There are a couple of fun episodes for this week’s installment! First up we have Operation: Silent Night, written by Reuben Leder and Chris Abbott.

T.C. (Roger E. Mosley) is less than thrilled to be running the boys to various locations via his Island Hoppers helicopter, seeing he has his own flight back to the mainland to make, but Higgins (John Hillerman), Rick (Larry Manetti) and Magnum (Tom Selleck) all piled into the chopper with a variety of destinations. But the spirit of Christmas prevails and he agrees to fly them to their destinations before making his Xmas eve flight.

Unfortunately, before any of them can begin their holiday festivities, the tail rotor begins to act up, and they are forced to land on a tiny island, the impact, ruining the radio, and will take T.C. a while to repair.

Things get worse when they realize where they are… the island is used by the Navy for gunnery practice. But no one would order an exercise on Christmas eve… Right?

There are a lot of fun moments in this episode, as Rick imagines his funeral, when he thinks he’s going to die in quick sand, or talking about his cousin. Thomas, dressed as Santa, insists on celebrating Christmas together. T.C. singing while he effects repairs (and he gets to say Whatcho talking ’bout Higgins?), and Higgins just seeming to revel in the experience, and trying to come up with inspired ways to get off the island if the chopper can’t be fixed.

Jororo Farewell aired 5 January, 1984, and was penned by Reuben Leder from a story by Fay Nakagawara. A young Prince, Danny (Wesley Ogata) from the Jororo islands, plays centerfield with his local team, but wants nothing more than to escape and live his life on his own terms.

His security, Ed Russler (John Saxon), keeps an eye on him, and protects him for his own good, despite Danny’s feelings about him.

Danny’s team ends up in the Hawaiian islands to play against T.C.’s all stars, and it’s here that Russler keeps his eyes open wide, fearful of a kidnapping or an assassination attempt. Robin Masters sympathetic to the boy’s plight, arranges for Danny and his entourage to stay at the estate.

While this allows him to pal around with Magnum, who takes a liking to the boy, it also denies him a chance to just be a kid. Something he begins to do when he begins to interact with one of T.C’s ballplayers, little Benny (Marcus Shimomi).

But when Marcus and Benny swap places, it leads the young Prince into trouble, and it’s up to Magnum and Russler to get him out of it before his kidnapped, or worse!

There’s a really nice moment in the episode where T.C. has a nice little chat with Benny, that shows how good a person the pilot really is, despite the fact that he accuses Magnum, hilariously, of spying for the Jororo team earlier in the episode.

So much fun in this series!

Til next time, Aloha!