Ki'i's Don't Lie (3.3)

[Jay-Firestorm]

A double review from me today. And later I plan to watch part two, ‘Simon & Simons’s ‘Emerald’s Are Not A Girls Best Friend’ for the first time.

[rating 9.0]

Californian P.I.s A.J. and Rick Simon arrive in Hawaii to try and track down a “cursed” artefact, which is due to be sold at a high society auction on the Masters Estate where Magnum has been collared into providing security. Not a classic, but good fun…

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This review contains spoilers.

This episode is a crossover with another 1980s private investigator series, ‘Simon & Simon’ (1981-1989). Apparently, after that show’s first season, ratings were low, and in a last bid to attract viewers, the show was moved directly after ‘Magnum, p.i.’ on Thursday nights, with this crossover story designed to put MPI fans onto that series. It seemed to work, as ratings quickly picked up, and the show ran for a number of years.

I quite like the story. It is fun for not being too highly charged, instead showing a lot of Magnum’s daily life on the Estate. More of these sort of stories would be used from this season onwards.

One of my favourite moments comes as we first see the “cursed” Ki’i, causing Magnum, elsewhere, to suddenly fall off his surf-ski!

I did find Magnum’s dinner with Catherine (Morgan Fairchild) to be a bit dull; I think it was supposed to ooze chemistry between the two, but it just didn’t work, and the episode would have done just as well without it.

It’s strange that Simon & Simon seemed to be played very much as the villains of the story. Maybe it’s just where I wasn’t familiar with them (it’s one of the few ‘80s detective shows I wasn’t into, though I might pick up the DVDs), but even so, they came across to be as the bad guys for much of the time.

To note is, after it was destroyed in the feature-length / two-part ‘Did You See The Sunrise?’ previously, the Ferrari is suddenly back. I suppose it could be argued that Robin Masters is so rich, that he simply replaced it with another.

Also to look out for, briefly filling in for Higgins at the auction, is Gillian Dobb as a character called Mabel. Dobb, who had played two very minor parts in season two (‘Mad Buck Gibson’ (uncredited) and as a hotel receptionist in ‘The Elmo Ziller Story’) would go on to play Agatha Chumley, a much recurring friend of Higgins, starting in just a couple of episodes time. It could even be argued that it is the same character as seen here, but the writers / producers hadn’t settled on a name yet.

There are two versions of this story. In the original version, Catherine escapes, a Higgins takes a flight to chase after her with the Simon brothers, as continued in that series’ ‘Emeralds Aren’t A Girls Best Friend’. In the re-run version, designed for stand alone viewings, Higgins manages to stop Catherine’s plane before it takes off. Two scenes play differently in the re-run version.

I remember this story as being much more fun than when I came to re-watch it to review, but it’s still a good one. It has a number of nice character moments, and is simply good fun.

-----

Other notes, bloopers and misc.:

* All of the commercial breaks are abridged on the DVD versions of this episode.

* The Region 1 Season One DVD contains the original version and the follow-on ‘Simon & Simon’ episode, but the Region 2 one does not have this bonus disk.

* Nothing much else to add on this one, other than the suddenly returning Ferrari. As mentioned in my review, it could be argued that Robin simply bought a replacement. It makes more sense than similar cases in some other shows – for example, in ‘Starsky & Hutch’s second season two-parter ‘The Set-Up’ (which features Roger E. Mosley as a rather ‘eccentric’ pilot), Starsky’s car is blown up, only to return in the next story with no mention!

[Jay-Firestorm]

I have also just reviewed the S&S follow on episode, 'Emeralds Are Not A Girls Best Friend', under the crossovers section.

[J.J. Walters]

To note is, after it was destroyed in the feature-length / two-part ‘Did You See The Sunrise?’ previously, the Ferrari is suddenly back. I suppose it could be argued that Robin Masters is so rich, that he simply replaced it with another.

Astute observation Jay! Never really thought about it before until you mentioned it.

[lutherhgillis]

I always assumed that RM just bought another one.

