Three Minus Two (2.22)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the second season

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
0
No votes
9.5 (One of the Best)
6
6%
9.0 (Excellent)
6
6%
8.5 (Very Good)
21
23%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
30
32%
7.5 (Decent)
10
11%
7.0 (Average at Best)
13
14%
6.5 (Not So Good)
3
3%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
3
3%
5.0 (Just Awful)
1
1%
 
Total votes: 93

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marlboro
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Re: Three Minus Two (2.22)

#41 Post by marlboro »

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Harold Farber
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Re: Three Minus Two (2.22)

#42 Post by Harold Farber »

Rating: 7.

Average effort for me and it's only really memorable for the "snorkel girl" credit shot. The overall plot is fairly weak and I wasn't convinced by the outcome. Easy to see why it was held back until the end of the season for airing.

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Little Garwood
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Re: Three Minus Two (2.22)

#43 Post by Little Garwood »

8.0 [Pretty Good]

I was tempted to rate Three Minus Two a 10 [Perfect!] but that would only be for reasons of sentiment and nostalgia, as it's the first Magnum, P.I. episode I ever saw so that alone makes it special to me. I saw it first run in April 1982. I was in fifth grade and was introduced to the series by my best friend, who enthused about MPI and drew MPI comics but using the cartoony-looking characters I had created. I still have those comics. Hard to believe it's been thirty-three years already.

It's appropriate that Three Minus Two was my first episode since it is the one with so many iconic moments thanks to their appearance in the opening credits. This one also has elements of the show I loved then and now, which would be Thomas and Higgins haggling and negotiating over Estate privileges, like use of the super-expensisve camera and of course the Ferrari. Those examples of one-upmanship has always been among my favorite aspects of the show.

As for the episode itself, there's some nice scenery in terms of those oh-so-early-'80s runway models and I get a laugh out of the wind blowing through the King Kamehameha Club. It's not my favorite location for the club but I'll gladly take it over that sterile and lifeless indoor set they'd use in later seasons.

I liked the brief scene with Thomas and Rick at the club when Thomas info dumps some Rick Wright backstory. The stuff about Rick mustering out of the USMC and remaining in Hawaii touches on my interest of what The Big Four were up to in the '70s before we catch up with them in the '80s.

T.C. as pretentious and effete high-fashion photographer "Mr. Alex" was amusing. It reminds me of a performance that Greg Morris gave in the seventh-season Mission: Impossible episode Movie, where he goes undercover as an enfant terrible film auteur and whose speaking voice sounds like Morris was channeling Roscoe Lee Brown.

Jill St. John did not give one of her better performances here; she gave memorable and amusing performances alongside Frank Sinatra in Tony Rome and Sean Connery in Diamonds are Forever. In those films, St. John had wit, charm, and fine comedic timing. She fares poorly in her underwritten role. Her Jan Kona character is flat and lifeless; St. John is unconvincing in the episode's finale where she is supposed to be terrified by the gun-wielding Mrs. Russell (who pronounces "marksmanship" without the first S). St. John also does a forced laugh when Ox (Denny Miller; hilarious in a small role and always worth seeing) says his legendary "Take root and heist 'em!" line.

It seems like that the contents as well as the plastic bag itself placed under Lindsey's car would have been melted into unrecognizable slag had it been there before the car exploded so I'll guess that Mrs. Russell placed it there after the car was taken to the police impound yard, though that would also arouse suspicion had it been found, no matter the condition.
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Milton Collins
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Re: Three Minus Two (2.22)

#44 Post by Milton Collins »

Can never get enough of this one, just love it. Bathing beauties, Mr. Alex (lol lol lol), Ox (for the tenth time, the actor meaning lol ie Leon Platte etc) and a good mystery. Totally fun!

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KingKC
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Re: Three Minus Two (2.22)

#45 Post by KingKC »

Classic Magnum. Saves damsel in distress. Borrows stuff from Robin Masters. Gets TC to help. Bickers with Higgins. For season finales this was pretty plain vanilla. But as it turned out MPI spent more effort on season openers. I liked Beauty Knows No Pain as a season finale much better.

