Basket Case (3.15)

[Harold Farber]

I gave this one 7.5, but that's really pushing it to be honest.

The only thing more unrealistic than Higgins and Magnum replacing the antiques with replicas is the fact that we are supposed to believe that a 13yo kid (who obviously doesn't go to school often) is almost as well versed in antiques as Higgins.

Loved the basketball scenes and the 1-on-1 between TC and Magnum is brilliant.

[Macho Taco]

I recall seeing this episode when it first aired. All that my friends and I could talk about the next day was TM dunking in the one-on-one game! As young sports fans, it endeared us even more to TS. However, I do have to disagree with many of you who consider the actress that portrayed Willie to be a skilled basketball player. I would say she is adequate. Today, and probably then as well, you can find a girl with more basketball skill in just about every junior high school in the land.

As a long-time basketball coach, it bothers me immensely to see TM's players jumping off the wrong foot during their layup drill. Did anyone else catch this? Correcting this fundamental error should have been coach TM's first order of business. Maybe this is why TC's team is so heavily favored! Despite these minor details, I enjoyed the episode then and enjoy it just as much today.

[Croix de Lorraine]

I can't stand this episode or that Billy Ray Cyrus lookalike. It's the only episode I skip when I'm rewatching the show.

Impressive basketball skills by both Selleck and Mosley though. It's the only thing that comes close to redeeming this mess.

[MagnumILWU]

One of my favorites! I have such great memories of this episode. After watching it, I had to go out and buy, white, hi-top Pumas, and high white socks( which I still have!). I went to my local playground, and started playing a lot of basketball again! To me, it's just a fun episode. I'd watch this episode over so many others. Magnum to me, was always about fun, and those are the episodes I like the most! I see Basket Case in on Encore later today. That's what brought back this memory, and that's why I'll be shooting baskets later!

[KingKC]

The ratings on the episodes with children's issues never seem to be all that good. There are a lot of 7's for those shows and a few make it to 8.0 or maybe 8.1. That always puzzled me since I liked it when the guys took time out to take care of kids or be role models or whatever. Yes, I liked the one on one with TC and TM but I liked the whole show even better. The young actress, Dana Hill, who played Willie was well known in the 80's and early 90's. It was tragic she died so young.

KingKC

[Marilyn F]

This episode was very fun, mostly due to the fine acting of Dana Hill. The only thing that was left off was any resolution of Willie's situation (and her family) once her ne'er do well foster parents were caught stealing. Did Higgins call the police? We don't know if Willie was shipped off to another foster family or ended up in an orphanage. Neither of which conforms very well to the "happy ending" of most Magnum episodes. Perhaps someone realized this, so they just avoided the subject entirely.

[karolis]

A minor flub can be seen when Higgins is diagramming his floating-zone defense on the chalk board. The first shot you see of him diagramming it on the chalk board is not the same diagram we see when the camera cuts to a close-up of the diagram and we see a hand (presumably Higgins') completing the diagram with Magnum standing next to him.

Fake outside through the door is clearly seen one more time, just like in a few previous episodes, such as "Ki'i's Don't Lie" (3.3)



Same T.C.'s hat is seen in the second episode in a row (previously seen on "The Arrow That is Not Aimed" (3.14))






Notice dirty Magnums's hand from playing basketball:




Coops present: check




Here's Robin Master sign seen on the gate in this episode:



Here's Robin Masters sign seen on the gate in the reboot series:



Pretty close.


Season 3 Top up to this episode:

1. Black on White
2-3. Did You See the Sunrise?
4. Flashback
5. Off Sound Mind
6. The Eighth Part of the Village
7. The Arrow That is Not Aimed
8. Past Tense
9. Almost Home
10. Heal Thyself
11. Basket Case
12. Ki'i's Don't Lie
13. Mixed Doubles
14. Mr. White Death
15. Foiled Again

P.S. The episode is called "Basket Case", just like it would be paid work for Magnum. But Magnum himself done just a little investigation about his player without being asked.

