Magnum p.i. Used Christmas to Do a Clever Island Bottle Episode

[TMC]

https://www.popculturereferences.com...ottle-episode/

We continue our look at some notable 1980s Christmas episodes by looking at a Magnum p.i. bottle episode on Christmas where the cast are trapped on a small island together on Christmas Eve.



We continue our look at some notable 1980s Christmas episodes by looking at a Magnum p.i. bottle episode on Christmas where the cast are trapped on a small island together on Christmas Eve.

Magnum p.i. was about a decorated Naval Intelligence officer who decided to deal with his PTSD from the Vietnam War by essentially “dropping out” of the Navy and becoming a private investigator in Hawaii, while living in the guest house of a rich guy (in exchange for being in charge of security for the estate). Thomas Magnum had effectively never had a real childhood (his dad died in World War II when Thomas was a boy), and thus he was choosing to have a delayed adolescence. Two of his war buddies decided to set up shop in Hawaii, as well, TC, a chopper pilot in ‘Nam, started a helicopter tourism business, and Orville “Rick” Wright, TC’s gunner, managed a beach club (Rick had connections with the Mafia, and he was the guy Magnum could turn to for underworld stuff).

The major domo of the rich guy’s estate was Jonathan Quayle Higgins, an officious British guy who had a long and storied military history of his own that he would often regale Magnum with. He didn’t get along well with the laid back Magnum, but at the same time, he obviously respected Magnum’s talent as both an investigator and an officer.

By the fourth season, the conflict between Magnum and Higgins had already become a bit perfunctory, as, well, come on, Magnum had proved himself to Higgins over and over and over again, so it really was more of a show in the conflict between the two. Magnum WOULD do annoying stuff, of course, and Higgins would naturally get mad at him, but it was clear the two loved each other just as much as Magnum loved TC and Rick.

TC is ferrying the three other guys around the islands of Hawaii before he heads to the airport for a trip home for a family reunion. Magnum is dressed as Santa Claus for a charity event, Higgins is delivering Christmas bonuses for his boss (in a dumb retcon later in the series, they tried to argue that Higgins might secretly BE his boss, Robin Masters. It was dumb, and I just ignore it), and Rick was doing…I don’t remember, actually. It obviously doesn’t matter, as it’s Rick, and no one cares what Rick does.

Something goes wrong with the helicopter, and they’re forced to make an emergency landing on a small uninhabited island. They have a number of misadventures before escaping once the Navy begins to do gunnery practice on the island (none of the men thought that the Navy would be doing gunnery practice on Christmas Eve, but a new captain is trying to prove himself by being harder on the crew by forcing them to work over the holiday).

Each of the guys have some good moments with each other, even Rick. There’s a great bit where Higgins starts to write out his will in case they all die on the island, and he leaves his replica of the bridge from Bridge Over the River Kwai to Magnum, but then he realizes, “Wait, we’re BOTH going to die here, so I can’t very well leave it to him!” So he crossed Magnum’s name out and just leaves everything to his dogs, Zeus and Apollo.

The Navy not realizing that there are people on the island (despite the huge bonfire the guys made) makes the Navy look kind of dumb, but the show was never PARTICULARLY kind to the Navy during the run of the series (I mean, it wasn’t ANTI-Navy, as Magnum clearly still has lots of friends at the Navy, and by the end of the series, he re-enlists, but it wasn’t some big Navy propaganda show), so that works.