Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii (2)

Episode Number: 2
Season Number: 1.2
Air Date: 12/11/1980
Writers: Donald P. Bellisario, Glen A. Larson
Director: Roger Young
Producer: J. Rickley Dumm
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Guest Stars

Pamela Susan Shoop (Alice Cook), W.K. Stratton (Ens. Healy), Robert Loggia (Philippe Trusseau), Fritz Weaver (Capt. J. Cooly), Eugenia Wright (Snow White), Judge Reinhold (Seaman Wolfe), Jeff MacKay (Ski), Branscombe Richmond (Moki), Mel Carter (Sam), Peter Kalua (Kono)

Episode Brief

Magnum and Alice continue in their quest to find out the truth behind Lt. Dan Cook's death and find themselves uncovering a case of gold smuggling and a criminal mastermind whom Magnum and Dan once knew in Vietnam. But in trying to find out what really did happen to his deceased friend, Magnum puts his own life on the line as someone tries to stop him from continuing his investigation using any means necessary.

Rating

9.0

(62 votes)

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Notes

¹ The Region 1 Complete First Season DVD incorrectly names part two of the Pilot Movie as "Please Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii, Part 2".

² Magnum's "Vietnam Team" during the events of this story, those that wear the Team Ring, is a multi-service joint task force (MACV-SOG) unit, comprised of Magnum (U.S. Navy SEAL, Special Ops), T.C. (U.S. Marine Huey Pilot with the VMO-2 unit, based out of Da Nang), Rick (U.S. Marine Door Gunner with the VMO-2 unit, based out of Da Nang), Dan Cook (U.S. Navy SEAL, Special Ops), and Phillipe Trusseau and Pepe (two French Paratroopers). In future episodes, Magnum, T.C. and Rick will be seen in different SOG groups depending on when and where the Vietnam flashback takes place.

³ Magnum's uniform does not include the Special Warfare insignia (also known as the "SEAL Trident"). Instead, he is seen wearing the Surface Warfare insignia. Magnum will not wear the "SEAL Trident" insignia until Season Two's "Memories Are Forever" (2.5 & 2.6). (Noted by IslandHopper)

⁴ A closeup of Magnum's gun reveals it to be a Colt Government Model .45 ACP (Series 70), Colt's commercial version of the standard military-issue M1911A1. This gun will be used throughout the remainder of the series. However, during scenes that required Magnum's gun to be fired, a Colt Government Model 9mm Parabellum (loaded with blanks) was used. At that time, .45's could not reliably cycle blanks. The Parabellum is nearly indistinguishable from the Colt .45 onscreen. Magnum's Colt Government Model .45 ACP (Series 70) is on display at the National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia. (Gun ID'd by MaximRecoil)

⁵ T.C.'s chopper is a Hughes 369D (N58243). In later episodes, it will be a Hughes 500D (N1095A).

⁶ The VMO-2 Da Nang baseball cap is seen for the first time (worn by T.C., not Magnum). The Da Nang cap will be seen in many future episodes, worn by both T.C. and Magnum.

⁷ The scenes involving T.C.'s chopper and Kahoolawe island were actually shot at Rabbit Island in Waimanalo Bay. The real Kahoolawe is off the coast of Maui, and is roughly 6 miles by 11 miles across, compared to Rabbit Island's 4 tenths of a mile in diameter size. (Noted by Carol the Dabbler)

⁸ Flashbacks from this episode will be used in Season Seven's "Death and Taxes" (7.6) when Magnum is taunted by a killer about having left Phillipe Trusseau behind in Vietnam.

⁹ The chopper that T.C. flies in the Vietnam War flashback sequences is the OH-58 Kiowa. (Noted by IslandHopper & golfmobile)

¹⁰ The NIA (Naval Investigative Agency) is fictional. The closest real life counterpart would be the ONI (Office of Naval Intelligence).

¹¹ The climactic ending was filmed at Honolulu International Airport.

¹² The closing credits contain a slightly different version of the theme song that was heard in the opening credits.

Quotes

¹
(In T.C.'s helicopter)
T.C.: Oww, I think I'm in love! Did you see the "buzzums" on that woman?
Magnum: It's Sunday.
T.C.: It's a sin to look at "buzzums" on Sunday?
Magnum: The Navy doesn't hold gunnery practice on Sunday, not in peace time.
T.C. (With Creole accent): Or maybe da're not in da clan boy, and day forgot to tell'a you and me.
Magnum: And maybe... (Magnum and T.C. together) that's not a Navy patrol boat off of Kahoolawe!

²
Magnum: Putting Dan on this stuff was like making McGarrett* the meter maid on Waikiki.

* Steve McGarrett (played by Jack Lord) was the central hero on the 1968-1980 television series Hawaii Five-O. After '5-O' went off the air in 1980 there were plans to bring the character of Steve McGarrett to Magnum P.I., but those plans fell through when Lord, after directing and starring in the film M Station: Hawaii (1980), retired from acting altogether.

³
Magnum: Maybe I should have told her it was La Bulle and that it was over, but I couldn't lie to Alice about that anymore than I could lie to myself. I'd know La Bulle when I saw him. Call it fate, premonition, whatever you want, this wouldn't end until he and I met face to face, and we both knew it. He figured to be back on the run to Asia, if Snow White was right, and that meant a flight out of Honolulu. By dawn, the police had sent copies of his blowup to all the airlines, but it was so blurred it would take a miracle to recognize him. Still, I felt I knew him... Maybe Dan did to? (Narration)

Flubs

¹ After Magnum and the rest of the "Team" load up onto the chopper, Phillipe is seen at the Landing Zone firing his M-16 Rifle. As he is firing you can see the Hollywood "Blank Adapter" just inside the "flash supressor." If you look closely, you will see a small circular object (not to be confused with the actual barrel of the rifle). Blank Adapters are used when firing blanks from a rifle like the M-16, because without them you would not be able to fire multiple/continuous shots without re-cocking the rifle after each blank fired. The "Hollywood Blank Adapter" is a small adapter that fits inside of the flash suppressor so that it is hidden from sight to provide realism. Other blank adapters are larger and bulkier and fit on the outside of the flash suppressor. Their purpose is not aesthetic, but functionality. They work in the same way as the Hollywood Blank Adapters, but they are clearly visible. (Noted by IslandHopper)

² When the hitman comes up to Higgins at the Ferrari in the alley, Higgins is able to trip the alarm while knocking the gun out of the hitman's hands. When the hitman picks up the gun, Magnum tackles Higgins to save him from being shot, and Rick shoots and kills the hitman. The car alarm stops sounding on its own, with no one having had an opportunity to turn it off. (Noted by seahawks1)

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