KingKC

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Milton Collins
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Re: Three Minus Two (2.22)

#46 Post by Milton Collins »

I love this episode so much! Seeing the scene where Magnum fake drop the camera and Higgins face (which is in the preview of every episode) just cracks me up every time lol. Love the appearance of Jill St. John, the bathing beauties, and of course Mr. Alex! His photo shoot with Rick is one of my fav Rick moments ever!

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Re: Three Minus Two (2.22)

#47 Post by marlboro »

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Milton Collins
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Re: Three Minus Two (2.22)

#48 Post by Milton Collins »

marlboro wrote:Image
Ahhh, thank you Marlboro Man I love that scene so much!

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MagnumILWU
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Re: Three Minus Two (2.22)

#49 Post by MagnumILWU »

Just watched this on Encore. The ending! To me, it's just what Magnum is all about! Magnum and Higgins! The beautiful weather, the estate, making deals. Just the fun and charm of that last scene, made my day!
"pickled egg please"

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ENSHealy
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Re: Three Minus Two (2.22)

#50 Post by ENSHealy »

2.22 THREE MINUS TWO
Hawaiian shirts: 1 – light blue with green narrow leaves and orange flowers
Island Hopper shirts: 1 dark green with white logo
Body Count: 2
Shirtless: 2
Little Voice: 1
I know what you’re thinking: 0
When I write HTBAWCPI: 0
Higgins musings: 0
4th wall breaks: 0
Negotiations: 2 – sharing the Ferrari for the camera, and then the Ferrari for getting the guest house back
Famous guest stars: 1 Jill St. John
Magnumometer: 10

Higgins is the chairman of the Honolulu chapter of the British Seamens (Seaman's?) Fund.

"A verse trilogy about the Hundred Years War." Extraordinary! That should probably be included in the appendix to the memoirs.

The estate has a "servants wing".

Some good lines:
Jan Kona: I'd hate to run into him in a dark alley.
Magnum: He's not so terrific in a lit room!

Magnum: I hated logic, sometimes it really gets in the way.

If "Thomas Maxwell" isn't taken as a username on here, it would be a good one. Same for Mr. Alex.

Problematic Plot Points:
1. Bart Lindsey's car is clearly empty just before it explodes.
2. How the hell did a plastic bag taped to the car right next to a supposed claymore mine survive the explosion and fire unscathed?
3. If Ox caught Magnum entering the factory, how come he didn't catch Florence Russell?
4. Can you actually hold a scissors by the handles, not the blades, and then throw it so it sticks blades first in the target?
5. The first time we see the gun Mrs. Russell has, it is black. In the remaining shots, it is silver. (nickel plated?)
6. A civilian family member of the C.O. of an Army ordinance supply depot is employed as his office assistant? [sarcasm font]That's not sketchy at all. [/sarcasm font]

Anybody know the gun and how many shells it holds? She fired it empty with 7 rounds.

Last but not least, here is the little voice: I didn't feel like listening to what everyone was saying about the murders and who committed them. I just wanted to get away. The problem was, I could escape all the speculation, but I couldn't run away from my little voice.
Ensign Healy
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"I woke up one day at 53 and realized I'd never been 23."

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karolis
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Re: Three Minus Two (2.22)

#51 Post by karolis »

ENSHealy wrote:
Problematic Plot Points:
1. Bart Lindsey's car is clearly empty just before it explodes.


At least in my recording (if they didn't cut it out) it's not empty:

Image

And the car after explosion doesn't seem to be very damaged (except for the interior):

Image

P.S.: Note the whte russian Lada car on top of the others. Similar Lada is used in the Reboot trailer. I wonder how this Lada got there? Any insight? Was it sold in Hawaii at that time?

"10 During a scene at the King Kamehameha Club beach bar, Rick is seen drinking a "Coops" beer with the label clearly visible." - from Episode Guide, here's screenshot:

Image

-----

Here's my Season Two's Top:

1. Tropical Madness (loved this one)
2-3. Memories Are Forever (1 & 2)
4. Italian Ice
5. The Last Page
6. Try to Remember
7. The Woman on the Beach
8. The Jororo Kill
9. Computer Date
10. Dead Man’s Channel
11. Wave Goodbye
12. Texas Lightning
13. Ghost Writer
14. The Elmo Ziller Story
15. The Sixth Position
16. From Moscow to Maui
17. Three Minus Two
18. One More Summer
19. Double Jeopardy
20. The Taking of Dick McWilliams
21. Billy Joe Bob
22. Mad Buck Gibson

