Beauty Knows No Pain (1.18)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the first season

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
6
5%
9.5 (One of the Best)
19
15%
9.0 (Excellent)
28
23%
8.5 (Very Good)
18
15%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
24
19%
7.5 (Decent)
12
10%
7.0 (Average at Best)
8
6%
6.5 (Not So Good)
2
2%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
2
2%
5.0 (Just Awful)
5
4%
 
Total votes: 124

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J.J. Walters
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#11 Post by J.J. Walters »

IslandHopper wrote:Magnum's strongest event is supposed to be the swim. Watch as Magnum gets out of the water, you will see this squat-heavy woman (no offense intended) lumber out of the water ahead of Magnum, and Higgins notices this and says "this is your best event?" Magnum gives Higgins an exasperated look Mad. It is hilarious!
Aah, great spot there IslandHopper! I hadn't noticed that before. It is indeed quite funny! Magnum, the ex-Navy Seal who swims daily and can tread water for 24 hours, gets schooled by ...... [drum roll]

Image

:)
Last edited by J.J. Walters on Mon Aug 25, 2008 3:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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lutherhgillis
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#12 Post by lutherhgillis »

I don't think this is a "spot". It was obvious! It was another way they kept Magnum 'real' and vulnerable. Everyone knew he was not a true competitor in this type of event (even though he was in geart shape).

The thing about the heavy woman is hilarious, however.

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Italian Ice
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#13 Post by Italian Ice »

I first watched this episode in the early 90's late one night after getting home from work and said to myself that I would participate in an IronMan competition one day. Still clinging to that one, lol, but I'm still young and can train for it, but with my commitments it wouldn't be easy.

I didn't know the voice of Mrs. Krabbapel was here until I just read it now!

Hololulu Lulu's is too funny. I wonder if there's such a place. If not, somebody should get permission to open up a business of some sort and use that name...
Higgins: " Dispatch the pig!!! "

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J.J. Walters
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#14 Post by J.J. Walters »

IslandHopper wrote:The scene where Magnum is asking Higgins' to have the Ferrari delivered to Honolulu Lulu's is one of my favorite all time scenes. In that scene you see Higgins really give a great big belly laugh, which is rare.
I just added this to the 'Audio' section of the site. Great scene!

http://magnum-mania.com/Audio/Honolulu_Lulus.html
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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J.J. Walters
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#15 Post by J.J. Walters »

IslandHopper wrote:James, do you think the scene with Higgins laughing out loud in "Beauty Knows No Pain" deserves consideration for best scenes? If it's not already included, of course.
I agree. It deserves to be included in the "Classic Scenes" list. So, eight months later I've added it to the list. ;)

One of the other things I love about this scene is all the old pinball machines in the background. I can only identify one, however - Laguna Beach (from 1960). I love pinball.

Also, I just noticed that a garbage dumpster in front of "Honolulu Lulu's" identifies its location as Pearl City. I could be wrong, but I believe this is the only known (identified) filming location to take place in Pearl City.
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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rubber chicken
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#16 Post by rubber chicken »

Nice ID on the pinball machine James. And that's a nice site you linked to as well. My aunt has had this Dolly Parton pinball machine forever, probably bought it new. Fun to see all the info on it, and photos too. As a young lad I would play that trying to act like I wasn't checking out Dolly. :D

As far as the location of "Honolulu Lulu's Pool Hall" goes, that's been identified as being here in Honolulu, north west of Waikiki. I think the Pearl City on the dumpster refers to where the company "Trash Man" was located.

I even found this old photo of the place on flicker. The photographer says the real name was Piikoi Cue, at least at one point - probably when the show filmed there as well I'm guessing. One may be able to compare the pinball machines in the photo to the ones in the show and learn what other machines were there at the time.
Last edited by rubber chicken on Sun Oct 07, 2018 5:40 am, edited 1 time in total.

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J.J. Walters
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#17 Post by J.J. Walters »

Doh! I totally missed your "Honolulu Lulu's" ID in the location guide RC! My bad. :oops:

Yeah, that Flickr photo certainly looks like the place, so Piikoi Cue in Honolulu it is! Darn, I was really hoping to get Pearl City in the "location" picture, too.

