J. "Digger" Doyle (1.17)

[MaiTaiMan]

This episode was really good, and I enjoy watching it everytime I go through the show!

Erin Gray was "hot", and she's a good actress too! I liked the plot and we finally get to see Orson Welles (or should I say "hear" ) as Robin Masters!

The whole "none of us viewers get to see Robin Masters" is obviously "Magnum, p.i.'s" own take on the "Charlie's Angels" idea--that no one, including the Angels, ever got to see Charlie. But, it worked and I liked the fact that we never really did find out who Robin Masters was...was it really Higgins, or someone else?

Anyway, this episode is awesome and I love the action parts--especially where Magnum and Digger have to climb those old mountain steps to rescue Higgins. The very end was also hilarious...with Higgins' goofy story of certain soldiers turning gay, then "straightening" back up when they got their sergeant stripes! As silly as this sounds, I really liked Digger's laugh at Higgins' story! It was so genuine--not faked!

[Magnum T.]

Robin Masters is in danger untill his new novel will be delivered to his publisher.
The tapes containing the novel are hidden in one of Robin's houses around the world (you guess which).
Meanwhile, Magnum takes his new... friend Joy "Digger" Doyle, a young (and attractive) fan of the famous writer, to the Nest for a tour.

This episode is quite hard to review for me.
It is one of my favourites from Season 1, it's funny and surely it's full of well written dialogues.
There is Erin Gray, sure good looking, but I think it has a big weak point: the plot.
Maybe it's me, but I can't understand why the bad guys are after Robin and what a cheap spy-story has to do with military/industrial tech secrets.
And why does he hide the tapes into his house? He seems to be a travelling man, a safe in some swiss bank would be a better place, I think.
So, it's a good episode to watch just for fun but if I begin to think about the story, it just doesn't work.
Too bad, as I said this could have been one of the best of S1.

Plus:
- Erin Gray (obviously)
- a lot of good/funny dialogues.
Minus:
- weak plot.
- Magnum/Doyle interaction is quite predictable (too many kisses).
Best line:
Magnum: Higgins, you ok? It's me, Magnum.
Higgins: Zeus, Apollo, kill!
Magnum: Must be a reflex action.

Notes:
- team ring on the left hand.
- Higgins' full name is heard for the first time.
- the stoned Higgins Magnum carries up the mountain is clearly a cheap dummy.
- this episode rises the question "Is Higgins Robin Masters?".
As I already said in another post, there's no way Higgins is Robin Masters. Too many details over the series contradict this hypothesis.
- Jacqueline Ray, Tom Selleck's wife at the time, will be back in "Birdman of Budapest" (3.16), credited as Jacqueline Selleck; Diane Crowley will return in "Wave Goodbye" (2.8) as Kacy; Patrick Bishop appears in nine episodes, playing Keoki or Pat; Ric Marlow will be in "Mr. White Death" (3.9) and "Paradise Blues" (4.15).

Funny things:
- from what I can hear, Robin Masters must be one of the worst writers in the world!
"The soft silk of her gown clinging suggestively to her body seemed to Mark like the label on the bottle of a Lafite Rothschild, which could only hint at the pleasures that lay within."
Brrrr!
- Magnum's 4th-wall-breaking smile while he's running away from the "crime scene" (i.e. after he scared to death T.C.'s rich customers) makes me laugh everytime!

This episode is all about Erin Gray in that blue and red bikini.

To me, this episode is all about Erin Gray's eyes.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

The one thing that really interested me though is wondering about Robin's other estates. Are there other estate caretakers and guests at them (ala Higgins and Magnum?) I'd like to think so. I'd assume Robin arranges for interesting characters to live on his estates so he can get story ideas.

That's an interesting thought. What if each one of these places has their own version of Higgins and Magnum? And their own version of Zeus and Apollo? T.C. and Rick?

Just imagine the numerous spin-offs MPI could have launched based on this idea. It's like CSI. There was the original version set in Vegas. Then we got CSI: Miami and then CSI: New York.

So we'd end up similarly with MAGNUM: LONDON or MAGNUM: BOMBAY.

Actually that's not quite right. Say one of Robin's estates was in Ireland - the show would be called O'HANRAHAN, P.I. Or if the estate was in Russia the show would be called KALASHNIKOV, P.I. Or if it were in India it would be PATEL, P.I. And the p.i. would be just like Magnum - except he'd be Irish or Russian or Indian. The majordomo would also be uptight and worldly - just like Higgins. Zeus and Apollo would of course have different names and might be a different dog breed altogether. Chances are if the show was German the dogs would be German shepherds. Or they might be Siberian Huskies if the estate was in Russia. Instead of swimming in the tidal pool Kalashnikov, PI's hobby might be ice-fishing ON a tidal pool. And then he could argue with the Russian majordomo over whose turn it is to use the tidal pool for ice-fishing. The majordomo would reply with an OH... MY.... GOD in Russian. Kalashnikov would then proceed to break the 4th wall by winking into the camera.

