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Tales of the Gold Monkey Season 1 Episode 8

Honor Thy Brother

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9.4

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 11/24/82

Jake is followed by the brother of a Japanese pilot he shot down while he was still a Flying Tiger in China, and Corky struggles to avoid a prearranged marriage. Jake also receives something that he has been lacking...

Fan Episode Reviews (1)

Unbeknown to Jake, he is being stalked by the brother of a Japanese pilot he shot down in battle as a Flying Tiger a year previously. Meanwhile, Corky has got problems of his own – he has been duped into a marriage he doesn't want. Really enjoyable tale..moreless

10

By Jay-Spacedust, Mar 20, 2011

This review contains spoilers.

I haven't seen all of the episodes from 'Gold Monkey's one season run yet (correction, I HAVE, but not for about 28 years!), so I'll hold out until the end of the run to pass judgement on what the very best episode(s) are, but even so, 'Honor Thy Brother' has surely got to rank pretty highly.

This episode has so much going on – Jake being followed by the brother of the Japanese pilot he killed in battle a year previously; Corky being duped into marriage with a girl he doesn't known nor like; AND... the return of Jack's missing opal eye. I love the barroom brawl that breaks out with the German sailors as Jake tries to get the eye back for Jack.

Also of note is the return of Gandy Dancer. Although he died in 'Legends are Forever', William Lucking returns to the role at the beginning of this story in a flashback to the previous year. (The following year, Donald P. Bellisario attempted to move Dancer, with a name change, to the (then) present day, using the third season 'Magnum, p.i.' episode 'Two Birds of a Feather' as a backdoor pilot for a series based around the character. The pilot didn't sell).

Corky being duped into marriage is also a lot of fun. For much of the story, this seems to be an unrelated side plot, so it comes as a surprise later on when it is revealed to in fact be tied up with the main plot, and all part of the trap that Jake is being led into.

With a few of the early entries in the series, I found them to have decent plots but a bit stretched out in places; thankfully, by this point, things have tightened up a lot, and this story kept me fully engrossed throughout.

My only niggle is that the climatic dogfight does seem to be rather brief and rushed; after all of the build up, it is over very quickly. But that's a minor gripe in an otherwise great tale.

As with many 'Gold Monkey' stories, and indeed with Bellisario shows in general, it's hard to define whether things are a drama (there are many dramatic moments), or a comedy (there are many comical moments)... probably somewhere in the middle! The series set out to be a pastiche of those classic aviation and adventure films of the late 1930s and early 1940s. During the first few episodes, it arguably struggled to find this footing, but by this episode, it really feels to have got a handle on what it wants to be much more.

In all, I really enjoyed this episode, and it will probably stand as one of my favourites of the series. I give it 10 out of 10.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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John Calvin	Reverend Willie Tenboom
Jeff MacKay	Corky
Stephen Collins	Jake Cutter
Caitlin O'Heaney	Sarah Stickney White
Roddy McDowall	Bon Chance Louie

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Soon-Teck Oh	Kenji Miura	Guest Star
Manu Tupou	Mapuhe	Guest Star
William Lucking	Gandy Dancer	Guest Star
Les Jankey	Gushie the Waiter	Recurring Role
Ahmed Kalane	The Bartender	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- During the scene in the bar where Jake shows Louie the dead snake, and Corky arrives with his new wife-to-be, the parting in Louie's hair changes sides a number of times – seemingly due to some shots being flipped back-to-front.
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QUOTES (0)
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NOTES (1)
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- Although Gandy Dancer had been killed at the end of "Legends are Forever", William Lucking reprises the role in this episode, as part of a flashback at the beginning of the story.
  (The following year, Donald P. Bellsario would create an almost identical character for Lucking, set in the modern day, in a backdoor Pilot in the third season Magnum, p.i. episode "Two Birds of a Feather". The Pilot did not sell.)
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