Try to Remember

Episode Number: 33
Season Number: 2.15
Air Date: 1/28/1982
Writer: Andrew Schneider, Reuben Leder
Director: Michael Vejar
Producers: Rick Weaver, Andrew Schneider
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Recurring Characters

Kwan Hi Lim (Lt. Tanaka), Glenn Cannon (Doc Ibold).

Guest Stars

Nancy Lee Grahn (Wendy Gilbert), Mark Withers (Dave Gilbert), Clay Wai (Parking Attendant), Tony Compton (Mechanic), Francesca Dodge (Juanita Keole), Laurie Foi (Crouching Lion Hostess)

Episode Brief

Magnum wakes up in the hospital with amnesia and the Ferrari totalled. As he tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together, he remembers investigating the case of a missing woman. But, the girl turns up murdered and Magnum is considered the prime suspect when his baseball cap is found at the murder scene.

Rating

8.4

(50 votes)

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Notes

¹ Police Lt. Tanaka (Kwan Hi Lim) and medical doctor "Doc" Ibold (Glenn Cannon) make their first appearances on the show. Tanaka will appear in 27 episodes. Doc Ibold will appear in 12 episodes. Tanaka appears to be loosely modeled after Peter Falk's Columbo character (innocuous small talk and chatter punctuated with serious questions, frazzled, out-of-place dress style, etc.). Tanaka has more screen time in this debut than any other future episode.

² Magnum's birth date is given as August 8th, 1944. This contradicts the 1/5/1946 birth date that was shown on Magnum's driver license in "Memories Are Forever (1)" (2.5) earlier in the season. Interestingly, Magnum P.I.'s creator/executive producer Donald P. Bellisario's birth date is also 8/8.

³ Episode co-writer (and Magnum P.I. producer) Andrew Schneider will go on to produce and write for Northern Exposure and The Sopranos, among others. He was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for best dramatic series for his work on the sixth season of The Sopranos.

⁴ Nancy Lee Grahn (Wendy Gilbert) will go on to become an American soap star. She appeared on Santa Barbara as Julia Wainwright Capwell from 1985 to 1993 and General Hospital as Alexis Davis from 1996 to 2011.

⁵ Magnum suffers serious injuries in the car accident: severe concussion, cracked ribs, bruised hip and a contusion on his kidney.

⁶ The Crouching Lion Inn and the Crouching Lion Art Gallery ("Haloka Antiques") in Kaaawa are used as filming locations.

⁷ Magnum's rubber chicken is seen (briefly) for the first time when Tanaka opens a small box on a side table in the guesthouse.

⁸ Tanaka's car is a 1969 Plymouth Satellite. (Noted by IMCDB)

⁹ While Rick and T.C. are in the Intensive Coronary Care Unit at Honolulu General Hospital, T.C. admonishes Rick that smoking will stunt his growth. T.C. further comments that Magnum doesn't smoke. Later in the series, Magnum develops a penchant for Higgin's imported handmade Canary Islands cigars kept in a wood humidor on his desk. (Noted by J.G.)

¹⁰ Detroit Tigers star Al Kaline is Magnum's role model and favorite baseball player. Kaline will be mentioned by Magnum in several future episodes. He has a glove signed by Kaline (shown in this episode), a signed bat ("I Witness" and "Paper War") and a copy of Kaline's rookie baseball card ("Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts").

¹¹ Magnum tells Doc Ibold that his mother's name is "Martha". For all future episodes, her name will be "Katherine".

¹² Tanaka mentions two current Detroit Tigers, Outfielder Steve Kemp and Pitcher Mark Fidrych who was recently cut by the Tigers. Manager Sparky Anderson is also mentioned.

¹³ More odd parking habits from Magnum, while visiting "Haloka Antiques", and although there is ample parking, Magnum parks the Audi on the front lawn! (Noted by J.G.)

¹⁴ Higgins was British liaison to Merrill's Marauders during part of the Burma Campaign of WWII (1943).

Quotes

¹
Higgins: He drove Robin's Ferrari over a cliff?
T.C.: Well, I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose!
Higgins: One can never be sure with Magnum. Well, he'd better survive if he knows what's good for him.

²
Higgins: Actually, Magnum, I do remember something that might, perhaps, be of use to you. It was during The War, Burma. I was British liaison to Merrill's Marauders. One of the American chaps, his name was, uh, Cal, was unfortunately in very close proximity to an exploding mortar. Miraculously, his life was spared by Divine Providence, plus his proximity to the underside of the Captain's jeep. However, the concussive force of the explosion rendered him unconscious for a week. He woke up with no recollection of the incident. Of course, I managed to alleviate his condition with the help of...

³
Tanaka: Do you think Sparky will re-sign Kemp? He has good power.
Magnum: Average wheels.
Tanaka: How's yours?
Magnum: What?
Tanaka: Your wheel's up to a little trip to jar your memory?

⁴
(to Higgins)
Magnum: It isn't a memory. It's a dream. It's a dream I had ten years ago. It's a recurring nightmare. It never happened.

Flubs

¹ While the Ferrari is in the shop getting body repairs, Magnum insists on using Robin's Audi to pursue Joni Green's murder and piece together his lost memory. While arguing, both Higgins and Magnum refer to the estate's Chevy K5 Blazer as a "pickup". (Noted by J.G.)

² In the denouement with Magnum and Tanaka, look closely at Tanaka's shirt pocket. He has a mini-notebook in the pocket when he arrives, but in a split second it disappears, and then later re-appears! (Noted by Dustin Wickizer)

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