Mr. White Death (3.9)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the third season

Moderator: Styles Bitchley

How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
3
3%
9.5 (One of the Best)
14
14%
9.0 (Excellent)
15
15%
8.5 (Very Good)
33
33%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
23
23%
7.5 (Decent)
5
5%
7.0 (Average at Best)
1
1%
6.5 (Not So Good)
3
3%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
0
No votes
5.0 (Just Awful)
4
4%
 
Total votes: 101

Message
Author
User avatar
All About the Stache
Lieutenant
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 1:38 am
Location: Sweden
Contact:

#41 Post by All About the Stache »

I thought this episode was pretty funny, but I didn't love it. Gave it a "Pretty good" rating. Ernest Borgnine was a nice touch as the special guest star, he's always great to watch.
Magnum: Ivan...
Ivan: Yes?
Magnum: Did you see the sunrise this morning?
Ivan: Yes... Why?
*BANG*

User avatar
N1095A
World Class Private Investigator
Posts: 1574
Joined: Mon Aug 27, 2007 7:03 pm
Location: A log cabin in the mountains.

Ernest Borgnine, SAG Lifetime achievement award.

#42 Post by N1095A »

Great to see Ernie last night. He's the best. 94 years old and could still kick your a*s, but he's much too nice a guy to do so.
"But Higgins, I can explain."

User avatar
miltontheripper
Vice Admiral
Posts: 108
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2011 9:48 pm
Location: Michigan

#43 Post by miltontheripper »

Not one of my favorite episodes, but finding out Higgins nickname makes it worthwhile!

User avatar
MaiTaiMan
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 419
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 12:43 am
Location: Mid-West

#44 Post by MaiTaiMan »

This was an "okay" episode, I guess...nothing major or memorable, but decent none-the-less. Good, poignant ending between father and son. :)
"It was more ironic than a Robin Masters novel--she thought he was dead, he thought she was dead...and only the chauffeur knew the truth! He should have been the butler!" "Lest We Forget"

Seaver41
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 388
Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:46 pm

#45 Post by Seaver41 »

always liked this episode.........love the ending and that goose pimple line from Magnum......'....not today"

Borgnine is amazing. He's been around a long time. I loved his character on the Poseidon Adventure. The man has an Oscar as well. Truly a legend that Father Time says won't be around a whole lot longer.

One thing.....go back and look at that fight in the back room of the wrestling place........you can see the body doubles of both Selleck and Roger from the front.....clear facial shots. So many tv shows of the 70's and 80's did a poor job of disguising the body doubles....Magnum P.I. was no exception early on.

Bes
Commander
Posts: 42
Joined: Fri Jan 08, 2010 8:26 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Contact:

#46 Post by Bes »

Great episode; One of series 3's best.

Borgnine is a legend. I have a signed copy of his autobiography. Must read that soon; I've had it for yonks!

User avatar
.45caliber
Lieutenant Commander
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2012 10:46 pm
Location: OH

#47 Post by .45caliber »

A top 20 episode I think. I was going to give it an 8.5 but the father son reunion at the airport, plus the ending with TM negotiating with "Punky" and the "not today line", put it over the top so I gave it a 9. Loved it! Maybe I shoulda given it a 9.5

Bes
Commander
Posts: 42
Joined: Fri Jan 08, 2010 8:26 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Contact:

#48 Post by Bes »

Watched this one again. Definately a classic episode IMO. I can't remember what I rated it, but it deserves at least 9 if not 9.5.

User avatar
Sinjin
Lieutenant
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2014 6:20 pm
Location: Seal Beach, California

Re: Mr. White Death (3.9)

#49 Post by Sinjin »

Ernest Borgnine elevates this to an above-average episode. I can't imagine any other actor pulling this off; he brings instant credibility and likeability to the role.

There are some classic funny moments at the expense of Higgins... and I thought for sure his nickname was going to be "Puddinhead!" And also Rick, who gets punched in the face multiple times (ouch). It's actually pretty funny.

Pro wrestling was a popular "sport" entertainment in Hawaii in the 60s-70s, so a wrestling-themed episode was appropriate if not expected. I was never a big fan myself, but I remember evenings as a kid watching my grandmother yell at the tv. I believe she truly thought they could hear her too. It was great seeing Lord "Tally Ho" Blears in a cameo as the referee. He was a wrestling icon in Hawaii.

Linda Ryan (Cora the secretary) once again plays the villainess (The Big Blow). Always a treat to see her. Margie Impert makes her first appearance as Miss Jones, the Hall of Records Clerk. She does a phone bit with her cheating boyfriend Ray that is too funny.

