Ep 2. Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii (2)

Magnum Pi season 1 episode 2, entitled "Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii (2)," follows our hero private investigator Thomas Magnum as he investigates a series of sabotages on a new ski resort being built on the island of Maui. The disappearance of a hot dog skier who worked at the resort only adds to the building tension. Thomas Magnum had initially suspected that his old friend and fellow veteran, Teddy, was behind the resort's sabotage. Teddy had expressed resentment towards the wealthy who chose to vacation in Hawaii instead of supporting locals in need. However, the events that transpire in this second half of the two-part episode lead Magnum to believe that there is another culprit at play.

The episode opens with a scene of a man checking his traps, only to be chased off by two snowmobile riders. The man is later seen working on his traps at the ski resort, the same one that Magnum and Higgins are staying at. Thomas Magnum had originally come over to the resort to try out some skiing and watch over Higgins, who was looking to invest in the new property. However, when a fellow skier is killed by an exploding snowmobile, Magnum winds up working on an investigation instead.

As Magnum digs deeper, he discovers that the ski resort's owner, Sato, had provided funding to Teddy's organization, which begs the question, why would Teddy want to destroy a place his organization relies on? As Magnum interviews people, including the skiers and a scientist who has been taking measurements up in the mountains, he discovers that the soil samples have been tampered with. The guilty party is attempting to change the composition of the snow by introducing substances that can increase its explosiveness. Meanwhile, Magnum's friend Rick and the rest of the staff at the resort are racing to try to rebuild everything in time for the grand opening. Magnum eventually concludes that the recent locavore chain hijackings in downtown Lahaina and the resort's troubles must be connected, and decides to set a trap.

As Magnum, Higgins and Rick set up a sting operation to catch the culprit, things quickly go wrong when Magnum and Rick are taken hostage by the culprit, who is revealed to be the snow science specialist, Valanta. She explains that she has been working for a contractor who is attempting to prevent the ski resort from being built because it sits on a fault line. The contractor has been trying to replicate the events of a naturally occurring landslide that destroyed a small town in Hawaii and wanted to effect that same destruction to the ski resort. She had been hired to develop substances that would increase the explosiveness of the snow and make the slopes even more dangerous. Valanta confesses that what she was doing was wrong and agrees to help Magnum stop the contractor and make his plan public.

As the episode concludes, the ski resort's grand opening goes off without a hitch, thanks in part to Higgins' investment. Magnum and his friends toast to the successful catch of the saboteur and look forward to a fun day out on the slopes. However, as Magnum's night concludes, it’s obvious that his work is never done as it seems like fate has another case waiting for him right round the corner.

Magnum Pi season 1 episode 2 is a thrilling and exciting episode that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. The episode packs a punch with a fast-paced narrative and intense action sequences. With a strong cast bringing to life the show's lovable characters, this episode manages to hit all the right notes while delivering a satisfying conclusion to the two-part arc. The continued work of Magnum and his friends, leading to the eventual uncovering of the saboteur’s agenda, makes for a great mystery that delivers beyond the viewer's expectation. Overall, this is a must-watch episode for fans of the show.