Magnum Mania!

The Taking of Dick McWilliams

Episode ID: 28
Episode Number: 2.10
Air Date: 12/3/1981
Writer: Diane Frolov
Director: Winrich Kolbe
Producers: Rick Weaver, Andrew Schneider
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Guest Stars

Guy Stockwell (Dick McWilliams), Irene Yah-Ling Sun (Mitsu McWilliams), John Fujioka (Nishimoto), Moe Keale (Kaholo), Reri Tava Jobe (Gloria Bower), Barbara Kelly (Woman on Boat), Esmond Chung (George)

Plot Outline

The Japanese wife of an old Navy buddy comes to Magnum for help when her husband is kidnapped and held for ransom. She asks Magnum to handle the ransom drop without telling her father, who never approved of the marriage in the first place. However, the deeper Magnum gets into the case, the more suspicious he becomes of the circumstances.

Rating

7.0 (11 votes) MM Episode Forum Thread & Poll

Notes

1 Episode screenwriter Diane Frolov will go on to produce and write for Northern Exposure and The Sopranos, among others. She was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for best dramatic series for her work on the sixth season of The Sopranos. This is her second screenplay for the show. She previously penned the "Dead Man's Channel" (2.2) episode.

2 More evidence that Hawaii Five-O exists in the same "universe" as Magnum P.I. - After tracing a list of owners from possible cars that the kidnapper escaped in, T.C. comments "... The first one was a cop from Five-0. Figured he probably wasn't our man." Rick asks, "What was his name?", to which T.C. replies, "McGarrett". McGarrett is, of course, the lead character in Hawaii Five-O and is played by Jack Lord. This is the third time McGarrett is mentioned by name, following the "Pilot Movie" (1.2) and "Skin Deep" (1.6).

3 Native Hawaiian actor/singer, and Hawaii Five-O alum (Truck), Moe Keale makes his first appearance on the show. He will later be seen in "Murder 101" (5.8) and "The Aunt Who Came to Dinner" (7.20).

4 The opening scene was filmed at an aquafarm near Kualoa Regional Park on the northern end of Kaneohe Bay [map]. (Noted by rubber chicken)

5 The scenes involving Dick's "beach shack" were filmed at Puaena Point on the northern tip of Waialua Bay [map]. This location will be used for many of the scenes in Season Four's "Operation: Silent Night" (4.10) (Noted by rubber chicken)

6 Mitsu's house (with the stunning view of Honolulu) was filmed at a residence in Makiki [map]. The house is now the home of the William Twigg-Smith Gallery, which is part of The Contemporary Museum Honolulu. (Noted by rubber chicken)

7 At this stage of the Magnum series, Rick, at least some of the time, gets his information from a guy named "Shaky". Icepick won't enter the scene until Season Three.

8 Irene Yah-Ling Sun (Mitsu McWilliams) will appear in Season Three's "Flashback" (3.7)

9 In 1948, Higgins was in Mandalay when Burma gained its independence. One of the lads was kidnapped because of his involvement with the daughter of an oriental tea merchant. As an aide to the former British governor, Higgins wanted to investigate, but it was out of his jurisdiction. The local authorities eventually found the comrades decomposed body. It was awful, as he was the finest cricket player in the regiment!

Quotes

1
T.C.: You expect me to hop over all 13 of these islands?
Magnum: That's the name of your service isn't it, Island Hoppers?
T.C.: Yeah, I'm thinking about changing it to Magnum's taxi service!

2
Magnum: Rule One in kidnapping cases: Always call the Police. Rule Two in kidnapping cases: Never call the Police. The truth is you flip a coin and take your chances. (Narration)

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