dog bites one more person they are taking the dog away from her. In my case, my past experience has made me afraid of dogs I don't know.

[Higgy_baby]

Wow, I guess people don't want to take responsibility anymore.

Isn't that the sad truth these days.

n my case, my past experience has made me afraid of dogs I don't know.

Most people I know that fear dogs were bitten at some point.

[N1095A]

I was bitten on the face by my own dog once.

[SelleckLover]

N1095A wrote:

I was bitten on the face by my own dog once.

Yikes N1095A! Sorry to hear that. That sounds worse than what happened to me...I just got my right leg chewed up.

[Agatha]

So sorry you had a bad experience, SelleckLover! You're probably smart to be a bit wary of dogs because of your health issues AND because you're right...people don't want to take responsibility. And the dog gets blamed. I know that the dog is the one who attacked you but dogs who are well trained and handled by responsible owners DON'T attack people. I guess that's a broad generalization...but I'm really believe that they're WAY less likely to!

One of the dogs in our Visiting program...Miniature Poodle...was attacked by a Rottweiler. Lucy's vet bills were into the thousands of dollars and the Rottie's owner was furious that my friends would spend THAT kind of money on a dog! Of course, that's because the court ruled that he had to pick up the tab. Maybe next time he won't let his Rottie run loose on the Capitol Campus! Hello? And even that makes me mad because I know several really sweet Rotties...who have owners that care enough about them to teach them to be sweet!! This jerk is one of the reasons that Rotties have a bad reputation.

It's kind of frustrating some days but the bottom line is that whatever my dog does...happens because I either did or didn't do...something!! Damn!

[SelleckLover]

I don't blame the dog either...I blame the owner for not controlling her dog. She's quite elderly and rides in a scooter.

[Agatha]

That's a hard one then...she may be past the place (age and/or health) where she should really have a dog...but doesn't want to be without him/her.

Sigh. Seems like nothing's ever easy...

I'm just glad that you're OK!

[SelleckLover]

Awww...thanks Agatha.

[Dewey]

This episode was funny. The re runs are on tv here in Southern Ca. I remember as a kid my mom watching this show and love it now. Anyways, I love the scene were the one mobster stops to blot his leg with a towel and there is no blood. Just a hole in his pants.
Also, I m going to have to buy the DVD's, the bloopers were cut out of the reruns ending.

[MACattack]

The villains were so dumb in this episode. Either they stayed in that reefer 'patch' too long, or they were played by bad actors.

[J.J. Walters]

Here's an amusing flub that I'm surprised no one else has noticed before. And that includes me (even though I really havn't spotted all that many flubs), because I didn't notice it either.

Towards the end (when Steve and Mitch run Rick's white van off the road), Steve jumps in Rick's van, hijacks him at gunpoint, and says "...follow that car" (an Oldsmobile Cutlass-type car). The van follows the car, but in two separate aerial shots, the car is following the van, not the other way around!




Thanks Giuseppe!