Season 2 Episode 20: A Leopard on the Prowl (2.20)

[KENJI]

Just a title at this point.

[Laohu]

Magnum and Higgins help Rick when his father figure, Icepick, just out of prison and battling terminal cancer, gets double crossed on one last score. Also, Magnum makes one last bold move to help Higgins stay in the country.
Ian Anthony Dale from Hawaii 50 will guest star .

[KENJI]

It appears this season finale episode will air back to back on May 8th with episode 19. I'm guessing they will leave us hanging in some form on the "marriage"/visa storyline.

[KENJI]

Promo for the 2hr show (back to back episodes).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZQHIgHiJBM

Check out the COOPS beer truck!!!

[KENJI]

A few clips from the double header coming up..........

The first one starts off from Season 1 Episode 1......keep watching for the tie in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLCiC2RW5Xc

TM and Higgins bickering like a married couple. One gets a sense TM's nose is out of joint from the "engagement" being called off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgPMlfkZAKQ

Fight scene.....How can the big guy punch Juliette in the face and NOT leave a bruise or cut?
I guess she has carbon fiber skin......thank goodness......a bruise would look bad in a "wedding" pic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK5liFDcfIs

Rick dancing at the bar before opening.....one of his customers is discovered passed out -for good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKVDxVjhqB0

I posted these clips in S.2 Ep.19 too.

[KENJI]

I wasn't expecting this ending where Robin works a loophole by signing over Robin's Nest, it's contents and staff (including Magnum) to Higgins so she can stay in the country. Juliette even jokes about changing the plates on the Ferrari from Robin-2 to Higgins-2. I can't say it was the greatest ending, but maybe it sets up Season 3 with a few interesting storylines.

Okay the main eye roller in this one was Higgins driving the Ferrari in reverse while threading the needle between cars to catch up to the Coop's Beer truck. She finally spins the car around and goes forward, cutting off the rig. There was no real reason why she was in reverse, why not spin the car around earlier, that or give us a reason why.....i.e the Ferrari gears were damaged and only reverse works.....something like that.

Did anyone else catch that quick CGI shot of the lads growling at Magnum? It was just a spit second, but it was terrible and again there was no real reason for doing it. The scene continues with the actual dogs growling at him. I don't get why they did that.

The Ferrari was riddled with bullet holes in this episode.....if anyone is counting damage to the Ferrari.

Robin flies into the estate via T.C.'s chopper, but of course we don't see him which carries over from the original series.

[Laohu]

Hi Kenji , there was fluid comeing out from under the Car to show you it was damaged and Higgins does try to drive it going forward and only when that does not work does she try it in reverse. Over the top ? Yes I will give you that but a race between a Ferrari and a beer truck would not be much of a race .

[KENJI]

Hi Kenji , there was fluid comeing out from under the Car to show you it was damaged and Higgins does try to drive it going forward and only when that does not work does she try it in reverse. Over the top ? Yes I will give you that but a race between a Ferrari and a beer truck would not be much of a race .

Thanks for the filling me in on the reason for the reverse scene Laohu!
For whatever reason our recording jumped right over that part!!!! I'll record it on another channel and see if it pops up there.....very strange. I was looking at the screen and thinking this makes no sense. It's still over the top, but I'll give it a one eye roll because of the transmission damage. Yes, not much of a race between the two when both are facing the right way, but a rig can get moving when up to speed and I would actually bet on the rig if the Ferrari was in reverse and the rig had a head start. Driving in reverse at 50mph+ with traffic all around would not be an easy task at all. I know the writers wanted to spice it up, but I would've preferred Higgins doing some crazy driving in forward gears catching up to the rig that had a head start, but that's just my opinion.

What did you think of the ending (great, okay, flat....etc.)?

[Laohu]

If I had to give one word for the ending I would say “ interesting “ . I give the writers credit for thinking outside the box and hopefully setting up good stories for next year . I can’t say the ending was a home run but it was ok and possibly a good set for going forward . At the end of next year my guess is that Higgins will get what she needs to stay in the country with out owning Robins nest and sign it all back over to Robin . What would you think about Higgins becoming a American citizen ?

[KENJI]

If I had to give one word for the ending I would say “ interesting “ . I give the writers credit for thinking outside the box and hopefully setting up good stories for next year . I can’t say the ending was a home run but it was ok and possibly a good set for going forward . At the end of next year my guess is that Higgins will get what she needs to stay in the country with out owning Robins nest and sign it all back over to Robin . What would you think about Higgins becoming a American citizen ?

Yeah we are basically on the same page.......it was ok, but a bit disappointing too, but like we both said it could be interesting going forward. Totally agree that Robin will get the Nest and contents back down the road. He signed over an estate/business that is in the multi millions....far exceeding the $500,000 business needed, a great friend to have your back, but I think it pushes the mysterious Robin out of the picture too much by signing everything over to her. I think Juliette is the strong independent type and will do the right thing and sign it back over....kind of like not getting "married" too....she didn't want to be forced down that road so she stood up for herself and was willing to be deported which shows strength. I don't think she will become an American citizen. She is a proud Brit and will hold onto that, but maybe the writers don't feel the same way....time will tell. I was thinking of a few other storylines the writers might look at...... Juliette and Thomas build their p.i. partnership into a $500,000 business with 5 employees.....TC, Rick, Kumu, Shammy and Gordie as they basically "work" for them right now (no idea what they would have to pay them to make it legit in the governments eyes). I hope that doesn't happen as the status quo makes more sense plus I think they need Gordon to stay a cop to give them more access to case info.....hmmm, unless Tanaka comes back into the fold, but that would add one too many characters in my opinion. Maybe the storyline has Juliette struggling with this hand out/gift and the strain it has on her friendships with her now employees, Kumu and especially Thomas, picking them over the stuff which is more Magnum like. The pi business would have to be making enough to keep her in the country though. How about this one......Juliette hires some of the HFO team to make the 5 employee minimum, but that would again add too many characters to the fold, plus I would think they would make more with HFO, (hmmmm, unless the Governor disbands HFO after Steve McGarrett left and flew off into the sunset). Maybe they keep the storyline simple after all and she does get her citizenship. I'm not liking what I'm coming up with, but it's early in the morning and the brain is misfiring like the Ferrari was in this episode!!! Anyone else have a brainstorming idea on what route the writers might go?? We kind of know their style of writing which is not my favorite....maybe they take it up a few notches in season 3....again, time will tell.

[KENJI]

I did find the missing piece of the Ferrari in reverse scene on another channel. It's still over the top, but way better than the first take I watched!!!
Thanks again for filling me in Laohu.

I'm starting to see a pattern in the car department......first the Supra was going around in reverse and now the Ferrari.

[Laohu]

Lol different drivers but maybe Thomas driving the Supra backwards gave Higgins the idea to put the Ferrari in reverse and drive like a mad women when the car would not go forward .

[KENJI]

Lol different drivers but maybe Thomas driving the Supra backwards gave Higgins the idea to put the Ferrari in reverse and drive like a mad women when the car would not go forward .

She's definitely a competitive one and drove circles around Magnum's reverse skills with her own display....even if it was over the top.

[Steve]

Coops...Established in 1917...Who knew? Think of the marketing possibilities having a new beer for returning WW1 vets facing the Spanish Flu epidemic...

"Got the poops, drink Coops"

[Laohu]

I really enjoyed the Rick /Ice Pick part of the show . Corbin Bernsen makes a great Ice Pick and the writers are giving both Rick and T.C. more screen time and it is working out well . Magnum trying to control the Lads was a fun scene and Higgins’s O my god at the end of it was her most convincing yet .
There was a lot of good in this episode.