One of the machines in the Flickr photo is Harlem Globetrotters on Tour (from 1979). The Flickr photo must have been taken after 1981 (the year the Magnum episode was filmed), because all of the pinball machines appear to be Solid State (digital). The ones seen in "Beauty Knows No Pain" appear to all be Electro-Mechanical (non-digital) machines. Also, the Asteroids machine is in a different place.

The Parton machine looks like a riot! I really wish somebody had made a Magnum P.I. pinball machine. ;)
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#18 Post by Agatha »

This was a fun episode and, as has already been said, a lot of it is because of Marcia Wallace. She’s really great…a real hustler! The plot is light, quirky, interesting…and I learned some things about triathlons. I’m a Volkssporter and we have triathlons. You walk 10K, bicycle 25K and then swim 300 meters. I’ve kind of…halfway…considered the possibility…of trying one some day but I see the rules have changed. They now expect that I’d do those three things on the same day!! :) “Iron Man” I’m not!

I also agree with what’s been said about how funny Higgins thinks it is that Thomas is working a case by bus and wants the Ferrari delivered to Honolulu Lulu’s. The old boy doesn’t laugh often so it’s fun to see him really let loose.

It’s nice to see some “karmic” payback on Thomas’s part for all the times he talks Rick and TC into doing things that they really don’t want to do. He’s so CUTE at the end when he’s asleep!! Sigh.

It also occurred to me…when Thomas is explaining that Roger wasn’t in trouble because he stole money from a thief…didn’t Rebecca and Leanne steal 2 million dollars, too? In Jesse Stone: Sea Change?

:)
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#19 Post by Jay-Firestorm »

Another great episode; this is one of my personal favourites. A nice end to a great first season.

[TV.com rating=10; Fine Example]

A broke fitness instructor hires Magnum to find her missing fiancé, who is also being followed by Feds, and ends up training him when T.C. pressures him into competing in a swim-run-cycle Ironman Contest. Some don’t like it, but this is one of my favourites…

-----

This review contains moderate spoilers.

I am always surprised when some viewers comment that they aren’t too keen on this episode, as personally, it is one of my favourite episodes. It’s light-hearted and funny, and a nice end to a generally excellent first season.

Marcia Wallace (who, by the way, went on to voice Bart’s teacher Mrs. Krabapple in ‘The Simpsons’) gives a fun performance as broke fitness trainer Babs. Yes it might be slightly over-the-top in places, but it’s not out of place in this amusing episode. She plays Babs with many eccentricities, and – not to be rude, but she’s not the best looking woman – it’s a nice change that Magnum doesn’t have to get romantically involved.

This episode is notable for Magnum commenting that he’s never been married. Of course, this would change with the revelations of the second season’s feature-length / two-part ‘Memories Are Forever’, and here the writers obviously hadn’t come up with the idea yet, but even so, it can be simply explained away that Magnum simply didn’t want to talk about it here.

The whole Ironman contest is really amusing to watch. I love how Babs, Rick and T.C. fuss over Magnum, getting him ready for the next course, while Higgins stands around babbling away to himself.
I also like how Magnum ponders over the case of the missing Roger as he is competing, working it out as he goes along. The conclusion, as cycles in the wrong direction, and finds Roger just in time, is very pleasing – and I love the briefly insane look Magnum, with gun in hand, gives Higgins.

In some respects, the previous episode, ‘J. “Digger” Doyle’ might have finished off the season better (I’ve always had the impression that it was originally designed to do so), but even so, ‘Beauty Knows No Pain’ is a nice way to round it off.

Overall, I love this episode, and it is one of those ones that I can watch over and over and not get bored of it.

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Other notes, bloopers and misc.:

* Babs comments about Magnum sounding sympathetic on his answer-phone. Magnum didn’t have an answer phone until the later seasons. Typically in the first season, he’d make contact with most clients through Rich at the Club. (Maybe he had one for this episode and soon after it broke?!!!!).

* When Magnum and Babs pull into the service station, and Magnum tells Babs to wait then go to the restroom, watch how he raises his arms – they are at a different angle in two different shots.

