Reviews

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Heck, 'Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii' and 'China Doll' weren't really blockbusters, but back then, people gave the show a chance and it paid off in the long run.

Not sure what you mean by "blockbuster" when mentioning these 2 episodes. We're talking about an 80s TV show, not a big budget movie. But if you're implying that these 2 somehow weren't great episodes or weren't up to par then you'd be DEAD WRONG. Both are fan favorites and the pilot episode in particular is one of the very best episodes of the series! Right up there with "Memories are Forever" and "Did You See the Sunrise?". It's a fantastic start to a great show! Nothing in the new show so far even comes close. The original show hit it out of the park from the get-go and season 1 was an immediate success. In fact there are many who prefer season 1 over season 2, so the show definitely found its legs very early on.

[T.Q.]

Heck, 'Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii' and 'China Doll' weren't really blockbusters, but back then, people gave the show a chance and it paid off in the long run.

Not sure what you mean by "blockbuster" when mentioning these 2 episodes. We're talking about an 80s TV show, not a big budget movie. But if you're implying that these 2 somehow weren't great episodes or weren't up to par then you'd be DEAD WRONG. Both are fan favorites and the pilot episode in particular is one of the very best episodes of the series! Right up there with "Memories are Forever" and "Did You See the Sunrise?". It's a fantastic start to a great show! Nothing in the new show so far even comes close. The original show hit it out of the park from the get-go and season 1 was an immediate success. In fact there are many who prefer season 1 over season 2, so the show definitely found its legs very early on.

It’s funny, I looked up the awards just for fun.

Quite a coincidence.

Edgar Allan Poe Awards 1981

Winner
Best Television Episode
Donald P. Bellisario
Glen A. Larson
For episode "China Doll".

Ain’t gonna see a list like this on the new show either that’s for sure.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080240/awards

[Chris109]

China Doll had the guy (George Cheung) who would kill with a blink, err, after a blink;
And played a mobster burning Higgins's (?) hand in Holmes Is Where the Heart Is;
but he gets his ass whooped by the 3 chicks in The Love-for-Sale Boat.

And Nathan Jung, another Star Trek guest alumni (Ghengis Khan), plays the heavy with the cleaver.

[KingKC]

Heck, 'Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii' and 'China Doll' weren't really blockbusters, but back then, people gave the show a chance and it paid off in the long run. Later episodes of the new series have focused on casework instead of explosions, Ferrari-destruction and helicopter jumps (which were way over the top, I agree).

I have to disagree. The two part pilot episode of Don't Eat the Snow...set the stage for the whole series by developing the characters. This new one just tried to narrate the stage by copying the old one. China Doll was extremely dramatic and definitely got my attention. Thank Heaven for Little Girls.... then set the stage for the lighter side of the original. I really don't think any of the first episodes of the new MPI are all that memorable and I just saw them in the last few weeks. I think this show will drag on for a couple of years but never draw very good ratings. The original is just too hard of an act to follow. But I will grant you that the new Hawaii 5-0 and the new McGyver seem to be doing OK and i cannot stand either one of them.

[marlboro]

I have to disagree with LZeitgeist too (sorry to pile on!) but I think Magnum got off to a very strong start. Outside of " Thank Heaven for Little Girls " I think the first 7 episodes are classics. And I think Thank Heaven is an ok episode, too, fwiw.

I do agree with him about some shows needing a few episodes to find their footing. Heck, Star Trek TNG didn't start living up to its potential till season 3.

[eagle]

The pilot is definitely one of my favorite episodes, and I have posted on here before that my all-time favorite scene is the 5-minute opening scene of the pilot, from the time Magnum swims up to the time he removes the roof and is off in the Ferrari.

I could watch just that, over and over and over -- and I have done just that.

[Pahonu]

The pilot is definitely one of my favorite episodes, and I have posted on here before that my all-time favorite scene is the 5-minute opening scene of the pilot, from the time Magnum swims up to the time he removes the roof and is off in the Ferrari.

I could watch just that, over and over and over -- and I have done just that.

Totally agree! I've done the same.

[308GUY]

The pilot is definitely one of my favorite episodes, and I have posted on here before that my all-time favorite scene is the 5-minute opening scene of the pilot, from the time Magnum swims up to the time he removes the roof and is off in the Ferrari.

I could watch just that, over and over and over -- and I have done just that.

Totally agree! I've done the same.

Times two.....or short version..."thirded"

But...to be totally "fair"....there was still further character development and core changes throughout the progression of the original series.

To site an example, Rick's Cafe American was only seen once IIRC....and TC wasn't always a "tea totaller"

Not trying to defend the reboot....really don't think that's possible...but as I said..to be totally fair...things did change in our beloved original too. But DETSIH will always be one of, if not THE favorite of mine. Still say they shoulda' got Jason Momoa to play TM in the new show!

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

I have to disagree with LZeitgeist too (sorry to pile on!) but I think Magnum got off to a very strong start. Outside of " Thank Heaven for Little Girls " I think the first 7 episodes are classics. And I think Thank Heaven is an ok episode, too, fwiw.

Absolutely!

Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii, China Doll, No Need to Know, Skin Deep, Never Again...Never Again are bona-fide classics and the cream of the crop of the first season! Nothing on the new show even comes close to these. I can't even think of another show that had a string of classics like these within just its first few episodes. Heck, pretty much the entire first season of SIMON & SIMON was really dull. It wasn't until the second season when things started getting interesting. Not so with MPI.