Did anyone else really like this epi? I think this is a good one. It didn't have the obvious crossover feel to it. It seemed more like a real episode to me. The other crossovers were painful for me. I like the surfer dude impersonation done by AJ on the beach. You would think a world class investigator like Magnum would not have fallen for that...

[Sam]

I watched this episode this morning and noticed a flub.It's the scene where Rick,AJ and Harold are casing the estate.Rick looks through his binoculars at the front gate and when shown,the film has been flipped.This is the second time I recall this happening. The first time was pointed out by eeyore in "Ghost Writer"

[J.J. Walters]

Ah, great flub spot Sam! I've added it to the episode guide.

[robspace54]

Checking up on Morgan Fairchild she was in a Simon & Simon episode the same year "Emerald's Are Not a Girls' Best Friend" playing the dual role of Alex Houston and Catherine Hailey.

Of course (and I just checked) this was the 'other" Magnum / S&S cross-over show - with Magnum in in too.

So what do you think - was it a heart attack or the Ki' i' curse???

[Styles Bitchley]

Checking up on Morgan Fairchild she was in a Simon & Simon episode the same year "Emerald's Are Not a Girls' Best Friend" playing the dual role of Alex Houston and Catherine Hailey.

Of course (and I just checked) this was the 'other" Magnum / S&S cross-over show - with Magnum in in too.

So what do you think - was it a heart attack or the Ki' i' curse???

I prefer to not over think it. The kid in me loves to think there's something to the curse of the Ki'i - I remember seeing this as a kid and really enhanced the magic of Polynesia for me. The adult in me says: well, we know what's really going on. So I just take it for what it is: probably a heart attack...but what if???

[northshore]

You are very correct, the opening scene is Century City in Los Angeles. More on this if anyone is interested... I used bank at The Bank of America located at Century Plaza there back in the 1980's, probably around the time this was filmed. You had to slalom through 100's of yuppies chatting on their big white cell phones to get to the bank... they looked just like the "suits" you see in this episodes background shots. If you look closely you can see the old Playboy Club, which closed down many years ago and I believe it became the 20-20 Club. 20-20 Club was a bar to the stars for a while before losing it's appeal to the celebrity party crowd (became a strip club, then closed). Now it's a mediocre restaurant. Die Hard #1 was filmed at Century City... many other movies and TV series have used this location as well.

[Styles Bitchley]

You are very correct, the opening scene is Century City in Los Angeles. More on this if anyone is interested... I used bank at The Bank of America located at Century Plaza there back in the 1980's, probably around the time this was filmed. You had to slalom through 100's of yuppies chatting on their big white cell phones to get to the bank... they looked just like the "suits" you see in this episodes background shots. If you look closely you can see the old Playboy Club, which closed down many years ago and I believe it became the 20-20 Club. 20-20 Club was a bar to the stars for a while before losing it's appeal to the celebrity party crowd (became a strip club, then closed). Now it's a mediocre restaurant. Die Hard #1 was filmed at Century City... many other movies and TV series have used this location as well.

Nice insights northshore. Thanks for sharing.

[Danno]

Notice when Magnum and TC return to the estate after being duped- Rick is on the phone and the entry door behind them is open. It is very clearly a painted backdrop of trees and what looks like an astro-turf floor 'outside'. Very funny.

[No need to know!]

A double review from me today. And later I plan to watch part two, ‘Simon & Simons’s ‘Emerald’s Are Not A Girls Best Friend’ for the first time.

[rating 9.0]

Californian P.I.s A.J. and Rick Simon arrive in Hawaii to try and track down a “cursed” artefact, which is due to be sold at a high society auction on the Masters Estate where Magnum has been collared into providing security. Not a classic, but good fun…

-----

This review contains spoilers.

This episode is a crossover with another 1980s private investigator series, ‘Simon & Simon’ (1981-1989). Apparently, after that show’s first season, ratings were low, and in a last bid to attract viewers, the show was moved directly after ‘Magnum, p.i.’ on Thursday nights, with this crossover story designed to put MPI fans onto that series. It seemed to work, as ratings quickly picked up, and the show ran for a number of years.

I quite like the story. It is fun for not being too highly charged, instead showing a lot of Magnum’s daily life on the Estate. More of these sort of stories would be used from this season onwards.

