All Thieves on Deck (6.15)

[lutherhgillis]

For me, this epi had that 'campy' feel to it. Sort of like a cult film. It is hard to take the story line seriously. You just have to sit back and enjoy it for entertainment value alone and not try to analyze it.

I wonder if they were spoofing "Love Boat" just a little. LB had been a huge hit for a long time. The writer who ends up being the villan was a real slime ball.

It was good to see the Skipper once again, however. It's too bad they did not think to get Bob Denver also. That would have been a hoot.

[J.J. Walters]

I agree golf. It seemed a bit out of character for Rick. With his street smarts (and his self-declared ability to smell a con a mile away), he should have been more cautious.

I wonder if they were spoofing "Love Boat" just a little. LB had been a huge hit for a long time.

I definitely got a little bit of a "Love Boat vibe" from this episode - The cruise ship setting (of course), the affable white-haired Captain, the three parties involved in the episode introduced one-after-the-other in the beginning (but here they are not separate stories like on the LB), the group dinner at the Captain's table. All they needed was the cool bartender and the eros doctor!

[Mark R.Y.]

Rick seemed to really be off his game in this ep. How is it that a Bogart fanatic like he is does NOT know who Miles Archer is?

[Jay-Firestorm]

I’m surprised many people seem to like this one; I’d say it’s one of my least favourite fro the show’s run. I guess it’ll be another we’ll agree to disagree on. Sorry folks!

[rating=6.0]

Apollo is shot when thieves try to steal a valuable Hawaiian artefact belonging to Robin Masters. With the statue to be put on display on a cruise ship on way to a museum, Magnum, T.C. and Rick must guard it, believing the thieves will try again. Boring!...

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This review contains spoilers.

Reading various reviews of this episode, I am surprised that so many people seem to like it, as personally I would probably rank it as one of my least favourite of the show’s run.

Coming to re-watch the episode to review, I only vaguely remembered one of the dogs getting shot; I had totally forgotten the plot of the rest of the episode – a sign of how little the episode appeals to me.

For the bulk of the episode, I found the story to be rather dull and drawn out, and it didn’t really pull me in much at all.

On board the ship, there is the usual array of suspects, though in this instance I didn’t really find them much of interest. And moments such as Rick talking to the statuette, which were supposed to be funny, I’m afraid I found pretty embarrassing.

The filmed onboard the SS Constitution makes for a couple of fair scenes visual-wise, but sadly, much of the episode takes place on what is quite clearly sound stage sets.

Don’t get me wrong, there are a couple of nice touches thrown in – I like the amusing climax, where everybody is aiming guns at everybody else, but on the whole, I consider this one to be a bit a damp squib.
Maybe if done in one of the early seasons, this one would have come off feeling quite classy, but located where it is in the show’s run, it feels little more than filler material.

Also, people seem to celebrate the final scene, where Magnum (whom we assume is talking to Higgins) is actually talking to Apollo – but personally, I saw the ‘surprise reveal’ a mile off!

All-in-all… I don’t know… this one just didn’t do it for me, I’m afraid.

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Other notes, bloopers and misc.:

* More act breaks abridged, blah blah blah…

* Magnum smokes his twelfth cigar of the series in the final scene.

[J.J. Walters]

Also, people seem to celebrate the final scene, where Magnum (whom we assume is talking to Higgins) is actually talking to Apollo – but personally, I saw the ‘surprise reveal’ a mile off!

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.

[Jay-Firestorm]

Also, people seem to celebrate the final scene, where Magnum (whom we assume is talking to Higgins) is actually talking to Apollo – but personally, I saw the ‘surprise reveal’ a mile off!

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.

I'll happily agree that it's one of the show's nice amusing ends to an episode - maybe I concentrated too heavily that I found it obvious who TM was talking to. I agree ending where little happens yet a lot is said is good.
Anyway, I just watched 'The Island Isn't Big Enough...' ...now THAT's a bad episode! Review tomorrow.

[J.J. Walters]

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.

Here's a screen cap of Tom Lupo, Selleck's longtime stunt double and stand-in...

[timm525]

I really liked this one. Kinda silly but had a good feel to it. 9 for me.

The guy in the beginning that was (presumably) buying the statue in the store looked an awful lot like "Ping" from "China Doll" season 1, ep. #2. I'm guessing it is the same guy?

Also for you gun buffs, when the guy that sold the statue gets shot in the alley by "Skipper", the gun that he shoots him with is a H&K P7 (squeeze cocker). After the guy is shot, you can visible see the shooter's left hand fingers release the squeeze cocker.

Seeing Apollo laying there shot was heart wrenching. And to see Zeus run up to him and put his neck on him like that was really awesome. Those were some extraordinarily trained dogs. They really added to the show and I'm glad Selleck and Hillerman spoke up to keep them in the show.

Couldn't believe I saw "Skipper" walk onto the boat and talk to TM. I kept waiting for him to yell "Gilligan!"

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.

Couldn't place the countess as being the chick from Superman II. I knew she looked familiar though.

I liked the very end with TM talking to Apollo on the couch. I'm glad he made it too!

[timm525]

Oh, and one more thing, what's with the 9" long band aide on that guy's right side of his head/face? I never saw a band aide that big in my life! I know they wanted to bring attention to is to show he was the guy that shot Apollo and got bit/scratched but that was over kill!

[J.J. Walters]

Yeah, that's one big band aid! LOL!

[firefly]

two things that struck me as a bit off; in the opening scene tom lupos character goes into the shop to make the exchange, but they do it right in front of the huge storefront window? the other thing was that while rick is gaurding the amuakua on the boat, er i mean ship , rick drinks the entire bottle and then has more once the countess shows up yet isn't passed out on the floor? all i gotta say is man, rick sure can handle his booze.


one other point, i have to wholeheartedly agree with timm, he will always be Commodore Decker to me.

[timm525]

...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...

Just watched this ep again and noticed that William Windom's name on the show was "Captain James T. Lyle"...

He played on Star Trek with "Captain James T. Kirk"...

Was that supposed to be a "hidden" tie in of some sort? Of all the names to name a character with the rank of "Captain" but "James T." anything. Seems odd if it wasn't done intentionally.

[MaiTaiMan]

This is not a serious or memorable episode for season 6...but it's still enjoyable and interesting just the same.

I love the cast of characters, the plot of a valuable Hawaiian statuette being stolen, someone murdered over it, then whodunit? Very Agatha Christie-ish!

I rated this one "Pretty Good"...as I think it is!

[Frodoleader]

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?

[Styles Bitchley]

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?

Yeah, I think he used to do it after Gilligan would do something really stupid.