When I read the synopsis for this story, I didn't expect I would enjoy it very much. But I couldn't have been more wrong. It's quickly become one of my favorites from season 4. Most of its success hinges on the wonderful performance by veteran TV actor John Astin as the boys' wayward Uncle Ray. He easily could have become a recurring character, since his on-going schemes would keep getting him mixed up with shady types, thus requiring his nephews to bail him out of trouble.
According to production notes here on the IMDb, the scenes that take place on Roa Kea were filmed at a state park in Malibu. It seemed like Hawaii to me, and I half-anticipated Thomas Magnum to appear and help thwart the guerrillas. But of course, Rick & A.J. were more than capable of handling the situation on their own.
I think the episodes that feature the mother in more of a central role are among the show's best. In this instance, Ray has invited Cecilia along on a trip to Roa Kea, a fictional island nation in the south Pacific, where he hopes to find out what happened to an investment he made in a soybean operation. The boys are against their mother going, since they sense danger straight ahead. When things do get too dangerous, they put her on a plane and send her back home. But while she's there, she gets to let her hair down. She's actually a bit tipsy when she flies off, and I thought it was fun to see her more relaxed in this episode.
The plot surrounding Uncle Ray's investment gets the Simons involved in a coup. Most of the characters on the island are highly exaggerated stereotypes of third world people. It's played mostly for laughs so it seems rather inoffensive. The best moments though are the serious ones in a jungle where A.J. lashes out at Ray for letting them down when their father died. Ray's only excuse is that his whole life he has never measured up to Jack Simon. It was poignantly played and Astin brought a good deal of humanity to the role. They seemed very much like family in those scenes. Of course, they eventually get off the island safely. The story's resolution back in San Diego is quite funny.
According to production notes here on the IMDb, the scenes that take place on Roa Kea were filmed at a state park in Malibu. It seemed like Hawaii to me, and I half-anticipated Thomas Magnum to appear and help thwart the guerrillas. But of course, Rick & A.J. were more than capable of handling the situation on their own.
I think the episodes that feature the mother in more of a central role are among the show's best. In this instance, Ray has invited Cecilia along on a trip to Roa Kea, a fictional island nation in the south Pacific, where he hopes to find out what happened to an investment he made in a soybean operation. The boys are against their mother going, since they sense danger straight ahead. When things do get too dangerous, they put her on a plane and send her back home. But while she's there, she gets to let her hair down. She's actually a bit tipsy when she flies off, and I thought it was fun to see her more relaxed in this episode.
The plot surrounding Uncle Ray's investment gets the Simons involved in a coup. Most of the characters on the island are highly exaggerated stereotypes of third world people. It's played mostly for laughs so it seems rather inoffensive. The best moments though are the serious ones in a jungle where A.J. lashes out at Ray for letting them down when their father died. Ray's only excuse is that his whole life he has never measured up to Jack Simon. It was poignantly played and Astin brought a good deal of humanity to the role. They seemed very much like family in those scenes. Of course, they eventually get off the island safely. The story's resolution back in San Diego is quite funny.
