Magnum, P.I. Did You See the Sun Rise? (1980–1988) Online

The final scene proves that Magnum was indeed a hardened combat veteran.

His usual "nice guy" persona is altered by the deservedly so cold bloodedness of his action.

This is my favorite Magnum episode because of this final scene. It is also not one containing any "other worldly" stuff or Magnum's "little voice" or any comedy. I don't mind those things in the context of other stories but all would be totally inappropriate in this episode.

Serious and compelling. After seeing it "first run" i waded thru years of reruns before i saw it again

There seem to be two different kinds of episodes of Magnum PI; the ones where he comedically seems to bumble his way through the case he's hired to solve, enduring ridicule from Higgins and having to cajole favors out of Rick and TC...and ones like this. The episodes where Magnum shows the will, cunning, and the strength you'd expect of a SEAL who had seen combat in Vietnam. And not coincidentally, these episodes seem to refer to his days in Vietnam.

"Did You See the Sun Rise?" is of the latter category, and is a powerful episode that reveals and admirable and ruthless character in Thomas Magnum. Without question one of the best.

This 2 part story was awesome. This episode and a couple of others really showed how that no matter how hard Magnum tried, his past would reach out and pull him back down that "black hole". "Magnum P.I." overall was one of the best ever written for television. I am surprised that a "Magnum" movie was never made, considering the automatic built in fan base. Many people that I have talked to have told me how they thought it would be so cool to be Magnum. But if you really think about the character, you might have second thoughts. Because while Thomas tried to live a happy carefree life, the fact of the matter is, he is a very troubled soul trying desperately to escape the ghosts of his past. The the very first half of the episode "Mac Is Back" did a good job of showing this. And this episode, "Did You See The Sunrise?" showed that when "push comes to shove" don't screw with Thomas Magnum or his friends. Because he will kill you. Literally.

In the episodes I've seen up to this point, the show has been walking the line between the main character's beach bum charms and the darkness of his past. 'Did You See the Sun Rise?' falls completely in the latter category. Elements from Magnum's (and T.C.'s) past come screaming back to throw their lives into chaos. Everyone from the Navy to a vengeful Russian is involved, and it's all a painful reminder that, despite the car and the island life, Magnum was once (still is?) a hardened killer. Seriously, don't eff with Magnum's friends.

This episode goes to some surprisingly dark lengths, and part of the reason why it's one of the best (at least of those that I've seen) is that freeze frame ending. Now I get the reference used on "Archer" several years back, but I'm glad to have finally seen this.

Haunting stuff.

9/10

I'm slowly going through "Magnum P.I." and I just started watching the third season tonight. Most episodes have had light humor to accompany the semi-serious tone of Magnum's investigations. At times, lurking in the background, is Magnum's Vietnam past and it's been fairly well established that his happy-go-lucky attitude indeed has a dark side.

This third season opener is probably the best episode so far. An old Nam nemesis (Bo Svenson) seems to be after Magnum, T.C. and an old friend to tie up some loose ends.

Usually an episode has a twist; sometimes they're fairly obvious but at times they're quite good as this is overall a well written TV show. The one here is really good and it displays well the trauma that followed the vets home (before it became overused in films and television) and how it can be triggered for menacing purposes.

Selleck is always good as Magnum and Hillerman as Higgins. They're relationship is often times the high point of an episode but they can also do serious very well. The biggest surprise here is probably Mosley as T.C.. He's not a great actor but he fits well in the show with his limited screen time but he steps up here as this episode requires a little more from him. And Bo Svenson plays the baddie quite well.

Major spoiler.

The ending here is a shocker. Magnum guns down an unarmed bad guy because justice can not touch him. Magnum indeed has a dark side and can play hard when his friends are threatened or killed. This one act displays an utterly menacing side to Magnum and he's all the more fascinating for it. I just might have to watch the remaining five seasons.

End of Spoiler.

An overall solid detective series just got a lot more interesting.

"Did You See..." is the feature length episode that kicks off Season 3 with a bang. Written by Donald P. Bellisario, this is an extremely well executed television movie.

From the beginning, there's a sombre air over the proceedings; a feeling of nightmarish unease that soon becomes a reality.

Gritty, uncomfortable and uncompromising for a peak-time television show, this is a classic episode and fan favourite. Once seen, this is never forgotten.

Bo Svenson plays the ultimate Magnum bad guy, the psychotic Ivan.

10 out of 10. Just brilliant. After two seasons, this story demonstrated that the series had only just found its feet.