Rick (Larry Manetti) finds himself in all sorts of trouble in the first episode, The Love-For-Sale Boat. It was written by J. Miyoko Hensley and Steven Hensley, with an original airdate of 14 February, 1985.

Mac or Jim (Jeff MacKay) is back and it seems he may be in a bit of trouble with the Yakuza, after he arrives in Hawaii with an expensive yacht, crewed by three beautiful women. He immediately runs a con on Rick to convince him to buy it. Always eager to take the easy route, this one doesn’t play out like that, and ends up getting Rick in deep with Ice Pick (Elisha Cook, Jr.), who despite loving him like a son, will have the bar manager’s legs broken if he doesn’t pay off his newly incurred debt.

Mac, leaves the island, and it’s up to Thomas (Tom Selleck), financed by T.C. (Roger E. Mosley) to go after the con artist, and try to get Rick’s money back before it’s too late. He travels along the west coast of the mainland, but Mac keeps eluding him, possibly having even returned to the island.

Things keep getting worse and worse for Rick, and Thomas laments the fact that all he wanted to do is go out on the King Kamehameha II to do some fishing, like he was promised he could.

For the most part, this is Rick’s story, with Thomas only popping up now and again, as he runs down a clue, or makes a call from a call rental agency. Funny stuff. And shows once again that Jim Bonnick is not Mac, but each time, the boys fall for the memory of their dead friend.

Let Me Hear the Music aired on 21 February, 1985 and was written by Jay Huguely.

Thomas is asked by an aging country singer, Lacy Fletcher (Dennis Weaver) to track down some songs that his friend wrote 30 years ago, and seems to have been lost.

But there is more to it than that, as the private investigator tries to track down the five songs. There is a lost love, there was conflict in the band. Magnum tries to track down the singer’s old girlfriend, Laurie Crane (Susan Oliver), but she denies every having received the songs, and has some secrets of her own.

And when the songs are handed over, someone turns up dead, and Thomas now has to figure out not only what the songs are worth, but who is willing to commit murder for them…

A bit more of a serious episode, but there are some nice moments in the episode, like the fact that Higgins (John Hillerman) recognizes the music, and then when he spends some time with Fletcher, the pair actually sing and play together.

The series continues to be highly entertaining as I make my way through them, and it’s amazing how well it has stood the test of time.

Man, do I love this show…

Until next week… Aloha!