Season 3, Episode 6: Black On White

 

Onto season 3's sixth episode, and the convoluted plots roll on. "Black on White" starts out in London where a dapper caricature of a British businessman meets a woman on the street, originally from Kenya. The clouds clear suddenly and a full moon is exposed. The man gets freaked out and hurries away, sweating profusely. He is being followed by someone(maybe the woman he just met), and a spear almost hits him. (By the way, it should be noted that this dapper British gentleman is being portrayed by Ian McShane, who we last saw in Season 1, Episode 6 playing a murderous Russ Meyer type filmmaker.)

Anywho, on to Hawaii, where we find Magnum in his guest quarters when Higgins bursts in to complain about some loud music Magnum was playing. Uh Oh, Higgins just broke a quarantine. Magnum had been exposed to the African Hemorrhagic Fever and now Higgins would be forced to quarantine with Thomas for seven days. It sounds like a fun Odd Couple sitcom set-up. 

But the plot soon takes a left turn when we find out that an old soldier friend who served with Higgins in Kenya back in 1953(McShane) had stopped by the estate a couple of days prior and told Thomas that the Mau Mau(Kenyan revolutionary group) was out to kill Higgins, as they had killed two other soldiers in who served with them both in Kenya. Instead of telling Higgins, Magnum enlists Rick and their doctor friend to create an elaborate quarantine ruse to keep Higgins safe in the guest house while they investigate. 

The full moon comes that night and Higgins catches Magnum sneaking out of the guest house to deal with someone on the premises. This is assumed to be the Mau Mau here to kill Higgins. There is some scuffle and Rick gets knocked out cold from a thrown club, tossed from the bushes. Magnum soon catches a woman, BiBi and brings her to the main house to interrogate her. This is the same woman who had greeted McShane in the streets of London in the prior month. Higgins here learns of the ruse from McShane, Magnum, and Rick who is waking up from his concussion.

Bibi claims not to be the Mau Mau, here to kill Higgins, but instead a member of Kenya's CID(think CIA). She was investigating the murders of former British soldiers who had ties to Kenya. McShane doesn't buy it and walks off to his room in the main house. 

When Magnum finally asks why the Mau Mau wants to kill Higgins, the major domo tells of the massacre of Beribe. Apparently, a troop stationed in Kenya in 1953 had come across two of their men who were killed and mutilated by the Mau Mau. Higgins gets hurt and has to stay behind, but orders his troops to go on to catch the assailants. The young troops catch up with the Mau Mau at Beribe and level the village killing many innocent woman and children in addition to their enemy. 

We now flash over to McShane who is in his room dealing with a flashback to when he shot and killed a boy at Beribe. A crazed look comes over his eyes. Within seconds, he is out of his English clothes and dressed like a native Kenyan holding a spear. He is just about to launch it at Higgins who is standing on the ground below his balcony when Magnum bursts in. McShane turns to face Magnum, and Thomas shoots him in the chest and sends him over the balcony dead. Hmm, maybe Magnum could have shot him in the leg or something, as he was clearing in mental crisis suffering from PTSD? Nah, anywho the next day Magnum goes swimming with Bibi and TC. The End!