Two Birds of a Feather (3.20)

[J.J. Walters]

Soon-Tek Oh guest starred in seemingly in every single American television show from the 1970's and 1980's. A very prolific Korean-American actor! He's instantly recognizable.

[snp389]

I actually don't mind this ep. Yeah, it slows down a bit with the romantic stuff with Hunter and Jen in Waco, Texas, but I reckon it's not a bad plot, with TSM and his 'little voice' are trying to figure out why he thinks he owes Hunter.
I just watched it again, and was trying to work out where I had seen Nick (John Calvin) before. John Calvin was in Season 2 'Wave Goodbye' as another bad-guy, but with longer hair and a beard. I have since found out he was in 3 MPI ep's:
– A Girl Named Sue (1988) … Arthur Wainwright

– Two Birds of a Feather (1983) … Nick

– Wave Goodbye (1981) … Gary the Drug Dealer

[J.J. Walters]

Yeah, John Calvin is a Bellisario regular. He was in the main cast of Tales of the Gold Monkey and guest starred in a bunch of other Bellisario shows.

[Kalai-pahoa]

I think it is a very good episode indeed. I like Sam Hunter and his feelings for his family. The dialogue between Higgins, Magnum and Sam after the plane crash is priceless:

- You can't land your aeroplane there.

- Didn't have much choice. You see, this fella was running on the beach.

- I knew it!

- What? I was running on my own beach?

- It's not yours, it's Robin Masters' beach.

(even though we know that there are no private beaches in Hawaii)
The director Virgil W. Vogel did an excellent job with the "Nam" set, the war bombing explosions and, most of all, the plane crash into the tidal pool. It looks real. Maybe it is or maybe they used some small rocks to make it look bigger.
And it looks like it is flying very very close to Tom Selleck. The star of the show!!!

Vogel has also directed the episode 'Distante relative' that features the outstanding chopper chase scene. Great work.
So sad to read that Chad Lee Sheets (Kip Hunter in this episode) died at the age of 26, following a battle with cancer (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... d=15619195).
Unfortunately it reminds me the story of Dana Hill (Willie the Weapon in the 'Basket Case' episode, one of my faves), another unlucky guest star of this season.

[marlboro]

I can see why this was not picked up as a series. I think it had potential, but they highlighted the wrong aspects of the show.

I thought the family drama moments were well acted and fairly interesting, but I don't think I would care to watch it week after week. I would imagine that most of show would have been based around the pilot's "aerial archeological" adventures, right? But they really didn't play that up at all.

[SignGuyHPW]

I liked it well enough. It was obvious that it was meant to showcase the pilot of a different show, but I enjoyed what they did for the most part. Joanna Kearns was someone I always enjoyed watching. The flashback scene in the begining was great Magnum, p.i. That helped tie everything together I thought. Higgins freaking out and blaming Magnum for the plane being in the tidal pool was classic as well.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

A very average episode but I do have to agree with others that the plane crash into the tidal pool was very well done.

I also have to agree with IslandHopper that the plane does look real. Now, I personally realized that it was a model that they crashed into the pool (albeit a rather large model - probably close enough to the real thing) but if you compare it with the tidal pool rocks it doesn't really look like a model. Heh, that's actually funny, isn't it? When it crashes into the tidal pool it does look a bit like a model but when I look at the picture that James posted (meant to show that it IS a model) it actually doesn't look all that much like a model. Not to me anyway. The rocks still look pretty small compared to the size of the plane. Also keep in mind that we are talking about a very small plane here. So the model work actually works very well in this case. Again, I'm guessing the model was almost the size of the real plane. So it's all very believable. We're not talking about a Boeing in the tidal pool.

[Dave Anderson]

I have never liked this episode, but didn't realize how hated it was by fans. Interesting. I also didn't know it was supposed to be a pilot for another series.

I actually didn't mind the show spending some time focusing on characters other than "Magnum and the gang." However, these other characters were terrible. The Texas ranch scenes are almost embarrassing. The characters were ridiculous stereotypes, and the ranch in Waco? Seriously? I haven't been to Waco, but from what I know the area is flat, plains country. I have also never been a fan of Joanna Kerns. Growing Pains was my favorite show in the 80s (even more than Magnum!), at least for the first 3 seasons before they started adding more kids and messing it up. However, I always felt that Joanna Kerns was the weak link in the show. I never felt her acting abilities were very good. That can be seen in this episode, only worse. The plot ending was also too unbelievable.

The basic premise could have worked (as an episode, not a series), but it was poorly written on many levels. It actually gets a few bonus points for having scenes without the main characters (some variety is always good), but that doesn't save this episode overall.

