A.A.P.I. (7.5)

[J.J. Walters]

This is the official MM thread for A.A.P.I. (7.5). All discussions and reviews for this episode should go here. If you wish to rate the episode, please do so with the poll. The avg. score will be the official 'community rating', which will be used on the episode page (updated monthly).

This thread is also linked in the episode page of the Episode Guide.

Original Air Date: 10/22/1986
It's time for celebrations and sleuthing when a murder occurs as Magnum is receiving the "Local P.I. of the Year Award".

[Jean-Claude Fornier]

I hate it.
This is the episode where Jean-Claude is poisoned ...

[J.J. Walters]

LOL Jean-Claude!

This one is a thoroughly enjoyable, light-hearted, fun-filled episode. I love how they bring back all of these memorable recurring characters in the same episode - Luther Gillis, Tracy Spenser, Det. Katsumoto, Jean-Claude, even our friends Carol, Tanaka and Doc Ibold are in here. And I love the film noir-ish dream sequences (complete with more references and "tie-ins" to The Maltese Falcon).

I also love how almost everyone (except Magnum) winds up in the hospital at the end. Too funny.

For some reason, one thing that sticks in my head about this episode is Carol's newly decorated house. One of her walls and doors is completely covered in faux bamboo!

[IslandHopper]

I just noticed that the hotel that the awards banquet and subsequent investigation is supposed to take place in, is the "Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki Hotel." This is the same hotel where Jack Lord is seen turning and looking into the camera while standing on top of the hotel during the intro to Hawaii Five-O.

I enjoyed this episode, especially how they incorporated Luther H. Gillis, Tracy Spencer, Jean Claude Fornier, and the others. Great ending where Magnum finally gets his award while visiting his buddies in the hospital, and he begins to give his speech, and...well, I don't want to give it away for those who haven't seen it yet, but it's pretty funny.

One thing I noticed about this episode and season 7 as a whole is that Magnum has switched from drinking "Coops" to drinking what looks very similar to a "Coors" label, but simply says "Beer." The letters appear to be of a similar font that is used in the "Coors" label. Anyone know why the switch from "Coops" to the new label ("Beer")? I wonder if it was a legal issue?

[J.J. Walters]

Hey, great spot of the Ilikai IH!

Regarding the beer, I know Coops (and Coors) was seen in several episodes after this one ("Autumn Warrior" for example), so I don't think it's a legal issue. I'm curious to see what is used in Season 8!

Too bad they didn't make up any "Old Dusseldorf" labels!

[J.J. Walters]

Recently discovered this and thought it was pretty cool. Krash Kealoha, a longtime, well-known Hawaiian disc jockey (KCCN-AM Radio), makes a brief appearance as a security guard. Krash created the annual Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards (Hawaiian music awards) in 1978.

http://www.nahokuhanohano.org/nahoku.html

He plays a bartender in "Innocence, A Broad", as well.

[J.J. Walters]

Anybody know what the restaurant was called at the top of the Ilikai back in 1986? Today it's Sarento's Top of the "I", but I can't seem to find an opening date for that restaurant.





Thanks

[rubber chicken]

I've been meaning to add this to the locations project. Sorry though, I don't have any information on it yet. Maybe Sam had dined there back then?

[IslandHopper]

I've been meaning to add this to the locations project. Sorry though, I don't have any information on it yet. Maybe Sam had dined there back then?

I don't know the name of the restaurant atop the Ilikai Waikiki Hotel, but it is located at 1777 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, Hawaii 96815 (at the end of Waikiki Beach, just off the beach. My friend was an accountant for the hotel when I visited back in '01.

[Jay-Firestorm]

This is a fun episode, although I have to say, watching this time around, it wasn’t quite as good as I remember it. Still not bad though!

[rating=9.0]

At the 14th Annual Convention of Private Investigators, Magnum is to be awarded a ‘Local P.I. of the Year’ award, but proceedings are halted when Jean Claude Fornier falls dead, setting all of the other P.I.s on a race to solve the murder. A fun story…

-----

‘A.A.P.I.’ is a fun seventh season ‘Magnum, p.i.’ episode that sees the return of a number of previous ‘guest characters’. And for that alone, the episode is great entertainment – although I must say, coming to re-watch the episode to review, it’s not the perfect 10 that I remember it for, for a couple of reasons.

Things begin in a black-and-white 1930s/1940s set-up, in one of Magnum’s dreams. Seen again later in the episode, this serves as a precursor to the black-and-white-set ‘Murder by Night’ later this season.