This episode is also worth watching for the flubs. Magnum's sudden and inexplicable change of clothes at 28 min is a great catch. It's not clear whether it's the same day or the next day and Magnum's dialog only confuses things. The woman looking out from the office window is another good catch.

User avatar
J.J. Walters
Founding Father
Posts: 4196
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 10:54 pm
Location: Suburbia, USA
Contact:

Re: Mr. White Death (3.9)

#50 Post by J.J. Walters »

Lovin' the episode review Sinjin. They are well-written and insightful.
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

User avatar
rubber chicken
Master Location Sleuth
Posts: 691
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2007 4:53 am
Location: Great Lakes region

Re: Mr. White Death (3.9)

#51 Post by rubber chicken »

J.J. Walters wrote:Lovin' the episode review Sinjin. They are well-written and insightful.
Agreed. Thoughtful and positive. Your references to classic movies and books are particularly interesting to me.

SignGuyHPW
Admiral
Posts: 191
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2014 5:58 pm

Re: Mr. White Death (3.9)

#52 Post by SignGuyHPW »

As a long time fan of professional wrestling and as someone that's worked in the industry I enjoyed this one. A large number of TV shows in that era had a "wrestling" themed episode and Magnum PI's was not too bad at all. It had some of the classic Magnum traits that combined together to make it really enjoyable such as action, comedy, mystery, and great dialouge.

As a fan of wrestling and of Magnum here's some things that were *wrong* with the episode that viewers that didn't follow wrestling likely wouldn't have noticed:
~In the early 1980s Hawaii was still a full time wrestling territory and was ran by Peter Maivia's widow. The likelyhood that there'd be a small show ran in a bar in that time frame would be small, but for Mr. White Death to have gone from that show to the main arena for a major match in under a week would not have happened.

~When Mr. White Death helps Magnum, Rick, and TC in the hall way fight he unmasks himself. A masked wrestler from that era would never, ever have taken off his mask where he could be seen by fans. Besides hiding his identity from the mob (I'm guessing) the mask would also hide Earl's true age from the fans so they'd not think of him as some older guy wrestling against much younger men. This was a pretty common practice then.

~Earl saying he was going to make $500 for the one match would've been a rough guess. Wrestlers were paid based on the gate and what posistion the card.

~Earl being so open about the true nature of the buisness to people not connected to it would've not have happened. It's kind of surprising that they were that open during the episode considering when they filmed it.

~The names of the holds used were all fictional. However, the hold that Earl had on Magnum was a form of the sleeper hold which can be a legitamate hold used to render someone unconscience. If it was applied correctly then Magnum wouldn't have been sitting upright and talking after it was released. It was actually more accurately depicted by Rick who wasn't in the hold, but took a simple back body drop which may have knocked the air out of him, but shouldn't have done more than that.

~The set up to catch the mobsters wouldn't have happened like that. Wrestling in the early 80s was far more closed to the public than it is now and it's unlikely to have been like that even today. Outsiders were not going to be allowed entry into the backstage area/locker rooms. The other wrestlers on the card and/or the promoter would have had them arrested or just physically thrown them out themselves.

~Lord James Blears had a really long career in wrestling. It was a couple of years after this episode that he was actually an announcer for the AWA promotion during its run on ESPN.

Sir Fearing
Lieutenant Junior Grade
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2014 10:19 pm

Re: Mr. White Death (3.9)

#53 Post by Sir Fearing »

Does anybody know the name of the song right at the beginning of the episode?
Half a world removed from England

User avatar
KingKC
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 571
Joined: Mon Feb 29, 2016 10:16 pm
Location: Third World Country of Arkansas

Re: Mr. White Death (3.9)

#54 Post by KingKC »

Any appearance by Ernest Borgnine and any episode where Higgins is called Punkie can't be all that bad!!

KingKC

User avatar
MagnumILWU
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 629
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2012 5:44 pm
Location: Portland Oregon

Re: Mr. White Death (3.9)

#55 Post by MagnumILWU »

Just watched this on Encore! One of my favorites! Brings back good memories. Got me to try sushi, which wasn't as popular in the early 80's, as it was later to become! Just a nice, fun, little episode, the kind I really like! All the main characters, a great guest star, Ernest Borgnine! I enjoy the fun early episodes, so much more than the later, serious one! To me, that's what magnum was all about!
"pickled egg please"

Post Reply