Loss hits private investigator, Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck), pretty hard this week, as we continue our travels in Hawaii in the show’s final season. Tigers Fan was written by Bruce Cervi, and originally aired on 4 November, 1987.

When his friend, and fellow Detroit Tigers fan, Lt. Yoshi Tanaka (Kwan Hi Lim) is murdered, Thomas is determined to find who is responsible, and the department thinks the stalwart officer may have been caught up in a drug deal, and illegal activities that date back to the 1970s.

When Thomas is informed of Tanaka’s death they call it a car wreck to cover up what really happened, but Thomas wants to know why the police are stonewalling him. Magnum digs into it, and learns some of Tanaka’s history, what he really was up to, and the man he was trying to take down.

Thomas tracks the murderer down, Grady Walker (Carlos Romero), his connection to Tanaka, and exacts justice, and avenges his fallen friend.

There’s a nice reference to the Rockford Files, which is cool nod, and also comes into play because Joe Santos, who plays Lt. Page in this series, was, of course, Becker in that show. There are also some great moments with Thomas and T.C. (Roger E. Mosley) discussing baseball strategy with Tanaka, whose nephew is on the team, as the kids practice. But the whole Higgins (John Hillerman) is Robin Masters thing is growing, but at least they try to rationalize it.

Amy Yasbeck also gets to make an appearance.

Forever in Time was penned by Kimmer Ringwald, aired 11 November, 1987 and was directed by the legendary Jackie Cooper. Thomas is helping Higgins out with a Hawaiian Historical Society event, but becomes infatuated with a beautiful young woman, who looks exactly like a Hawaiian princess who died in 1910.

Thomas is enchanted when he sees Victoria (Lei Maa Richmond) and feels a strange connection with her, which is only augmented by a photograph of a naval lieutenant that looks surprisingly like Magnum.

When he starts to see Victoria everywhere, he becomes a little troubled, especially after he sees a picture of the long dead princess, and believes it to be the same person. As he digs into the strange, beguiling woman he is stunned to learn more about her, hears rumors of mental illness, and is warned off by the woman’s husband, William Keyes (Gregg Henry).

But things get more complicated when someone sends him a package containing a naval uniform from 1910, a locket with a picture that looks like Thomas and Victoria, and a mystery that remains to the present. A mystery, that Thomas can’t help but dig into and karma may be causing to play out.

After the previous episode, this one feels a little off. It’s a nice idea, but just not executed as well as it could be.

I can’t believe how quickly we are coming up on the end of the series…

Until next time, Aloha.