The Great Hawaiian Adventure Company

Episode Number: 158
Season Number: 8.9
Air Date: 1/27/1988
Writer: Jeri Taylor
Director: Ray Danton
Producer: Rick Weaver
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Recurring Characters

Shavar Ross (Bryant Calvin), Phyllis Davis (Cleo Mitchell), Elissa Dulce Hoopai (Rosine)

Guest Stars

Shanna Reed (Sarah Amlin), Danny Nucci (Budge), Dennis Chun (William Chun), Kathy Paulo (Receptionist)

Episode Brief

Magnum is trying to get Rick, T.C. and Higgins interested in joining him in a potentially lucrative new tourist business venture. But his friends all have other things on their minds, especially T.C., who puts thoughts of the deal on the back burner when his son Bryant lands in trouble with the police after becoming mixed up with a juvenile biker gang.

Rating

7.4

(33 votes)

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Notes

¹ The original script for this episode was titled "Taking Stock".

² This is the ninth and final "T.C.-centric" episode of the series, following "Thicker than Blood" (1.12), "Past Tense" (3.5), "A Sense of Debt" (4.8), "Paradise Blues" (4.15), "Under World" (5.5), "Tran Quoc Jones" (5.9), "Round and Around" (6.6) and "Missing Melody" (7.11).

³ Although most of the episodes in the final season follow on from each other, this episode seems to be set quite a time after the events of the previous episode "Unfinished Business" (8.8). Magnum is back to his normal, easy-going self after the traumatic "Quang Ki events". He is seen wearing his MIA bracelet that he tossed away in that episode, and makes no mention of the deaths of Michelle and Lily. Higgins, T.C. and Rick are also in the middle of various changes to their lives that were not mentioned (or hinted at) in recent episodes.

⁴ T.C.'s son Bryant (Shavar Ross) returns. He has moved away from his mom's house in L.A. and is now living with T.C. in Oahu (where he has apparently fallen in with a teenage biker gang called "The Shivs"). T.C. and Bryant receive a considerable amount of screen time in this episode.

⁵ Waikiki call girl Cleo Mitchell (Phyllis Davis) returns for the third time, following "The Hotel Dick" (6.5) and "Straight and Narrow" (7.4). She has been dating Rick for the past several weeks.

⁶ T.C.'s house (indoor set only) is seen for the fourth time, following "Did You See the Sunrise?" (3.1 & 3.2), "Paradise Blues" (4.15) and "Missing Melody" (7.11). The indoor set is a different design from what was seen previously.

⁷ Episode writer Jeri Taylor will go on to become an important staff member of the Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager TV shows, writing and executive producing many episodes. Jeri was also one of the producers on Magnum P.I. for Season Eight.

⁸ Magnum mentions a great grandfather named "Patrick".

⁹ The KKC "Anuenue Room" (or "Rainbow Room") set is used for a scene. This rarely used "party room" was previously seen in "I Witness" (4.21), "The Kona Winds" (6.4), "A Little Bit of Luck, A Little Bit of Grief" (6.20), and "Death of the Flowers" (7.12).

¹⁰ A close-up of a page from Higgins' memoirs shows that he participated in the rebuilding of the Burma Road with a U.S. Army engineer, Colonel Len Carlson - "Carlson. Even now the name has the power to evoke the most powerful emotions. Sometimes I wake in the middle of the night with a start, imagining that he is there in the room with me, dominating everything, all power coalesced, somehow, in that one man's indomitable spirit."

¹¹ The end credits feature a brief Tom Selleck outtake from the opening "Great Hawaiian Adventure Company" pitch at the KKC beach bar. Selleck is seen shaking his rubber tip pointer while laughing and briefly looking at the camera.

¹² Dennis Chun (William Chun) is the son of Hawaiian actor Kam Fong. Kam Fong played Det. Chin Ho Kelly in the original Hawaii Five-O (from 1968 to 1978) and appeared in two Magnum P.I. episodes ("The Last Page" and "The Love-For-Sale Boat"). Like father like son, Dennis Chun plays the recurring role of Sgt. Duke Lukela in the Hawaii Five-O reboot (2010-). (Noted by Rita & Tim)

¹³ Kathy Paulo (Receptionist) is local Hawaiian singer and hails from a famous musical family (in Hawaii). Her father Rene Paulo is a legendary Honolulu lounge pianist and her brother Michael Paulo is a smooth jazz saxophonist. Kathy also appeared in several episodes of Hawaii Five-O.

Quotes

¹
(to Rick, T.C. and Higgins)
Magnum: Gentlemen, this could be the turning point in our lives. A venture that will not only give us all a little financial security, but a new challenge in life. A reason for getting up in the morning and starting the new day. "The Great Hawaiian Adventure Company"! Or, "Great Hawaiian Expeditions". You know, I'm not really sure which one I like better, but that's not important now. We'll figure out the details later. At any rate, this company, founded by us, and run by us, and owned by us, will begin to return our financial, as well as our time, investment almost immediately.
(T.C. gets up to leave)
Magnum: No wait, T.C.! You havn't heard my margin return yet.
T.C.: I heard "investment". That's enough for me.

²
Cleo Mitchell: You know, you sure are lucky to have a guy like that for a best friend. And you know something, he doesn't seem to mind about what I do for a living. You know, being a working girl and all. (Ding!) Whoops, crapes are ready. I'll be right back.
Rick: Cleo... did you and Thomas... ever... Well, did you and Thomas ever... Forget it. It's nothing.

³
T.C.: If you want to ruin your life by trying to belong to some tired motorcycle gang, well, that's up to you. But don't expect me to feel bad for you. I almost lost my son today.

Flubs

¹ During the scene when Magnum goes into Sarah Amlin's office to show his proposal, when Sarah says, "...so you said on the phone you have a proposition for paradise", her lips do not match the audio. (Noted by Mark Seaman)

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