Revealing mistake: The prosthetics for Magnum's war wound at the collarbone are off during the volley scene at the end, so it just looks like Tom Selleck has a worn-out patch sticking from his chest and about to come off. (00:48:20)
China Doll - S1-E3
Revealing mistake: When Higgins tells Magnum that he has to get into the safe first, Tom Selleck turns around and does a cheeky eyebrow-wiggle thing so well executed that will stay as the end shot for the opening of the whole series. A minute later, Higgins commands the lads to kill (!), and the turn and waggle are shown back in an obvious mirror shot. (00:47:45 - 00:48:40)
Revealing mistake: There's a neat and funny transition between the moment Rick tosses in the bin the orange juice bill that he knows Magnum will never pay, and a sponge being thrown into a bucket as Higgins polishes Robin Masters' Audi. The sponge though comes in from the right, way off Higgins' position. It's not John Hillerman that tossed it, but some stagehand. (00:16:40)
Thank Heaven for Little Girls and Big Ones Too - S1-E4
Revealing mistake: Rick is lurking in the pool; once the evil greenshirt Orson Welles-lookalike is hopping down the stairs, the cement in front of his hiding place has a big wet spot, no doubt from previous takes when the actor had to come out of the water dripping all over the deck. (00:41:00)
Thank Heaven for Little Girls and Big Ones Too - S1-E4
Revealing mistake: Throughout the whole episode, every street scene downtown shows moisture and light reflections on the camera lens.
China Doll - S1-E3
Revealing mistake: In one of the shots of the Ferrari driving away from the club and towards Uncle Han's residence, Mai Ling says "Some people have already been killed." This shot is a mirrored one; Magnum's head is on the passenger side and the license plate is backwards. (00:27:05)
China Doll - S1-E3
Revealing mistake: When Magnum drives away from the King Kamehameha club, in the shot where he drives off turning right and into the main road, a stunt double pudgier than Selleck is used instead. (00:27:00)
China Doll - S1-E3
Revealing mistake: Hit by the throwing star, Magnum drops the gun - actually, you can see Tom Selleck tossing it to the ground on purpose. (00:45:45)
China Doll - S1-E3
Revealing mistake: The guy who jumps off TC's chopper to face the bad guy for the final confrontation looks more like Lou Albano than Tom Selleck. (00:44:00)
China Doll - S1-E3
Revealing mistake: Magnum and TC are headed back to Kauai. Like earlier in the episode, the helicopter is piloted by someone wearing camel pants and not the blue jeans TC is wearing, but in addition to that, the passenger seat is empty, Magnum is nowhere to be seen. (00:42:40 - 00:43:20)
Thank Heaven for Little Girls and Big Ones Too - S1-E4
Revealing mistake: At the boxing gym, the litigious guy throws a punch that stays clear off Tom Selleck's face by a mile. (00:15:50)
Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii - S1-E1
Revealing mistake: The bad guys open fire on Magnum during the car chase, and Magnum shifts gears. Is it Magnum though? The hand in close-up not only does not appear to be Selleck's (it appears to have virtually no hair as opposed to Selleck's that can be seen at the beginning setting the cassette player), but is also wearing the team ring upside down compared to how Magnum and everyone does. (00:34:40)
Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii: Part 2 - S1-E2
Revealing mistake: When Magnum passes his gun to his fellow soldier, it cuts to a shot of the heli in the air that is mirrored - easy to spot by "Marines" written backwards.
Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii - S1-E1
Revealing mistake: After his car is destroyed, one of the two people who were chasing Magnum emerges from the wreckage and hikes to the very same spot Magnum was in.The road though cleaned itself; no more tracks in the dirt nor the skidmarks from Magnum's abrupt maneuver. (00:36:50)
Revealing mistake: In the classic ending of the episode, there's an obvious use of a dummy who falls in unnatural, stiff motion. (00:45:35)
Revealing mistake: The criminals have to get back inside the house because the cars for their getaway are "waist deep in mud", but they show no sign of having been anywhere near them; their shoes and bell bottom jeans are spotless. (00:22:35)
Revealing mistake: The fight scene with Magnum and TC has several shots with the real Tom Selleck and Roger E. Mosley, but the wide angles have been shot with the usual leaner stunt doubles. Magnum's double's face can be seen distinctly as he swings for the first punch, and he will appear later in the episode, uncredited. (00:12:25)
Revealing mistake: After the credits, Magnum's friend is checking out of the Honolulu Herald, which is running an article with Magnum's photo but the usual gibberish filler text contained in other similar props. (00:03:00)
Forty Years from Sand Island - S3-E17
Revealing mistake: When Higgins' wheelchair starts taking off and he cries "I say, MAGNUM!" you can see rise from the grass a thin line used to safely halt the chair when off camera. (00:28:05)
Two Birds of a Feather - S3-E19
Revealing mistake: In the shot when the plane tips over the tidal pool rocks, look at the tail of the plane to see the cables used to send the model plane crashing. (00:09:20)
