Kapu (7.10)

[J.J. Walters]

Everybody poops, Agatha

LOL Doc!!

Just for the record, I only find it amusing because of how the dog was captured on camera. It was like he was part of the scene, or something; perfectly positioned next to Selleck. And what timing the kid has. A natural. It didn't have anything to do with the fact that... you know, he/she was going potty.

[Agatha]

I know, Doc. But most of us are allowed to poop in private.

I guess I'm just amazed...again...and still...about the details that people see in these episodes. I have to confess that if our Tom is in the frame, I don't even CARE who else is...or what they're doing either!

[MACattack]

I think the writers chose the name 'Kapu' because it means forbidden, keep out, or danger in the native Hawaiian tongue. It was used to represent Nihau, even though they couldn't film there.

Magnum jumped on a canoe and tried paddling away because he knew he didn't belong there.

I thorougly enjoyed the episode, and the presentation of Hawaiian culture was a pleasant break from Magnum's divorce cases!

[SelleckLover]

Agatha wrote:

I have to confess that if our Tom is in the frame, I don't even CARE who else is...or what they're doing either!

I'm afraid I'm the same way Agatha! Who could take their eyes off of him with the outfit he's wearing?!

[Carmen]

...like ice in the sunshine, like ice in the sunshine, they`re melting awaaay, Sellecklover and Agatha.....
But: Me too !!

[Jay-Firestorm]

If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to put the terrible ‘Novel Connection’ behind me and just try to move on! Lol

[rating=9.0]

After Magnum rescues a native Hawaiian girl who stumbles into the middle of a murder, he awakes to find himself on the natives’ ‘forbidden island’, unable to remember what has happened and with the inhabitants not allowing him to leave. A nice episode…

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This review contains spoilers.

After the terrible ‘Murder, She Wrote’ crossover, ‘Novel Connection’, the seventh season regains it’s footing with a decent episode in ‘Kapu’.

What I really like about this episode is how it deals with traditional Hawaiian culture, something that maybe could have been played up in a few more episodes – the only previous example that stands out to me is the second season episode ‘Dead Man’s Channel’.

This is a well-intentioned story, and must have looked great on paper. It comes over on-screen well, although doesn’t quite come off as the 100% classic that it might have been – maybe it isn’t quite polished enough for that.

Saying that, the episode is well shot, particularly the ocean shots of the natives on their boat; the scene of Magnum trying to escape the island, pursued by the natives, is particularly well executed.

The music of this episode is also good – particularly the slightly haunting theme used for the islanders.

One moment I particularly like is when back on the mainland when Rick is searching for the missing Magnum and looks out over the sea; Magnum, on the island of Kapu, does the same thing – maybe another sign of the gang’s psychic connection that is displayed in a few episodes (most notably the fourth season’s classic ‘Home From the Sea’)?

My main niggle with this story is the hitman and the final showdown. The story of the gunman never feels to be satisfactorily developed, and the final, inevitable shootout on Kapu between Magnum and the gunman is all to brief and over far too quickly; So much more could have been done with a shootout in this exotic setting.

All-in-all, I really like this episode. As I say, it doesn’t quite rank the status of series classic in my opinion, but is a very good episode none-the-less.

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Other notes, bloopers and misc.:

* Nothing else to note on this episode… other than, Shermy, when watching this episode I too was reminded of the third season ‘Star Trek’ episode ‘The Paradise Syndrome’! Moments of it also reminded me of the classic British series ‘The Prisoner’.

[IKnowWhatYoureThinking]

I agreee Jay. I loved the ocean shots in this episode as well.

[Frodoleader]

Always been one of my favorites!

[Little Garwood]

when watching this episode I too was reminded of the third season ‘Star Trek’ episode ‘The Paradise Syndrome’! Moments of it also reminded me of the classic British series ‘The Prisoner’.

Let's also not forget WITNESS (1985), which I think is the primary influence of this episode. Witness has an Amish boy seeing a killing and cop Harrison Ford goes into the Amish society. Too bad the DVD cuts out the scene of Thomas helping the islanders building the barn.

[J.J. Walters]

Let's also not forget WITNESS (1985), which I think is the primary influence of this episode. Witness has an Amish boy seeing a killing and cop Harrison Ford goes into the Amish society. Too bad the DVD cuts out the scene of Thomas helping the islanders building the barn.

Great analogy to Witness, Little Garwood!

And I had no idea they cut out a scene from the original broadcast! They cut out a scene in Resolutions, too (part of the Annapolis bar scene). Why do they do this on the DVDs!?

[Little Garwood]

Let's also not forget WITNESS (1985), which I think is the primary influence of this episode. Witness has an Amish boy seeing a killing and cop Harrison Ford goes into the Amish society. Too bad the DVD cuts out the scene of Thomas helping the islanders building the barn.

Great analogy to Witness, Little Garwood!

And I had no idea they cut out a scene from the original broadcast! They cut out a scene in Resolutions, too (part of the Annapolis bar scene). Why do they do this on the DVDs!?

I was kidding about the barn scene being missing in MPI! That was from Witness, though!

[J.J. Walters]

LOL! I should have picked up on the joke, LG. There ain't no barns on Kapu!

[rubber chicken]

I happened to catch this L.A. Times article about a half day trip to the island of Niihau. Apparently for $385 anyone can visit the island as part of a small group flown over by helicopter.

There's no interaction with the residents of the island. Except perhaps the monk seals, from a distance. Though it is ok to freak out the Eland antelopes.

[MACattack]

Frankly, I think this episode was more original than "Witness", and at least it shows authentic Hawaiian culture. The theme of the stranger in a strange land has been done before, though. examples: "Shogun" (1980), "Heart of Darkness" (the novel), and recently: "Avatar".

[Carol the Dabbler]

I found it odd that there was a scene where Rick brought the Ferrari back to the estate and turned it over to Higgins. Later when he took his cousin to the museum where Higgins was conducting a tour, Rick made a big deal of talking about how he had taken the Ferrari, like Higgins didn't know anything about it.

When Rick took the Ferrari to the estate, he lied and told Higgins that Magnum had asked him to do so. Then at the museum, he confessed that he had brought it back as a prank, and actually had not seen Magnum for a couple of days.

He was never threatened. No one on the island was paying much attention to him, or even seemed to care that he was there! Yet, Magnum appears to be terrified of the islanders and jumps in the first canoe he sees and starts to paddle back to the civilization!

What puzzles me is that Magnum paddles straight out to sea, with no other islands visible on the horizon (next stop, L.A.?). All I can figure is that he intended to paddle far enough out that he couldn't be recognized from shore, and then would have circled the island, keeping his eyes open for a larger island, and headed for it.