Man, what I wouldn't give to see one of these shows!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Coops]

Setting aside the obvious about Erin Grey, to me the most stunning thing about her is her eyes. I've never seen a set of eyes that are sexy, happy, alluring, hypnotizing, magnetic, etc., ever. Even looking at photos of her now I immediately gravitate to her eyes and stay there. They are amazing, simply amazing...

[Visiting Stewardess]

So Digger wasn't involved after all??? That was a bit of a surprise to me, I had thought from the start she's part of the group of imposters.
Anyway, I gave this a 9, it is an excellent episode and has all the Magnum moments I like. Comraderie, Higgins/TM interaction, the lads...
Ok, come to think of it, the story is a bit weak, he is a trash novel writer, so why would anyone want to steal his manuscript... but apart from that, very good.
The "flub" with the short phone conversation between Robin and Higgins turning into one of these "never ending" lectures of Higgins was one of the first things I had noticed too. But it was very well explained by a previous poster.

Another thing I had noticed in the opening scene: Being a runner myself, I know that in this sport you work up a sweat easily. When Tom appears at the bar he hasn't got a drop of sweat on his body, he isn't even the slightest bit out of breath.

Oh, and taking about the bar scene: isn't there a beer on the table too? I thought it was supposed to be early morning!

[Styles Bitchley]

Ok, come to think of it, the story is a bit weak, he is a trash novel writer, so why would anyone want to steal his manuscript... but apart from that, very good.

Trashy novels can be priceless. Danielle Steele is reportedly worth some $600 million!

[Seaver41]

This episode really makes you think how the whole Robin Masters mythos could never endure in this modern day with the internet.

[Seaver41]

In response to the flub:

" After "Digger" cons her way into Higgins' study and pulls the gun on Magnum and Higgins, she uses the red telephone to call Robin Masters. After a brief conversation with Robin, she hands the phone to Higgins, who speaks to Robin for 7 seconds. From Higgins' 7 second conversation with Robin, Higgins launches into a 61 second, detailed dialogue about the attempt on Robin's life, StarGuard, J. Doyle, Robin's plan to pick-up all of his tapes from one of his estates, etc. During Higgins' dialogue, Magnum interrupts Higgins briefly, but then Higgins continues with his dialogue. The question is: How could Higgins have gotten 61 seconds of very detailed dialogue from a 7 second conversation with Robin? This scene requires you to abandon all logic. (Noted by IslandHopper)"

According to the later episodes where Magnum pieces together that Higgins is really Robin and the other guy is a hired actor "with a voice like Orson Welles and a body like Truman Capote", it explains how Higgins could get a 7 second call from "Robin" and then give 61 seconds of dialogue in order to explain. Higgins knew the whole story from the beginning.

It raises the question however, that wouldn't Higgins have also known that the tapes were hidden in plain view along with Jefferson Starship, Blondie, and Styx in Magnum's quarters?

The series as a whole required us to abandon all logic but isn't that what TV is all about?

Good day.

I don't believe that Higgins is really Robin Masters, and I don't believe the show ever resolves this question. In fact, in Resolutions Part II, Higgins tells Magnum at the end that he "lied" about being Robin Masters. We have discussed this question several times in other threads.

As I have said in a previous post, the main reason why I would say Higgins is not Robin Masters is because of the episode, "J. Digger Doyle." In that episode, the bad guys were trying to steal Robin's tapes of his newest novel. Robin even came to Hawaii and was picked up by TC in his chopper in order to retrieve his tapes from Magnum. If Higgins was Robin Masters, wouldn't he have known where the tapes were? Magnum said that Robin had given him the tapes for safe keeping. Why would Higgins have gone through this elaborate charade of the tapes kept in Magnum's guest house if he was really Robin, especially considering that there were bad guys willing to kidnap and kill in order to get the tapes. Would Higgins have willingly endangered Magnum, TC, Rick and himself and exposed them to automatic weapons and possible death merely to perpetuate this charade? I don't think so.

In a previous post, James brought up the episode of "Bird Man Of Budapest," which also negates the possibility of Higgins being Robin Masters. In that episode, Robin's former teacher was coming for a visit. If Higgins was Robin, he would have known right off that she was an imposter. I don't think that Higgins would have gone through this charade either, especially considering that the woman, who was not Robin's teacher, but a Soviet agent trying to kill the birdman. Again, this involved possible death to TC, Magnum, and Higgins, which I'm sure Higgins would not have allowed to happen.

Therefore, I still believe the flub relating to Higgins' 7 second conversation and subsequent 61 second dialogue is not only a flub, but a shocking flub. Higgins is not Robin Masters.

Higgins is indeed NOT Robin Masters. Why would WE be shown the interior of a private plane and Orson Wells contracted to be the voice? Robin is a separate character that they clumsily tried to create doubt about later on.

