Season 3, Episode #9 - Mr. White Death

 

The main point of Season 3's Mr. White Death, was to get screen legend Ernest Borgnine to act alongside the new hit show's actors. So, nevermind the plot holes and logic flaws, and just enjoy the good fun.

In any case, the episode starts far away from Honolulu in both time and space. We are brought to a barber's shop in Miami circa 1955 where a well-dressed man is getting a shave and somebody comes out of the back room to break his neck. We don't see the face of the killer. 

Flash forward to the present day(1982) and we find Magnum, T.C., and Rick stopping by some shady club where there is a low rent wrestling match happening that featured Mr. White Death(Borgnine), a masked marauder who is winning a slugfest with a local wrestler. At the same time as the match, Rick approaches the club owner to ask about $500 that he owes to Rick. The owner doesn't take kindly to being pressured to pay his debts on his own turf. A big fight ensues and it looks like the club owner's three goons are beating up on Rick, T.C., and Magnum pretty good. Don't worry, though! Mr. White Death comes to the rescue after his wrestling match. The 65-year old, overweight wrestler manages to single-handedly knocks out the three goons, freeing our heroes from peril. 

Magnum and Ernest go have sushi to celebrate their new friendship. There, Ernest finds out that Magnum is a private investigator. He asks Thomas to help him find his son who he abandoned 27 years ago. After dinner, we find out that the aging wrestler has been bounced from his hotel. Of course, he ends up staying at the Master's estate. The next day, he meets Higgins and they hit it off as they have some mutual friends. 

Magnum finds Ernest's son and plans to reunite them, but this triggers some mobsters to try and find him, as well. See, it turns out that back in 1955(remember the opening scene?), Ernest's boxing manager was killed by the Miami mob because Ernest wouldn't take a dive. Ernest exacted revenge by breaking the neck and killing the head of the Miami Mafia. He then had to go on the run as a permanent contract has been on his head for the last 27 years. This is why Ernest always wrestled with a mask. All the pieces are falling together. 

Luckily, for Ernest, Magnum and the guys foil the mob hitmen's plans to kill the old wrestler. (By the way, did all La Cosa Nostra hitmen in the 80's look like John Holmes or what?) In the end, Ernest is reunited with his son briefly before flying back to the mainland to go on the run again. 

Side Note: Rick was actually knocked unconscious three times in tonight's episode(once by seedy bar goons, once by Ernest Borgnine, and once by the hitmen). Fortunately, he is able to "shake off" these multiple concussive events and get back to hanging out with Magnum and T.C.