Anyway, the main thrust of the episode is that a number of detective and private investigator characters seen in previous episodes make a return appearance here. There is Luther Gillis, seen in a number of stories; Jean Claude Fornier, from the fifth season’s ‘The Man from Marseilles’; the embarrassing Detective Gordon Katsumoto, from season six’s terrible ‘This Island Isn’t Big Enough…’, and Tracey Spencer, from the third season’s ‘Legacy From a Friend’.
Coming from era where there wasn’t as much continuity in shows as there is today, it is welcome to see so many ‘one off’ characters make a return appearance.
(We also get some lookalikes posing as Mike Stone, Columbo and Kojak)

The plot involves Jean Claude being poisoned, leading the other tecs and p.i.s to clamour to solve the case for themselves. But why did it have to be Jean Claude – why couldn’t Katsumoto be killed instead?! (Get the feeling that I don’t like that character at all?)

Also of note is Stephen J. Cannell, creator and regular writer of many hits, such as ‘The Rockford Files’ and my all-time favourite, ‘The A-Team’.

Talking of Rockford, it is rumoured that James Garner had been pencilled in to make a cameo as Jim Rockford in this episode, but a dispute with Universal at the time resulted in Garner to set foot on set, and so the idea was dropped, which is a real shame.

For the team up of guest characters alone this is a very good episode, but as I said at the head of my review, I didn’t find it the solid 10 that I remember. The plot wears a little thin at times, and maybe it’s just one of those that don’t hold up so well to repeat viewings.

But even so, on the whole this is a very fair episode (I love the climatic shootout, and the final scene with just about everyone in hospital), and marks the start of a run of quality season seven episodes. I give this one a decent 9 out of 10.

-----

Other notes, bloopers and misc.:

* Maybe rather surprisingly, only Kathleen Lloyd gets ‘Special Guest Star’ billing for this episode; at very least, I thought that Annie Potts, by that time known for her appearances in ‘Ghostbusters’ and suchlike, would merit SGS status.

* As mentioned in my review, there is a persistent rumour that James Garner was pencilled in to make a cameo as Jim Rockford in this episode, but due to a dispute with Universal, the idea never came to fruition.

[J.J. Walters]

The plot involves Jean Claude being poisoned, leading the other tecs and p.i.s to clamour to solve the case for themselves. But why did it have to be Jean Claude – why couldn’t Katsumoto be killed instead?! (Get the feeling that I don’t like that character at all?)

LMAO!!

You REALLY don't like Det. Gordon "The Duke" Katsumoto, do you!

Talking of Rockford, it is rumoured that James Garner had been pencilled in to make a cameo as Jim Rockford in this episode, but a dispute with Universal at the time resulted in Garner to set foot on set, and so the idea was dropped, which is a real shame.

That would have been AWESOME!

[Jay-Firestorm]

The plot involves Jean Claude being poisoned, leading the other tecs and p.i.s to clamour to solve the case for themselves. But why did it have to be Jean Claude – why couldn’t Katsumoto be killed instead?! (Get the feeling that I don’t like that character at all?)

LMAO!!

You REALLY don't like Det. Gordon "The Duke" Katsumoto, do you!

Whatever gave you that idea?!

[Carol the Dabbler]

Anyway, the main thrust of the episode is that a number of detective and private investigator characters seen in previous episodes make a return appearance here: .... and Tracy Spencer, from the third season’s ‘Legacy From a Friend’.

When Carol tells Maqnum that the mystery car had been rented to a woman, a Tracy Spencer, it somehow slipped my mind that that was Annie Potts's character, and I told Hubby, "That's an obvious alias." Did her previous episode make any mention of her name being a switch on "Spencer Tracy"?

[steveadl]

Watched this episode last night. Thought it was a great, really fun story line and good to see past recurring characters. Luther Gillis really cracked me up in this one. Though to me, the black and white 40's (?) Magnum flashbacks seemed a little odd and out of place - they didn't really get a story going, and just the one scene at the beginning then the short one with him painting his name on the door later. Or perhaps I just didn't 'get it'?

The last scene where all 5 of them (excl. Magnum) are in the hospital beds in various degrees of injury is a homage/send up of the ending scene in "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World" (1963)? (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057193/) - quite a funny movie, and the last scene ends up with them all in hospital beds, and in a similar motion to Higgins and Carol going through in the Magnum episode - revealing each injured person one at a time. Can't find any screen grabs of the movie, but anyone who's seen it would have to agree?

[Carol the Dabbler]

It's been a few weeks since I saw this episode, but I don't think the black-and-white bits are intended as actual flashbacks. It's my impression that they're Magnum's dreams (or daydreams), related to his feelings of finally being recognized as a "real" private investigator by receiving the AAPI award.