* When Magnum comes out of the swimming section of the Ironman, watch T.C.’s hat. It is on normally, but on close-ups of Magnum being dried, the hat can be seen to be on back-to-front with the peak at the back.

-----

First season overview:
The first season, on the whole, is of an extremely high quality. Although some love it, I personally found the Pilot watchable, but patchy and drawn out. But things really took off with the first regular episode, ‘China Doll’, which is one of my all-time favourites.
Many of the show’s greats lie in the first season, with the likes of ‘No Need to Know’, ‘Never Again… Never Again’, ‘Lest We Forget’ and ‘J. “Digger” Doyle’. There are also fun lighter instalments such as ‘The Ugliest Dog in Hawaii’ and ‘Beauty Knows No Pain’.
Yes there are weaker instalments (I wasn’t so keen on ‘Adelaide’ or ‘The Black Orchid’), but they are still not bottom of the MPI barrel either. The only episode of the season that I didn’t particularly enjoy was ‘Thank Good for Little Girls and Big Ones Too’, the second regular episode, where the show really felt to be finding it’s feet.
The early episodes felt more experimental, and of course had a different theme tune by Ian Fairbairn-Smith. Although the Mike Post & Pete Carpenter theme is the more iconic, I love the original, jazzy theme, and thinks it suits the early episodes perfectly. As Post & Carpenters theme was phased in, it also rather marked how the show was settling and finding its niche.
Overall all, a top-notch first season to a classic show. Seasons three and four are often cited as the show’s best years, but the first season has to be a strong contender.
JAY FIRESTORM

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#20 Post by lutherhgillis »

IH and all,

I'm not sure the thing about Magnum telling Barbara that he was never married or engaged is a flub. He may not have wanted to get into it with that crazy woman. She was asking him the question and he just said, "no". I wasn't like he was giving a discourse and said that he had never been married or engaged. I just think he didn't want to discuss it with her.

Again, the thing about the chubby woman coming out of the swim portion of the event before Magnum is hilarious!

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#21 Post by Jaybird »

I loved this episode. Marcia Wallace is fantastic. The interplay between Rick, TC and TM, and of course, Higgins is classic. The rest of the plot, well, who cares about the hitman and the gov't agents. This is simply a classic, enjoyable, Magnum, p.i.!

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#22 Post by Higgy_baby »

I remember this episode well from the early syndication years. The Ironman event is unforgettable. I dig that early no nonsense bike helmet that TS wears...And doesn't his biking shirt look way cooler than the modern spandex body suits ala Tour deFrance (and every wannabe in my neighbourhood).

I love this young Higgins who laughs and takes such delite at Magnum's predicaments. It may seem a little out of character because we're so used to the later serious Higgie.

From some previous posts, I feel like the only old fart whose first impression of Babs is Bob Newhart's receptionist and not Miss Krabbapple? That's OK, my girlfriend tells me Marcia Wallace is now a psycho on Y&R.

Watching the pool game was fun. I almost forgot about straight pool. Everyone plays eight ball now or snooker which is popular in Canada (although almost unheard of in the US).
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#23 Post by IKnowWhatYoureThinking »

Speaking of snooker... I do remember a Magnum episode where Higgins is watching a snooker tournament like we would a Super Bowl or other big game here in the states.

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#24 Post by Doc Ibold »

IKnowWhatYoureThinking wrote:Speaking of snooker... I do remember a Magnum episode where Higgins is watching a snooker tournament like we would a Super Bowl or other big game here in the states.
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#25 Post by Higgy_baby »

IKnowWhatYoureThinking wrote:Speaking of snooker... I do remember a Magnum episode where Higgins is watching a snooker tournament like we would a Super Bowl or other big game here in the states.
I didn't know that. Thanks also Doc for naming the episode.

I remember when pool halls, legions, and basments in Canada were a sea of red balls. Sometimes you still see the UK tournaments on cable.
Of course this changes nothing between us. I still expect you to respect the rules and regulations pertaining to your stay on the estate. There will be no wild parties, no outragous liberties, no unauthorized overnight guests...

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