[ConchRepublican]

Not to bang the drum too loudly, but do the reviewers watch more than the first two episodes? Every show needs to find its footing and the episodes so far are admittedly a mix - some are harder to swallow, but some have been pretty solid for a new show. As always, JMHO, but I can think of at least a dozen TV shows that started out shaky but went on for years as a well-respected show once it figured out the right formula.

Heck, 'Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii' and 'China Doll' weren't really blockbusters, but back then, people gave the show a chance and it paid off in the long run. Later episodes of the new series have focused on casework instead of explosions, Ferrari-destruction and helicopter jumps (which were way over the top, I agree).

I don't WANT to pile on . . . but I'm gonna. IvanTheTerrible is correct. I would argue that one can't find a better Pilot episode/1st season than Magnum, P.I.'s. Some of my all time favorite episodes, bona fide classics IMHO, are from that first season.

[Kevster]

Not to bang the drum too loudly, but do the reviewers watch more than the first two episodes? Every show needs to find its footing and the episodes so far are admittedly a mix - some are harder to swallow, but some have been pretty solid for a new show. As always, JMHO, but I can think of at least a dozen TV shows that started out shaky but went on for years as a well-respected show once it figured out the right formula.

Heck, 'Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii' and 'China Doll' weren't really blockbusters, but back then, people gave the show a chance and it paid off in the long run. Later episodes of the new series have focused on casework instead of explosions, Ferrari-destruction and helicopter jumps (which were way over the top, I agree).

I don't WANT to pile on . . . but I'm gonna. IvanTheTerrible is correct. I would argue that one can't find a better Pilot episode/1st season than Magnum, P.I.'s. Some of my all time favorite episodes, bona fide classics IMHO, are from that first season.

The only shortcoming is that the rest of the cast hadn't found their footing. JH started to really shine beyond the half way point of S1. Roger M/TC evolved quite a bit.

Rick's character evolved less over the course, unless you count the premiere episode...

[ConchRepublican]

Not to bang the drum too loudly, but do the reviewers watch more than the first two episodes? Every show needs to find its footing and the episodes so far are admittedly a mix - some are harder to swallow, but some have been pretty solid for a new show. As always, JMHO, but I can think of at least a dozen TV shows that started out shaky but went on for years as a well-respected show once it figured out the right formula.

Heck, 'Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii' and 'China Doll' weren't really blockbusters, but back then, people gave the show a chance and it paid off in the long run. Later episodes of the new series have focused on casework instead of explosions, Ferrari-destruction and helicopter jumps (which were way over the top, I agree).

I don't WANT to pile on . . . but I'm gonna. IvanTheTerrible is correct. I would argue that one can't find a better Pilot episode/1st season than Magnum, P.I.'s. Some of my all time favorite episodes, bona fide classics IMHO, are from that first season.

The only shortcoming is that the rest of the cast hadn't found their footing. JH started to really shine beyond the half way point of S1. Roger M/TC evolved quite a bit.

Rick's character evolved less over the course, unless you count the premiere episode...

I would definitely agree about the characters becoming more rounded as the series progressed, but I don't know of a series that right off the bat had such fleshed out characters. You knew who and what they were and what they meant to each other with little detailed backstory. It was dropped in as they went along, but starting in 'Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii' and then continuing in 'China Doll', the first two episodes (once they figured out what to do with Rick) really show what a band of brothers these characters are, and the adversarial relationship between Higgins and Thomas, yet the grudging respect (No Need to Know especially shows this) is easy to see and feels comfortable. The writing, IMHO, was excellent in the first season, which created the foundation for everything going forward.

[eagle]

I don't know of a series that right off the bat had such fleshed out characters. You knew who and what they were and what they meant to each other with little detailed backstory. It was dropped in as they went along, but starting in 'Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii' and then continuing in 'China Doll', the first two episodes (once they figured out what to do with Rick) really show what a band of brothers these characters are, and the adversarial relationship between Higgins and Thomas, yet the grudging respect (No Need to Know especially shows this) is easy to see and feels comfortable. The writing, IMHO, was excellent in the first season, which created the foundation for everything going forward.

This is one of the reasons why I like the pilot so much. We didn't get piles of explanations, but even after the pilot we understood who the guys were and why they were together. Sure it became more defined over time, but even in that first 5-minute scene that I have referenced, much of the core was revealed to us.

[Kevster]

I don't think it was about the evolution of each character over time, but that the actor hadn't really found what they wanted to do with the character. Besides LM's bad Bogart, TC is the obvious character change for me. He went from edge and street to more moderate throughout the first season. JH didn't evolve much, but he did start to show more nuance beyond the half-way point of S1.

The characters became more rounded due to writing, but the actors' initial journey to find the character took a solid half season.

I feel that TS seemed locked in earlier than the rest. LM might never have... By his own admission, he didn't have a character to play. Just being himself was tough for him. Bellisario even noted that Larry just played Larry....

[No need to know!]

Don´t eat the snow... was the perfect pilot for Magnum P.I. From the start when he swims up from the tidal pool, and we immediately get the Vietnam war connection. It was bloody good, and is on my top 5 episodes.

I rank Don´t eat the snow as the second best pilot ever. Brother´s keeper from Miami Vice is unbeatable for me.

And yes China doll is a great follow up episode. Intense but with more of the spicy humour between Magnum and Higgie.