Under World (5.5)

[J.J. Walters]

This is the official MM thread for Under World (5.5). All discussions and reviews for this episode should go here. If you wish to rate the episode, please do so with the poll. The avg. score will be the official 'community rating', which will be used on the episode page (updated monthly).

This thread is also linked in the episode page of the Episode Guide.

Original Air Date: 10/25/1984
T.C. finds himself in troubled waters when he agrees to make some curious inter-island deliveries, but before he can make the drop-off, his helicopter plunges into the sea.

[IslandHopper]

This is one of my favorite episodes for the same reason I like Squeeze Play, the gang pulls together to help one of their own (TC). As much as I like this episode, there are some major flubs. James has already identified two flubs in the episode guide, which are the boom mic which is visible in one scene and the fabric covering the name of the boat Magnum, Rick and Gerald go diving from.

The additional flubs are as follows:

1. This episode opens with a shot of TC's chopper flying near a harbor and hotels approaching Waikiki Beach. This first shot shows TC's chopper with the extra fittings on the skids (the apparatus the chopper lands on) which make them look wider and bulkier than normal. The next shot of the chopper is the same as in the first shot, but the third shot of the chopper, shows the chopper swaying gently to the left and right as TC is singing, and here you can see that the skids no longer have the extra fitting that they did in the first shot. However, this flub goes beyond the skids. In the shot of the chopper swaying to the left and right, you will notice that this is an entirely different helicopter as the tail section of the chopper is totally different. The tail section in this shot looks more like a backwards "Y" rather than the familar "T" shape that we typcially see and that was present in the first shot of the chopper. The next shot of the chopper shows the chopper flying very low just above the water and then proceeds to an overhead shot of the chopper, and you will see that the familar "T" shape tail is back, but the tail rotor is on the right side, not the left. The close up shot of the chopper landing at the hotel shows the chopper with the "T" shaped tail and the skids without the extra fittings. This first sequence of this episode shows three different helicopters, which are: (1) Chopper #1-Fat Skids and "T" shaped Tail; (2) Chopper #2-Skinny Skids and "Y" shaped Tail; (3) Chopper #3-Skinny Skids and "T" shaped Tail. When TC takes off for Molokai he is in Chopper #3, but the next shot of the chopper is actually Chopper #1, and the chopper that gets shot down is Chopper #3.

2. As Higgins drives up to the Hotel on Maui, the front license plate of the rental car he is driving is "8VV 856." However, the front license plate of the rental car he is driving after he leaves the Hotel and when he gets shot and crashes into the tree is "BTN 760."

3. When Rick poses as Inspector Bennett of the NTSB and introduces himself to the police officer on the dock, he says he is with "Unit 11" Special Investigations. A few seconds later when he introduces himself to the two guys on the boat, he says he is with "Unit 12" Special Investigations. Did he get promoted from Unit 11 to Unit 12 between the time he spoke with the officer and the two fishermen? This may not be a flub, but I wonder what the script said. Did it say both Unit 11 and Unit 12, or was this a mistake on the LM's part?

4. When the two fisherman (bad guys) secretly board Rick's boat and demand the case that Magnum brought up from his dive, the leader comes down the ladder/steps onto the deck where Magnum and Rick are, but as he is coming down the ladder/steps you can see the U.S. Coast Guard vessel in the background waiting for their cue to approach and apprehend the two bad guys.

5. (This is one of the best flubs ever-because it is so stupid) As Magnum and Rick are wheeling Higgins and TC through the hospital, they are wheeling them down a corridor/hallway, and as they pass a maintenance man on a ladder the maintenance man is electricuted and falls down (as Magnum and Rick continue to wheel Higgins and TC). Two nurses and a doctor rush to the aid of the fallen maintenance man and you can hear (must listen carefully as Magnum is still talking) one of the nurses say "call an ambulance." They are already in a hospital, why do you need to call an ambulance?

Not a flub, but worth noting is the scene where Higgins is talking with the valet (Kika in other episodes) at the Hotel on Maui about the honeymoon couple, you can hear a page on the intercom for "Dr. Einstein." This is humorous (to me anyway ) because the convention at the Hotel is for nuclear physicists.

This episode ends with a great scene. The last thing you see is a painter losing his balance and Paint spilling onto the camera and presumably onto Higgins' head as Higgins utters his classic "Oh My God." Brilliant.

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

[eegorr]

Wow! Those are some spectacular flubs, IslandHopper.

Nice work!

[IslandHopper]

Thanks eegorr. As you know, it's a lot of fun.

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

[J.J. Walters]

Once again ladies & gentleman, IslandHopper the Amazing!

"Call an ambulance"

LOL! I didn't notice that before. Hilarious!

The flubs have been added to the episode guide.

Under World left me ... underwhelmed. A predictable plot, a snail-like pace, some boring dialog (the hospital waiting room scenes, anybody?). Just ..... Ugh! Seeing James Grant Benton and hearing T.C. sing Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing were about the only things I liked about this episode!

Ok, I'm exaggerating a bit. It really wasn't THAT bad, but close.

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

[N1095A]

Also one of my favorite episodes for the same reason. Bickering and squabbling aside,When it comes down to it, these guys would die for each other. Even Higgins.

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"But Higgins, I can explain."

[Magnums Little Voice]

Enjoyed this episode. It was quite obvious from the beginig that TC's brother was not who he said he was, but was still good.

Enjoyed the diving sences, and was shocked when Higgie was shot!!
But loved his getting shot in Kenya story that was much worse

[Doc Ibold]

[IslandHopper]

I watched this episode again last night and I think it's possible that the white fabric/cover over the boat's name is not a flub. The white cover could have possibly been placed there intentionally by Rick, because Rick was posing as inspector Bennett of the NTSB, and the boat's name, "King Kamehameha I" might have given it away that Rick is not with the NTSB. The police officer that Rick introduced himself to the day before as Inspector Bennett was sitting nearby on the pier/dock in plain view of Rick, Magnum and the King Kamehameha I. In fact, Rick actually waives to the officer. So, I think it's possible that the white cover was an attempt to hide the name from the police officer who was only a short distance away on the pier/dock guarding the crash site. We have seen this same boat with it's name visible in previous episodes (Dead Man's Channel & Home From The Sea), so it wouldn't make sense to hide the name for any other reason, i.e., privacy, licensing, etc. Even if the boat wasn't actually the King Kam I, and had a different name painted on it, I don't think that would matter, as there could be several explanations as to why Rick would have access to a boat other than the King Kam I, especially one with an indentical paint scheme. The KKC could own more than one boat, etc. Just a thought.

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

[lutherhgillis]

IH wrote: 5. (This is one of the best flubs ever-because it is so stupid) As Magnum and Rick are wheeling Higgins and TC through the hospital, they are wheeling them down a corridor/hallway, and as they pass a maintenance man on a ladder the maintenance man is electricuted and falls down (as Magnum and Rick continue to wheel Higgins and TC). Two nurses and a doctor rush to the aid of the fallen maintenance man and you can hear (must listen carefully as Magnum is still talking) one of the nurses say "call an ambulance." They are already in a hospital, why do you need to call an ambulance?

I don't think this is a flub. It was obviously done on purpose with a tongue-in-cheek style. I admit it was an odd ending but flubs are not intentional.

I bet the actors held their noses as they did the last scenes. Talk about the maximum cheese...