Tropical Madness

Episode Number: 25
Season Number: 2.7
Air Date: 11/12/1981
Writer: Robert Hamilton
Director: Lawrence Doheny
Producers: Rick Weaver, Andrew Schneider
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Guest Stars

Devon Ericson (Jennifer Chapman), Roy Dotrice (Brice Harcourt), Jake Hoopai (Sumo Enforcer), Bruce Johnson (Dwarf Enforcer)

Episode Brief

Magnum is surprised when a beautiful English woman spurns his advances - much to the amusement of T.C. and Rick - instead preferring Higgins. Magnum is certain that the woman is feigning interest in Higgins only to somehow use him and plans to uncover the truth, but Higgins sees his doubts as sheer jealousy, and the ever volatile relationship between the two is pushed towards breaking point.

Rating

8.9

(67 votes)

Rate Episode

Notes

¹ Lots of "firsts" in this episode:

• "Higgins-centric" episode. There will be thirteen in all.
• The Byodo-In Temple in the Valley of the Temples. It will later be seen in "Did You See the Sunrise?" (3.1), "The Arrow That is Not Aimed" (3.14), "Torah, Torah, Torah" (5.21), "Little Girl Who" (7.7), and "Tigers Fan" (8.4).
• Magnum mentions the book on How to Become a World-Class Private Investigator, the one that he one day plans to write. It will be mentioned in several later episodes. (Noted by Jay-Firestorm)
• Higgins' "Oh my God!". (Noted by Jay-Firestorm)

² This episode features the famous scene where Magnum is beat up (and knocked out) by a sumo wrestler and a dwarf!

³ Robin's art collection is worth over $37 million dollars and includes the works of Picasso, Miro and Matisse, among others! Many of his most valuable paintings were acquired when he was a struggling writer in Paris.

⁴ The home of Jennifer Chapman and Brice Harcourt was filmed at a private residence on Old Pali Road in the Nuuanu Valley. It's just across the street from the Marks Estate, the second location used for the King Kamehameha Club. This house will later be used in Season Four's "Holmes Is Where the Heart Is" (4.18). (Noted by rubber chicken)

⁵ Higgins (or Robin Masters) owns a Browning O/U 12 gauge shotgun. Jennifer Chapman is seen skeet-shooting with one at the estate.

⁶ Number of locks picked by Magnum = 4.

⁷ At about 33:45, the same skeet shooting stock footage from Season One's "Skin Deep" is used. (Noted by Tim)

⁸ Higgins clocks Magnum! This is the only time that will ever happened. Magnum never hits Higgins in any episode. We also see Higgins smoke a cigarette for the first time. He will fire up another one in "Computer Date" (2.14) and then call it quits.

⁹ Veteran actor Roy Dotrice (Brice Harcourt) was appointed the Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2008 for his contributions to drama. He also was a POW for three years in WWII!

¹⁰ American television actress Devon Ericson (Jennifer Chapman) appeared as a contestant in a 1992 episode of the television game show Jeopardy!

Quotes

¹
Higgins: If I may interrupt this raucus assembly.
Rick: Why don't you pull up a chair and sit down Higgins?
Magnum: How bout a beer?
Higgins: A formal complaint has been lodged with you in regarding both unbecoming behavior and flagerant violations of the club's dress code.
Magnum: Oh come on Higgins, I'm clean. I'm on the beach.
Higgins: It's interesting how the guilty party defends himself, even before he's been accused.
Rick: Oh, Thomas is usually accused before there's a complaint...That came out wrong, didn't it?

²
Magnum: Out of my way before I run you down and enjoy it!

³
Magnum: ...a sumo wrestler and a midget, or a dwarf.
Higgins: A what?
Magnum: A midget, or a dwarf!
Higgins: No bearded lady? No trapeze artists? Where's the rest of the circus?
Magnum: Forget it, just forget it! Just forget the whole thing! I'm NOT in my underwear! There's NO oil on the car!! Just forget it! You think I'm crazy!?!?

⁴
Higgins: I was... the youngest lad in our Regiment. In those dark days when Hitler was winning, everyone was young. We'd been going at it with Rommel all over bloody Africa. One night, on patrol, some Jerries surprised us. No more than the flick of the serpents tail, as it slithered past us, but when it was over, I was the only one in our group left alive. Three days in the desert. I will always blame myself. Somehow, I should have... saved.
Jennifer: Then what happened?
Higgins: I was sent to a hospital in Cairo in preparitory for being sent home.
Jennifer: But, you couldn't desert the Regiment, could you?
Higgins: I taught myself to type, only two fingers because of the bandages, and got myself assigned as aide-de-camp to an officer on the rise.
Jennifer: And when you won him over, completely indebted to you, you got him to send you back to your old post. You must have been the most attentive aide in North Africa.
Higgins (laughs): It's true, but I would have done anything to join the lads.

⁵
T.C.: Why don't you just admit it T.M., Higgins has just one-upped you.
Rick: Oh come on now, she's not even Thomas' type and you know it.
T.C. (laughs): What, she stopped breathing or something?
Magnum: T.C.!?
Rick: Listen, Thomas has never struck out before and you know it.
Magnum: Well Rick, come on...(laughs)
Rick: Fifty bucks says Magnum gets a date before Higgins gets her first name! Fifty bucks!
T.C.: Fif... Well, yeah, you put your money where your mouth is!
Magnum: That's it guys, I'm going swimming.
T.C.: This will be the easiest fifty bucks I have ever seen. Put your money where your... mouth... is.

⁶
Higgins: My dear, you look ravishing. (laughs) A little champagne?

⁷
Magnum: Come on Higgins, just let me call the police will ya? I'll phone Scotland Yard, they'll run a routine check. Come on Higgins, just say something, please!
Higgins: Magnum, you will do us the kindness of going to the devil. Come my dear.
(Higgins and Jennifer walk away)

⁸
Magnum: I want you to think about this logically Higgins. Why is a beautiful, desirable young woman, who can have just about any man in the islands, pursuing you?
Higgins: The answer is obvious, old man. Logic is irrelevant. It's simply... (smiles) Tropical Madness.

Flubs

¹ When Magnum stops at the gas station, and the dwarf breaks off the side mirror of the Ferrari, he gets in a fight with the sumo enforcer. When the sumo picks him up, his shirt also comes up in back, the next scene it is down, and then it's up again, all in the same quick sequence (before he is put down on the ground). (Noted by seahawks1)

² When Magnum is helping Higgins get dressed for the Commodore's Ball, Higgins remarks that he will be home late and will try not to "downshift and accelerate" as he passes the guesthouse and wake him up, so as to make a point to Magnum about how he is always woken up when Magnum comes in late at night. In doing this he unwittingly confirms that the guesthouse is not located where it is implied to be (behind and adjacent to the main house), but is in fact near the bend in the driveway between the gatehouse and the tennis courts. Why would Higgins need to downshift and accelerate behind the main house in what would be a very confined space (with nowhere else to go)? (Noted by wilko)

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

---

---