Magnum Mania!

Luther Gillis wrote the book first and TM thought it was hilarious, that was a great funny scene when they are in the car together. "So You Wanta Be A Private Eye" and The Big Guy ain't got nothin' to top Luther with. Luther should have gotten his own spin-off series I always thought he should be a private eye in Beverly Hills and I'm sad Reuben Leder never did this. Maybe he tried to do it and CBS turned it down. Reuben created Luther and wrote all his episodes Luther was a great character and Eugene Roche was so perfect to play him.

From Season 4.20 Dream a Little Dream

I wasn't able to transcribe this one at the time, but it's during the flashback parts of the ep - where he goes out to check on Soames/Soames car - Magnum mentions that when he writes the book he'll include a section on 'rookie mistakes' in terms of 'not checking with the police first.'

From 'The Arrow that is Not Aimed' (S3, ep 14)


working rule #23 "you must go through the motions anyway - you never know, you could get lucky"
working rule #35 stipulates that "you always enter strange hotel rooms with extreme caution"

Found three more, but I actually cannot quite remember the 3rd, though I think it's roughly what I've got:

Apparently rule #1 appears in Echoes of the Mind Pt1


#1 "never get involved with female clients"
#2 "never break rule number one"

#3 something like "always keep the client happy"

From Laura in S7:


Maybe not strictly a rule - but when he's making his tape for his nephew (I think) Thomas says something like, the thing about being a private investigator is that "you can't look for work, you have to wait for work to find you"

But we're forgetting one big rule TM had and expressed a lot "work the lock" that definately needs to be included in the rules.

Mr. Greene wrote:But we're forgetting one big rule TM had and expressed a lot "work the lock" that definately needs to be included in the rules.

Yes, classic!

He'd mention that in the pilot first, right?

Turkey wrote:

Mr. Greene wrote:But we're forgetting one big rule TM had and expressed a lot "work the lock" that definately needs to be included in the rules.

Yes, classic!

He'd mention that in the pilot first, right?

yes, he first mentions "work the lock" in the pilot episode when the dogs are chasing Magnum as he is trying to get into the Ferrari. He also mentions it in episode 1.5 "No Need To Know" when the dogs are chasing Magnum as he trying to get into the guest house. Are there other episodes when Magnum uses the phrase "work the lock"? I'm not sure, can't think of any off the top of my head.

eltonsean wrote:

Turkey wrote:

Mr. Greene wrote:But we're forgetting one big rule TM had and expressed a lot "work the lock" that definately needs to be included in the rules.

Yes, classic!

He'd mention that in the pilot first, right?

yes, he first mentions "work the lock" in the pilot episode when the dogs are chasing Magnum as he is trying to get into the Ferrari. He also mentions it in episode 1.5 "No Need To Know" when the dogs are chasing Magnum as he trying to get into the guest house. Are there other episodes when Magnum uses the phrase "work the lock"? I'm not sure, can't think of any off the top of my head.

Ace, I'll have to re-watch the pilot eps soon
(and 'no need to know' as well )

I think he said it in the season 7 premiere "L.A.". I took at as a nostalgic nod in the planned final season.

^ maybe he also says 'work the lock' when he's breaking into the captain's quarters in Thicker than Blood?

Found 3 more rules but I can't quite be sure if I remember the episode correctly - 90% sure it's from Almost Home (3.11) which is the one Kathleen Loyd first appears in, (not playing Carol though.)


Again, he didn't number these rules but called them 'cardinal rules' (and I'm paraphrasing a bit too)


Don't try telling a client something she doesn't want to hear... sometimes you have to just let them go


Talk money right up front


If it doesn't feel right don't do it

And he added, around the same time something like:

But also, don't trust rules all the time

Found another that I hope isn't a repeat - from Legacy from a Friend (3:19):


Magnum mentions wanting to write a chapter on "...listening to your little voice. Everyone has one..." where he's regretting not following up with Marcus right away about his friend's new car

eltonsean wrote:

Turkey wrote:

Mr. Greene wrote:But we're forgetting one big rule TM had and expressed a lot "work the lock" that definately needs to be included in the rules.

Yes, classic!

He'd mention that in the pilot first, right?

yes, he first mentions "work the lock" in the pilot episode when the dogs are chasing Magnum as he is trying to get into the Ferrari. He also mentions it in episode 1.5 "No Need To Know" when the dogs are chasing Magnum as he trying to get into the guest house. Are there other episodes when Magnum uses the phrase "work the lock"? I'm not sure, can't think of any off the top of my head.

I always wished that would have popped up more often.

yes, he first mentions "work the lock" in the pilot episode when the dogs are chasing Magnum as he is trying to get into the Ferrari.

And later he repeats it as he's trying to break in to Captain Cooly's office while Alice and Ensign Healy are coming up in the elevator. "Don't look at the elevator, work the lock...you looked at the elevator!"