Magnum, podcast - revisiting "Magnum P.I."

The ghosts of Pearl Harbor hang over this episode, which doesn’t really have a villain, except for that mobster who’s not really necessary for the plot, and that Admiral who’s just a stickler for the regulations, and… hey, Rick, can you do some research into old crimes? Anyway, Jason gets excited about his new TV show pitch, “Boat Cops,” and we end the episode in a sandwich reverie courtesy of Listener Adam.

Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr

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Just like the proverbial dog who got run over by the pineapple truck, we’ve caught hold of an early “Magnum” episode that contains all the core tropes. Sexy stewardesses? Yup! The Lads chasing Magnum? Check! Rick’s character not entirely locked down? Uh-huh! Also, it’s some light entertainment about the Troubles in Northern Ireland with a surprise twist! Drink your wine. Life goes on.

Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr

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Just before he was the dad in “A Christmas Story,” Darren McGavin took a trip to Hawaii to play pulp novelist Buck Gibson, a daredevil friend of Robin Masters. Do his misadventures teach us important lessons about how we appreciate our lives? What’s in a Bazooka? And we have several head-canon explanations for an anecdote about Magnum’s dad.

Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr

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They’re always after his Lucky Charms! Higgins’s Northern Irish half-brother arrives in Oahu and it’s all light comedy despite what’s going on back home. Meanwhile, Magnum investigates an unfaithful wife and, wow, does the tone of this episode shift dramatically from moment to moment.

Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr

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A guy in a blue sedan. A man with gold teeth. A woman (Marcia Wallace!) has come to Hawaii searching for her missing fiancé. Sounds like the plot to a good ol’ detective show, but forget all that—instead, it’s time to train for the Ironman Triathlon!

Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr

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We know what you’re thinking: Carol Burnett returns for a victory lap as the ramshackle, shambolic final season of “Magnum, p.i.” draws to a close. Also, the opening credits ruin a “Max Headroom” sized surprise!

Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr

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Computer games! Mind games! Jenny Agutter appears (delighting Jason) in an episode that promises lots of Cesar Romero and doesn’t deliver (angering Phil). Jason explains 40- and 80-character mode in classic computers. There are multiple fake break-ins. Cesar Romero shoots off fireworks. Maybe it’s all a prank by those hang-glider people?

Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr

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Lance LeGault appears in this episode, but not as Buck Greene. We’re devastated. Instead, he’s a spy on the lookout for another spy who’s on the run—and missing in action? Magnum’s client is looking for that second spy, and she’s apparently got ESP? Oh, it’s going to be one of those episodes, isn’t it?

Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr

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This early episode contains a disturbing scene of suggested suicide that should probably not have been anywhere on prime-time TV, let alone during a light action-adventure series! And yet “Skin Deep” has a lot going for it, including Ian McShane being very sweaty and shifty.

Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr

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Many Weavers (but not Dennis Wheeler or Dennis Miller), some cowboy music, surprising “Star Trek” guest stars, and a plot that goes to some surprising places make this episode a winner.

Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr

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