[Seaver41]

I agree with IKnowWhatYoureThinking. There are several episodes where I think Thomas was intimate with the lady but I also think it's cool that it wasn't flaunted.

This is one of my very favorites. It has all the components that I like. A tight and well-written story that's intriguing. A global scope. Teamwork between the guys in a military-type operation. A great guest gal...although Erin Grey should never wear dark running shorts...they make her look "hippy". (Sorry, guys!) She sure has beautiful blue eyes, though, doesn't she?

I loved the "Doesn't it look like my car?" twist. People are always questioning whether or not the Ferrari belongs to Thomas and here he is questioning "Digger's" ownership of the identical car...for different reasons, I understand, but the exchange was still wonderful. Kind of made me feel like an "insider."

One of the reasons that I like the military-type episodes is that I'm fascinated by the way the "military" mind works. Or anyway I attribute some of the things that the guys do to their military training. Like when Thomas calls to verify Digger's identity and when Higgins knows to leave clues on the tape recorder to help Thomas find him. I also like the comaradarie between Rick, TC and Thomas...like when they give Digger a bad time during the "briefing." And, of course, throughout the episode Thomas is totally loyal...to Robin and to Higgins. Carrying Higgins up the mountain is WAY above loyal. I like that Higgins is "quite speechless"...and think it's fun when Thomas tells him that "It's about time!"

I'm fascinated by the Haiku Valley Ladder. I wonder if I could climb up it. Probably not. But maybe I could climb DOWN it. Even though I know that the fronts of a person's legs can hurt, too. The information at the link in the episode index is confusing. First it says that the stairs were repaired and they're open to the public. Then it says...and shows pictures...that it's in disrepair and dangerous. Hmmm. Maybe my goal will be to climb ON it...for a ways...until I get to a broken stretch...or a steep part...

By the way...I've forgiven Higgins for his "bloody, filthy animals. All they want to do is spit on you." remark. My boys are South American camels and it may be that Middle Eastern camels are different but nobody gets spit on at my house unless they have committed a "spitable" offense. So I choose to believe that Higgins must have done something to cause those camels to spit on him. On the other hand...spitable, like a lot of other things, is in the eye of the beholder!

My favorite "line" in this episode is not even spoken. It's the small, smug smile that Higgins gives to David Clark as he turns from the safe after David assumes that he's Robin. That smile seems triumphant to me and it doesn't even seem to matter that Thomas was the one to figure it all out...again!!

Nice...very nice!

LOL Agatha.......I didn't want to say anything,but it certainly looked like her cheeks were trying to escape. Made me ponder if she had kids around that time. I don't know her background, but I was left with impression she popped a couple out. Still, those baby blues are dynamite. I liked her with the lighter hair on Buck Rogers in those jumpsuits........me-ow

[Little Garwood]

I don't think this has been mentioned, but I believe I found a continuity flub.

In this episode, Magnum tells Digger that Robin Masters doesn't use a typewriter, but dictates into a tape recorder...

Flash forward to S4's The Case of the Red Faced Thespian, Magnum fails to notice that Robin (though not actually at the estate) is locked away in the upstairs bedroom and typing as Valerie Kane tries to keep Magnum from disturbing him. Wouldn't Magnum know right away that Robin Masters doesn't use a typewriter and therefore see through Valerie's ruse?

[Sisophous]

I'm lost to grasp why this episode was rated so highly. I viewed every episode in this long series but this one and the episode following this one until the past weekend where I finally watched them all. There is no humor in this Digger episode and the storyline is flat.

[ConchRepublican]

I'm lost to grasp why this episode was rated so highly. I viewed every episode in this long series but this one and the episode following this one until the past weekend where I finally watched them all. There is no humor in this Digger episode and the storyline is flat.

Wait . . . what???

A classic episode! Erin Gray . . . humor . . . the lads . . . Erin Gray . . . surf ski . . . Higgins captured . . . Erin Gray . . . double crosses . . . a gunfight at the Estate, oh, and did I mention . . . ERIN GRAY???

Keep on rolling that rock up the hill dude . . .

[Waterbug Blue]

Erin most definitely is a 10...

[Visiting Stewardess]

Wait . . . what???

A classic episode! Erin Gray . . . humor . . . the lads . . . Erin Gray . . . surf ski . . . Higgins captured . . . Erin Gray . . . double crosses . . . a gunfight at the Estate, oh, and did I mention . . . ERIN GRAY???

Well, that's definitely a guy-thing.
I didn't rate it a 10, but I think it's not that bad either.

[Waterbug Blue]

Wait . . . what???

A classic episode! Erin Gray . . . humor . . . the lads . . . Erin Gray . . . surf ski . . . Higgins captured . . . Erin Gray . . . double crosses . . . a gunfight at the Estate, oh, and did I mention . . . ERIN GRAY???

Well, that's definitely a guy-thing.
I didn't rate it a 10, but I think it's not that bad either.

hmm actually sounds like ODIE in a fit