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Victor DiGorgio
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Re: Three Minus Two (2.22)

#52 Post by Victor DiGorgio »

I liked everything in this episode other than the plot. Meaning all the primary characters interactions were great, but the whole murder mystery was just stupid. I don't even know who actually killed the first partner during the swimsuit runway show. I just want more Mr Alex and Higgins cock blocking Magnum. My favorite part though has to be at the end when TC is showing off the ridiculous photo of Rick with the gun and the knife and he's so proud of capturing the essence of the man and how it would look great hanging in Rick's office. Just classic.

I know it's been mentioned that this was probably filmed earlier in the season because of all the scenes that are in the opening credits. Another sign that could point to this is that Higgins acts like this is the first time Magnum would be borrowing Robin Master's camera and there is a earlier episode in season 2 when Higgins is doing inventory on the estate and is after Magnum to returned the borrowed camera(while Magnum is looking for a lost lens).

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ENSHealy
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Re: Three Minus Two (2.22)

#53 Post by ENSHealy »

ENSHealy wrote:2.22 THREE MINUS TWO
Hawaiian shirts: 1 – light blue with green narrow leaves and orange flowers
Island Hopper shirts: 1 dark green with white logo
Body Count: 2
Shirtless: 2
Little Voice: 1
I know what you’re thinking: 0
When I write HTBAWCPI: 0
Higgins musings: 0
4th wall breaks: 0
Negotiations: 2 – sharing the Ferrari for the camera, and then the Ferrari for getting the guest house back
Famous guest stars: 1 Jill St. John
Magnumometer: 10
UPDATED MAGNUMOMETER

This one drops from a 10 to a 9 on the revised Magnumometer. Minus two on body count (only counting Magnum kills now, not total bodies) and plus one on the Higgins membership.

2.22 THREE MINUS TWO
Hawaiian shirts: 1
Island Hopper shirts: 1
Tigers Cap:
Body Count:
Bullet wounds:
Shirtless: 2
Little Voice: 1
I know what you’re thinking:
When I write HTBAWCPI:
Investigator corrections:
Higgins musings:
4th wall breaks:
Negotiations: 2 – sharing the Ferrari for the camera, and then the Ferrari for getting the guest house back
OMG/Extraordinarys:
Higgins Organizations: 1 The Britannic Seamans Fund, Chairman of the Honolulu chapter
Famous guest stars: 1 Jill St. John
Magnumometer: 9

Potential magnumania usernames: Mr. Alex, Thomas Maxwell

Magnumometer Moments: https://vimeo.com/374812633

Why was Magnum sleeping on the patio if the poet wasn’t there yet and Jan was sleeping in the main house?
If Jan knows she’s not the killer, why the hell is she working alone at the office?
What does TM mean when he says to Florence “you weren’t listening”?
Croix de Lorraine wrote:When the cops are questioning Jan by the sea wall, Magnum mentions the car bomb. The cops never mentioned anything about a car bomb, at least while Magnum was present.
Nice catch!! And I went back and checked - Higgins didn't mention it either.

Uncredited cameo by Wade Boggs? (not really, but I always think “Wade Boggs!” whenever I see this scene)
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Ensign Healy
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pot79
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Re: Three Minus Two (2.22)

#54 Post by pot79 »

A piece of information:
on the gate of the impound, a writing can be seen: "kapu", that, -now i know- means "keep out", but in hungarian it literally means gate.

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Pahonu
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Re: Three Minus Two (2.22)

#55 Post by Pahonu »

pot79 wrote:A piece of information:
on the gate of the impound, a writing can be seen: "kapu", that, -now i know- means "keep out", but in hungarian it literally means gate.
Interesting coincidence. Thanks!

Kapu translates better as “forbidden or prohibited” as in taboo, which comes from the same Polynesian root. Kapu more accurately was a set of prohibitions or rules for daily life of the commoners in Hawaii as opposed to the “alii” or royalty, who didn’t have these limitations. For example, eating turtle meat, or “honu”, was kapu for most Hawaiians and reserved for the alii. They kept these turtles in pens called pahonu! :D

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