[Little Garwood]

I have never liked this episode, but didn't realize how hated it was by fans. Interesting. I also didn't know it was supposed to be a pilot for another series.

The basic premise could have worked (as an episode, not a series), but it was poorly written on many levels. It actually gets a few bonus points for having scenes without the main characters (some variety is always good), but that doesn't save this episode overall.

For a "back-door pilot" that works, try The Rockford Files S3 episode Just Another Polish Wedding. It has characters we've already been introduced to: Gandy Fitch (Isaac Hayes) from The Hammer of C Block and Marcus Aurelius Hayes (Louis Gossett Jr.) from Foul on the First Play; two characters who are charismatic, engaging, and hilarious. The episode boasts a brilliantly funny and literate script--including a scene in a neo Nazi bar that is priceless. It's also a story that doesn't discard its lead for the sake of shoehorning a pilot into the show (Thomas literally "phoning in" to help Sam Houston Hunter in Two Birds of a Feather infuriates me to this day). The plot of Just Another Polish Wedding wraps up perfectly at the end and would have made a great series on its own yet we never forget that we're watching The Rockford Files.

[marlboro]

The plot of Just Another Polish Wedding wraps up perfectly at the end and would have made a great series on its own yet we never forget that we're watching The Rockford Files.

That's the key, right there. Producers are just setting themselves up for failure by shoehorning in an entirely new cast into an established show. "Mr. Ed" had three or four (terrible) episodes like this; there was even one about a cartoon alien!


I've heard that "The Return of Luther Gillis" was intended as a pilot episode. I can definitely see it. Can anyone confirm that?

[Little Garwood]

I've heard that "The Return of Luther Gillis" was intended as a pilot episode. I can definitely see it. Can anyone confirm that?

I've heard that too (perhaps here at M-M) and if The Return of Luther Gillis was intended as a back-door pilot, then it never comes across as such, because it's an excellent episode. Eugene Roche and Tom Selleck have a tremendous on-screen rapport and it would have been a crime if ol' Luther hadn't been brought back (even if his scene with Clyde Kusatsu in A.A.P.I. is one of the series' most cringe-inducing moments).

The one halfway interesting thing about Two Birds of a Feather is that Magnum's back-story is filled in in the smallest possible way by Sam Houston Hunter. That briefest of interactions does add to Thomas' history, so there is at least that much we get from this episode.

[marlboro]

I've heard that "The Return of Luther Gillis" was intended as a pilot episode. I can definitely see it. Can anyone confirm that?

I've heard that too (perhaps here at M-M) and if The Return of Luther Gillis was intended as a back-door pilot, then it never comes across as such, because it's an excellent episode. Eugene Roche and Tom Selleck have a tremendous on-screen rapport and it would have been a crime if ol' Luther hadn't been brought back (even if his scene with Clyde Kusatsu in A.A.P.I. is one of the series' most cringe-inducing moments).

It felt a bit like a pilot to me. The introduction of Sheree North's character and that of the nephew mainly. It felt like a remake of the first Luther Gillis episode, but with added characters from Luther's
"world."

The one halfway interesting thing about Two Birds of a Feather is that Magnum's back-story is filled in in the smallest possible way by Sam Houston Hunter. That briefest of interactions does add to Thomas' history, so there is at least that much we get from this episode.

I think if they had played up the adventurous aspects of the new series, and actually had Magnum involved in the episode this may have been a pretty good episode. It's hard to combine weekly free wheeling adventuring with a "kitchen sink" family drama. You've nixed love interests and babes of the week right off the bat.

[KingKC]

I had absolutely no idea this was a "back door" pilot until a few days ago when I signed up. That explains a lot of things. For years I was scratching my head over this one as even the Vietnam connection was pretty darn weak. I am going to have to be in a very jolly mood to even give this one a 6.0. I don't think it would have produced much of a show.

KingKC

[steveadl]

Best part of this otherwise poor episode is Higgins reaction to the crashed plane in the tidal pool!

Higgins: Oh my God.......Magnum! What have you done?!
Magnum: What?
Higgins: There's an aeroplane in Robbins Masters tidal pool!

lol gets me every time!

[Robert Kelley]

As someone who's had a pilot license since 1984 all the flying in this episode was enough to overcome the fact that it was not Magnum/Hawaii-centric. Two things: when the plane crashes into the water you can see cables that they used to drop the thing in. A well done stunt though. Second, was it just me or did others realize how outlandish of an idea it was that a P-51 could outrun a Learjet and bring it down? Good TV but come on!