One of my favourite moments comes as we first see the “cursed” Ki’i, causing Magnum, elsewhere, to suddenly fall off his surf-ski!

I did find Magnum’s dinner with Catherine (Morgan Fairchild) to be a bit dull; I think it was supposed to ooze chemistry between the two, but it just didn’t work, and the episode would have done just as well without it.

It’s strange that Simon & Simon seemed to be played very much as the villains of the story. Maybe it’s just where I wasn’t familiar with them (it’s one of the few ‘80s detective shows I wasn’t into, though I might pick up the DVDs), but even so, they came across to be as the bad guys for much of the time.

To note is, after it was destroyed in the feature-length / two-part ‘Did You See The Sunrise?’ previously, the Ferrari is suddenly back. I suppose it could be argued that Robin Masters is so rich, that he simply replaced it with another.

Also to look out for, briefly filling in for Higgins at the auction, is Gillian Dobb as a character called Mabel. Dobb, who had played two very minor parts in season two (‘Mad Buck Gibson’ (uncredited) and as a hotel receptionist in ‘The Elmo Ziller Story’) would go on to play Agatha Chumley, a much recurring friend of Higgins, starting in just a couple of episodes time. It could even be argued that it is the same character as seen here, but the writers / producers hadn’t settled on a name yet.

There are two versions of this story. In the original version, Catherine escapes, a Higgins takes a flight to chase after her with the Simon brothers, as continued in that series’ ‘Emeralds Aren’t A Girls Best Friend’. In the re-run version, designed for stand alone viewings, Higgins manages to stop Catherine’s plane before it takes off. Two scenes play differently in the re-run version.

I remember this story as being much more fun than when I came to re-watch it to review, but it’s still a good one. It has a number of nice character moments, and is simply good fun.

-----

Other notes, bloopers and misc.:

* All of the commercial breaks are abridged on the DVD versions of this episode.

* The Region 1 Season One DVD contains the original version and the follow-on ‘Simon & Simon’ episode, but the Region 2 one does not have this bonus disk.

* Nothing much else to add on this one, other than the suddenly returning Ferrari. As mentioned in my review, it could be argued that Robin simply bought a replacement. It makes more sense than similar cases in some other shows – for example, in ‘Starsky & Hutch’s second season two-parter ‘The Set-Up’ (which features Roger E. Mosley as a rather ‘eccentric’ pilot), Starsky’s car is blown up, only to return in the next story with no mention!

I think RM replaced it. Thats what we can assume atleast. About blown up cars returning. Watch the seventh episode of season three in Miami Vice when the black Ferrari Daytona suddenly is back in a carchase
It was blown up five episodes earlier and was replaced by a white Testarossa.
I haven´t noticed it until just now. I couldn´t believe my eyes.

[All About the Stache]

Despite the plotine being pretty silly and the quality dropped significantly compared to the episode before this, I enjoyed this one. Didn't care much for the story about the curse of the Ki'i, but the events that followed were fun nonetheless.

[miltontheripper]

Have to say I find this to be a very subpar episode. One of my least favorite of the whole series.

[Little Garwood]

While I voted this "Excellent" [9.0], the curse concept reminds me that I don't care for large doses of supernatural stories. That said, it's also in keeping with MPI's trivializing Hawaiian culture when it isn't downright ignoring it. Hawaii Five-O did this during seasons ten through twelve of that series.

As a kid, I loved the novelty of the crossover story, and it succeeded in making me a Simon & Simon viewer, though not nearly to the extent that I was an MPI devotee. I probably gave up on S&S around its fourth season; I'd love to catch up on that program.

What Ki'i's Don't Lie does well is not make guest stars Simon & Simon look foolish. If they're going to bother having characters from within the network become a part of another show's "universe", then let's 'cool out" and make them clever and funny, like A.J. and Rick were here. They behaved just as they did on their own series.

In fact, seeing this reminded me how this wasn't done in "Magnum On Ice" on Murder, She Wrote a show which kept Magnum in jail for most of the episode and making him look IMO pretty foolish.