[Stelth]

This one is on Cozi as I type. I rated it a "7". It has a lot against it to my way of thinking. I find "cutesy" kids annoying, I'm not a basketball fan, and I'd prefer a mystery or a crime story. That being said, Magnum P.I. is like the old saying: A bad day at the beach is better than a good day at work...meaning a bad Magnum episode is better than most of what's on TV. As an aside, every time I see Dana Hill it reminds me of this
https://youtu.be/fFXjLFlGm0k

[ENSHealy]

BASKET CASE
Hawaiian shirts: 1
Island Hopper shirts: 1
Body Count: 0
Shirtless: 0
Little Voice: 0
I know what you’re thinking: 0
When I write HTBAWCPI: 0
Investigator corrections: 0
Magnum injuries: 0
Higgins musings: 3
4th wall breaks: 1
Negotiations: 0
Famous guest stars: 1 – half point each for Dana Hill and William Schallert
Magnumometer: 7

Potential magnumania usernames: North African Anglo(s), Hong Kong Fishmonger

As with most of the commenters here, I enjoyed the basketball game between TC and TM more than anything else in this episode. I found the evil foster parents to be a bit over-the-top. Why wouldn't "Willie" and the others have just gone to the police if they didn't want to be forced into the cons? If she had enough free time to hang out at the library learning about Han Dynasty sculpture, clearly she could have dropped a dime on them at any point. But of course, that would derail the premise of the episode....

CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS*

It's lengthy, but this is classic Magnum/Higgins repartee:

Higgins: Magnum, l have reluctantly become accustomed to your incessant door-slamming, and l have learned to turn a deaf ear to your shouting like a Hong Kong fishmonger. But bouncing a basketball on Mr. Masters' imported tile floor is something l cannot and will not tolerate. Now please...stop.
Magnum: Gee I’m sorry, Higgins. l just came by to see if the uniforms had arrived.
Higgins: This morning.
Magnum: Did you have to pick red?
Higgins: l did not pick red. Mr. Masters picked red. l abhor red. l would have picked robin's egg blue. Mr. Masters felt that our team should be appropriately outfitted. But he specified red.
Magnum: Our team?
Higgins: Well, Mr. Masters is sponsoring the boys and will be following the game with keen interest. As his personal representative in the islands, l intend to do everything possible to assure our team's success.
Magnum: You? Higgins, l'm the coach, remember?
Higgins: Yes. Well, l've had a bit of experience on the basketball court myself.
Magnum: You…played?
Higgins: Yes. lt was late '42. North Africa. The Allies were preparing to take Tripoli. But what with the heat, the awful food and the malaria, the lads were in a very demoralized state.
Magnum: Higgins...
Higgins: So l decided to organize a diversion. Unfortunately, cricket was out of the question. But we managed to fashion a rudimentary basketball hoop.
Magnum: Out of a peach crate, right?
Higgins: Actually we used the lid of an old oil drum. As luck would have it, we had two superb American players with us. Ernie ''Set Shot'' McElroy and a lad from Kentucky, R. ''Duke'' Gilberry.
Magnum: The R. ''Duke'' Gilberry?
Higgins: Quite. ln a matter of days, l had managed to learn the game and I organized a British team. We called ourselves the North African Anglos.
Magnum: (Giggles)
Higgins: By the time we marched into Tripoli, we'd managed to give the Yanks a thorough flogging on several occasions.
Magnum: What's that?
Higgins: That's an ingenious defense l created while coaching the Anglos.
Magnum: l told you, l am the coach and l do not need an antiquated World War 2 defense.
Higgins: According to Rick, you need all the help you can get if you’re to win. Now, l originally called this a sphere defense but l believe it's known as the floating zone these days. Are you familiar with it?

*If anyone is wondering, the title of this section is a tongue-in-cheek reference to a HORRIBLE corporate training class I was forced to attend.

