Magnum Mania!

Skin Deep

Episode Number: 6
Season Number: 1.6
Air Date: 1/15/1981
Writer: Donald P. Bellisario
Director: Lawrence Doheny
Producer: J. Rickley Dumm
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Recurring Characters

Remi Abellira (Moki)

Guest Stars

Ian McShane (David Norman), Cathie Shirriff (Erin Wolfe), Ron Masak (J.J. Stein), Tommy Fujiwara (Dr. Makudo), Paul Dennis Martin (Helicopter Pilot)

Episode Brief

In an apparent suicide, a beautiful actress is killed by a shotgun blast in a scenario closely resembling a scene from the script of an upcoming film. Magnum is hired by her former producer, who also happens to be her lover, to investigate the case and finds that things are not they appear. Still haunted by nightmares of the Vietnam War, Magnum finds himself reliving it in a deadly hunt on a deserted tropical island.

Rating

8.5

(27 votes)

Rate Episode

Notes

¹ During the filming of this episode, in a low-flying aerial sequence, a Hughes 369D (N58243*) helicopter crashed into the ocean, tragically killing camera technician Robert Van Der Kar (and injuring the pilot Robert Sanders). The official NTSB report finds the cause as pilot error, a misjudgement in altitude (i.e. the chopper was flying too low). The NTSB suspended Robert Sanders' license for 90 days. An on-screen caption before the closing credits reads:

This episode is dedicated to camera technician ROBERT VAN DER KAR who died during its filming

² Prior to this episode, John Hillerman, Roger E. Mosley and Larry Manetti were listed in the opening credits as 'co-starring'. Starting with this episode they will be listed as 'also starring'.

³ The standard episode preview score is used for the first time (although in a longer form than usual). Only heard in its entirety once, in the previous episode "No Need to Know" (1.5), this will go on to be the commonly used theme on the trailers, although it will be re-recorded several times over the show's run. (Noted by Jay-Firestorm)

⁴ This episode features several Vietnam War flashback sequences. During one of the flashbacks, Rick is shot and subsequently saved by Magnum.

⁵ The film script that Erin Wolfe is seen reading is 'Skin Deep by Donald P. Bellisario', the same title and writer of this episode.

⁶ Magnum wears the rarely seen black and purple "Jungle Bird" shirt for the first time. He usually wears a red one.

⁷ Future British star Ian McShane (Lovejoy, Deadwood) will appear again in the series in Season Three's "Black on White" (3.6).

⁸ Magnum makes his first reference to writing a book on how to be a world-class private investigator - Page 1, "Investigate the crime scene".

⁹ The fictional Five-O police unit from the TV show Hawaii Five-O is mentioned again (Magnum pretends to be McGarrett) as being a real Honolulu police unit. Further evidence that MPI and Hawaii Five-0 exist in the same "universe". Previously, Five-O and Steve McGarrett were mentioned in the "Pilot Movie".

¹⁰ In the skeet-shooting scene, Higgins uses a Remington 870 shotgun.

¹¹ The house used for Erin Wolfe's residence will later be seen in Season Two's "The Woman on the Beach" (as Lisa Page's house) and Season Eight's "Forever in Time" (as the house where the Hawaiian princess used to live). (Noted by golfmobile & Sam)

¹² At the King Kamehameha Club indoor bar, Magnum is seen drinking a fictional "Flagler Beer". This beer will later be seen in Season Four's "Distant Relative" (4.4).

¹³ A recycled musical score from the TV show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is used for the climactic chase scene involving Magnum, Erin, and David Norman. It's a John Cacavas score taken directly from an episode titled "A Dream of Jennifer". (Noted by Operation Chessboard)

* N58243 is the chopper with floatation gear and long skids seen in the opening credits and in the first several episodes. After the accident, the show began using a Hughes 500D (N1095A) chopper. (Noted by N1095A)

Quotes

¹
Erin Wolfe: So, a woman can't go out like a man, huh? She takes pills, or swims out to sea, or slits her wrists, but she ain't got the guts to blood-up the old face? Isn't that what you said David? Huh? Well, here's one woman who's gonna take it right between the baby blues just to show you how smart you really are.

²
Magnum: Hey T.C.
T.C.: Yo!
Magnum: You ever think about 'Nam? I mean have memories flash through your head without really even thinking about it?
T.C.: Naw, never.
Magnum: Uh-huh, that's kinda what I thought.
T.C.: How about you?
Magnum: Who me? No.

Shoot me an email if you'd like to have something added or corrected

---

---