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Original Air Date: 1/8/1981
Higgins' old Royal Army commander is staying on the Masters Estate awaiting the trial of IRA members he helped to capture. Magnum is hired by two Secret Service agents to protect him from assassins trying to silence him before he is able to testify. However, the "need to know" basis the Agents insist on operating by only serves to complicate matters for Magnum.

Additional Flubs for "No Need To Know."

1. When Magnum tosses his blue duffle bag over the wall of the estate, the duffle bag hits the trunk of a palm tree on its way down and drops straight down. However, when Magnum climbs over the wall and drops in on the estate, the duffle bag is laying at the base of the wall, not the palm tree. The palm tree is nowhere in sight. The duffle bag obviously did not land at the base of the wall.

2. When Magnum picks the lock of the guest house in order to avoid the lads, he goes inside closes the front door and opens the peep-hole and says to the lads "hi guys." Magnum is then apprehended by two of the Brigadier's body guards. One of the guards, however, comes from the right of the door, which is where the top of the stair case ends. Thus, he was there all of the time, so, what took him so long to apprehend Magnum, and why didn't Magnum notice him when he first entered the guest house.

3. When the guy on the Catamaran (Sampson) taking pictures of the girls and Brigadier Folkes on the balcony, the Brigadier is wearing a white long sleeve shirt and khaki pants. One of his body guards is to his immediate right. However, when Magnum and Rick enter Sampson's apartment, they discover bomb making materials as well as several photos of the Brigadier. The photos of the Brigadier show the Brigadier in a white-dinner jacket with black bow tie. The problem with these photos is that the dinner party at Robin's Nest hasn't taken place at the time Sampson took the photos. The dinner party was later that night, so how could Sampson have taken pictures of the Brigadier in his dinner jacket and bow tie on the estates balcony?

4. When Magnum is meeting with Agent Hooker and Agent Dobey at the KKC, Magnum tells Hooker that he gets $200 a day. Hooker responds by saying "$200 a day, what are you trying to do, rip off your government?" Magnum replies, "I don't do that, but good will doesn't keep the finance companies and 'landlords' off my back." LANDLORDS? What landlords? Magnum lives on Robin Masters' dime. The two agents should have known this as they checked into Magnum's background before asking him to assist in protecting the Brigadier.

5. While still at the KKC, Agent Hooker agrees to pay Magnum the $200 a day he is requesting. Magnum raises his bottle of beer, says "cheers" and takes a sip, then puts the bottle down on the bar to his right. Agent Hooker says he'll give Magnum a number he can be reached at 24 hours-a-day, and Magnum tells Hooker about the catamaran he saw earlier that day. Magnum's bottle of beer is now suddenly on his left. The agents leave and now the bottle of beer is back on Magnum's right again.

6. The camera cuts to Higgins washing the Audi and focuses on the front license plate (Robin 2). The date on the upper right hand corner of the license plate is '76. The original air date of this episode was January 8, 1981. However, I'm not sure if this is really a flub, because I don't know if Hawaii requires automobiles to have a front license plate. Robin's Ferrari doesn't have one, so this could be an old plate that Higgins just happened to put on the front. I don't know.

7. When Sampson is in his apartment with the Audi gas cap, he looks at the photo of the Brigadier which he took. However, as previously mentioned, this photo is of the Brigadier in his white dinner jacket and bow tie. The only photos he took of the Brigadier were in his white shirt and khaki pants. The dinner party was in the evening and had not taken place when Sampson took the photos.

8. After the dinner party, Magnum asks Higgins how well he knows the Brigadier. Higgins replies that he served as his Sergeant Major in '51 in Hong Kong. This is 30 years earlier. Certainly the Brigadier wasn't a Brigadier 30 years earlier. More likely a Lieutenant. Typically a Sergeant Major is not under the command of a Lieutenant, although a Lieutenant is an officer and does out rank a Sergeant Major.

9. When Magnum takes off in the Ferrari to catch Higgins and the Brigadier before the bomb goes off in the Audi, Magnum is wearing a navy blue golf shirt and khaki pants, and is wearing his team ring on his left hand. The camera cuts to a close up of the interior of the Ferrari as Magnum (or his stunt double) shifts. Suddenly, Magnum is wearing blue jeans and the team ring is on his right hand, and the emblem is upside down too. Also, the Ferrari's alarm key pad is no longer in the car. Remember the alarm installed by Higgins in the first episode. While Magnum is trying to catch Higgins, the camera cuts to the interior close up three times.

This is one of my favorite episodes of Season 1, and includes one of those classic scenes illustrating the bonding between Magnum and Higgins. After the Sampson character was killed in the tidal pool, Magnum, Higgins, Agent Hooker and Agent Dobey are in the guest house discussing what took place. Agent Hooker doesn't want to talk in front of Higgins, because he has 'no need to know.' Magnum gets upset and tells Higgins he can stay if he wants to. Higgins says he has to look in on the Brigadier, but then Higgins says, "Magnum, I'm glad you're alright." Magnum is speechless.

This is my favorite episode of Season 1, and it pretty much sets the tone that Magnum would continue to play for much of the early seasons. Magnum's carefree lifestyle is nicely contrasted by the fact that authority figures still respect both him and his abilities.