[ENSHealy]

BASKET CASE
Hawaiian shirts: 1
Island Hopper shirts: 1
Body Count: 0
Shirtless: 0
Little Voice: 0
I know what you’re thinking: 0
When I write HTBAWCPI: 0
Investigator corrections: 0
Magnum injuries: 0
Higgins musings: 3
4th wall breaks: 1
Negotiations: 0
Famous guest stars: 1 – half point each for Dana Hill and William Schallert
Magnumometer: 7

Potential magnumania usernames: North African Anglo(s), Hong Kong Fishmonger

UPDATE = 3.15 BASKET CASE
Famous guest stars: 1 – half point each for Dana Hill and William Schallert
Hawaiian shirts: 1 dark blue with white and purple flowers
Tigers Cap: 1
Island Hopper shirts: 1 black tank with white logo
Shirtless:
OMG/Extraordinarys: 1
Higgins Organizations:
Higgins musings: 4
Negotiations:
Body Count:
Bullet wounds:
Little Voice:
I know what you’re thinking:
When I write HTBAWCPI:
Investigator corrections:
4th wall breaks: 1
Magnumometer: 10
Magnumometer Moments: https://vimeo.com/380390112

Potential magnumania usernames: North African Anglos, Kareem Abdul Magnum, Carlton Houghtailing, Lieutenant Favisham, Cousin Alistair, Cousin Eunice

The Episode Guide notes "The rarely seen Robin's Nest dining room set is used." I don't believe that is correct. They are dining on the patio off Higgins' study, not in a/the dining room. If memory serves, the "patio dining" area moves around a bit. Sometimes it is off the study, sometimes off the main sitting room. Off the top of my head, I can't say for sure if we ever actually see a truly indoor dining room at the estate?

[K Hale]

I think the only time the indoor dining room appears is in “The Big Blow.” And perhaps briefly in the pilot, but of course that’s not the soundstage.

[WaialuaSugarBar]

From what I've read, Dana Hill's dad directed t.v. commercials. Perhaps she got her athleticism and learned basketball from her mother, for despite one commenter here, she certainly has good hoops skills. Good on the casting folks to identify someone of her skills in regards to both basketball and acting. Might anyone be able to shed light on her sports background? (The link to the People magazine article alluded to earlier in this thread is no longer active.)

For what it's worth, I thought this was a solid entry. The kid-centric aspect doesn't bother me a bit. As Higgins says (to paraphrase), there's something about the pitter-pat/trample of children's feet to make a home feel alive. And the scene where they're hosting Willie for dinner and allow her a half-glass of wine is not creepy... unusual, perhaps... o.k., a little weird in the sense that they really don't know who her parents are and whether they would approve (... or do they?), but it's still not creepy. The vibe I got from it was that adults would allow children who are coming of age a small amount of wine in order to train them/ accustom them to the feeling of alcohol, kind of like the deleterious effects of mushrooms in a basement after six to fourteen days....

Ahem... The part about Higgie-baby and TM swapping out Robin's Nest's art and artifacts in anticipation of the arrival of the foster care burglars... weakest part of the episode. And perhaps they could have explained Willie's impressive knowledge of antiques (was it just because she was fencing for her burglar foster parents, or did she have some interest/background?) Other than that, quite solid, very enjoyable, and adds to the canon, story, and characters in positive ways.

Aloha!

[ENSHealy]

I think the only time the indoor dining room appears is in “The Big Blow.” And perhaps briefly in the pilot, but of course that’s not the soundstage.

I'm curious if this is the room you are thinking of from the pilot? It looks more like a pool room/bar.

[ENSHealy]

And the scene where they're hosting Willie for dinner and allow her a half-glass of wine is not creepy... unusual, perhaps... o.k., a little weird in the sense that they really don't know who her parents are and whether they would approve (... or do they?), but it's still not creepy. The vibe I got from it was that adults would allow children who are coming of age a small amount of wine in order to train them/ accustom them to the feeling of alcohol, kind of like the deleterious effects of mushrooms in a basement after six to fourteen days....

Granted, I grew up in Wisconsin, where they give brandy to newborns, but this was a common practice when I was growing up in the 70s and early 80s. Didn't seem odd to me at all,