For me, it's not the twist that makes it such a great scene, although the twist is a fun one. It's just one of those iconic, memorable denouements where nothing much happens, yet it somehow says so much about the show and its characters - Magnum, sneaking around in the study, Brandy and cigar in hand, reflecting on the most recent case and the life lessons that were learned. The scene also demonstrates what a long way his relationship with "The Lads" has come. At this point, instead of loathing them, he loves them! It's little things like this that make the show so great.

Magnum's stunt double (Tom Lupo, I think is his name) is the guy we see in Hong Kong with the Amakua, and then running from the gang. He is chased into the alley and behind the buildings and is caught by the thugs. Just then another guy (Tate) is seen walking casually into the scene with a handgun. Tom Lupo's character then reaches for his gun and is shot and presumably killed by Tate. Why didn't Tom Lupo's character pull his gun on the gang before they got to him when he realized he was trapped??? Did the writers really need to give Tate a reason to kill the guy? I think it was shown later in the episode that he and others were willing to kill just for the contents held within the Amakua. The opening scene would have been more believable if Lupo's character didn't have a gun at all.

Although Tom Lupo is seen in the beginning of the episode for a minute or two he is not credited with an appearance. In contrast, Ronald Nip (China Doll, Memories Are Forever, Billy Joe Bob, Little Girl Who), the pawnbroker, that Lupo's character gives the Amakua to is credited and is only seen in the episode for about 10 seconds and has no dialogue. Why isn't Tom Lupo given any screen credit? I don't think this is the first time he hasn't been given a screen credit. He also appeared in "Mr. White Death" and "One Picture Is Worth" and I don't believe he received a credit for those appearances either.

...I was surprised to see an aged William Windom, I know he played on a lot of 80's shows but to me he will always be Commodore Decker from Star Trek, The Doomsday Machine...

Something else I thought of: didn't Alan Hale Jr "Skipper", break the fourth wall on occassion on Gilligan's Island? Wouldn't that have been great if he did that on this episode?