The real highlight is the after-dinner scene, as Magnum enjoys cigars, drinks, and above all, irritating Higgins. (Then again, Mandy in the bikini makes for some pretty memorable scenes as well.) I also love the punchline to the suspenseful finale, as Higgins becomes impatient while waiting for the bomb to blow.

To top it off, there's another classic ending with Magnum returning T.C.'s dinner jacket...then quickly fleeing to avoid his wrath!

There was a couple of throwaway lines that I really liked which I'm pretty sure were cut out of the reruns on TV that I saw recently.

The first is right before Magnum arrives at the club to meet the client that Rick called him about. Right before he shows up, you see Rick giving a compliment to a woman playing a guitar in the club's restaurant, and with just little throwaway scene, you immediately see that Rick a) has a nice relationship with the employees that he manages at the club, and b) you get the sense that he really does know how to run a club well. There's a couple of other really nice little throwawy scenes with Rick, and for once he's not simply the guy who has the thankless job of doing all of Magnum's grunt work.

The other one is right after the after-dinner drinks scene, and Magnum strolls outside to take the night air. He finishes his drink, and says something like, Man, that's good for my cold. It's a silly line, and I don't exactly know why he says it, but I like it because it's such a doofus-y thing for a guy wearing a white tuxedo jacket and smoking an expensive cigar and drinking fine cognac to say.

I could be wrong, but I think it's also the first time that Magnum sticks up for Higgins, and Higgins reciprocates by showing some concern for Magnum. (That's in the scene with Higgins, Magnum, and the two US gov't agents in the guest house right after the scuba dude was shot.)

Awesome episode feedback guys. Thanks.

This episode is all about Kengi the gardener pruning foliage at the estate... But seriously, a great episode. A real early classic. I really like the Ffolkes character (and Richard Johnson) and his backstory with Higgins. I wish they could have worked him into more future episodes.

Great quote from Rick - "You gotta try this sauce, Thomas. Even Sinatra would love it!"

And this episode has one of the best car explosions you'll ever see. Looking over the top of the Ferrari, towards the beach and ocean, you can't quite see the Audi, but you know it's going to blow any second, then BOOM, a massive, arching, cylindrical mass of swirling fire shoots out from behind a small sand dune! Like a fire monster, or something! More stuff you just don't see on TV anymore, killer pyrotechnics!

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Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

Rick also has a really great scene at the end. He's boasting about his sauce and trying to cheer up Magnum, then instantly acknowledges what both of them are really thinking about: "You didn't kill her, Thomas".



Selleck had a cold during the filming of this episode, and there are several lines where his voice betrays him. This was probably just an ad-lib by Selleck to explain the noticeable change. It wasn't really necessary, but I agree it adds a nice, human touch.

James, upon further review I would have to say that the front license plate on the Audi (Robin 2) dated '76 is a flub. All of the other cars you see driving during the series have front license plates on them except for the Ferrari, of course. So, as it appears that Hawaii requires front plates, I would think that an outdated front plate on the Audi is a flub.

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The answer is obvious, old man. Logic is irrelevant. It's simply Tropical Madness. (J.Q. Higgins)

In states that require front plates, do they usually have a sticker with the year on them?

In my experience, you only get one sticker every year and that goes on the rear plate. But that was just California. I have only had cars registered in two states, and where I live now only requires a rear plate.

I did some research regarding the DMV in Hawaii and the issuance of license plates and date-stickers. In Hawaii, the individual counties are responsible for issuing the plates. Honolulu County would be a possible place for the issuance of the license plates for Robin 1, 2 & 3. Unfortunately, information from the DMV and Honolulu ordinaces are vague on the issue of date-stickers, and I found nothing that definitively said one sticker or two stickers. It mentioned plates, decals and emblems. I went to several sites, including, Honolulu County, and other Hawaii government sites and even some sites sponsored by insurance companies. All of them addressed license plates, but none were specific on whether you also need a date-sticker for the front plate. You would think that this would be a common question, especially from people who are moving to Hawaii and are shipping their vehicles from the mainland to Hawaii.

I recently saw another episode where I noticed that the Audi had a date-sticker on the front. This time the date appeared to be '81. I will try to find the episode and reference it. It seems that every front plate I've seen has had a date-sticker on it. We will get to the bottom of this yet.

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The answer is obvious, old man. Logic is irrelevant. It's simply Tropical Madness. (J.Q. Higgins)

Okay, I finally have an answer to the front license plate question. A friend of mine who lived in Hawaii for 3 years just told me that yes, the front license plates do have stickers with dates on them. He said each year you are issued two stickers for each car, one for the back and one for the front.

So, James, considering this new information, does the '76 date on the front license plate of Robin 2 qualify as a flub?

All of the cars and trucks I have seen on the show have front license plates. However, I don't recall seeing a front plate on the Ferrari. Why is the Ferrari excepted from this requirement? Does anyone recall seeing the Ferrari with a license plate on the front?

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The answer is obvious, old man. Logic is irrelevant. It's simply Tropical Madness. (J.Q. Higgins)