The Incomparable

67 “Ms. Jones” (S5E19)

A clerk from the hall of records needs Magnum’s help to unravel a really stupid and convoluted plot involving her husband (hey, it’s that guy!) and artificial intelligence computer code that is so advanced it should probably never be used by anyone. But the real attraction is the episode’s visit to the U.S. Male adult entertainment show, which is perplexing in every possible way.

66 “Black on White” (S3E6)

Ello, guvna! Ian McShane guest stars as a very, very sweaty racist ex-soldier who is convinced he’s about to be killed by the ghosts of the Mau Mau uprising. It’s an opportunity for thoughtful explorations of the legacy of empire and the damage it did to people on both sides, but this is “Magnum, p.i.” so instead it’s an abortive attempt to recreate “The Odd Couple” with Thomas and Higgins! Also: A series of poor accents, an amazing Pac-Man game, Rick takes one right to the head, and there’s a twist ending that’s anything but.

65 “Ghost Writer” (S2E12)

What’s more dangerous than a box full of DANGER? Two boxes! In a helicopter! This episode features Elisha Cook Jr. as someone other than Ice Pick, a lot of comedy bits, a classic take to the camera, and a plot free of any sense. Corporate espionage, pshaw! Give me some Howard Hughes jokes instead!

64 “The Legacy of Garwood Huddle” (S5E4)

Cliff Clavin is married to Doogie’s mom? Generic products that are legally distinct from Amway? A roast beef and Gefilte fish sandwich? This episode’s got a lot going for it, and a lot that makes no sense. But at its center is guest star Pat Hingle, and that means that most of our new segments this week are game shows. For some reason.

63 “All Roads Lead to Floyd” (S1E13)

Noah Beery guest stars as, well, Floyd. All roads lead to him. He’ll cut Magnum off on the road leading to him, which leads to a costly Ferrari bumper repair because someone didn’t carry any auto insurance. His daughter Cindy is on the road to finding him after he abandoned her in order to go into not-secret witness protection. A couple of chicken-loving henchmen are also on the road to Floyd in order to safeguard the theft of… airline tickets? As for Floyd, he’s going to abandon his laughably small car in the middle of the road and run away. Oh, also apparently the Klan are involved? What?

62 “…By Its Cover” (S3E21)

This is an episode with nothing to apologize for. Stuart Margolin cranks up some cool tunes, TC wears suspenders with no shirt, a parole officer just wants to get out of her strange office, and Magnum is mistaken for a bunco guy. Also there’s marijuana trafficking involved, which leads us to an unexpected segment.

61 “Luther Gillis File #OOI” (E5E10)

Luther Gillis is back, but this time he’s paired with the Butler—that’s Higgins—to sniff out an extortion plot. Meanwhile, the Big Guy (that’s Magnum) is wearing a suit and staring into a computer screen. The world is topsy-turvy!

60 “Old Acquaintance” (S6E3)

A dictator of a made-up country is going to be assassinated by a marine park dolphin who was kidnapped by a high-school friend of Magnum’s! Oh, no, this episode is not ridiculous at all. How have we done sixty episodes of this podcast?

59 “The Love-For-Sale Boat” (S5E17)

This episode sounded a lot better on Magnum Dash Mania Dot Com, the official bible of “Magnum, podcast.”

But it turned out to be… a lemon.

58 “Adelaide” (S1E14)

Why is guarding a valuable thoroughbred horse the subject of scorn? The answer is that this is Early Magnum, and so Magnum’s friends are kind of jerks. Also there’s a lady from Iowa whose relationship with Magnum is perplexing on multiple fronts. Then there’s the “Frankenstein Island” connection. It’s a weird episode. But we have many new segments, one invented by a listener!